Fan Controller questions

[matchu]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy an external fan controller for the four fans that come stock with the Antec 900. these are 4pin molex fans, but most controllers i've seen use 3 pin connectors.

Is there a workaround for this, or should I just get cable adapters? would i need a "4 pin to 3pin" or a "3pin to 4pin" adapter?

thanks!

 

[captaincranky]

Have you checked whether the controller you're interested in comes with adapters? Many aftermarket fans come with them, so they're usable connecting to the motherboard, and also via Molex.

Forget that, I just did some searches and it doesn't look good for adapters. The controller panels seem to be 4 pin Molex in, and 3 pin out. So likely you'll have to change the fans too.

I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish here. The Antec fans are already variable, and I don't know if an interim speed not provided by their switches is going to change your world that much.

Or the short answer, "dude, I'm stuck with them too"!

Edit: These Rosewill fan sets are kind of nice; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200028 Three would be $24.00 plus shipping, somewhere near the price of a separate controller. The only problem here is that the controllers mount in a case PCI expansion slot, 3 fans equal 3 slots occupied.

 

[matchu]

heya! thanks for the reply captain

I kind of want to be able to control the fan speed for different applications. when I play games, i want to increase the speed. if i'm listening to or recording music, i want to turn the speed down. the fans that come with the case have controllers, but they're internal ones. dont' want to open m y case everytime i play a game ^^"

 

[captaincranky]

. dont' want to open m y case everytime i play a game ^^"

Point taken. Oh, and you're very welcome

 

[UltimateNewbie]

use an application called speedfan and create different fan speed profiles, have it run at startup and when you want to change speeds just load a different profile

 

[matchu]

The antec 900 fans don't connect to the motherboard.... but straight to Power Supply only. I don't think that'll work, will it?

 

[captaincranky]

use an application called speedfan and create different fan speed profiles, have it run at startup and when you want to change speeds just load a different profile

At Last, a use for this program. It's terribly unreliable for temperature measurement. That said, I'm guessing it would only work for fans connected directly to the motherboard, since it would have to vary the voltage of the PSU directly to be otherwise.

@matchu; You've managed to stumble onto the weakness of the Antec supplied case fans. They're quite useless for anything other than being used as is. Even if you were able to find mobo style 3 pin connectors to hook them to a controller, they don't have the third tachometer (yellow) wire. So, you wouldn't be able to tell at what RPM they would be running anyway. (Well, except by ear).