Oh my god, so many fans

[childofthetao]

Hi, I'm trying to shop for fans but there are so many I don't want to make a bad buy.

I want to replace the fans in my 550D and when I buy a H100i I will probably want to replace those fans too.

The Noctua fans are too expensive but I don't want to buy cheap fans. Wit the case being a 550D and it has sound dampening maybe quietness isn't too important, just performance?

Thanks for the help.

Edit: I don't want molex fans, I want them to connect to my motherboard.

Edit 2: I'm not entirely which fan spaces in the 550D can accept 140mm fans. So I don't want to buy fans that I won't be able to replace. I can clearly see on the case that the rear fan can be replaced with a 140, and a 140 can go on the bottom, but I'm unsure about the two front fans, does anyone know about them?

Also I am looking for a 200mm fan to go on the side panel.

Edit: Might actually get a H90 instead of a H100i.

 

[childofthetao]

Update: I managed to get a cheap H100 so I'm gonna use that. What would be good 120 fans to replace the stock fans with? Noisy fans are fine as the 550D has sound reduction foam.

 

[cliffordcooley]

No need in replacing anything until the ones you have start to fail.

 

[GhostRyder]

Agreed, though stock case fans are normally pretty low RPM to keep the machine silent. So I would wait and see how your machine acts (Because it will run fine with them to start) and decide if you need some extra horsepower.

 

[captaincranky]

Edit: I don't want molex fans, I want them to connect to my motherboard.

A great many aftermarket fans have mobo type connectors, and come with an adapter to Molex.

I think you might run into either type connector, if you should decide to use an aftermarket fan control panel.

Keep in mind when you say, "I want fans that hook up to my motherboard", there are 2 types of those, 3 & 4 pin. The 4 pin type is PWM control of fan speed provided by the board, and the 3 pin type, is a simple 12 volt tap.

Many motherboards have both types, PWM, for the CPU fan, an a mix of types for the rest..

So here you have to map your board's connectors, before you even begin to shop.

 

[childofthetao]

I thought that if fans are connected to the motherboard then the motherboard can monitor the temps in the case and adjust the fan speeds as necessary... wrong aren't I?

Edit: Also I have a problem determining the size of the side panel fan, almost every site I look at gives me a different number. Does anyone know for sure what the size is of the single side fan mount on the 550D?

 

[captaincranky]

I thought that if fans are connected to the motherboard then the motherboard can monitor the temps in the case and adjust the fan speeds as necessary... wrong aren't I?

You're partially right. The motherboard CAN do that, but the fans involved must be, "PWM" controlled. (Pulse width modulation). Those fans are sold as such, and connect to 4 wire sockets on the board.

Don't confuse these connectors, with "4 wire connectors" that are actually Molex.

Here's what looks like decent 120mm PWM controlled fan: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835553006

The photo above shows a 4 pin PWM motherboard socket. This will control speed of a fan connected to it, provided that' it's a 4 wire PWM fan.

The 3 wire female motherboard connector on a fan, rides on the same guides, (note the tab sticking up in the picture), but misses the 4th pin.

So, you can also hook a 3 wire fan to it, but you will be unable to control the fan speed from the board,

As I said before, sometimes mobos have mixed sockets, both 3 & 4 pin. Matx boards have fewer fan sockets than a full size ATX board.

The side and top fan size is going to be my surprise. Look for it here: http://www.corsair.com/us/pc-cases/obsidian-series-pc-case/obsidian-series-550d-mid-tower-quiet-case.html

Here's a hint though, 200mm fans won't fit.

I don't think you're going to have to put every fan the case will take into it. That is unless you're are planning some epic overclocked monster with dual graphics cards.

I believe this case comes with 2 intake & 1 exhaust fans. (All 120mm). If this were my project starting out, I might spring for one top exhaust, (likely 140mm), and see how things went. Side fans can be a PITA, as if they're set too high, they can separate the front to back air flow, set up by the factory installed intake and exhaust fans.

 

[childofthetao]

I've looked at the official corsair page for the 550D, it says the side panel is 200mm. but you say 200mm won't fit... back to square one lol.

 

[captaincranky]

I've looked at the official corsair page for the 550D, it says the side panel is 200mm. but you say 200mm won't fit... back to square one lol.

I'm not saying it won't fit, Corsair is, check the page I linked. I think I searched for the right case. I was stoned when I did the search

Disclaimer: I can't read, I used to work for the post office.

However, please read this excerpt from Corsair's official page about your case:

Superior airflow for high-performance PCs.
Obsidian Series 550D comes with two front-mounted 120mm intake fans and one 120mm exhaust fan – more than enough for delivering the airflow required for a high-performance system. But if you’re pushing past high performance and into the realm of extreme-performance overclocking, there’s room for a lot more.

The top panel provides room for two 120mm or 140mm fans, or a 240mm radiator for compatibility with Corsair Hydro Series CPU coolers and other liquid cooling systems.

The side panel has mounting points for another two 120mm or 140mm fans for cooling multiple GPUs.

In total, the 550D offers ten 120mm fan mounting points, six of which can also accommodate 140mm fans.

In any case, be aware that no motherboard, (at least that I'm aware of), supports individual connection sockets, and/or speed control,for all of the fan possibilities available in many case offerings, including yours..

 

[childofthetao]

OK so here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to buy a H100 (exhaust at the top), add one single 120mm fan to the bottom of the case as an intake, then simply use the fans that come with the case (two in front, one at back). I'm not going to add one onto the side.

I'll be using an MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming, it has 2 x 4-pin CPU fan connectors and 3 x 4-pin system fan connectors.

Is there any particular way you recommend I run those through my mobo?