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  • 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

    I'm getting a GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H board for a rebuild I'm doing. I'm also replacing the existing generic case fan and replacing it with a Noctua NF-B9 92mm fan. The problem I'm seeing is that the Noctua has 3 pin connectors only (it does have a 3 pin to Molex adaptor) and the only system fan header is a 4 pin. I know I can connect the fan directly to the PSU but won't I then lose the RPM sensor showing fan speed? Will the 3 pin connector work on the 4 pin header or do I have to get some kind of adaptor to make it work?

    Attached Files
    Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

  • #2
    Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

    The 4 pin is compatible with 3 pin fans but if you choose smart fan controll you should select voltage instead PWM.

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    • #3
      Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

      The yellow wire in both setups is to monitor fan speed.
      The fourth wire is for PWM fan speed control.
      Look closely at both red boxes and you'll see that the locating tab on the 4-pin mobo header is offset a bit so that you can properly use a 3-pin connector.

      Follow Chike's voltage setting recommendation for the 3-pin fan connection and you'll be good to go.
      Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
      P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
      4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
      MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
      Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
      WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
      Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
      SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
      Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
      Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
      Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
      MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
      Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
      HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
      CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
      E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
      Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
      Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
      HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
      win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
      .

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      • #4
        Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

        Originally posted by Chike View Post
        The 4 pin is compatible with 3 pin fans but if you choose smart fan controll you should select voltage instead PWM.
        Thanks for the reply and information. I'm not quite sure what you mean about if you choose smart fan control select voltage instead PWM. Is that applicable for the system fan? The manual for the motherboard shows setting adjustments for the CPU fan but not the system fan. Would I use EasyTune as suggested below?
        Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

          Originally posted by profJim View Post
          The yellow wire in both setups is to monitor fan speed.
          The fourth wire is for PWM fan speed control.
          Look closely at both red boxes and you'll see that the locating tab on the 4-pin mobo header is offset a bit so that you can properly use a 3-pin connector.

          Follow Chike's voltage setting recommendation for the 3-pin fan connection and you'll be good to go.
          Thanks for that information. I can now see the tab you mention and how it allows the 3-pin connector to be used.

          I've posted a reply to Chike's reply with a question about being able to adjust the System Smart Fan Control as per his suggestion. It's a bit confusing in the MB manual.

          Is there any reason for me to be concerned about adding a North Bridge cooler or fan? This build is never going to be used for gaming, video editing, etc., just light applications and Internet.
          Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

            Sorry I should have said select CPU Smart Fan Mode Voltage.
            At least with my board if I leave CPU Smart Fan Control on Auto is simply does nothing (disabled).
            This option only throttle down fan speed if the CPU is cool enough to reduce noise.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

              Thanks for the clarification Chike. In the manual it says to set to voltage for a 3 pin CPU fan. The stock heatsink fan included with the AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0 GHz 2x1 MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core CPU that I'm using for this rebuild has a 4-pin connector, same as the header on the MB. The manual indicates that should be set to PWM for a 4-pin fan. Is that correct or should I set to Voltage as you suggest?

              Sorry about all the questions but I'd like to get it right. My OP was in regards to the case fan connection and now we're talking about the CPU fan, correct?

              CPU Smart FAN Mode
              Specifies how to control CPU fan speed. This item is configurable only if CPU Smart FAN Control is set to Enabled.

              >> Auto Lets the BIOS automatically detect the type of CPU fan installed and sets the optimal CPU fan control mode. (Default)
              >> Voltage Sets Voltage mode for a 3-pin CPU fan.
              >> PWM Sets PWM mode for a 4-pin CPU fan.
              Appreciate your time.
              Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                PWM for 4 pin, but you have said you are going to replace it with a Noctua NF-B9 92mm which only has 3 pin so I suggested voltage.
                Honestly I have never had the chance to use PWM as I re[laced the Mugen original gan with more powerfull one that only has 3 pins. Most time fan is at 680 RPM and vitualy completely silent.

                EDIT: yes we are talking about the CPU fan. Sorry i miss read the OP/ It seems to make no difference which fan you are using for SYS_FAN as the 4th pin is reserved.
                Last edited by Chike; 09-22-2010, 02:07 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                  OK, last question (for now). The Noctua NF-B9 has 2 resistor adaptors included with it. The default wiring is set for 1600 RPM. Using adaptor 1 changes the default to 1300 RPM and using adaptor 2 changes defaut to 1000 RPM. From what you said, If I were to use the 1000 RPM resistor, that should give me sufficient air movement and also be quieter. Do you agree?

                  Chike said at 12:03 PST
                  Most time fan is at 680 RPM and vitualy completely silent.
                  Last edited by highcountryrider; 09-22-2010, 02:54 PM.
                  Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                    That is my CPU fan, my case fan is steady at 1900 RPM but pretty quiet, and exhusted air is about 2c above ambiant.
                    It really depends on many factors, but it's noice level is low even at 1600 RPM, and 64.3 m³/h isn't that much.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                      Thanks Chike, from that info I think I'll start with the default 1600 RPM and see how that works for noise and cooling.

                      Thanks to all for the input on this. It got slightly off-topic from the OP so appreciate the responses. I'll probably be posting more once I assemble everything and will want advice on BIOS settings for the GB MB listed. The previous system I built (my first-also with a Gigabyte MB) for a friend was pretty much leaving everything at default and it worked fine (I was just happy it posted and worked!). This time I'd like to delve into the BIOS a little more and learn something. Who knows, I may even try a very small OC!
                      Silverstone TJ08B-E micro ATX case | ASRock Z77 Pro4-M micro ATX MB | Intel i5 3570K CPU | Samsung 830 256GB SATA 3 SSD | WD Caviar Black 500GB SATA 3 HDD | EVGA GTX 650 | 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 SDRAM | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | Windows 7 HP 64-bit

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                        I have a Noctua fan that gets varied with the motherboard's smartfan feature. Read this post - My New Computer. Impressed with the O/c. - Page 7 - Windows 7 Forums
                        - My System Specs -
                        GA-X58A-UD5 MB (F6 bios)
                        Core i7-950 @ 3.8GHz Processor
                        Noctua NH-C12P SE14 CPU Cooler
                        6 gig Corsair Dominator - TR3X6G1600C8D
                        ATI Radeon HD6950 2Gig Video Card
                        Creative X-Fi Titanium Pro Souncard
                        Antec Signature SG-850 PS
                        Cooler Master HAF X
                        Win7 Ult x64

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                          Check out the Noctua NF-B9 FAQs on their website.
                          The second to last item says:
                          The fan doesn’t start with the Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (ULNA)!
                          Unfortunately, many Gigabyte mainboards use a special control circuit that can lead to start-up problems in conjunction with the Ultra-Low-Noise Adaptor (ULNA). This control circuit remains active even when automatic fan control is disabled in the BIOS. In these cases, please use the fan without the ULNA or connect it directly to the power supply (or an external fan controller) in order to ensure reliable operation with the ULNA.
                          Q9650 @ 4.10GHz [9x456MHz]
                          P35-DS4 [rev: 2.0] ~ Bios: F14
                          4x2GB OCZ Reaper PC2-8500 1094MHz @5-5-5-15
                          MSI N460GTX Hawk Talon Attack (1GB) video card <---- SLI ---->
                          Seasonic SS-660XP2 80 Plus Platinum psu (660w)
                          WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data)
                          Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD (boot)
                          SLI @ 16/4 works when running HyperSLI
                          Cooler Master 120XL Seidon push/pull AIO cpu water cooling
                          Cooler Master HAF XB computer case (RC-902XB-KKN1)
                          Asus VH242H 24" monitor [1920x1080]
                          MSI N460GTX Hawk (1GB) video card
                          Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium
                          HT|Omega Claro plus+ sound card
                          CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
                          E6300 (R0) @ 3.504GHz [8x438MHz] ~~ P35-DS3L [rev: 1.0] ~ Bios: F9 ~~ 4x2GB Kingston HyperX T1 PC2-8500, 876MHz @4-4-4-10
                          Seasonic X650 80+ gold psu (650w) ~~ Xigmatek Balder HDT 1283 cpu cooler ~~ Cooler Master CM 690 case (RC-690-KKN1-GP)
                          Samsung 830 128GB SSD MZ-7PC128B/WW (boot) ~~ WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB (data) ~~ ZM-MFC2 fan controller
                          HT|Omega Striker 7.1 sound card ~~ Asus VH242H monitor [1920x1080] ~~ Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speakers
                          win7 x64 sp1 Home Premium ~~ CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD U.P.S
                          .

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: 3 pin fan - 4 pin fan header

                            Originally posted by profJim View Post
                            Check out the Noctua NF-B9 FAQs on their website.
                            The second to last item says:
                            That's interesting.

                            Anyways, there's this with regards to the fan speed variance....

                            Noctua.at - sound-optimised premium components "Designed in Austria"!

                            Can I run Noctua fans on 4-pin PWM connectors and use my mainboard’s automatic fan controller?

                            You can simply connect our fan's 3-pin connector to the 4-pin PWM sockets of today's mainboards so that the fourth pin that transmits the PWM signal is left blank (due to the shape of the connector, there's no danger of reversing polarity). Most current mainboards are capable of controlling fans not only via PWM, but also by adjusting the supplied voltage. In some cases, this may require you to change BIOS options like "Fan Control Mode" from "PWM" to "Voltage" or "Analog". Please consult your mainboard's manual in this regard. However, most current mainboards use an "auto" setting by default that automatically chooses PWM or voltage based regulation according to the connected fan. Automatically controlling the fan speed may not possible on mainboards that pulse the power rather than lowering the fan voltage.

                            What that basically says is yes, if the MB supports it, the fan's speed can be controlled by the motherboard. You just need to set the BIOS options.

                            If you read the link to my post, you'll realize that my fan is running around 880ish RPM (without any noise adaptors) but will rise to its full 1200RPM as required by temps (voltage).

                            My point? If you're concerned about noise, if you use Gigabyte's smart fan in the BIOS, the fan will be throttled until full speed is needed.

                            Also Noctua's fans tend to be quiet anyways. BTW I have the NF-P14 fan - Noctua.at - sound-optimised premium components "Designed in Austria"!, which is a 3-pin fan. And as I stated earlier, I don't use the noise adaptors.

                            Peace
                            - My System Specs -
                            GA-X58A-UD5 MB (F6 bios)
                            Core i7-950 @ 3.8GHz Processor
                            Noctua NH-C12P SE14 CPU Cooler
                            6 gig Corsair Dominator - TR3X6G1600C8D
                            ATI Radeon HD6950 2Gig Video Card
                            Creative X-Fi Titanium Pro Souncard
                            Antec Signature SG-850 PS
                            Cooler Master HAF X
                            Win7 Ult x64

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