How do I connect case fans?

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An_Raven

Commendable
Dec 7, 2016
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My PSU has 3 molex connectors and one 4-pin connector while my motherboard only has 1 fan connector, so my question is if I can connect multiple fans to the motherboard and still be able to adjust their speed through BIOS with only one connection?

Motherboard: ASRock H110M-HDV http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H110M-HDV/

PSU: Corsair CX 430W 80 Plus Bronze http://www.corsair.com/en/cx430-80-plus-bronze-certified-power-supply


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Talking about this ^^^ connector, do I plug it into the motherboard?
 
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Paperdoc

Polypheme
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Oct 19, 2006
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NEVER connect that 4-pin thing on the end of the Molex power output cable to your mobo anywhere. It is ONLY used to provide power to a 3½" floppy drive. Plugging it into a mobo fan header can damage your mobo by pushing power in where it does not belong.

SR-71 Blackbird is correct. The way to use more than one case fan in your system is to get a 4-pin fan HUB. Plus, you MUST also buy only 4-pin fans. A 4-pin fan system using PWM Mode for control (and your mobo's CHA_FAN header does) can not control the speed of any 3-pin fan; such a fan would only run full speed all the time.

A HUB may look like a group of wiring arms, or it might be a little box. Here's one with just arms.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423165&cm_re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-165-_-Product

Look carefully at the photo. It has one arm with a 4-pin female connector (with 4 holes) that plugs into your mobo's CHA_FAN header. It has four output arms, each with a male (with pins) connector for your fans. It also has an extra arm with one large male 4-pin Molex connector (only 2 pins mounted in it) that plugs into a PSU Molex power output. That extra arm to the PSU is what distinguishes a Hub from a Splitter. Hubs only work on true 4-pin fan systems, and that's what your mobo is using. This Hub picks up the PWM control signal from your CHA_FAN header and sends back to it the speed signal from ONE of its connected fans. But all the power for the fans is taken from the PSU, thus preventing you from overloading the limits of the mobo CHA_FAN header.
 
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