Case fan/motherboard question

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LiamHUD

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Aug 26, 2016
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I have a 120mm intake case fan at the bottom at the front and a 120mm exhaust on the back.

1. Would plugging a 4 pin cable with three 3 pin female adapters coming out be dangerous for my mobo? (I'm thinking maybe too much cables going into it could blow/damage it?

2. Is having a intake fan on the bottom of side of side panel beneficial for cooling my PC as it would bring in cool air at the bottom and as we all know "heat rises"?

Thanks bro's!
 
Solution
raisonjohn
1. Depends on the current draw of your fan and the current provided by your motherboard header. Usually (but not always), motherboard fan headers are rated at 1A max. current unless otherwise stated in the manual/specs. Now, you need to check the actual current draw of your 120mm fans (it is usually found in the back of the fan with the round sticker showing basic specs). Usually (but again not always), fans of that size would be in the range of ~0.2A to ~0.3A (may be lower; may be higher). If, say for example, your 3x 120mm fans are rated at 0.25A, 0.17A, and 0.28A, then total draw on a single fan header is just 0.7A - - less than the 1A (usual) max. capacity. So you would be fine. If the total is higher than that, you should...
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raisonjohn

raisonjohn

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Feb 22, 2015
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1. Depends on the current draw of your fan and the current provided by your motherboard header. Usually (but not always), motherboard fan headers are rated at 1A max. current unless otherwise stated in the manual/specs. Now, you need to check the actual current draw of your 120mm fans (it is usually found in the back of the fan with the round sticker showing basic specs). Usually (but again not always), fans of that size would be in the range of ~0.2A to ~0.3A (may be lower; may be higher). If, say for example, your 3x 120mm fans are rated at 0.25A, 0.17A, and 0.28A, then total draw on a single fan header is just 0.7A - - less than the 1A (usual) max. capacity. So you would be fine. If the total is higher than that, you should limit the number of fans connected to be safe.

2. Depends on your entire interior layout (case, cabling, and components). I don't know what your case is or how your components inside are arranged. Generally, adding more intake fans would be beneficial in bringing in cool air (ideally, 2 to 3 would be enough). Exhaust fan (ideally, 1 or 2) at rear and top.
 
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Solution
Susquehannock

Susquehannock

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Dec 8, 2016
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As a general rule, I avoid powering fans from motherboard headers in favor of straight from the PSU.

Side note ... some board fan headers need a sense wire so it "knows" a fan is connected & working. For the CPU cooler for instance.
 
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