Can I plug my extra fans into any headers?

McSteebs

Prominent
Feb 17, 2017
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510
I'm erring on the side of caution and asking if it's okay to plug two extra 3-pin fans I just purchased into any of the remaining 4-pin headers on my Z270-A Prime Mobo: CPU_OPT, H_AMP_FAN, AIO_PUMP.

CHA_FAN1 & CHA_FAN2 are already in use by the two fans that came with my NZXT S340 Elite case. Are the headers mentioned above safe to use for ANY types of low voltage fans? Does the H_AMP_FAN header work with low voltage fans safely or is it meant for high powered one's only?

For those curious here are the fans I bought.
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
There are three small issues for you to pay attention to here, and you'll need to get a couple of accessory parts.

First, to use automatic control of speeds of your case ventilation fans you really should connect them to the mobo CHA_FAN headers. The other headers are designed for different functions and don't control the correct way.

Second, all four of your case fans are of the 3-pin design, and that means their speeds can only be controlled by mobo headers that are configured to use DC Mode, and not PWM Mode. See your mobo manual on p. 3-7. Check to be sure that each of the CHA_FAN headers is set to DC Mode by using the selector box at the upper right of the screen. If you have to make a change there, be sure to SAVE and EXIT.

Third, how do you connect four fans to two CHA_FAN headers? That's easy using Splitters. Any normal CHA_FAN header can supply up to 1.0 amps current in total to the fans connected to it. Most fans today use from 0.1 to 0.25 amps, so two on one header by using a Splitter is quite acceptable. You should realize that any fan header can accept from its fan(s) the speed signal from only ONE fan. Thus all Splitters are designed (usually with a missing pin or wire) to forward to the mobo header the speed signal (on Pin #3) of only one of its fans, and to ignore all others. Thus you will never see the speeds of the second (or more) fans on one Splitter and header. Now, a note on selecting a Splitter. You will need two - one for each CHA_FAN header to connect two fans to it. It does not matter whether the Splitter you buy is designed for 3-pin or 4-pin fans, either design will work for you. But what DOES matter is distinguishing between a Splitter and a Hub. Unfortunately, there are many Hubs sold under the name "Splitter" that do not do the Splitter job properly. A Splitter has one arm ending in a female (with holes) fan connector that plugs into a mobo male (with pins) header. Then it has two (or more) arms each ending in a male fan connector that you plug into the fan's connector. Here are examples

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA3XT1D86510&cm_re=fan_splitter-_-9SIA3XT1D86510-_-Product

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812423160&cm_re=fan_splitter-_-12-423-160-_-Product

The first is a 3-pin type with wires exposed to see easily. Note that the second output arm is missing the Yellow wire to its Pjn #3. The second Splitter is a 4-pin type with black sleeving. Both would work for you. Ones with longer arms also are available.

A Hub is different. It has those arms PLUS one third type of arm that ends in a connector that must be plugged into a PSU output (either a 4-pin Molex female or a SATA Power Output). This device type can only work with 4-pin fans systems, so they are NOT what you need.
 


Asus boards support full reconfiguration of all fan headers. You can literally run your CPU fan off a CHA_FAN header without losing any functionality and vice-versa. You just have to reconfigure them in BIOS.

That's one reason I always recommend Asus boards. They implement all fan related features on all fan headers. The only non-interchangeable header is the H_AMP_FAN header which supports more current than the rest.
 

McSteebs

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Feb 17, 2017
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That's neat. So I can just go in the BIOS and change the names to CHA_FAN3 & CHA_FAN4 and call it good?

 
Nope, you can't change the names. You can change the alerts, control mode, fan curves, and the specific temperature that each fan responds to. If you did run the CPU fan off of the CHA_FAN header, you'd have to live with the CPU fan being called a CHA_FAN. Functionally, though, there would be no difference.
 

McSteebs

Prominent
Feb 17, 2017
11
0
510


So to clarify, I could use any of these headers and be okay? CPU_OPT, H_AMP_FAN, AIO_PUMP. I would just switch them to DC mode since they're 3-pin fans?
 

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