Fans don't fit into hub.

Boopig

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Hello.

This is quite humbling to make this thread but I'm out of options. I'm making my first proper rig solo. My case, fans and the hub have already arrived so I took the initiative and decided to install them preemptively.

The hub is a SilverStone SST-LSB01

The fans are 2x 200mm Coolermaster fans and 4x 120mm Coolermaster fans.

My issue is the fans won't connect into the hub. Now I am aware that this isn't primarily a fan hub. However, a representative of Silverstone did say that this was correct:

"In order to sync my fans and led strips, I run the rgb 4 pin connector to the rgb header on the mobo and then just connect all fans and LED strips to the control box and this will allow me to control everything with the Aura software?"

So I've tried every cable that the hub comes with but I cannot get these fans into the hub.

Do I need some special cables? Do I need a different hub? If so, which one? I need to connect 8 fans. 6 of which are RGB.

Thanks in advance!

 
Solution
Yes, that will work. You have simplified the fan selection so that they all now are 4-pin models with less complex LED functions. So all of them can be treated simply as standard 4-pin fans that require PWM control.

That Deepcool FH-10 Hub will do what you need. It only works with 4-pin fans and must have a mobo fan header that actually uses PWM Mode for control, and both of those conditions fit your system now. On your mobo there are some CHA_FAN headers that can be configured properly for this. You will plug the Hub's fan connector into one of those. For its configuration, make sure it is set to use PWM Control, and use a temperature sensor on the mobo, NOT the one inside the CPU chip. Ensure that one of your fans is plugged into the...

Paperdoc

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First, "200 mm Coolermaster" is not sufficient. Coolermaster makes many fan designs. Give us a more complete name or model number, like "Master Flow Pro 120 RGB", etc.

That Silverstone Hub is a way to connect and control, as a group, several sets of LED lights, often as separate strips or maybe as part of fans. BUT the physical dimensions and electrical connection details of LED strip connections are NOT standard, and Silverstone points out that their hub has its own specifications. They do, however, also point out that the Hub comes with two splitter / adapter units. Each of these CAN plug into one Hub port, and then it implies that at least SOME LED STRIP modules have connectors that can plug into the two adapter outputs. Whether that can apply also to LED connectors for a particular FAN is another question. In fact, what connector(s) are on your fans is why I said we need to know exactly WHICH Coolermaster fans you have.

Still, that Hub is for controlling the LED lights ONLY. It has NO role in controlling the fan motor speeds. How that is done depends again on the details of exactly which fans you have. So, when you can post back with those details, we can advise a bit better.
 

Boopig

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Hello.
The fans I have are hyperlinked in their names. Sorry I didn't make that clear. In any case, I'll link them below.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0788C8ZYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06ZZVLWJ3/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you for clarifying what the Hub does. The 200mm fans use a 3 pin connection, whereas the 120mm fans use a 4 pin connection.
 

Boopig

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Hello.

I think I've established this from your first post. Thank you for the clarification.

I know now I need a different hub. A controller to I think. All my fans have a +12V R G B connector, as well as a 4 pin (or 3 pin for the 200mm fans) connector.

So my question is. What fan controller do I need?
 

Boopig

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Progress!

From what I've seen. Would it be easier to have two separate hubs? One for RGB that plugs into the RGB Header on my mobo. And another for fan speed, like the ones you linked above?
 
Looks likeit may work but there's always a problem with a mix of 3pin and PWM fans because of different ways their speeds are controlled, 3pin are controlled with varying voltage and PWM by impulse: https://www.ekwb.com/blog/what-is-pwm-and-how-does-it-work/ PWM fans can also be controlled by voltage if 4th pin is disregarded.
 

Boopig

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So 4 pin connectors allow you to control the fans RPM. Where as 3 pin connectors don't.

Surely that would just mean that I could control the 120mm fans but the 200mm fans would just spin at full speed? But if the RGB is in a separate controller the lights will work together?

I would just need to plug the fan controller into a molex and a fan header. And the RGB hub into the motherboards RGB header, correct?

I mean, if worst comes to worst I could just send my 200mm fans back and get some fans with 4 pin connectors instead. ;)
 
I'm afraid you got something wrong. 3pin fans can be controlled by lowering voltage (12v), that also lowers the power they produce and air resistance slows them down. PWM (4 pin) fans get steady 12v voltage but are controlled by varying impulse frequency and duration thru 4th pin.
 

Boopig

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Ah. my bad.

But nevertheless. If I were to get 4 pin fans instead of 3 pin fans. I could in theory do the fan controller and hub set up?

Or grab one of these with some splitters

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072K7PBZG/ref=psdc_430499031_t4_B071JY88NX
 
Yes, in that case all fans could be controlled by fan hub and their RGB lights thru RGB hub/controller.
Simple fan hub controls all fans connected to it in same way and computer sees them all as one fan so it's best if they are all identical. Control works thru one of fan connectors on the MB and are controlled by it's temperature sensor in automatic mode.
So it would look something like this.
All fans connected to HUB and HUB is connected by one cable to a header on MB. Some hubs have also a connector for power from PSU by Molex or SATA power connector, only impulse is taken from a header on the MB. That way many fans can be supplied with power without overloading MB.
 

Boopig

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Ok. Thank you very much for the help!

 

Paperdoc

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Thanks for the full specs on the fans. I'm going to offer some different advice.

You do have two different fan types there, all by Cooler Master. Fortunately, they have set all of them up with separate wiring for LED lights and fan control, so each can be addressed separately. On each fan there is one cable ending in a connector with 4 holes in a line for the LED light power and control. CoolerMaster says these are designed to be compatible with several emerging "standard" connectors for LED systems, including some built into mobos by several makers, and CoolerMaster's own LED controller. So I am very hopeful that yours can be connected to the Silverstone LED Hub you got. However, there IS an issue there. The Hub's manual says it has some non-standard connectors on it which conforms with the difficulty you report. The Hub also says it comes with two splitter / adapter units that can plug into their hub's ports and give you a slightly different connector pair that DO work with other makers' LED light strips. So, first thing to check: do you actually have those adapter / splitter items with your Hub, and can you plug the LED leads for one of your fans into the output arm of those adapters? If yes, then MOST of that problem is addressed. What is missing is that you would have six such fans, but the adapters only provide 4 output arms. MAYBE you can get one or two more adapters like that from Silverstone?

Doing that will put all of the LED systems in those six fans under a single control. With the Silverstone Hub you have two choices - use the manual control box that comes with the Hub, or connect its control input socket to an LED control header on your mobo if it has one.

Now, control of fan speeds is a separate issue. It does involve a complication that has a solution. You are correct about their different designs - the 120mm fans all are of the 4-pin type, and the 200 mm ones are 3-pin type. Now, 3-pin fans can be controlled only by using Voltage Control Mode. 4-pin fans are best controlled by the newer PWM Mode, but CAN be controlled by Voltage Control also. To connect six fans together will require use of a fan HUB, which draws its fan motor power from the PSU, because no mobo fan header can supply sufficient amperage for those six fans on a single header. The dilemma here is that almost all fan HUBS are only for 4-pin fans and cannot control 3-pin units. The solution is one particular Hub, the Phanteks PWM Hub. It is different because it uses the PWM signal from a single mobo SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header that really does use PWM Mode (needs to be set in BIOS Setup, often) to create internally its own group of six 3-pin fan headers that use the older Voltage Control Mode, which CAN control both fan types. So, you can use this Hub to power and control any mix of 3- and 4-pin fans, such as you have. It even comes with a solution to a small issue. The ports of this Hub are narrow enough that you often cannot plug a 4-pin fan into them. BUT the Hub comes with two of its own 3-pin fan splitters. For each you can plug it into a Hub port, and you get two 3-pin output connectors OUTSIDE the Hub case and free of interference, so you CAN plug your 4-pin fans into these Splitters.

So, OP, you can use the Silverstone Hub you have for control of the LED portions of all your fans, if you can get another adapter to enable connecting them all to the Hub's ports. Then you should get a Phanteks PWM Hub and use it (and its included Splitters) to connect all your six fans' motors together. This will put all of them under identical control of one mobo SYS_FAN header. I am presuming that all of these fans are to be used for case ventilation, and that cooling of the CPU chip is to be done with other means we have not discussed at all.

To be sure this can work, post back here the maker and exact model number of your mobo. With its manual we can advise whether you have a mobo port to control the Silverstone LED Hub, and how to connect the Phanteks fan Hub to the mobo.
 

Boopig

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Whoa. I did not expect such help!

This is my motherboard:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0764H6HC8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You are correct. These fans are for case ventilation, I have a separate cooler for my 8700k.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077YHLDSP/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1

I believe this is what I need. As I decided to send back my 200mm fans and replace them with another 3 120mm fans just to make everything simpler. On top of that. I have abandoned the RBG idea and I will just use the basic red, green or blue options and just use the PWM ports of my fans.



 

Paperdoc

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Yes, that will work. You have simplified the fan selection so that they all now are 4-pin models with less complex LED functions. So all of them can be treated simply as standard 4-pin fans that require PWM control.

That Deepcool FH-10 Hub will do what you need. It only works with 4-pin fans and must have a mobo fan header that actually uses PWM Mode for control, and both of those conditions fit your system now. On your mobo there are some CHA_FAN headers that can be configured properly for this. You will plug the Hub's fan connector into one of those. For its configuration, make sure it is set to use PWM Control, and use a temperature sensor on the mobo, NOT the one inside the CPU chip. Ensure that one of your fans is plugged into the Hub's Port #1 that has a little speed dial icon next to it. That is the ONLY hub port that can report its fan's speed to the mobo header. The speeds of all the other fans on this Hub will be ignored. Ensure that you connect the Hub's power supply cable to a PSU SATA power output connector.
 
Solution

Boopig

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I've looked up how to get it all going. So once I've plugged my hub into the CHA_FAN header. Will it all run for me or will I have to do some BIOS configurations?

Thanks!
 

Paperdoc

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You might have to change one or two things in BIOS Setup for the configuration of the CHA_FAN header that you lug the Hub inot. See my second paragraph right above. If you do make any changes in there, remember to SAVE and EXIT so the new settings will be saved and used.

Thanks for Best Solution.