Connector for LED Thermometor on case?

[johaness9]

I just bought a case with a led thermometer on the front that has molex connectors(the 3 fans are also molex only). The foxconn mobo that I'm looking at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813186102

has two 3 pin connectors for fans, so I will need to convert the molex into 3 pin?

Will I need a specific connector on the mobo for the thermometer in order to use the led thermo on the front? If so, what is this connector usually called? Or can I convert the molex of thermo to a 3 pin and connect it fan connectors?

Besides the cpu fan connector the mobo has SYS_Fan, FAN1, Com2(for serial com device?), and Front Panel connector(that has PRWLED, PRWSwitch, HDDLed, Reset, NC). Are anyone of these used for the led thermo? If not, is there a converter that can convert a molex led thermo to one of these?

This case didnt come with any instruction at all, and I am new to this.
Thanks for any info!

 

[waylander]

First of all, what case is it? Second, most thermometers use a thin wire which has a flat section at the end that you tape to a component for temperature readings, I taped mine to the underside of my water block right beside the cpu where it overhangs.

The fan connectors are just that, fan connectors, they read the rpms for fans (sometimes controls them as well). They are not temperature sensors.

 

[elpresidente2075]

What it sounds like you are wanting to do is attach the thermometer that is on the case to the computer, and be able to read it through the computer. Sadly, there is no way to do this. The LED thermometer is just that. It is a standalone unit that only takes power to power the sensor and LED display. The sensor, like Waylander said, is its own unit, comprising of a two wire harness that has the actual sensor at the end. The LED box that is on the front of the case does the sensing, and does no other reporting to the system.

If you just want a way to display the temps in a specific place in your system, just tape it where you want it and you got it.

Secondly, there is no need to connect your fans to the motherboard if the fans don't need to. Just hook them up on the molex connectors and don't worry about it. If you want something that you can read fan speeds with, get fans that have the speed sensors installed on them. Like Waylander said, the fans are not temperature sensors, just RPM sensors, information that is usually ignorable. As long as they are spinning, and there is air flowing through them they are doing their job.

 

[johaness9]

Thanks! It is this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156069 It's cheap and came with no instructions at all.

For the connectors coming in from the front panel(where the thermometor is; also, they are all grouped together to where you can't distinguish which connector came from where), besides the powerswitch, reset, and HDD led connectors, there is also a molex connector(witch ends in both a male and female end), and a black wire(I think there are 2 wires running down this) that ends with its 2 wire connected together in a small slighly rounded blue plastic thing that is shaped like the end of a needle and about that size.

From what you guys mentioned, it seems that this black wire probably is the thermometer? I was confused bc it just looked like some wire they needed to close off and bc of the molex connector. Do you know what the molex connector is for? Would it be for powering the actual LED?

I was also wondering about the fans. I saw this 4 to 3 pin connector: http://www.xoxide.com/4to3.html , and each of my fans ends with a male and female molex. Even if the fans were meant to be just connected to a power supply, could I use this converter and put it in my mobo through the 3 pin? Does that 3 pin supply power, or will I still need to connect the male molex of the fan to the power supply? And even if the fan itself didnt have speed control, would the mobo be able to control it through voltages or something, or is that generally not possible?

Thanks![/img]

 

[elpresidente2075]

The three pin converter would add unnecessary complications to the system. Just chain the fans together on the molex, and make sure they aren't on the same line as your hard disks (it has to do with the way the power is transmitted, just trust me on this one).

About the black wire? Your thoughts are correct. It is the thermometer sensor. The molex connector coming from the same bundle is the power for the LED and light for the display of the sensor's reading.

To answer your question abut the 3 pin supplying power, yes it does. It supplies the amount of power needed to run one fan on each connector, but if you don't have any fans to plug directly into them, they are unnecessary. Just don't worry about them until you buy fans again, then get ones that go in there.

Interesting note: The CPU fan will connect into one of these. Make sure it connects into the CPU fan port, as your motherboard will fail to start if you don't have it connected. It checks to see if a fan is running, and if it doesn't see one, it shuts off again.

 

[johaness9]

Do you have any suggestions as to where I should tape the thermometer for the least amount of complication to my system but best reading of the CPU temp?

 

[MadHacker]

Heat sink?
try the bottom edge as close to the CPU with out actually getting the sensor or tape between the CPU and the heat sink

 

[johaness9]

Will black electrical tape work for this?

 

[MadHacker]

if it get's to warm then it will unstick...

 

[waylander]

the case should have come with a little piece of clear tape for that purpose...

 

[johaness9]

oh :-(.........

What kind of tape should I use?[/code]

 

[elpresidente2075]

Just some clear tape will suffice. Nothing too big/fancy, just enough to secure it to wherever you want it. [/code]