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Front panel & CPU fan pin connections

Forum Motherboards & Memory : General Motherboard - Front panel & CPU fan pin connections

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driss   08-04-2009 at 10:42:29 AM

Hi.
Have a "Dell" motherboard M3918 from a Dimension 4700. Try to mount it
in a new mini ATX casing (box). Have problems with how to connect front
panel cables (HDD, Power led,Reset..etc..) to said mainboard, Same goes
for CPU fan 5 pins connector. Dell can´t help with diagrams, and I can´t
find any diagrams as nearly all motherboards usually have in their manual.
Front panel cables I can probably manage by trials and errors, but fear to burn MB when it comes to CPU fan connector.
Can anybody help ?
regards,
driss

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r_manic   08-04-2009 at 12:02:56 PM
- 0 +

Well with the front panel connectors you can experiment safely. Though I'm wondering what you mean by CPU fan connector. Is this something that will show the CPU fan speed in a display? A switch? Or simply the actual connector of the CPU fan to the motherboard. In that case, what's the connector for the fan? 4-pin or 3-pin?

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XPS M1330 | T8300 | Dell 0U8042 | 2GB DDR2 800MHz | NVIDIA 8400M GS | WD2500BEVS-75US | 1280 x 800
 Reply to r_manic
belial2k   08-04-2009 at 03:49:12 PM
- 0 +

As far as I know there are no "5 pin fan connectors" on any MB. If you look closely most boards are labeled. The print is extremely small, but it should be there printed on the board by each connection.

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to belial2k
driss   08-04-2009 at 07:34:52 PM
- 0 +

belial2k wrote :

As far as I know there are no "5 pin fan connectors" on any MB. If you look closely most boards are labeled. The print is extremely small, but it should be there printed on the board by each connection.





Hi.
Well, on this board, there are no 2-pins, 3-pins or 4 pins that are
usually used for connecting for ex. a system fan n the likes. NOTHING !
there is though near the CPU something that looks exactly like a place to connect the audio cable from lets say a CD-rom, with 5 pins within the black
plastic... Have never seen a CPU fan with more than 4 cables, normally it is 3... Have rearranged and soldered cables from a fan with 4, but the fan only "trembles", as if hindered to start.
thx fopr yr answer.
Regards,
Driss

Reply to driss
belial2k   08-04-2009 at 07:43:30 PM
- 0 +

you said you are just swapping cases...I assume the cpu fan was attached before the move, so you shouldn't have to rig anything to make it work.

Reply to belial2k
driss   08-04-2009 at 07:44:15 PM
- 0 +

r_manic wrote :

Well with the front panel connectors you can experiment safely. Though I'm wondering what you mean by CPU fan connector. Is this something that will show the CPU fan speed in a display? A switch? Or simply the actual connector of the CPU fan to the motherboard. In that case, what's the connector for the fan? 4-pin or 3-pin?




Hi.
there are NO 2 or 3 or 4 pins connecting places on the board (you know,
to connect a system fan etc.. as on nearly all boards I have seen in my days) !!! there is only one that says "CPU fan"on the board, and it looks
exactly like the black with plastic encapsuled connectin for the audio cable from a CD-rom, if you see what I mean. Inside the plastic are 5 pins.
I have CPU fans both with 3 and 4 cables. I have rearranged and
soldered, but one pin remains free, and the fan only "trembles" as if to start, but that is it. Have even measured with a voltmeter, found the 12 V pin and and the ground pin, but still no start...
Thx for yr message.
Regards,
Driss

Reply to driss
driss   08-04-2009 at 07:49:01 PM
- 0 +

Thats just the thing : no CPU fan was included when I bought the Mainboard.
Sorry 4 the error.
Regards,
DH

Reply to driss
Nils   08-04-2009 at 07:54:45 PM
- 0 +

Hi,

That's one very strange CPU fan connector, but just like belial2k said, if you used that motherboard before in another case, the CPU must have had a connected fan. Otherwise it would overheat. Have you accidentally removed the fan plug and now you can't find it back?

Maybe consider buying a 3-pin fan to 4-pin molex adaptor. Then you can use the 3-pin cpu fan you have and feed it through a 4-pin peripheral, coming directly from the power supply. You know, these plugs that are used to feed IDE HDD en CD/DVD Drives.

Reply to Nils
belial2k   08-04-2009 at 07:59:17 PM
- 0 +

Alright, now I'm starting to understand. It sounds like you have an older MB from back when Dell was making proprietary stuff so that you couldn't upgrade anything. Try checking ebay to see if you can find an old dell fan that has the 5 pin connection you need.

Reply to belial2k
belial2k   08-04-2009 at 08:02:02 PM
- 0 +

@Nils...I thought of that also, but if he runs the fan directly off the PSU he will have no control over the speed...and he will still have to trick the MB into thinking a cpu fan is attached so it will boot.

Reply to belial2k
Nils   08-04-2009 at 08:29:51 PM
- 0 +

I still don't understand. Why is he getting problems with a CPU fan when moving a mobo from one case to another? Did he mess up the fan while moving the mobo?
Also he states that there was no fan included with the mobo, but how did he keep his CPU cool until now then?

Reply to Nils
belial2k   08-04-2009 at 08:36:30 PM
- 0 +

That was confusing me too, but I think he bought it used and it didn't come with the fan.

"Thats just the thing : no CPU fan was included when I bought the Mainboard.
Sorry 4 the error.
Regards,
DH "

Reply to belial2k
driss   08-04-2009 at 08:42:55 PM
- 0 +

I will somehow solve the problem. The motherboard is an OEM,
and I´ll try finding what I am looking for on some chinese site.
Thx for all your answers and suggestions.
Regards,
DH

Reply to driss
Nils   08-04-2009 at 08:59:23 PM
- 0 +

If I were you I would buy a silent fan and run it directly from the PSU. You should check out Scythe, zalman or antec fans.

I hope this might help a little,

Cheers

Reply to Nils
driss   08-05-2009 at 09:43:44 PM
- 0 +

Thank you.
Best wishes and nice summer!
dh

Reply to driss
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