Can you run two fans off of a single motherboard connection?

[alphanode]

I will be purchasing an ASUS P7P55D Deluxe MB, but I think this question applies to more than just this MB.

Asus has some nice built in fan management features to lower the fan speed when the temperature is low and raise fan speed when it gets too hot. Unfortunately, I have more fans then I do connections to the MB. Is it possible to run 2 (or more) fans off of a single motherboard connection? If so, what would it take?

Thanks.

 

[rwpritchett]

I can't speak for the 3-pin variety, but Arctic cooling makes PWM fans that you can daisy-chain together so they all run off a single PWM plugin on a motherboard and they all speed up and slow down together.

120mm
92mm
80mm

I've personally had two 80mm fans and one 120mm fan daisy-chained to the same PWM plugin with no problems.

If 3-pin is what you're after, there are Y adapters available.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Asus tells you the permitted amps on the fan headers in the manual. On the R2E, it's 2 amps per header. More than enough for most fans. Here's a HSF setup w/ two fans

Heat Sink - Prolimatech Megahalems w/ IC Diamond TIM and twin Scythe PWMfans ($95 for the HS, TIM. two PWM fans and a PWM Y cable splitter).

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8807/cpu-pro-01/Prolimatech_Megahalems_Rev_B_Intel_CPU_Heatsink_LGA_775_1156_1366_AM2_AM2_AM3_Hot_Item.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7038/thr-41/Innovation_Cooling_Diamond_7_Carat_Thermal_Compound_-_15_Grams.html?id=BZWnrfIC
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/10026/fan-639/Scythe_Slip_Stream_120mm_x_25mm_PWM_Fan_-_SY1225SL12LM-P.html?tl=g36c365s936
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8418/cab-150/FrozenCPU_PMW_Y_Splitter_Cable.html

 

[geofelt]

There are various fan cable splitters available. It depends on what you want to do, and which motherboard headers you use. Here is an example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812706018&cm_re=fan_splitter_cable-_-12-706-018-_-Product

There are limits, depending on the amps the header provides, and the amps the fan requires.

That said, I prefer a steady fan speed. The noise seems more unbtrusive to me if it is steady instead of always increasing & decreasing.

 

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