How to test fans without Mobo

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, Cases & Mods How to test fans without Mobo

OK 3 things arrived today, my NZXT phantom enthusiast case full tower, my xigmatek xaf-f1453 140mm orange case fan, and my NZXT sleeved LED kit orange.
this is my first build, and i'm waiting to buy a ivy bridge processor in 2 months, and i think ill be buying my motherboard then as well. i have a crap PSU that i bought when i saw the paperclip trick to test components without the motherboard. i've already put the paperclip onto my PSU, and i was hoping to test my case fan and the LED kit.

For my fan, have put it in plane atm without screws, but the problem is my fan has a 4 pin entrance cable to power, and nor my case's fan controller nor my PSU can connect to that. the fan came with a weird connector which has 3 pins sticking out of it, and it connects perfectly with 3 of the 4 pins on the main cable on the fan, and the other side of this connector is a peripheral connector that can stick into a peripheral, and another peripheral can connect into it. the case's fan controller has a 3 pin connector for that fan. lol basically what should i do? for the future i guess ill need a 4pin to 3pin transformer(not sure what word to use) and put it in the case controller, but just to test it can i use the connector with the 3 pins sticking into the 4 pin, and then connecting the peripheral into my PSU?

And the LED kit has a peripheral connector double sided like the add on from the fan. can i just attach all the peripherals turn on the PSU and see if it works, or is something gonna blow?

idiotic instructions needed lol

Reply to goga44

Hey, I had to read this a few times to fully understand so if i get this wrong i apologize.

The 4 pin fan connector will work if connected to a 3 pin fan header, weather your fan controller would be able to manipulate the speed im unsure. You should just be able to send power to the fan controller to test the fan.

Reply to silverliquicity

ok i know i'm terrible a explaning this sorry for that. The 3 pin thing that i described, is a very short cable with one of the sides being 3 pins that can stick into the fan's 4 pin head(lol again not sure what word to use) and the other side of this cable is a peripheral connector. so this does not help to connect to the fan controller. For now all i want to do is connect the fan to the power supply's peripheral connector(which i'm able to do), and then turn the PSU on and see if it works. so if it doesn't i can order another one. i am doing all this on top of the case's cardboard box. is anything gonna blow?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to goga44

lol its alright, im not sure how to say it, but ive researched and kind of understand it now. thanx tho

Reply to goga44

goga44 wrote :

ok i know i'm terrible a explaning this sorry for that. The 3 pin thing that i described, is a very short cable with one of the sides being 3 pins that can stick into the fan's 4 pin head(lol again not sure what word to use) and the other side of this cable is a peripheral connector. so this does not help to connect to the fan controller. For now all i want to do is connect the fan to the power supply's peripheral connector(which i'm able to do), and then turn the PSU on and see if it works. so if it doesn't i can order another one. i am doing all this on top of the case's cardboard box. is anything gonna blow?

Most call it a Molex to 3 pin fan adapter
Yes, you can use it to power the fan via the psu, just won't have PWM control
No, breadboarding is a good thing

Reply to delluser1

I DIDN'T DIE!!! xD
ok thank you very much, i was able to test it successfully, and everything was working fine. now I would like to connect the fan to my fan controller, and the PSU won't be involved in this one until i get m motherboard. The case's fan controller has a closed 3 pin connector, heres a pic:

and the fan's connector is a open 4 pin connector, heres another pic:

as u can see the fan controller's 3 pin connector has a "box" around it that doesn't allow a 4 pin connector to reach the 3 pins inside it. so wound it be ok to cut one side of the "box" out and fit the 4 pin fan into the fan controller's 3 pins?

ps: hope my pictures work...

EDIT:my pictures didnt work, not sure how to do it, so wait up untill i figure it out, but if u know what im talking about go ahead and help me.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by goga44 on 02-08-2012 at 06:13:15 PM

Reply to goga44

ok heres the 3 pin controller connector:
*

and here's my 4 pin fan connector:
*

ps: hope the pictures work
EDIT: didnt work again, i think i need to have it on the internet for it to work... gonna search on google for similar ones

Message edited by goga44 on 02-08-2012 at 06:16:26 PM

Reply to goga44

OK this has to work. here's the 3 pin controller connector(its the one on the right):

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=3 [...] 29,r:3,s:0

and here's the 4 pin fan connector:

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=4 [...] x=62&ty=63

Message edited by goga44 on 02-08-2012 at 06:22:55 PM

Reply to goga44

goga44 wrote :

so wound it be ok to cut one side of the "box" out and fit the 4 pin fan into the fan controller's 3 pins?.

That would work

Reply to delluser1

Quote :

That would work

ok thanx ill get to it, there shouldn't be any drawbacks right? i mean is only a little plastic thing "wall"

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by goga44 on 02-08-2012 at 06:42:39 PM

Reply to goga44

goga44 wrote :

Quote :

That would work

ok thanx ill get to it, there shouldn't be any drawbacks right? i mean is only a little plastic thing "wall"

If the fan controller doesn't work they might not take it back

Reply to delluser1

Quote :

If the fan controller doesn't work they might not take it back

The fan controller was included in the case, so it was like the whole case not working. anyway it worked fine, its absolutely beautifull, loved it all, thanks for the help.I think i won't be able to wait any longer, gosh 2 WHOLE MONTHS, Y IS IT SO FAR AWAY??? ahhhhh i got to forget about it for 2 months.

Reply to goga44