Question about airflow with three fans

[uncharted]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here so please don't be mad if I posted this in the wrong section. It seems like the right one to me though.

I have two questions, I guess. They both lead into each other. One is about proper airflow and the other involves a cable I need for one of my front fans.

This is the case I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147061

There are 2 spots for fans on the top, one in the back, two on the side panel, and one in the front. My problem is that I only have four fans, one of them, the front fan, I can't use because it has two molex plugs (male and female?). I need to find an adapter for that. Right now I only have three fans running, the two top and the back. I have the back as the intake and the two top as the exhaust.

Question #1 Is that ok for airflow? Is there any other way that is more beneficial?

Question #2: Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where to buy this adapter so I can use my front fan?

I appreciate any help anyone has for me!

 

[abCasPeRR]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here so please don't be mad if I posted this in the wrong section. It seems like the right one to me though.

I have two questions, I guess. They both lead into each other. One is about proper airflow and the other involves a cable I need for one of my front fans.

This is the case I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147061

There are 2 spots for fans on the top, one in the back, two on the side panel, and one in the front. My problem is that I only have four fans, one of them, the front fan, I can't use because it has two molex plugs (male and female?). I need to find an adapter for that. Right now I only have three fans running, the two top and the back. I have the back as the intake and the two top as the exhaust.

Question #1 Is that ok for airflow? Is there any other way that is more beneficial?

Question #2: Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where to buy this adapter so I can use my front fan?

I appreciate any help anyone has for me!

Depending on how you are theres multiple setups you can do when setting up case fans, a lot of people like "positive pressure" meaning they like to have more intake then exhaust to keep less dust from settling, a popular setup for that would be, top and front fans as intake and back as exhaust or however you see fit. Then theres negative, negative is just the opposite and means to have more exhaust then intake. Here's a good article on Positive and Negative pressure:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-air-pressure-heatsink,3058-5.html

About your question to your front fan, if its a molex powered fan, your power supply should have molex cables you just plug right into the fan. You shouldnt need a adapter at all.

 

[uncharted]

Depending on how you are theres multiple setups you can do when setting up case fans, a lot of people like "positive pressure" meaning they like to have more intake then exhaust to keep less dust from settling, a popular setup for that would be, top and front fans as intake and back as exhaust or however you see fit. Then theres negative, negative is just the opposite and means to have more exhaust then intake. Here's a good article on Positive and Negative pressure:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-air-pressure-heatsink,3058-5.html

About your question to your front fan, if its a molex powered fan, your power supply should have molex cables you just plug right into the fan. You shouldnt need a adapter at all.

Thank you for the article! This helps out greatly. As for my power supply, I only have sata connections coming out of it.

 

[JMer806]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here so please don't be mad if I posted this in the wrong section. It seems like the right one to me though.

I have two questions, I guess. They both lead into each other. One is about proper airflow and the other involves a cable I need for one of my front fans.

This is the case I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147061

There are 2 spots for fans on the top, one in the back, two on the side panel, and one in the front. My problem is that I only have four fans, one of them, the front fan, I can't use because it has two molex plugs (male and female?). I need to find an adapter for that. Right now I only have three fans running, the two top and the back. I have the back as the intake and the two top as the exhaust.

Question #1 Is that ok for airflow? Is there any other way that is more beneficial?

Question #2: Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where to buy this adapter so I can use my front fan?

I appreciate any help anyone has for me!

1. This doesn't sound like very good airflow. The top fan and the back fan are right next to each other, so you're only getting solid flow right in the back upper corner of the case.

A better cooling airflow design would be to have your intake fan in the front and your exhaust fans on the top and back. That way the cool air from the front will wash over your GPU, CPU, hard drives, and MOBO heatsinks and carry the heat out the top and rear. Typically you want your exhaust fans on the top and rear because hot air rises. That means you're using this to your advantage instead of fighting it, as would be the case if, for example, you used your top fan as an input.

For your case, it is designed for intake fans on the front and side panel and exhaust on the top and rear.

2. Fans come standard with Molex plugs. You don't need an adapter for this - just plug them into your Molex pins. If you're confused because your fan has a male and female Molex, don't worry - just plug the appropriate one into your PSU and you'll be fine. You don't have to have both of them plugged in. You can also plug the fans into the MOBOs fan headers and let that power them, if you have any open headers left.

 

[JMer806]

Thank you for the article! This helps out greatly. As for my power supply, I only have sata connections coming out of it.

This is very strange. What PSU do you have?

 

[uncharted]

This is very strange. What PSU do you have?

It's a Seasonic. I have some pictures of it. http://imgur.com/a/Zhhl3#0, http://i.imgur.com/csoOg9b.jpg

 

[abCasPeRR]

It's a Seasonic. I have some pictures of it. http://imgur.com/a/Zhhl3#0, http://i.imgur.com/csoOg9b.jpg

According to these pictures your power supply has molex connectors, but your psu is modular. So do you know what you did with the cables it came with? Forgot to link it like the other guy did.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151029

 

[JMer806]

It's a Seasonic. I have some pictures of it. http://imgur.com/a/Zhhl3#0, http://i.imgur.com/csoOg9b.jpg

I believe this is your PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151029

If so, you should have two Molex connectors that are disconnected. If you've lost them you can order more from the Seasonic store, no worries.

What is your motherboard? You may have fan headers on it that you can plug your front fans into.

Failing all of that, you can buy one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812816038

Just plug that onto the end of one of your unused SATA plugs and plug the male Molex end of your fan into it. Voila!

 

[uncharted]

According to these pictures your power supply has molex connectors, but your psu is modular. So do you know what you did with the cables it came with? Forgot to link it like the other guy did.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151029

I believe this is your PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151029

If so, you should have two Molex connectors that are disconnected. If you've lost them you can order more from the Seasonic store, no worries.

What is your motherboard? You may have fan headers on it that you can plug your front fans into.

Failing all of that, you can buy one of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812816038

Just plug that onto the end of one of your unused SATA plugs and plug the male Molex end of your fan into it. Voila!

I have no idea where those extra connectors are. They probably got lost when I moved.
Here's the motherboard I have. MSI 9990FXA-GD65 http://www.msi.com/product/mb/990FXA-GD65.html
If this doesn't have any fan headers, then I'll go ahead and buy that adapter.

 

[abCasPeRR]

I have no idea where those extra connectors are. They probably got lost when I moved.
Here's the motherboard I have. MSI 9990FXA-GD65 http://www.msi.com/product/mb/990FXA-GD65.html
If this doesn't have any fan headers, then I'll go ahead and buy that adapter.

You wont be able to plug them in anywhere if your fans only have molex connectors, I would just buy the connections from the seasonic website.

 

[JMer806]

I think at this point the easiest thing to do would be to just buy the adapter.

 

[uncharted]

Thank you all! I will just buy the adapter. After it comes in, I'll have the front fan as the intake, take a fan off of the top, put it on the side panel and have that as an intake as well. That will leave me with the rear and other top fan as exhausts.

 

[uncharted]

Just an update. I went to fry's to see if they had the adapter and they did. I also went ahead and bought an extra fan. I have the top two fans as exhaust along with the rear. I have the front and side fan as intake. It's hard to choose best answer when everyone's suggestions led to my solution. Thanks again!

 

[uncharted]

Best answer selected by uncharted.