Building a custom PC

[whatthefunk]

His build can be found in post#19...

[ardvark71]

His build can be found in post#19...

Whoops! Thank you. Never mind, Steve.

Regards...

[MoonRise]

Probably preaching to the choir here, but I assume in the gear that you ordered, you selected a quality power supply? I've seen numerous friends computers die early due to cheap PSU's. Woodsmoke could probably give more insight into quality PSU's than I could.

Couldn't agree more on that. That is what happened with my daughter's system. Will not do that again. After buying the better PS the system has no more issues.

[SteveRiley]

Also, concerning the molex adapters, do you mean these guys?

That's one of the three-pin plugs that I see whenever I look for an adapter. Three-pin mobo headers supply +12V, ground, and speed sense. Fan speed is controlled by altering the voltage on the +12V pin. Four-pin headers add a PWM (pulse-width modulation) signal, and this -- rather than voltage adjustments -- is used to control fan speed. The fan headers on my son's mobo are all of the four-pin type. (And it adds to confusion because the Molex connectors are sometimes called "four-pin," too.)

[ardvark71]

That's one of the three-pin plugs that I see whenever I look for an adapter. Three-pin mobo headers supply +12V, ground, and speed sense. Fan speed is controlled by altering the voltage on the +12V pin. Four-pin headers add a PWM (pulse-width modulation) signal, and this -- rather than voltage adjustments -- is used to control fan speed. The fan headers on my son's mobo are all of the four-pin type. (And it adds to confusion because the Molex connectors are sometimes called "four-pin," too.)

Hi Steve...

Do these come closer?

Also, what do you feel about the information presented here?

Regards...

[SteveRiley]

Do these come closer?

Alas, no. That cable allows you to connect two 4-pin PWM fans to one 4-pin header. What I need instead is a cable that converts the old Molex style plug on my chassis fans to the 4-pin PWM style plug, which I can then connect to the 4-pin headers on the motherboard.

Also, what do you feel about the information presented here?

That post was mostly about CPU fans, but I get what they're saying. I suspect -- but I'd have to experiment to verify -- that the Asus motherboard only uses PWM to control the fan speed, as opposed to varying the voltage. So using 3-pin adapter cables means the fans would run full-speed continuously, which is no improvement over the current setup.

[ardvark71]

Hi Steve...

Ok, how about this one?

Regards...

[SteveRiley]

Ok, how about this one?

Nope! That one allows you to connect up to four fans that already have 4-pin PWM plugs to one 4-pin PWM motherboard header. The Molex connector on that cable allows the fans to obtain power directly from the PSU.

My fans have Molex plugs on the ends of their cables. I need something that converts these to 4-pin PWM plugs. Given the dearth of available options, one of two things is true:

• I am going to have to break out the wire cutters and do some custom work.
• Fans that lack PWM plugs aren't designed to work with PWM -- that is, they expect a continual if possibly varying voltage, rather than voltage modulated by pulse widths.

[ardvark71]

Nope! That one allows you to connect up to four fans that already have 4-pin PWM plugs to one 4-pin PWM motherboard header. The Molex connector on that cable allows the fans to obtain power directly from the PSU.

My fans have Molex plugs on the ends of their cables. I need something that converts these to 4-pin PWM plugs.

Hi Steve...

I would think that someone, somewhere makes what you're needing, though.

I'm guessing the molex connectors on your fans are male, what do you need for the four pin PWM connectors? My hunch is that you would need an adapter that is female on both ends, is that corrrect? By any chance could you include a picture of the motherboard and the headers in question?

Regards...

[SteveRiley]

Asus Maximus IV GENE-Z/GEN3. Example PWM fan header in green (ignore the error, Newegg's site always does that with Flash images in Rekonq on my PC, dunno why):




Rosewill Ranger-M microATX case. Enlarged image of Molex fan cable. Both fans have the same connector, a "hermaphroditic" Molex:

[ardvark71]

Thanks, Steve...

I did find this and this, although I'm not sure if it will work in the "reverse," in your case.

The only other thing I could suggest is purchasing a fan specifically wired for PWM.

Regards...

[SteveRiley]

Those cables contain sockets to accept four-pin PWM plugs. What I need are cables with plugs on the ends. The lack of such cables leads me to believe that ordinary fans, like the ones in my son's case, won't work with PWM signaling. There must be something unique to the fans themselves.

[ardvark71]

Those cables contain sockets to accept four-pin PWM plugs. What I need are cables with plugs on the ends.

Hi Steve...

Admittedly, I'm not fully getting the concept here. But I did try to help.

Best wishes in getting or making what you need.

Regards...