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Is it worth to add a second cpu fan?
Main Post: Is it worth to add a second cpu fan?
Top Comment: i mean the rear fan is just there
How to add more fans than your motherboard allows to
Main Post:
I’ve asked this question before and got answers but I still don’t understand. What do I have to buy so I can add more fans to my pc as on pc par picker it says there’s not enough rgb headers or something like that. Please help
Top Comment: Fan headers can only supply a certain amount of power, typically 1A. You can use a simple splitter to put about 3 fans per header, though it'll depend on the power requirement for the fan (typically require 0.3A each). If you need more fans than that, you can use a powered hub, which will have several ports for fans, a connection to a fan header for control, and power to the PSU. This supplemental power should be more than enough to cover connected fans. Lighting headers follow a similar supply/demand thing. Each header can provide a particular amount of power (see the motherboard manual for this value, something like 3A is common now). You can use a splitter to add several things to the one header, just be sure to not over load the header. It can be difficult to find the values the lights require, so you may need to estimate it. Similarly, if you need more than a header provides, you can use a powered hub.
More fans doesn't always equal better cooling
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I was building a PC for a friend lately and reading case reviews, and I was interested to find that the NZXT H500 performed better in thermal testing with 1x rear and 1x top rear fan (stock setup) than when the reviewer added 2x front intake fans.
I decided to experiment with my existing build which is in a BeQuiet Silent Base 800 case. I ran the ROG RealBench stress test for 15mins with two configs:
- initial 2x 140mm front intake, 1x 120mm rear exhaust, 1x 120mm top rear exhaust
- revamped 1x 120mm rear exhaust and 1x 140mm top rear exhaust... no intake fans at all
In the first test (with more fans) my CPU temp peaked at 60 celsius and GPU at 70 celsius. In the second test (no intake fans i.e. a negative pressure setup) my CPU temp peaked at 60 celsius and GPU at 67 celsius. And it's worth mentioning that the ambient temp in the room was a few degrees higher for the second test.
In summary, removing 2 fans (and reducing fan noise) resulted in lower GPU temps and the same CPU temps under load even with marginally higher ambient temp. This is most likely because the exhaust-only setup allowed the GPU fans to suck air in the back and then the hot air was more effectively exhausted than when the front intake fans were scrambling the case airflow.
YMMV of course, but it was an interesting result.
Top Comment: It's commonly known by more experienced builders that negative pressure, or a lil' negative, gives you better thermals than positive. Negative pressure prevents pockets of hot air, while positive pressures create them. However, most people not to use negative pressure because then you're going to get dust through all the tiny little holes in your case. I would also ignore peak temps in general though. Intel CPUs for example, especially pre 9th gen, are notorious for having high spikes. Use average if you can.
Do I need a fan hub or fan splitters
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Hi, I’m doing my first ever PC Build, I have all of the parts already (although some are still in shipping). I was double checking I had everything that I need, and of course I believe I forgot an important detail.
I bought the Corsair 4000d Airflow case. It has 2 120 mm airguide fans by Corsair. And I bought 3 additional of these (CORSAIR ML120, 120mm Premium Magnetic Levitation Fan, Single Pack, CO-9050049-WW). None of them are rgb. My mobo is an X570 Aorus Elite and it has 2 SYS_FANs. So I have 5 fans and only two fan headers. I read that there are either Fan Hubs or Fan splitters. But I don’t know which to get, is it the same thing? Should I get the fan hub or maybe one 2 splitter and one 3 splitter. Connect the two stock fans to one splitter and the other 3 to the other?
Thank you for any help or advice
Top Comment: Fan hubs and splitters do the same thing, but there are a few differences. A fan splitter will split a fan header into two or three headers, and is not externally powered. A fan hub usually supports more fans than a splitter, but has to be powered by a SATA cable. That might make it more difficult to cable manage depending on your case. Keep in mind that all fans plugged into a splitter or hub will be controlled simultaneously in your motherboard's fan curve customization tool.
Should in install a top exhaust fan? Thanks.
Main Post: Should in install a top exhaust fan? Thanks.
Top Comment: Nah your good, the single rear will get the cpu+gpu heat out nicely and due to positive pressure of the 3 in vs 1 out it'll clear the case of all warm air nicely.
Can someone explain the differences between Sys Fan sockets and CPU fan and Pump Fan sockets on the mobo?
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The above really. I am unsure about the exact differences between them. I have plugged in my AIO CPU cooler fans into the CPU fan socket and the Radiator fan from my GPU cooler into a Sys Fan socket. Can I plug in a case fan cable to a Sys Fan socket or should it be plugged into the Pump Fan mobo socket??
Any help is appreciated. I am a newb.
Top Comment: CPU fan-always needs to be plugged or computer won't boot properly, so CPU coolers/pumps go in there. Since you can control the fan speed, make sure that the pump speed is at 100% all the time (or sometimes lower if it makes sound) Pump Fan-for liquid coolers only, will run at 100% all the time, basically just for custom water cooling. Sys Fan-for case fans, but water pumps could also work there. Radiator fans should go there too. You can also control the fan speeds.