PC build - chassis fan issue

[andy61]

Hi
I'm a unix guy and, foolishly, said I'd help my son build a PC. He has a Zalman Z11+ chassis and a ASUS H81M+ mobo.
The mobo has 1x4 pin chassis fan connection, but there are three fans, 2 with 3 pin connectors and one with a 4pin-molex.
How do I manage the fan connections? Am I missing something very obvious?

 

[Glenn9999]

The 4 pin chassis fan port just enables the control of RPM off of the board depending on the temperature. YMMV, but as I understand you should be able to put one of the 1x3 fans on it just fine.

It is not possible for anyone to acknowledge truth when their salary depends on them not doing it.

 

[goombawaho]

Connect other fans via molex. If you must control all the fans, you need a fan controller. Probably NOT necessary at all unless you just want it OR some of the fans are really noisy and you want to reduce RPM.
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"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[rclarke250]

4 pin molex connects directly to the power supply, not the motherboard. The other you could get a Y adapter cable to run from the single header, or even direct from the power supply, depends on if they have a speed switch on the fan or not, or go with the controller like Goom said.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

as stated, the three pin plug will work on a four pin header.

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[andy61]

Thanks for all the replies on this. Taking all the advice on board, I've connected the 4 pin molex to the PSU (that was always going to be the case). I've connected the 3 pin fan nearest to the CPU to the mobo. The other 3 pin is in the front of the case, near the hard drive, so I'm not connecting. If temps indicate I need it, then I'll look at a 'Y' connector. There are so many fans in the case, it may lift off if I activate another.
At the moment, I've got an OS up and running and it all seems fine.
I guess it says something that my emails to the chassis and mobo manufacturers went unanswered, but I get the answer on here so quickly. I'm very grateful.

 

[goombawaho]

None of it really matters, just make sure you didn't plug any of the case fans into the CPU fan header.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[cdogg]

Agree with much of the above, but it's worth noting that while you may not need all the fans you have installed, you should still shoot for at least one intake fan (front) and at one exhaust fan (power supply) for best air circulation. Thought I'd mention it since you said you left a front fan disconnected.

-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

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[goombawaho]

Would agree with that. I personally like a front fan to pull air past the hard drives and then a mid/high mounted or top mounted fan to pull warm air that rises.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.