3 Pin Header On Motehrboards

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
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The 3 pin fan connectors on motherboards, what are they 5v or 12v?

THANKS
 

GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
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Center pin is 12V..One side is ground, test with an ohm meter...The other side is sensor/tach feed.

EDIT: The center wire on the three pin fan plug is generally red in color and on the PSU's wiring red is 5V, yellow is 12V. Is that the point of confusion?

ALOHA
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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Yep, 12V. Careful if attaching a 120mm fan since some draw too much current for the motherboard and can burn out the header. Your motherboard manual/PDF will often list the limit.
 

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
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DaveSimmons I just have two 80mm fans at the rear of the case plugged into the board.

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/ProductImages/1121_12.jpg

There's a 120 at the front of the case behind the hard drive, but it's plugged into the PSU.

Ok thanks, I just needed to know for this Zalman Multi Connector I ordered from FrozenCPU. I'm using if for the Zalman VF900-cu, because I don't have anymore pins to use on the motherboard, and I wanted Frozencpu to strip off two wires I didn't need and just leave two on the adaptor, and needed to know which volt so they left the correct ones on.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/images/large/products/ZMMC1_t_LRG.jpg

ALOHA

P.S. GalvanizedYankee you can't ALOHA, you're a ------> CALIFORNIAN :p
 

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
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This pic of the multi connector listed above, I bought one from FrozenCPU, since I'm going to use it for two Zalman VF900-cu HSF. I told them I didn't have any 3 pin connectors left on my motherboard to use, so I wanted to buy this to plug into the Zalmans and then plug the molex into my PSU for the power. So I asked them to remove two of the female wires, and just leave me the two male wires. They told they'll need to leave on two 12v male wires for this. Well when I received this in the mail and had a look at it for the motherboard pins, not the molex, the 3 pin connectors I'll use to connect into the Zalmans there are only 2 pins in both of the connectors not 3. Shouldn't there be 3 pins in it, as one is possibly a ground?

If you're lost here, because you are not familiar with the Zalman here is a pic showing the 3 pin female connector that I'm plugging into with the Multi connector, but again my male end on the adaptor ONLY has TWO pins, not three.

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/35-118-001-03.jpg

ALOHA
 

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
4,668
46
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Can someone please give me a heads up on my last question because if this was a mistake, then I need to contact FrozenCPU and see about getting this corrected.

THANKS

Oh ALOHA too, :)
 

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
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Ok I was just told the third pin is for a fan RPM. Can anyone please confirm this?
 
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
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yep it's rpm. no harm, no foul. you can simply ignore the rpm lead, no need for slicing up the harness.

why not get a small fan controller, like this. say, that's the one i have for sale!
 

DasFox

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
4,668
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I didn't buy a fan controller, I bought the Zalman Multi Connector.

No need for a controller, thanks

ALOHA