3 Pin or 4 Pin Case Fans

[prsobel]

What is the difference between 3 and 4 pin case fans? Which is preferred, and why?

 

[conlan]

3 pin fans connect to your motherboard , 4 pin fans connect to your power supply . i prefer 4 pin fans connected to the power supply as 3 pin fans have the possiblity of burning out the motherboard header.EDIT- however with 3-pin fans you can monitor fan RPM if you want.

 

[jamesbond007]

Another vote for 4-Pin fans. RPM monitoring is nice, but it isn't needed. With 4-Pins, you can daisy-chain a setup a lot easier as well.

 

[lhampel]

Depends on the 4 pin model...There are 4 pin model fans that actually monitor the RPM & TEMP readings.
(temp goes up, RPM's rise..Temps go down, RPM's fall)
But, you'll need a server board to use these cool fans though. :]