Basic PWM Assistance

[cctaylor88]

I just purchased an NZXT from Amazon (I assume new version or I will be sending it back) anyways, if I am not mistaken the included fan hub is for PWM correct? I have never utilized PWM on my builds (its been years now) and would like to take advantage of it but it can be a bit overwhelming for a first timer. So essentially I want to be on the lookout for fans with 4 pin connections is that correct? What is the difference b/t 3 and 4 pin fans? Just that a 4 pin makes its pwm essentially? As long as a 4 pin fan is plugged into this hub it will be controlled by way of mobo right?

I feel like this image could be very helpful, but before I go plugging in 10 different wires I'd like to make sure I have it all sorted out. So the "NZXT Fan 1, 2, 3, 4) would all be case fans right, and as long as they are 4 pin I'm good to go with PWM.

The "molex power" is just what I would be connecting to the PSU?

I'm confused about "PWM cable to CPUFAN1" is this cable coming from the hub itself or from somewhere else? Where does it connect?
Which leaves me confused about "CPUFAN" what exactly is this? Where is it coming/going?

Also I will be purchasing an AIO CPU cooler, where will I be running that too?

Sorry for the length its just a bit overwhelming.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I just purchased an NZXT from Amazon (I assume new version or I will be sending it back) anyways, if I am not mistaken the included fan hub is for PWM correct? I have never utilized PWM on my builds (its been years now) and would like to take advantage of it but it can be a bit overwhelming for a first timer. So essentially I want to be on the lookout for fans with 4 pin connections is that correct? What is the difference b/t 3 and 4 pin fans? Just that a 4 pin makes its pwm essentially? As long as a 4 pin fan is plugged into this hub it will be controlled by way of mobo right?

I feel like this image could be very helpful, but before I go plugging in 10 different wires I'd like to make sure I have it all sorted out. So the "NZXT Fan 1, 2, 3, 4) would all be case fans right, and as long as they are 4 pin I'm good to go with PWM.

The "molex power" is just what I would be connecting to the PSU?

I'm confused about "PWM cable to CPUFAN1" is this cable coming from the hub itself or from somewhere else? Where does it connect?
Which leaves me confused about "CPUFAN" what exactly is this? Where is it coming/going?

Also I will be purchasing an AIO CPU cooler, where will I be running that too?

Sorry for the length its just a bit overwhelming.

I can't offer much insight to motherboards for AMD processors, but the fan control features shouldn't differ from boards for Intel at all.

Of course, you'd WANT to thermally control your fans, and you only have so many options on the motherboard -- so many 4-pin and 3-pin fan ports.

On ASUS boards that I know firsthand, and most likely on other contemporary boards, there may be two CPU fan-ports: a main one and a spare sometimes labeled "CPU_FAN_OPT" or CPU_FAN(n).

Either in BIOS or using the bundled motherboard software, these two fans are not thermally controlled individually. Any "fan curve" applied to one will also affect the other.

Your 3-pin legacy fans with motherboard 3-pin legacy ports has its speed controlled thermally by varying the voltage applied, which defaults to 12V. A PWM (4-pin) fan only needs a PWM signal wire to control the fan, so that voltage could optionally be applied directly from the PSU.

So with the NZXT hub, assuming it works like the Swiftech PWM splitter or similar devices, there should be a 4-pin plug with a single wire that would connect to the main CPU_FAN header to control a string of fans connected to the hub. Similarly, if you have a CHA_FAN1 "chassis-fan" 4-pin PWM port, you could run either a single fan or another PWM splitter signal wire to it, and apply a second user-customized fan-curve to its thermal control.

You might only be able to monitor one of the fans connected to the hub or splitter, but fans and pumps connected to the splitter would vary their speed under thermal control as an overall percentage. You should be able connect 12V PWM devices with any acceptable amperage to the splitter and control them all proportionately through the single PWM signal wire.

I always prefer PWM fans, because the splitter/hub devices are cheap as opposed to a USB-controlled fan controller for 3-pin control. Further, with the splitter or hub, you are not powering all fans connected to it through the motherboard, but directly from the PSU.