Changing a case fan

[TedKord]

I ordered a new PC, with extra case fans. It came with the extra's, but the problem is a) they're blue LED (I don't like the light up cases), and b) the exhaust fan is 80mm connected to a 120mm exhaust grid.

I bought a 120mm fan to replace it, but it turns out the exhaust fan is wired directly into a molex connector. I've never messed with these before. Can I just cut the wires to the fan and cap them?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks. I really want to improve the airflow in this box, as my conroe e6400 is running @ 57C according to Core temp at idle, stock settings. (I'm going to replace the stock heatsink/fan, too)

 

[imported_fallen]

Ok, I may be confused by what your describing, but are you saying your case fan is hardwired to your PSU? or???

In my case (Thermaltake Eureka) I Removed the case fan,, wich had a molex connector , & replaced it with another 120mm fan(without the annoying LED). The replacement fan also had a molex connector. I didnt have to cut anything.

Regardless, yes, you could safely cut the 2 powerwires leading to the fan & cap them. My only concern would be that you shouldnt have to.

 

[TedKord]

Sorry for the confusion. The two wires for the fan are wired into the back of the initial molex connector coming off the power supply, along with the power wires from the PSU. I wish I had a picture to illustrate.

 

[imported_fallen]

if its just the 2 wires comming out of a standard molex connector then yes, you could cut them, no problem. Then just make sure the ends are covered so they dont short agaist anything.

I've never seen one like that, but I guess they make all kinds of stuff I havent seen. Regardless it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[Navid]

Are you saying the only way for disconnecting the fan from the power supply is to cut the wires?

 

[Zepper]

Never heard of case fans being hardwired to PSU molex - be sure there isn't something there that can be unplugged. I've had a fan here with a one-piece pass-thru connector that when connected could just look like an extra large connector, but the wires to the fan came out the side of the pass-thru - not right in with the wires from the PSU. Must be an el-cheapo case to do a silly thing like that.

.bh.

 

[TedKord]

Sorry, my bad guys. The builder had tied off all the wiring inside out of the way (a good thing), which made the jumble of molex connectors tough to trace. The fan just had a pass through, with a 3-pin fan plug also coming off. I removed the whole thing, then took two more pass through's with 3-pin out of my old box, and changed both the 80mm LED exhaust and the LED side intake fans. Now I just need to get some tie wraps and re-tie the cables out of the way again. (The new fans are, well not really quieter, but the noise is a different pitch and much less noticeable. I think I'll replace the 120mm exhaust again with a quieter fan)

BTW, changing the exhaust has lowered my case temp from around 99F to around 85F, and my E6400 now idles at about 45-47C. I'm sure that replacing the stock HSF will get me down where I want to go.

Thanks again for the helpful tips!