Defective Tach-monitoring on CHA_FAN2

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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1,880
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This had happened before with an old "Springdale" 775 mobo.

I'm only guessing that the Z68 boards bridged the gap between 3-pin and PWM ports.

I've got now four fans: CPU on PWM, exhaust on 3-pin CHA_FAN1 also thermally controlled. The other two fans are currently powered by the PSU directly -- both 200mm, one Coolermaster which came with the case, the other a 166CFM NZXT "side-panel."

The system is marvelously quiet until I make it load up and put the CPU core-average at above 60C.

I had looked at the Swiftech 8W-PWM-SPL splitter to run multiple PWM's off the CPU PWM header. Cheap. And there are even alternatives to that: Akasa makes one. There, we're talkin' about less than $10 for any of them.

But I'd want to replace my CHA_FAN1 fan with a PWM unit, and for what I want, that'll cost me $25.

The CHA_FAN2 header is also 3-pin and thermally controlled. BUT! I didn't realize it until I'd had the board for several months: the speed-monitoring for that plug is "haywire" and "whacko." It fully powers a fan, but shows the speed alternating between 450 rpm and (!!) 220,000 rpm (!!??)

There's also a PWR_FAN header, not thermally controlled, but the monitoring seems just fine.

Can anyone think of a reason why I shouldn't run the yellow wire to PWR_FAN for a fan powered off CHA_FAN2? Seems to me the issue with CHA-FAN2 is only "monitoring;" it would otherwise be thermally controlled by altering the voltage as a percentage of 12V.

I think I'd actually done this before. Thought I'd solicit comments, though . . .