FAN CONTROL - H55/H57 motherboards from Gigabyte, Asus, MSI

[compet_pl]

Hi!

I want to build the new HTPC system based on the new H55/H57 Micro-ATX motherboards with USB 3.0. There are some possibilities right now:
* Gigabyte GA-H57M-USB3 and GA-H55M-USB3,
* Asus P7H55D-M EVO,
* MSI H57M-ED65 and H55M-ED65 with additional USB 3.0 PCI-e card.

My question is about FAN CONTROL for case fans (not CPU). I want to control it from BIOS or by additional software.


Gigabyte has 1x 4-pin SYS_FAN socket only. The pins are different for CPU_FAN and SYS_FAN.
http://europe.giga-byte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-h57(h55)m-usb3_e.pdf

Asus has 2 sockets: 1x 3-pin PWR_FAN and 1x 4-pin CHA_FAN1. There is info, that CHA_FAN1 can be controlled by Fan Xpert.
http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1156/P7H55D-M_EVO/E5020_P7H55D-M_EVO_manual.zip

MSI has 3x 3-pin SYSFAN sockets. There is info too: "SYS FAN 1/ 2 Control, These items allow users to select how percentage of speed for the SYSFAN1/ 2"
http://download1.msi.com/files/downloads/mnu_exe/E7587v1.0.zip


I have some questions to users of such motherboards.

Both 4-pin sockets (Gigabyte and Asus) have different pins.
What kind of 4-pin PWM or 3-pin fans (not CPU PWM fans) can I use?
Can I use more fans then one connected to one socket?
How can I control it (BIOS, producers software, Speedfan)?
How is it working?
Any other suggestions and experience?


Thanks a lot in advance

 

[compet_pl]

* Asus P7H55D-M EVO,
Asus has 2 sockets: 1x 3-pin PWR_FAN and 1x 4-pin CHA_FAN1. There is info, that CHA_FAN1 can be controlled by Fan Xpert.

For Asus board the answer was in the article at SPCR:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1019-page6.html

"The Chassis fan spun at a constant speed depending on which Q-fan setting was selected. (...) the Chassis fan header can control fans using both PWM and 3-pin fans."
"(...) three-speed static setting for the secondary fan header"

"Unfortunately the current version of SpeedFan does not support the P7H55D-M EVO."

 

[compet_pl]

Hi again!

Nobody has such experience?

 

[jdjbuffalo]

The Micro-ATX boards I looked at didn't have the number of headers I wanted. So I went with the LIAN LI PT-FN02 Fan Speed Controller http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811995038 . I realize it might not be exactly what you are looking for but it works well for me.

The i3/i5 run very cool and HTPCs don't typically use a lot of CPU power. I can set mine to the lowest setting and never worry about it getting too hot.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just thought I'd add two cents worth. I'm starting to pick system parts for a new build ( . . . with "old" I7 technology!), and was browsing here in motherboards.

Per using two or more fans per header, I have done this, and polite comments are welcome.

Here are the parameters you should understand:

1) Wattage limitations for the fan headers -- I had noticed that some mobo manuals specify amperage limits like this: "X amps for any given header; Y amps [usually n*X = Y with n = number of fan plugs] total." It was explained to me that the circuit is rather simple, so FOR SOME MOTHERBOARDS, you could overload a plug with amps > X if the total were <= Y for all headers.

2) You would connect the fans in parallel.

3) If you want to monitor the speed of the assembly in RPM, you would only monitor the speed of one of the fans connected in parallel. So you would leave all other fan tach-wires disconnected, wire the red/blue and black wires in parallel, and pass through the single tach wire from the remaining fan.

That being said, and with an nVidia chipset on an eVGA 780 board, I've noticed a peculiar result that departs from my previous experience in this matter. Depending on the monitoring software (Everest, etc.) the speed registering for the multi-fan assembly does not appear reliable -- or show a stable number. But this motherboard is the only such case in which I've discovered that problem. Otherwise, it's not a problem -- at least not for my assembly -- because the 4x140mm fans are rated at something like 0.18A each, and the wattage limit-per-plug is something close to or above 1.0A (times 12V). For these low-RPM fans, there was never a real reason to monitor speed accurately, and they spin to their maximum RPM (as much as I can tell). Anyway, the solution of monitoring the tach-wire from a single fan doesn't help much if one of the other fans goes south!

You take your chances on this, but I've never lost a motherboard, fan or other component by doing it when or where it was needed. In at least one other configuration (computer), I was able to control the multi-fan assembly through the motherboard BIOS (for example, ASUS Q-FAN).

 

[Blastman]

I have a Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H, very similar to the GA-H55M-USB3 (just no USB 3). You can control the CPU fan (somewhat) with the Easytune 6 program that comes with Gigabyte MB's, but there is no control over the system fan header on the MB.

The simplest way is to just get a Zalman Fan Mate2, fan controller. They plug into the system fan header, run about $8-10, and you can adjust the speed of any fan (it has a variable adjustment from 5-11v when connected to a 12v header). The Fan Mate2 has a 3-pin connector, but 3-pin connectors are pin compatible with the 4-pin connectors that you find on motherboards these days. This way you can buy whatever MB you want and you will still be able to adjust any case fan hooked to this header to the speed of your liking.

I have a couple (of the old Fan Mate 1 models) and used one on my old Celeron-T MB. The CPU fan was this noisy little 60mm that ran at 4400rpm. Turned it down to 2600rpm and it was relatively quiet.

 

[AzN]

I have the Asus M evo board. you can control the fan within bios. You need 4 pin if you want precise control but you can also control the 3 pin fans all within bios.

Far as I know Gigabyte doesn't have robust option like the Asus does.

 

[Auric]

The Gigabyte/AMI BIOS seems to control 'em really well. Both CPU and System fans run nice low RPM at idle. I have used SpeedFan for years but now only use it to monitor but not control.