Hi - my MB finally arrived today so it's finally time to get on with my build. Unsuprisingly since this is my first time, I have a few unexpected stupid questions that only crop up now I have everything together. One of these is on the best way to connect the fans up.
The P180 has 3 fans (by default, with provision for a 4th), and I will be using a Zalman 9500 as my CPU fan.
The Antec PSU has a couple of fan-only connectors which can be used to power the case fans. Fans powered this way will be subject the PSU's built-in 'TruePower 2.0' speed regulation. I believe this means that the PSU regulates the fan speeds based on load/measured temps (??).
The MB (ASUS A8N32-SLI Delux) has fan connectors for: CPU, Chassis, Northbridge, Southbridge, and Power fans. The CPU and chasis fan connectors support ASUS Q-Fan2, which means the BIOS will regulate fan speed dynamically.
First off the easy part - CPU fan definately comes off the MB connector.
Now - onto the 3 chasis fans - it seems like (in principal) I have a few choices as to where to power them from. I can see issues with each of the choices and advice would be appreciated:
1) Use the MB connectors - physical interface snag here - the MB connectors are small 3-pin blocks, the fan connectors supplied in the Antec P180 are the large 4-pin blocks of the same type used for hard drive power (of which only 2 pins are connected). The fans also have a manual speed selector switch (on each fan).
2) Use the PSU fan-only connectors - my concern here is that the P180 is a 2-chamber design, with the PSU chamber somewhat thermally isolated from the main MOBO chamber - hence any regulation of MOBO chamber (main chasis fan) cooling based on any temps the PSU can measure is likely to be incorrect.
3) Power them from a general power tap - probably a spare hard drive plug to avoid any dynamic regulation at all.
Right now I'm thinking that the optimal setup would be to power the lower chamber (PSU chamber) case fan from the PSU fan-only connector, and the two main chamber fans from the MOBO chasis fan connector. However, the fact that I dont have the right physical interfaces to use the MOBO connectors is leading me towards use of an unregulated (hard drive block) for the two upper chamber fans.
I must say it came as quite a suprise to me that fan connectors are not all to a single standard! Anyway - whatever advice you can give will be most welcome!
The P180 has 3 fans (by default, with provision for a 4th), and I will be using a Zalman 9500 as my CPU fan.
The Antec PSU has a couple of fan-only connectors which can be used to power the case fans. Fans powered this way will be subject the PSU's built-in 'TruePower 2.0' speed regulation. I believe this means that the PSU regulates the fan speeds based on load/measured temps (??).
The MB (ASUS A8N32-SLI Delux) has fan connectors for: CPU, Chassis, Northbridge, Southbridge, and Power fans. The CPU and chasis fan connectors support ASUS Q-Fan2, which means the BIOS will regulate fan speed dynamically.
First off the easy part - CPU fan definately comes off the MB connector.
Now - onto the 3 chasis fans - it seems like (in principal) I have a few choices as to where to power them from. I can see issues with each of the choices and advice would be appreciated:
1) Use the MB connectors - physical interface snag here - the MB connectors are small 3-pin blocks, the fan connectors supplied in the Antec P180 are the large 4-pin blocks of the same type used for hard drive power (of which only 2 pins are connected). The fans also have a manual speed selector switch (on each fan).
2) Use the PSU fan-only connectors - my concern here is that the P180 is a 2-chamber design, with the PSU chamber somewhat thermally isolated from the main MOBO chamber - hence any regulation of MOBO chamber (main chasis fan) cooling based on any temps the PSU can measure is likely to be incorrect.
3) Power them from a general power tap - probably a spare hard drive plug to avoid any dynamic regulation at all.
Right now I'm thinking that the optimal setup would be to power the lower chamber (PSU chamber) case fan from the PSU fan-only connector, and the two main chamber fans from the MOBO chasis fan connector. However, the fact that I dont have the right physical interfaces to use the MOBO connectors is leading me towards use of an unregulated (hard drive block) for the two upper chamber fans.
I must say it came as quite a suprise to me that fan connectors are not all to a single standard! Anyway - whatever advice you can give will be most welcome!
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