Motherboard only has 1 fan connector?

[Copilot]

Currently I have no fans besides the heatsink for my cpu and the fan on my video card, recently bought a new mobo and cpu (3.0ghz dual core) which is a big upgrade over my old 1.8ghz so my computer is getting very hot and any gaming causes my computer to overheat.

So I am going out to guy 2 fans, one intake on the front and an exhaust on the back but the only connectors I have is "CHA_ FAN" and its a 3pin connector, can I only have 1 fan then?

 

[Quiksilver]

1x 3 pin connector fan...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...rator=&Subcategory=573
1x 4 pin molex connector fan...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...rator=&Subcategory=573

 

[Copilot]

Thats great and all but I don't have anywhere to actually plug them in on my motherboard, besides CHA_ FAN

 

[Quiksilver]

CHA_FAN = Chasis Fan = 3 pin Connector

4pin molex connector = direct feed from psu molex connector.

 

[Copilot]

Ok just opened my computer and saw 3 molex connectors coming from my PSU, so I just plug the fans into those connectors?

 

[Quiksilver]

You can either a) buy 1x 3 pin fan and use the connector on your motherboard and 1x 4 pin fan and use the molex connector on your psu or b) buy 2x 4 pin fans and use the molex connectors on your psu. It's your choice.

 

[Copilot]

Ok thanks, I am probably going to use the molex connectors so then I can put the wires off to the side.

 

[Copilot]

Ok I went and bought 1 fan, put it at the front of my case and made it an intake fan and my video card is still overheating, but it didn't before when I had the 1.8ghz CPU, I am probably going to add an exhaust fan on the back tomorrow will that make a difference?

 

[ChefJoe]

Exhaust fans are generally a priority over intake (fresh air comes in from tons of cracks in the case but you really want to try to direct hot air out of the case as quickly as possible). Hopefully an exhaust will make a difference but you may want to make sure any graphics card fan is still going and blow any built up dust out of the graphics card/power supply/cpu heatsink. It's very common for graphics card fans to die after a while.

If you can post what case/motherboard/processor/graphics card you have that may help us figure out what could be going on.

 

[Copilot]

Case is a coolermaster centurion, I don't know what model, its all black but the front is silver, has 2 vertical vents at the bottom.

The graphics card fan was working fine before I installed the new CPU so I don't know.

Mobo is asus m2n-mx SE

CPU is amd a64 X2 6000+ 3.0ghz dual core AM2

video card is evga geforce 7600 GT

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: ChefJoe
Exhaust fans are generally a priority over intake (fresh air comes in from tons of cracks in the

Along with every particle of dust in your house. Intake fans should come first so you are getting plenty of cool air into the case and possitively pressuring the case just slightly to keep dust out. The hot air can escape through those same cracks just as easy.

 

[toadeater]

Originally posted by: Copilot
Ok just opened my computer and saw 3 molex connectors coming from my PSU, so I just plug the fans into those connectors?

Yes. But before you get a single-speed fan, make sure you check how loud they are, because it will always run at full RPM without a controller or mods. I made the mistake of buying a Thermaltake Thunderblade because the deceptive specs claim it's only 21dB (near silent). It's more like 40db than 21. Now I know why they call it the Thunderblade. I should have looked at the rest of the specs and noticed the 2000 RPM. Stay under 1600RPM if you want a quiet fan, no matter what the advertizing says.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: toadeater

Originally posted by: Copilot
Ok just opened my computer and saw 3 molex connectors coming from my PSU, so I just plug the fans into those connectors?

Yes. But before you get a single-speed fan, make sure you check how loud they are, because it will always run at full RPM without a controller or mods. I made the mistake of buying a Thermaltake Thunderblade because the deceptive specs claim it's only 21dB (near silent). It's more like 40db than 21. Now I know why they call it the Thunderblade. I should have looked at the rest of the specs and noticed the 2000 RPM. Stay under 1600RPM if you want a quiet fan, no matter what the advertizing says.

you must have a loose description of quiet, when going for quiet I try and stay under 1K rpm. My main rig has three vercool aluminum fans that run 2K rpm at 9v and i get a notably whoosh.

 

[Copilot]

Originally posted by: toadeater

Originally posted by: Copilot
Ok just opened my computer and saw 3 molex connectors coming from my PSU, so I just plug the fans into those connectors?

Yes. But before you get a single-speed fan, make sure you check how loud they are, because it will always run at full RPM without a controller or mods. I made the mistake of buying a Thermaltake Thunderblade because the deceptive specs claim it's only 21dB (near silent). It's more like 40db than 21. Now I know why they call it the Thunderblade. I should have looked at the rest of the specs and noticed the 2000 RPM. Stay under 1600RPM if you want a quiet fan, no matter what the advertizing says.

I already bought the fan from a store in town, some company called glacial tech, fan spins at 1700rpm and 19db

But it didn't do anything really, so I am going to buy an exhaust fan today hopefully that will make it so my video card stops overheating.

 

[Jhhnn]

Positive pressure is only useful when filters are used- otherwise, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other wrt dust accumulation.

Exhaust fans are really first- that way, the warmest air is drawn out of the case as cooler air fills in behind, wherever it can... the objective being to create a bottom to top front to rear flow pattern... the case mentioned really needs and benefits from an exhaust fan because of the lower air intake on the side...

Start by moving the fan you have to the back, blowing out- you should see an immediate improvement.

 

[Copilot]

My case has no fan on the side.

It only have 1 80mm front fan and 1 80mm back fan. I also think it might be something to do with my video card, because I just took the side panel off my computer while its running and put a very good fan you use in the house pointing right into my video card and it has only gone down 3degress while everything else has gone down alot more.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: Copilot
My case has no fan on the side.

It only have 1 80mm front fan and 1 80mm back fan. I also think it might be something to do with my video card, because I just took the side panel off my computer while its running and put a very good fan you use in the house pointing right into my video card and it has only gone down 3degress while everything else has gone down alot more.

Wow, ok, that changes more than a little bit. You're just not getting enough airflow period. Putting aside my and jhhnn disagreement over intake or exhaust prefrence I think we'd both agree that you just need more air movement. an 80mm fan at 1700 rpm thats doing 19db can't be moving more than 25 cfm. I do agree with jhhnn on one thing, the directionality of air flow but, it's more complicated than that. If you get a pocket of air circulating at the video card the heatsink isn't going to have enough cool air to do it's job. Presumably you have a fan at the rear and a fan at the front(as you stated you were purchasing) along with the fan(s) in your power supply. That should be drawing a slight ammount of air in through the side vents so long as there isn't a pocket of there.

Quite frankly with only two 80mm fans you may just have to suck it up and buy a new case that allows for better airflow in order to keep your new dualcore running cool enough.

 

[Copilot]

I don't think its my CPU overheating I think its my video card.

On speedfan I click configure and it says

Label = Core
Chip = Nvidia Video Card
Bus = NVCPL

But the first Core says

Label = Core
Chip = AMD K8
BUS = PCI

So I don't know which one is my video card and which one is my CPU?

The one that is overheating is the one with the Chip = Nvidia Video Card

 

[DerwenArtos12]

It's very possible and I'd go so far as to say likely that the extra heat from your cpu is poluting your case and preventing the heat sink on your video card from being able to do it's job. What video card have you got in there?

 

[Copilot]

Scroll up, but its a nvidia geforce 7600GT not very good but I am probably buying a new one soon.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: Copilot
Scroll up, but its a nvidia geforce 7600GT not very good but I am probably buying a new one soon.

If you're gaming it is a bit behind the curve but, I think you need to invest in a new case before a new video card. Anything much faster is going to be hotter too.

 

[Copilot]

Yeah its the same card I have had since june 2006.