Panaflo 92mm Medium Output Fan

[SpedeRacer]

Hey guys I just ordered this fan with the 4-pin tail and here's the problem or not:

The 4-pin connector has a 3-pin end (it is really small...8mm in width) and a 4-pin end (23mm in width). My question is...it only has 2 wires...should it have more than this? The Panaflo fan has 3 little metallic rods sticking out for the 3-pin side of the cord to go into but the cord itself at the 3-pin end has 3 slots but only 2 of them have metallic things inside...is this right? I'm sorry I don't have a picture at the moment but if no one knows wtf I'm talking about I might be able to get some up later. Thanks in advance.

Edit: It's for cooling the cpu with a Thermalright XP-90...blow or suck? Thanks again.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm sure I've become a compulsive-obsessive, obsessive-compulsive. I built my first laptop with a Sinclair ZX-81 in 1983, and purchased my first IBM-PC transportable the same year. So over the years, I've accumulated all sorts of cyber-junk, which I store in stackable vinyl truck-chests. Sometimes the stuff comes in handy for use; other times, it offers good barter-currency to trade with my local computer-store proprietor, Max, who picks up spare change on the side dealing in rare-metal-scrap (circuit-boards, hard-drives, discarded computer-cases, etc.). When I need a computer case, I trade some junk.

I keep a pile of wiring that accumulates from fan experiments, front-controllers, or anything that comes with the fan tails and accessories you describe. And I collect those little 8-mm three-pin plugs, because they come in handy for changing 4-pin Molex wires so they fit three-pin fan-controller pins.

What you need is "the yellow wire" with the appropriate spring-loaded end which fits in the vacant hole of your three-pin tail. Then you can plug your fan into the motherboard and monitor its speed (provided the fan specifications show that it actually has a monitoring circuit built-in.)

If you have another three-pin tail with the "yellow wire", a very small screwdriver should be all you need to ease the wire-end out of its retainer.

Also, a soldering kit comes in handy with this business. If you can't trouble yourself to get the crimping-tools and wires to do these types of wiring modifications, you can still find what you need among scrap parts, strip off 3/8" of insulator, and solder the wires together. I often use silly-cone sealant/adhesive to dab over these solder-joints, replacing the insulator and assuring I don't cause short-circuits. But black-electrical tape will also work fine.

What you need is "Max". "Max" would probably just reach into his pile of junk and hand you a "yellow wire", or an entire three-pin, three-wire fan tail, and either charge you $1.00, or just give you a blessing and send you on your way with it.

PS Make sure you consult your motherboard manual for the rated limits of the motherboard fan pins. You don't want to take a fan which draws 1.0 amp and plug it onto the motherboard pins if they are only rated at 0.60 amp. What this means is that for a fan too powerful, you may not be able to monitor the speed through the motherboard software, but you could still do it with the appropriate front-panel fan controller with fan-monitor-backlit-display.

 

[Thor86]

If it isn't the BX model fan with rpm monitoring (3 wires), then it only should have 2 wires. I would suggest the fan blows down to the heatsink for XP90.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: Thor86
If it isn't the BX model fan with rpm monitoring (3 wires), then it only should have 2 wires. I would suggest the fan blows down to the heatsink for XP90.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: Thor86
If it isn't the BX model fan with rpm monitoring (3 wires), then it only should have 2 wires. I would suggest the fan blows down to the heatsink for XP90.

Tests have shown that fan orientation has no impact on performance. I would set up the fan to pull (up) through the heat sink, this will improve air flow throughout the case and lower system temps.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: Thor86
If it isn't the BX model fan with rpm monitoring (3 wires), then it only should have 2 wires. I would suggest the fan blows down to the heatsink for XP90.

Tests have shown that fan orientation has no impact on performance. I would set up the fan to pull (up) through the heat sink, this will improve air flow throughout the case and lower system temps.

your tests are wrong, I have personally seen more times than not a 1-10C difference depending on which way the fan is blowing. in some cases the fan pulling air from the hs is better, but in most cases forced air blown onto the hs is better.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: Tiamat

Originally posted by: Thor86
If it isn't the BX model fan with rpm monitoring (3 wires), then it only should have 2 wires. I would suggest the fan blows down to the heatsink for XP90.

Tests have shown that fan orientation has no impact on performance. I would set up the fan to pull (up) through the heat sink, this will improve air flow throughout the case and lower system temps.

your tests are wrong, I have personally seen more times than not a 1-10C difference depending on which way the fan is blowing. in some cases the fan pulling air from the hs is better, but in most cases forced air blown onto the hs is better.

With the XP-90?

They aren't my tests but I've seen two reviews that showed similar results, at least with low to medium CFM fans.

I'll try to find the reviews and post a link.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Enough comparison reviews of heatsink-fan-assemblies have reported as by-product data that blowing trumps sucking by at least 1 to 2 C. This is a fact, and it comes from several independent sources I've seen. I'm not going to take the time to quote those sources, but I wouldn't have a fan blowing down on my heatsink if it hadn't been confirmed several times. Lobadobadingdong is right. It's a matter of air pressure, air density and heat-capacity/thermal resistance of air.

I was under the impression that some fans are sold without tails, and that some tails are configured for users by the resellers. If my post concerning the sensor wire was unnecessarily lengthy or even misleading, it was my mistake. But the reseller and/or the manufacturer should confirm whether there is a monitoring wire and function, and it has also been my experience that the model name or number reflects this type of variation among similar fans by the same manufacturer.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Enough comparison reviews of heatsink-fan-assemblies have reported as by-product data that blowing trumps sucking by at least 1 to 2 C. This is a fact, and it comes from several independent sources I've seen. I'm not going to take the time to quote those sources, but I wouldn't have a fan blowing down on my heatsink if it hadn't been confirmed several times. Lobadobadingdong is right. It's a matter of air pressure, air density and heat-capacity/thermal resistance of air.

I was under the impression that some fans are sold without tails, and that some tails are configured for users by the resellers. If my post concerning the sensor wire was unnecessarily lengthy or even misleading, it was my mistake. But the reseller and/or the manufacturer should confirm whether there is a monitoring wire and function, and it has also been my experience that the model name or number reflects this type of variation among similar fans by the same manufacturer.

It's not that simple. It really depends on the HS design, in most cases blowing air will net better performance but that?s not always the case. The Alpha heatsinks always work better with the fan sucking air rather then blowing. Every review of the XP-120/90 that tested the fans in both orientations showed either no difference or very neglagable one.

 

[SpedeRacer]

Um...sorry if this creates more debate but does having a side fan on the case change things? (Tt Tsunami)Thanks.

 

[Rhoel]

I was just messing around one day and I changed my fan from blowing in to out. For my system, it shaved a few degrees off of my temps. A small change, but it's a little better. Why not try it yourself and check your temps? It doesn't take long to flip the fan over. BTW, I have a panaflo h1b.


Pic of my xp-90

 

[DJSfurry]

my mobo increased temp by 1 degree from 22 to 23 when i changed the fan to blowing onto the hs. and the CPU temps went for 34 idle to 31 idle. so it DOES make a difference, 'specially on the XP 90, as its opened