Requesting help with Nexus NXP-101 panel and Tornado fan setup

[jader]

This is my first post in this forum. Hopefully I'm putting my question in the correct place.

I received my Vantec Nexus NXP-101 Multi-Function Panel yesterday and was very anxious to install it last night in my PC case.

The biggest question I have is how to hook up my Vantec Tornado fan to the Nexus panel and be able control the fan speed. This feature of the panel is perhaps the main reason that I purchased it. The Tornado is a great fan, but extremely loud too. And I don?t think it needs to run full throttle all of the time. I?d like to be able to turn down the fan speed for general use, and then crank it back up if I?m gaming or just if temps start to climb for whatever reason. My problem is that the Tornado has a seperate 4-pin power cable (red and black wires) and a 3-pin RPM monitor cable (one yellow wire). The fan connectors on the Nexus panel are 3-pin. Do I need to use a 4-pin to 3-pin adaptor to run the fan power cable to the Nexus, then run from the Nexus to the motherboard? If this is the case, do I then disconnect the Tornado?s 3-pin RPM monitor cable from the motherboard? I mean, I can?t plug the fan into the motherboard twice right? Or perhaps I am not connecting things right, and I just need to run the Tornado?s RPM cable directly to the Nexus panel, then the Nexus panel to the motherboard. If I do need to connect the Tornado power connector to the Nexus, would I need to disconnect the other RPM cable? And if I did that, would I still be able to monitor the fan status just by running the power cable to the Nexus, and then the Nexus to the motherboard?

I guess I?m just a bit surprised to see two components from the same manufacturer that are so difficult to set up and get working together. Surely during the design stages of the Vantec Nexus NXP-101 someone considered that users may be using a Vantec Tornado fan.

I obviously need some clear directions that detail how to set this up for my system. I've sent emails to Vantec Support, but haven't received any response. I've posted in a couple other forums, but can't seem to get a clear answer. Sorry.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

System info:
AMD Athlon XP 2100+
ASUS A7V266-E motherboard
Enermax EG465P-VE FCA power supply
Western Digital WD1200JB Special Edition 120GB hard drives
VisionTek GF4 Ti 4600 video card
Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy Platinum sound card
CasEdge LX734AP4/3400 case (getting Chieftec very soon)
Vantec Tornado 80mm CPU fan
Panaflo 80mm and 92mm case fans (3)
Windows XP Professional SP1

 

[ChefJoe]

install manual

Re-read your post and realized that this nexus thing is stupid. There's no reason for you to connect the motherboard's 3 pin + and gnd to your nexus, but they do it anyways. You'll need to rewire your fan. I suggest cutting off the 4 pin connector and soldering the right power wires into the female 3 pin connector (assuming they did put the metal contacts in there). Only the RPM wire needs to be connected to the motherboard (eventually), but, if you want RPM info on your nexus, you'll need to get both the rpm and power into the nexus (make it into one connector or really rig things up). If you're not opposed to rigging, you can cut the 4 pin connector, stretch the insulation a bit, then slide the insulation over the pins on the nexus' 3 pin header... i've done it in a pinch. You might have to hack up the fan's 3 pin/RPM only connector to make the connection if you do it that way though, so soldering to make a real, full, 3 pin connector is the easiest way to go (it's the least rigged through all sorts of hacked adapters that can't be undone).

 

[jader]

Thanks for the response ChefJoe. I'll try and do some re-wiring tonight.