Why fan controllers are needed?

[OhNoPoPo]

With most if not all current motherboards supporting temp sensors and fan headers, can someone tell me why fan controllers are popular? Are the motherboards not good at controlling the fans?

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Some people simply like having manual control of their fans. Or they might need to control fans that have too much power draw to safely use on the motherboard.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Not much more I can add to FullMetal's remarks, except that some motherboards don't enable the PWM control capability on all of the mobo fan headers. So they only report fan speed and power the fans, but you cannot control pulse-width-modulation and fan speed.

The newer mobos from this last year probably allow control of more fan headers. My current board is 2004 vintage, and I can only control the CPU fan-header with Almico's SpeedFan.

The front-panel controllers can be a plus with some people -- I have one, but I'm not always fiddling with it. Since all my fans work in series within an air-ducting system, then intake and exhaust fans are set at a constant speed, and the CPU fan speed rises and falls at a temperature threshold. There is enough of a seal in my duct that the exhaust fan speed doesn't matter much -- the CPU fan just pushes more air through those ports at the higher temps.

My view is that these things can best be performed through motherboard headers with programs like SpeedFan, and if the control feature is not enabled, some sort of USB-connected fan-control card can be feasible or desireable. For instance, the Sunbeam "Theta" controller allows for software control of all fans connected to it. It is made to fit in a PCI slot, but this is just a convenience of the manufacturer's making. They've chosen to use a spare PCI slot just to hold the card, but there are no gold edge-connectors -- the card doesn't get power from or communicate with the system through the PCI. Therefore, it can be mounted elsewhere in the case -- leaving that slot free for something that would need to use it.

Like so many other makers of USB devices and hubs, Sunbeam created their card to connect externally to a USB port -- thus the PCI approach to securing the card. But if it is mounted elsewhere in the case, you could simply run a shielded USB wire to the motherboard USB plugs.

I guess they're trying to make it easy for noobs, dummies, and the electromechanically challenged.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Some fans have problems with PWM fan controllers that are typically used on the mobo. Some fans make a very annoying clicking or buzzing noise. A rheostat controller like the sunbeam is purely voltage control so no fans have a problem with that.

The benefit of PWM controllers though is they can run fans slower because they still run at 12V, just pulsing it to control speed. Rheostats control the voltage so if you go underneath a certain voltage the fan won't work anymore (some fans can run at a really low voltage but need a higher voltage to start first).

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Interesting point, SparkyJJO . . . .

I would think that the Sunbeam Theta employs PWM, as opposed to rheostats that vary the DC voltage. Sunbeam had made some pretty good front-panel "rheo-bus" controllers, which I use, and would work as you suggest. What do you think? Why wouldn't their software-controlled, USB-connected fan-controller card use PWM?

 

[Navid]

Provides more control with higher resolution for optimizing cooling with minimized noise. You can increase the RPM of a fan farther from the user to make up for reducing of the RPM of a fan close to him. By doing that, you can keep the system cool but reduce the noise impacting the user.

The motherboard can never take all of those factors into account. Not yet. May be some day!

 

[Operandi]

It really depends on the motherboard. A board with very good fan control will be better then any manual fan controller. Problem is some boards have very limited options, such as only controlling the CPU fan for example.

The newer Asus boards are supposed to have a ton of controllable headers and fairly detailed settings.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Operandi
It really depends on the motherboard. A board with very good fan control will be better then any manual fan controller. Problem is some boards have very limited options, such as only controlling the CPU fan for example.

The newer Asus boards are supposed to have a ton of controllable headers and fairly detailed settings.

And microphones to measure noise and take that into account also?

 

[Zepper]

Balancing the fans for best flow with least noise can't yet be done by the mobo fan controllers, and if you want a special condition like positive pressure to keep dust out - they can't do that either. The Theta is PWM. TO-220 power transistors w/ heatsinks may be too tall to fit between cards unless you bend them parallel to the PCB. I'm currently using a CoolerMaster Aerogate 3 ($8.00 from SVC.com) - instructions suck (as is typical w/ CM) but once you figure it out, it works fine. And you can't beat the price with a stick.

.bh.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Navid

Originally posted by: Operandi
It really depends on the motherboard. A board with very good fan control will be better then any manual fan controller. Problem is some boards have very limited options, such as only controlling the CPU fan for example.

The newer Asus boards are supposed to have a ton of controllable headers and fairly detailed settings.

And microphones to measure noise and take that into account also?

Some people don`t care about noise....
In fact only a few fans are even noise enough at full tilt to be considered loud..

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: Navid

Originally posted by: Operandi
It really depends on the motherboard. A board with very good fan control will be better then any manual fan controller. Problem is some boards have very limited options, such as only controlling the CPU fan for example.

The newer Asus boards are supposed to have a ton of controllable headers and fairly detailed settings.

And microphones to measure noise and take that into account also?

IMO, only a few fans are even noise enough at full tilt to be considered loud..

Fixed.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Balancing the fans for best flow with least noise can't yet be done by the mobo fan controllers, and if you want a special condition like positive pressure to keep dust out - they can't do that either. The Theta is PWM. TO-220 power transistors w/ heatsinks may be too tall to fit between cards unless you bend them parallel to the PCB. I'm currently using a CoolerMaster Aerogate 3 ($8.00 from SVC.com) - instructions suck (as is typical w/ CM) but once you figure it out, it works fine. And you can't beat the price with a stick.

.bh.

You are making the assumption that all motherboards have poor fan control options, that?s defiantly not the case.

Example; I have a AOpen n250a-FR (older nForce3) board here with four controllable fan headers (though my board only has three). Each header has a start speed that can be set from 0-100%; all fans initially run at 100% for a few seconds. The CPU fan reacts to the CPU temp and you can run at a fixed speed, full, or dial in your own target temp. System fans 1-2 react to the "system" temp, with the same options as the CPU fan header.

Much better then a manual controller.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: OhNoPoPo
With most if not all current motherboards supporting temp sensors and fan headers, can someone tell me why fan controllers are popular?

My opinion?

They look great, and they're fun to play around with... really!

 

[Icepick]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: OhNoPoPo
With most if not all current motherboards supporting temp sensors and fan headers, can someone tell me why fan controllers are popular?

My opinion?

They look great, and they're fun to play around with... really!

QFT

A lot of them have pretty LEDs built into them that light up the case and make it look cool. :thumbsup: