Reviews of temperature controlled fans?

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lasitter
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:30 am

Reviews of temperature controlled fans?

Post by lasitter » Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:18 am

I'm switching from a seven year old mainboard with LOTS of PWM headers to a new board that's great but has only ONE.

As a result I'm looking at using some fans that are self-controlled by integral temperature sensor or probe. Having a hard wired response curve might not be ideal, but since I'm not over-clocking, it might not be that much of an issue.

Alternatively, I could use a 120mm fan that just does a good job at a constant speed.

I do have two system fan headers that are supposedly voltage controlled via the mainboard, and another that offers no control.

I don't think I have the available space for a front panel controller, so I'd appreciate recommendations for 120mm fans that would likely have an acceptable temperature response curve. I'd also be interested in hearing about 9cmx38 or 80x80x38 fans that might be self controlled and work elsewhere in the case as well.

Lower noise is not an absolute requirement for me. Thanks in advance.

washu
Posts: 571
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:20 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: Reviews of temperature controlled fans?

Post by washu » Sun Nov 11, 2012 10:29 am

Why not look at a PWM splitter cable? Then you can run multiple PWM fans off of one header. Depending on the total current needed by your fans you should look at one that has a separate power connector.

lasitter
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:30 am

Re: Reviews of temperature controlled fans?

Post by lasitter » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:36 am

washu: I have a total of nine fans in the case, and I know that I'll be doing that with some of them.

Each of the triple redundant power supplies has a fan and controls its own fan speed.

In addition, there's the 120mm CPU / heatsink fan, 4xSan Ace 80x38 fans, and a 9cmx38 fan.

I'm trying to figure out which combination of fans to run off the single PWM lead.

I'm going to be powering them all from PSU leads, because I don't want to draw a lot of current thru the fan headers. I just figure that a temperature controlled fan might work well in there somewhere.

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