Fancontroller 0-12V with Kickstart

qstoffe · Post by **qstoffe** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:46 am

Is there any Fan-controller available that can:

- Adjust between 0-12V (or atleast 5-12V)
- "Kickstart fan" = feed fan 12V during power-up for a few seconds.

Right now I'm using the ZM-MFC1 for my fans. It's ok since I can set the fans to 5V, but yesterday I noticed that 1 fan didn't start -> caused my 8800 card to reach a temp of 115 degrees before I noticed !!!

I can't use Speedfan either because I have 4 fans and my motherboard only lets me change speed for 3 fans (and even then 2 fans have to share speed).

My "ideal" would be to run fans on 0V during Web-browsing and increase the speed to 5V during gaming. Hmmm I wonder if I can use something like the mCubed T-balancer with Speedfan ?

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:58 am

http://www.t-balancer.com/

Does everything a fan controller is supposed to. EVERYTHING.

Felger Carbon · Post by **Felger Carbon** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:38 am

qstoffe wrote:Is there any Fan-controller available that can:

- Adjust between 0-12V (or atleast 5-12V)
- "Kickstart fan" = feed fan 12V during power-up for a few seconds.

If you set any fan to 0V, it won't run, and the initial "kickstart" benefit goes away. I recommend that you use a GW NCB 120mm fan (assuming you're talking 120mm). It starts reliably at 4V, so with a 5V-up fan controller you don't need to kickstart it.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 10:28 pm

Since the BigNG is fully programmable you can program whatever starting voltage you'd like, even to happen on the fly.

For example:
- CPU idles at 38'C while you browse the internet, you set your CPU cooler and intake to 0V based on CPU temperature reading
- You decide to fire up a game, CPU goes up to 42'C, 9V is fed to both intake and CPU cooler
- CPU cooler and intake start spinning, voltage is then again reduced as necessary
- Hysteresis is 4'C so even if the CPU reading cools down, it will hardly pass the idle limit and set your fan to 0V again

Took me an hour to set the unit up to be stable in 2142, most of the time was spent learning the ropes. I haven't tried semipassive yet as there is no benefit to be had, HDDs would still be too loud.

qstoffe · Post by **qstoffe** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:17 am

Felger Carbon wrote:I recommend that you use a GW NCB 120mm fan (assuming you're talking 120mm). It starts reliably at 4V, so with a 5V-up fan controller you don't need to kickstart it.

In that case wouldn't it be easier just to set my Nexus fans to 5.5V ? Or are the Global Wins more silent @ 5V ?

Das_Saunamies wrote:http://www.t-balancer.com/
Does everything a fan controller is supposed to. EVERYTHING.

Sounds good I will check it out

Das_Saunamies wrote:Since the BigNG is fully programmable you can program whatever starting voltage you'd like, even to happen on the fly.

Cool. Do you know if you can make it react to the bios temps of your CPU instead of using the probes of the T-balancer ?

Das_Saunamies wrote:...I haven't tried semipassive yet as there is no benefit to be had, HDDs would still be too loud.

Well it would for me. I'm running my hdds (2xSeagate) inside alleycat enclosures and they makes less noise than my 520W Corsair PSU. I've even just orderd 2 Samsung Spin Points to make them completely silent

The only fear I have when going semipassive is the PSU. I don't know If I would feel safe enough with a PSU fan mod and a temp-probe from the T-balancer. I wonder if anyone has tried that ?

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:36 am

qstoffe wrote:Well it would for me. I'm running my hdds (2xSeagate) inside alleycat enclosures and they makes less noise than my 520W Corsair PSU.

I dont have experience with Corsair PSU's, but my Seasonic S12 380 benefited from a fan swap. I'm simply using the built in fan controller, and now it's more quiet than the quitest of two Nexus' at 5 volt. Well, except maybe during gaming, but that dont matter to me. And even during a game, I cant push it above 720 RPM's. I used a Scythe S-Flex 1600 rpm, removede the PSU fan grill and it's rubber mounted.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:46 am

qstoffe wrote:Cool. Do you know if you can make it react to the bios temps of your CPU instead of using the probes of the T-balancer ?

Yes and no. You can use Speedfan, Samurize or that-third-program to report data to the T-Balancer software, but that means you'll have to have both programs running. The software will treat the readings like they were probe data.

Having to launch software doesn't entirely defeat the purpose of it, but it's less compatible and secure. I tried it once and went back to using the analog probes.

The probes seemed like a difficult thing to get right for me at first, but after some thinking and empirical study they now work flawlessly. Heatpipe joints and cooler bases are good places to tuck the probes, didn't even need tape as they were wedged in by the fins or heatpipes. The cooling is a lot quieter than before as it responds to demand with precision, not by my estimate.

Regarding PSUs, I wouldn't personally tamper with their fan control, especially if it was as good as Corsair's. The PSU is a self-sufficient unit though, so with reasonable RPM you could just do it yourself. You'd have to crack the unit open to find a proper placement for a probe and then make sure it stayed there... but it certainly sounds doable, SPCR has the temperatures and RPM in an article I think, could act as a guideline.

qstoffe · Post by **qstoffe** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:38 am

I just placed an order for the T-balancer and a Scythe S-Flex 1600 rpm fan. I will replace the Corsair Adda fan with S-Flex just as you did Thomas

And with a little tweaking of the T-balancer I'm hoping I will get the rest of the Nexus fans running reliably @ 5.0V.

Thanks for all your advice guys !

When I've put everything together I will post pictures & comments in the gallery. But before then I will post some pictures of my friend's quiet HTPC and of my "failed" woodcase project.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:47 am

Alright. Good luck with your effort, don't expect the T-Balancer to be plug-and-play!

Fancontroller 0-12V with Kickstart

Fancontroller 0-12V with Kickstart

Re: Fancontroller 0-12V with Kickstart