Several questions about Panaflos and fans in general

[yunez]

Ok im new to this fan stuff, i just wanted to straighten some things out.
<br>
<br>-Firstly, i found a Panaflo 80mm LOW L1A Fan. What does the "L1A" mean? Also, what relevance does the 80mm spec have?
<br>
<br>-How do i know which connector/tail option I should get?
<br>Theres
<br>"2 wire with MB Molex"
<br>"Panaflo OEM Connector to 4 PIN"
<br>"Panaflo 3 wire OEM Connector to 3 PIN MB"
<br>I dont know which one is good for what and if theyre interchangable.
<br>
<br>-Ive heard of running Panaflos at 7v vs 12v to reduce noise. Is this recommended? How is this done? (im clueless with wires/soldering)
<br>
<br>-Im thinking of replacing some of my fans with Panaflos. Will i be able to replace my PAL6035 Sanyo Denki fan with the panaflo mentioned above? Also, will i be able to use the panaflo to replace the fan in my PSU? Do i need specific connectors to replace the particular fans? (ie is there a different connector for PSU fans, HSF fans, and general case fans?)
<br>
<br>-Finally, regarding the above question, where do i actually plug in the connector for the panaflo in the PSU? Is there a little 'socket' in the PSU? What about case fans? Is there a small 'socket' on the MB (like for HSF fans), or does it draw power from the PSU like any other IDE device?
<br>
<br>Thanks, hopefully this will help me figure things out

[MikeC]

>>-Firstly, i found a Panaflo 80mm LOW L1A Fan. What does the "L1A" mean? Also, what relevance does the 80mm spec have?
<br>
<br>The "L" stands for low power -- M & H -- you can guess <IMG SRC="modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif"> For the rest of it, look up the Panasonic web link under fan manufacturers in our <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.p ... file=index" TARGET="_blank">Links area</A><!-- BBCode End --> and check out their model naming convention.
<br>>>
<br>>>-How do i know which connector/tail option I should get?
<br>>>Theres
<br>>>"2 wire with MB Molex" -- hard to know what a MB Molex is.
<br>
<br>>>"Panaflo OEM Connector to 4 PIN" -- this is a 2 wire to the IDE power connector for
<br>drives, which allows the fan to be powered up just about any computer because the 4-pin connector is universal for PC PSUs.
<br>
<br>>>"Panaflo 3 wire OEM Connector to 3 PIN MB" -- this is a standard mobo fan header with speed sensing, which will work only if the fan is equipped with the sensing circuitry.
<br>
<br>>>I dont know which one is good for what and if theyre interchangable.
<br>>>
<br>>>-Ive heard of running Panaflos at 7v vs 12v to reduce noise. Is this recommended? How is this done? (im clueless with wires/soldering)
<br>
<br>Check the article about making a 12/5V switch in <!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.p ... es&secid=4" TARGET="_blank">Mods & Projects</A><!-- BBCode End -->
<br>>>
<br>>>-Im thinking of replacing some of my fans with Panaflos. Will i be able to replace my PAL6035 Sanyo Denki fan with the panaflo mentioned above?
<br>
<br>Not without some hacking around -- the 6035 uses a 60mm fan.
<br>
<br>>>Also, will i be able to use the panaflo to replace the fan in my PSU? Do i need specific connectors to replace the particular fans? (ie is there a different connector for PSU fans, HSF fans, and general case fans?)
<br>
<br>Yes - the connector you need depends on the PSU. Some are soldered directly to the PCB.
<br>
<br>>>-Finally, regarding the above question, where do i actually plug in the connector for the panaflo in the PSU? Is there a little 'socket' in the PSU?
<br>
<br>You should examine the PSU reviews and the P4 silencing project here carefully, looking at pics.
<br>
<br>>>-What about case fans? Is there a small 'socket' on the MB (like for HSF fans), or does it draw power from the PSU like any other IDE device?
<br>
<br>Both options can be used. The mobo header gives you a speed sensing option -- which works only if the fan is properly equipped.
<br>
[addsig]

[Renod]

[quote="yunez"]<br>-Firstly, i found a Panaflo 80mm LOW L1A Fan. What does the "L1A" mean? Also, what relevance does the 80mm spec have?
<br>

Panflo has 3 models, the L series is the lowest powered and most quiet of the series. Fans are measured by their blade diameter and it is usually stated in milimeters (mm).

<br>-How do i know which connector/tail option I should get?
<br>Theres
<br>"2 wire with MB Molex"
<br>"Panaflo OEM Connector to 4 PIN"
<br>"Panaflo 3 wire OEM Connector to 3 PIN MB"

If you look inside your case, you will find most of the connectors are 4 wire molex type for harddrives, etc.. Your motherboard uses a type of 3 pin connector for fan headers and most motherboards have 2 or 3 of these. One is for your heatsink fan, one is for a case fan, and most of the new ones have one for your power supply fan but your PSU has to support that connection. One of the 3 wires is for speed sensing signals (rpm). Most Panaflo do not have the 3 wire or the speed reporting circuit.

<br>-Ive heard of running Panaflos at 7v vs 12v to reduce noise. Is this recommended? How is this done? (im clueless with wires/soldering)
<br>

Easy to do if you get the right connectors. See http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/fr_ind ... apter.html

<br>-Im thinking of replacing some of my fans with Panaflos. Will i be able to replace my PAL6035 Sanyo Denki fan with the panaflo mentioned above? Also, will i be able to use the panaflo to replace the fan in my PSU? Do i need specific connectors to replace the particular fans? (ie is there a different connector for PSU fans, HSF fans, and general case fans?)
<br>

Your PAL6035 uses a 60mm fan. You can replace it with a 80mm fan, but you need a 60 to 80 adapter. This would allow you to run a quieter fan and get the same cooling. I recommend the plastic Alaska adapter as it is vented properly and allows you to get best use of the 80mm fan. You can get them at www.kdcomputers.com. You would want the "3 pin MB connector" you mentioned above.

<br>-Finally, regarding the above question, where do i actually plug in the connector for the panaflo in the PSU? Is there a little 'socket' in the PSU? What about case fans? Is there a small 'socket' on the MB (like for HSF fans), or does it draw power from the PSU like any other IDE device?
<br>

Replacing the fan in a PSU unit is not a simple task. Read http://w3.one.net/~robotech/quiet_psu.htm . Note his disclaimer at the very first!!! Many PSU fans are soldered in so you would need to be able to solder, etc..

Case fans usually have 3 wire molex connectors and go to the socket on the MB. They also can have 4 wire molex connectors and connect directly to the PSU. There are adapters to allow you to connect 3 wire to 4 wire etc. available. Look at the accessories at KD Computers or go to www.nexfan.com.

For lots of help in this area, go look through http://www.amdforums.com/showthread.php ... did=154105 , there are answers to almost everything you could ask about fans cooling etc..

Good luck......

[powergyoza]

Panflo has 3 models

Don't want to sound nitpicky, but there is a 4th, but incredibly rare, version of Panaflo - the "U1A" series. You can probably guess that it is even more powerful than the H1A series. Noisier too!