How to ID boards with fan speed control

Richard Longfellow

Richard Longfellow

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I'm looking at buying a new board to put together a mid-range gaming system; I'll probably go with an AM2 socket/2600 mHz FSB deal. What I really want is variable voltage fan speed control for the CPU and case fan plugs on the board. Problem is, it's nearly impossible to decipher which boards actually offer this, as the specs on newegg and even the Mobo manufacturers product sheet rarely ever tell you.

For example the board I have in my surfin PC is a PCChips A33g which has thermal monitoring but no variable voltage control, which I only discovered after I bought it. :roll: It's very important to me to have this built into the board so that I can set it up to be quiet under low load and automatically ramp up as needed without me constantly fooling with it.

So my question is...how do I know what boards have fan speed control? Is there a nomenclature I need to be looking for?

Here are a few I am considering...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131362

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376
 
I think 3 pins report how fast the fan is going and 4 pins can be adjustable?

I guess I don't care really how loud it is though.

Best to just get 100cm fans and never have to worry. They are big where going only 2000rpm is still silent but pushes alot of air through.

Usually the CPU fan should be adjustable, but it should also list in the manual.

I would also stick with boards by good known manufactures, not PCCHIPS.
 
[quote name='xycury']I think 3 pins report how fast the fan is going and 4 pins can be adjustable?[/quote]

[quote name='Evil Poptart']Not really.
[/quote]

Didn't I just state exactly what you stated?

but maybe you were talking about the CPU fan being adjustable...

Just look for pinouts on boards, they will be documented. Go for the 4 pins.
 
[quote name='xycury']I think 3 pins report how fast the fan is going and 4 pins can be adjustable?

I guess I don't care really how loud it is though.

Best to just get 100cm fans and never have to worry. They are big where going only 2000rpm is still silent but pushes alot of air through.

Usually the CPU fan should be adjustable, but it should also list in the manual.

I would also stick with boards by good known manufactures, not PCCHIPS.[/quote]

Exactly. After some more research, I now know about Pulse Width Modulation and how it requires 4 pins. I also learned that newegg has a 2x magnification built into their motherboard pics, so I used that to search for what I wanted. I said I wouldn't buy another miniATX board, but I just couldn't pass this Foxconn up for the price. And it has the upgradeability I'll want in the future.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186143

I know "Foxconn suxx!!!" :lol: I'll drop a dual core 5000 in it, overclock a little, and be happy until the Phenoms get a little cheaper and a little less power hungry.

I also picked up 92mm and 80mm Scythe 4-pin fans from an eBay seller. These have the fluid bearings with some crazy life expectancy and a 6 year warranty :hot:. I didn't know Sony had developed that Fluid Dynamic Bearing design that everyone is using in fans and HDDs now. Pretty interesting.

It will be fun when eveything shows up. Thanks for all the input.
 
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