Guideline for connecting fans to PS molex vs. motherboard header?

adarryladarryl No Man Stands So Tall As When He Stoops To Help a Child. Icrontian
edited May 2009 in Hardware
Used to be that HSF's were (perhaps some still are) high power draw items and it was unwise to connect them to the motherboard fan header but instead to a power lead from the PS. For example, Delta fans were notorious for needing more power than the motherboard header could supply. OK, now many PC cases come with 120 mm exhaust or even intake fans; some are gentle giants while others are vacuum cleaners. What's a good guideline to follow for when it is okay to connect these 120's to the motherboard header vs. hooking directly to a power supply lead?

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2009
    Never connect them to a header.
  • MAGICMAGIC Doot Doot Furniture City, Michigan Icrontian
    edited May 2009
    Buy a fan controller, and plug fans into it.

    Agree with don't plug them into the motherboard, unnecessarily drawing power through your board.
  • Insight-DriverInsight-Driver California
    edited May 2009
    12V is 12V. the milliamp draw of a 120mm fan is well within the current capability of the traces on the motherboard. The power comes from the power supply as it is, the 12V and ground plane are beefy on modern motherboards and modern pwm fans draw less current than the old styles of fans used.
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