Powering Sonata case fan with a newly installed Corsair 550w PSU

Emerson

I got a "Piano Finish" silent Sonata case from Antec (got no model number) 6 years ago.
Upgraded the PSU, MB, CPU & Ram the other week.

I'm trying to power the case fan. I have replaced the original PSU with a Corsair 550w. I've got a standard PSU input plug (IDE type) that comes out of the case's fan. Now I think on the original 300w PSU that came with the case there was a "fan only" power output with perhaps a lower voltage.

I'm not sure whether the power should be coming through the motherboard through an adapter now.. The sound of the fan is like an aeroplane and I think there is far too much current going into it. Also the machine switches off completely at random.. The CPU fan is working fine and CPU temp is well below safe level but in the mobo the system fan is registering at 0rpm.

All help and suggestions welcome.
The motherboard is a Gigabyte S775 Intel P45 ATX A L UltraD3

Solitaire

Shouldn't that case fan be connected to the motherboard FAN1 connector? Or at least the little yellow PWM wire going to the otherwise empty 3pin molex? (with the power lines going to a normal Molex P4 connector)

Emerson

I have an adapter cable that converts from the IDE style power plug on the fan to a small 3 pin plug that fits into the sys fan position on the MB. There is only one single yellow wire (thus no +/- polarity??) that goes into that end of adapter though and the fan doesn't power up.
I suspect I have the wrong cable?
Can I get one in Maplin maybe? Day off so must get this done today..

Many thanks!

marco_polo

Emerson wrote: »

I got a "Piano Finish" silent Sonata case from Antec (got no model number) 6 years ago.
Upgraded the PSU, MB, CPU & Ram the other week.

I'm trying to power the case fan. I have replaced the original PSU with a Corsair 550w. I've got a standard PSU input plug (IDE type) that comes out of the case's fan. Now I think on the original 300w PSU that came with the case there was a "fan only" power output with perhaps a lower voltage.

I'm not sure whether the power should be coming through the motherboard through an adapter now.. The sound of the fan is like an aeroplane and I think there is far too much current going into it. Also the machine switches off completely at random.. The CPU fan is working fine and CPU temp is well below safe level but in the mobo the system fan is registering at 0rpm.

All help and suggestions welcome.
The motherboard is a Gigabyte S775 Intel P45 ATX A L UltraD3

According to this:
http://arstechnica.com/hardware/reviews/2003/07/sonata.ars/2

The TruePower 380W unit adjusts fan speeds based on the temperature in the case. Two Molex-connector power lines coming off of the PSU are marked as "fan only" lines. Those lines will adjust fan spinning speed (via voltage) to minimize noise, and frankly, it works really well.

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However, the manual carries this warning:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE - PLEASE READ BEFORE USING: The Sonata is engineered to maximize your computing experience while minimizing the noise in your environment. To minimize system noise in the majority of computing configurations, Antec suggests that you connect your case fans using the "Fan Only" connectors. However, if you plan to use your computer system in high performance, heat generating configurations (such as overclocking, intense gaming, etc.) Antec STRONGLY recommends that you connect your system fans to the standard connectors, NOT to the fan only connectors, as this will maximize your system's cooling capability and prevent overheating.

In short there is nothing wrong with using the standard connectors, apart from the noise levels. Unfortunatly the Corsair VX550W has no fan only connectors unlike the Corsair HX520W which has two. The fans on my Antec three hundred connects directly to the Molex connectors on the PSU, but it has an adjustable switch to control the speed (It is fair loud on full settings ).

Perhaps the cheapest option is to try and buy a similar variable speed fan?

Emerson

So is there any info I need when buying a fan? Size?
Will the fan connected to the PSU by molex and then the speed controlled by a small cable connected to the mobo?

The current fan has a male and female molex plug. Are both supposed to be attached to something?

Emerson

Does anyone think the current fan setup could be tripping the system into infinite power cycling from time to time?

Everything bar the case is new so I'm pretty peeved that I still can't be fully satisfied that the system is reliable & quiet.

All I want is a finished product for my parents/siblings to use as their machine without bothering me so I'll do what's necessary asap.

Thanks for your continued advice!

marco_polo

Emerson wrote: »

So is there any info I need when buying a fan? Size?
Will the fan connected to the PSU by molex and then the speed controlled by a small cable connected to the mobo?

The current fan has a male and female molex plug. Are both supposed to be attached to something?

It is most likely a standard 120mm fan, just make sure it is a variable speed one, my fan has a little switch hanging on the end of a short wire and has a standard 4-pin connector, however another fans could be different.

Not sure what your current fan is, however I doubt that both are need to be connected, just one or the other.

TerrorFirmer

well the header on the psu would be regulated by the psu, whereas connected to a normal molex header, it would just be on full whack. I prefer having mine on full whack to maximise the airflow, don't care much about noise.

Both don't need to be connected, it's just so that you can still use that molex without having it devoted to a single fan which would only use a few watts at most.

You can get decent silent fans, generally go for larger ones if they fit. this current weather is murder, at the moment in my Armour I have 1x120mm and 1x90mm on the back, 2x120mm on the front, and 1x90 on top, and temps are still suffering from the heat lately.

Make sure to configure your fans correctly - always need at least an exhaust, but make sure if you've more that they work together to provide a passing through airflow. If you've got too many fans or fans intaking and exhausting randomly, you'll make temps worse. Made a total arse of my minor Armor fan job last night (2x120mm intakes on cables ties, which took a while to get perfectly straight) when I accidentally and absentmindedly installed them backwards...:o

Solitaire

TerrorFirmer wrote:

this current weather is murder

+1

My comp is slowly heating up my house - as if the ambient temperature wasn't bad enough on its own!

Emerson

The system is turning on for a split second, and just as the CPU fan starts to spin, everything whirs down before the BIOS even screen shows. This keeps repeats until the power is turned off.

Powering cycling at the socket gets it going again but it soon fails again.. Everything bar the case is new!

Solitaire

Does it work without the fan connected? If its all new maybe you've got a DoA component lurking in there!

If it still doesn't work then stop blaming the poor, innocent fan! :P Try a minimum boot - CPU/Mobo, one stick of memory and graphics card if you don't have any onboard grahics on that mobo. See if that does it. If it does then start adding stuff piece-by-piece until it starts dying again and you'll have your culprit.

If even a minimum boot fails to fly try the other memory modules one-by-one. If none work you're stuck with testing the mobo and CPU (and graphics if neccessary) one-by-one in a compatible old/mate's PC until you find the culprit. Also try the minimum boot off your old PSU to check if it was the Corsair that came DoA.

Emerson

The problem still occurs without the CASE fan plugged in..
After a while the machine cuts out and starts infinitely restarting and cutting out just as the CPU fan starts up before the BIOS screen shows.

The only way to start the machine is to turn the power off/on at the socket or the PSU switch. It then works for another while before happening again.

Puts me off custom building a computer period.
DABS are hopeless in terms of support.

Solitaire

Don't go to Dabs without knowing exactly which part is FUBAR. At least we can help with advice and test procedures; on a Dell/HP/whatever you're just as likely to get mucked about and we'd have a harder time helping you thanks to all the bespoke gubbins in those machines :eek:

Believe me, the reason I became a big IT-head was because of the appauling way the big OEMs treat their customers even under warranty. You'd be just as likely to have a problem like this and just as likely to get fobbed off - I was and after being threatened with legal action (yes, seriously!!) I ended up having to rectify the obvious fault at my own expense regardless of an extended warranty. At least with a custom build once you've diagnosed the issue and found the culprit you can get a free replacement because with own builds the individual parts have individual warranties that the manufacturers are far less likely to shaft you on! (unless you did something silly and soldered on a voltmod of course )

If you want this resolved, try following the tests I put in that last post