Is there a 3-pin to 4-pin fan Header Convertor or Adapter?

Magnus7 · Aug 25, 2023

Hi all,

on my mobo there is a 3-pin fan header. but i want to use pwm fans. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

if not, then if i go for splitters, is there a 3-pin to multiple/singular 4-pin header? as long as they end up as real pwm headers. i searched and saw a hub online but it's 4-pin to multiple 4-pins...

thanks in advance

edit
as for the max rpm bit, i tried using some software like speedfan etc. to lower the speed, but fan controllers are never detected by such programs. my current bios is American Megatrends 4.6.5, and i could not find any fan control anywhere. Hence my reason for posting this thread in the first place. was hoping to change the 3-pin header to 4-pin on these older and more limited motherboards.

Ghot · Aug 25, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Hi all,

on my mobo there is a 3-pin fan header. but i want to use pwm fans. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

if not, then if i go for splitters, is there a 3-pin to multiple/singular 4-pin header? as long as they end up as real pwm headers. i searched and saw a hub online but it's 4-pin to multiple 4-pins...

thanks in advance

edit
as for the max rpm bit, i tried using some software like speedfan etc. to lower the speed, but fan controllers are never detected by such programs. my current bios is American Megatrends 4.6.5, and i could not find any fan control anywhere. Hence my reason for posting this thread in the first place. was hoping to change the 3-pin header to 4-pin on these older and more limited motherboards.

1. You can plug a 4 pin fan into a 3 pin header, and visa versa.
2. You haven't told us what motherboard you have.
3. They sell fan controllers. They get power from the power supply and supply it to many fans, with speed controls.
4. It would help to know what case you have as well.

5.25" fan controllers <----- these are the coolest ones, but you need a 5.25" DVD bay in your computer case.

Fan controller for back of case

Stick-on (internal) fan speed controller

PerpetualCycle · Aug 25, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Hi all,

on my mobo there is a 3-pin fan header. but i want to use pwm fans. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

if not, then if i go for splitters, is there a 3-pin to multiple/singular 4-pin header? as long as they end up as real pwm headers. i searched and saw a hub online but it's 4-pin to multiple 4-pins...

thanks in advance

edit
as for the max rpm bit, i tried using some software like speedfan etc. to lower the speed, but fan controllers are never detected by such programs. my current bios is American Megatrends 4.6.5, and i could not find any fan control anywhere. Hence my reason for posting this thread in the first place. was hoping to change the 3-pin header to 4-pin on these older and more limited motherboards.

If the header is not PWM (4-pin), you won't be able to control the speed through PWM. That is what the forth wire is for.

However, a 4-pin will fit in a 3-pin header as mentioned and you can control the speed through voltage if the motherboard supports it, which it most likely does. The disadvantage with voltage control is you cannot go to as low of a fan speed as with PWM without the fan stopping.

Dru2 · Aug 25, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Hi all,

on my mobo there is a 3-pin fan header. but i want to use pwm fans. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

If the board doesn't support PWM fans, throwing in an adapter isn't going to change that. (@geneo beat me to the punch as I was typing this post).

And yes, the name and model of the motherboard would help. Telling use the BIOS vendor does nothing.

Also agree that if you want fan control your best bet is the buy a fan controller and attach them there. Of course, you will need PWM fans. Fan controllers came in many flavors and prices, so you'd have to figure what works best for you.

Good luck.

antspants · Aug 25, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Hi all,

. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

New fans do my head in with all these argb headers for lights and pwm functions, I had to be really careful what I bought.
Eventually, I bought fans that operate from a hub, lights, fan speed using a remote control. It suites me because of my very old motherboard. So if you’re willing to fork out for new fans (this company only makes 120mm) then that is an option.

https://www.amazon.com/EZDIY-FAB-Moonlight-10-Port-Motherboard-Computer/dp/B08LKB63CF

read the fine print

Dru2 · Aug 25, 2023

antspants said:
New fans do my head in with all these argb headers for lights and pwm functions, I had to be really careful what I bought. ...

https://www.amazon.com/EZDIY-FAB-Moonlight-10-Port-Motherboard-Computer/dp/B08LKB63CF

What's that got to do with the OP's issue? They're not asking about RGB fans, they're asking about the ability to use and comtrol PWM fans

Magnus7 said:
Hi all,

on my mobo there is a 3-pin fan header. but i want to use pwm fans. i don't want the fans to operate at max rpm all the time. is there like... i don't know a clip adapter or something to turn it into a 4-pin header? like a real 4-pin pwm header.

edit
as for the max rpm bit, i tried using some software like speedfan etc. to lower the speed, but fan controllers are never detected by such programs. my current bios is American Megatrends 4.6.5, and i could not find any fan control anywhere. Hence my reason for posting this thread in the first place. was hoping to change the 3-pin header to 4-pin on these older and more limited motherboards.

antspants · Aug 25, 2023

Dru2 said:
What's that got to do with the OP's issue? They're not asking about RGB fans, they're asking about the ability to use and comtrol PWM fans

The hub/remote controls fan speed also.
Quite simply, I wanted to have fan speed control & lighting and it was easier to just buy fans that ran from a hub via a remote. Less headaches for me personally.

Dru2 · Aug 25, 2023

antspants said:
Quite simply, I wanted to have fan speed control & lighting and it was easier to just buy fans that ran from a hub via a remote. Less headaches for me personally.

Yeah we understand what "you" wanted; the "OP" just wants a solution to control PWM fans since his board doesn't support PWM.

All good though; and the fans do include a hub. But does the OP need fans, and especially RGB fans???

antspants · Aug 25, 2023

Dru2 said:
Yeah we understand what "you" wanted; the "OP" just wants a solution to control PWM fans since his board doesn't support PWM.

Which is exactly what these fans can do. Not sure what the problem is. It was just an option I suggested. Isn''t that what we do here, Dru?

Dru2 · Aug 25, 2023

LOL - did you read my post you quoted

I said "all good"

Elisyan · Aug 26, 2023

Magnus7 said:
.

I don't know if your motherboard supports this but I think you can change their speed by changing the Voltage (my MSI motherborad calls it DC mode)
That fan has only 3-pins and I can change it's speed by lowering the voltage (I wouldn't go too low cuz idk what will happen to the fan)
Remember that low voltage = low brightness

Btw did you try Fan Control?

Magnus7 · Aug 26, 2023

Thanks to all for replies.

Thanks to Dru and antspants, i think both of yous addressed my question most correctly. basically i'm now looking at case fan hubs, but i need to understand the concept more fully. for example take a look at this, it's an Arctic 10 fan case hub,
10 Port PWM Fan Hub with SATA Power
and i'm not too concerned with power supply, because i can either sacrifice a sata port or have unused molex cable too, however, under the specs sheet, i still require a 4-pin header for input. if i use a mobo with only 3-pin headers, what would be the result of this? is it 10 fans spinning at max rpm lol? or do i gain some limited pwm control? thanks in advance. also, could anyone suggest a good, slimmer fan hub, if it's usable i would be planning to fit it in the optical drive space which must be slim specification. no need 10 ports..., 5 ports would be sufficient.

Also thanks to Elysian, but i have tried that too. no, no fan control in bios, under any heading. most fan software do not recognize any controller on my system, but either way i am not looking for so much sensor readouts and active monitoring. would you happen to know of any program which... acts more like a 'manual deadswitch' to simply adjust the fan speed and advise me on nothing more, like.. "set fans to 50% speed or 75% speed etc..."

antspants · Aug 26, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Thanks to all for replies.

i'm now looking at case fan hubs, but i need to understand the concept more fully. for example take a look at this, it's an Arctic 10 fan case hub,
10 Port PWM Fan Hub with SATA Power

I tried something similar from EZDIY-FAB, it didn’t work for me. As far as I understand it, unless the actual hub has PWM functions built into it, you will only get what the board header can accommodate, in our case it’s 3 pin control. The fans are all read from the fan in the first header spot on the Hub only, so fans 2 through to 10 will perform as the fan in header one is performing.
As the Hub is connecting to a 3 pin header on our boards, already we have lost that function, hence my suggesting that the PWM function would need to be controlled from within the Hub. This is why I resorted to a remote controlled Hub with both fan and light control.

Maybe it is possible with the right hub, I wish I knew what the right Hub was because I bought a handfull of Corsair & Thermaltake fans that are just sitting in a draw because I couldn’t get them working as they are supposed to, due to our pin issue. Maybe I was just not doing it correctly? I’ll never know as I gave in to the remote controlled fans and my next motherboard will accommodate everything, when I eventually build again.

antspants · Aug 26, 2023

These companies suggest it is possible without actually stating that it is possible, at least that is what I found. To put it simply, I gave up trying to research our problem because it was a never ending loop of information and wrong purchases.

SIW2 · Aug 26, 2023

Are you keeping your motherboard a secret? It is presumably some kind of h61 according to this:

American Megatrends BIOS 4.6.5 02/19/2019

A database of all the hardware that works under linux

linux-hardware.org

or

[SOLVED] - How do I update my bios, with unknown motherboard?

I bought this motherboard recently: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DL1TNB9/ CPUz reports: DMI BIOS vendor American Megatrends Inc. version 4.6.5 date 04/24/2018 ROM size 6144 KB DMI System Information manufacturer To be filled by O.E.M. product To be filled by O.E.M...

forums.tomshardware.com

Dru2 · Aug 26, 2023

SIW2 said:
Are you keeping your motherboard a secret?

LOL - it does seem that way.

But yes, @Magnus7 - what is your motherboard???

Help us help you

BTW, yes, the cable for the Artic fan hub looks like it uses a 4-pin header, but I cannot tell if the hub will work off a 3-pin header.

Elisyan · Aug 27, 2023

Magnus7 said:
Also thanks to Elysian, but i have tried that too. no, no fan control in bios, under any heading. most fan software do not recognize any controller on my system, but either way i am not looking for so much sensor readouts and active monitoring. would you happen to know of any program which... acts more like a 'manual deadswitch' to simply adjust the fan speed and advise me on nothing more, like.. "set fans to 50% speed or 75% speed etc..."

FanControl can do that and alot more
You can even make graphs so your fans spin faster when your gpu temp are high!

Dru2 · Aug 27, 2023

Elisyan said:
FanControl can do that and alot more
You can even make graphs so your fans spin faster when your gpu temp are high!

Will FanControl turn a 3-pin header into a 4-pin PVM header to control speed?

Elisyan · Aug 27, 2023

Dru2 said:
Will FanControl turn a 3-pin header into a 4-pin PVM header to control speed?

Yes, it can control fan speed
I suggest every1 to try it. It has great features!

My rear fan is 3-pin and I'm controlling it with FanControl
Also my motherboard can control 3-pin fans with DC Mode by changing their voltage

Dru2 · Aug 27, 2023

Elisyan said:
Yes, it can control fan speed

Well, that should work for the OP if true.

BTW, I'll pass since I can set fan speeds via curves from my BIOS. I just set to run below noise level as I require a silent system.

Is there a 3-pin to 4-pin fan Header Convertor or Adapter?

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Syzygy

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Unknown Member

Attachments

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Unknown Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Unknown Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Similar threads