Fan header add-on card

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I like my new asus board, but I hate how asus wires all the chassis fan headers to the same bus. I assume they do it so their software has broader control of the hardware. However, it sucks when you have lots of fans in a case and would like to use software like speedfan to tie different fans independently to different temps. The voltage and pwm output is tied together, so the best result is independent rpm monitoring

Is there an add-on card in existence that can provide more fan headers and connect them to the SMBus and power supply: basically enabling more fans which may be controlled through the system's software environment (aka speedfan).

Controllers are great and all, but I'd prefer to yank human error out of things when it comes to cooling electronic components. Admittedly, I've never used fans or a controller with thermal probes- though, I already own a fan controller and complete set of fans and would rather not buy redundent equipment.

My cpu HSF is the zerotherm nv120. I found out recently a new varient is out with the same heatsink, but with a 4-pin pwm controlled fan rather than 3-pin manual reostat controlled fan. Anywhere I can buy just the new pwm fan? The nv120 is made to easily remove the fan component from the heatsink- I'm thinking a swap may help.

 

[mpilchfamily]

I know of no card. The reason there isn't more headers on the motherboard is due to space and the limitation of the chip resposible for controling them. If you find a card like this it will probably have its own software to run it. But thisn't going to be something easy to find since its cheaper to just get a fan controller.

I'd say if noise isn't an issue then leave the fans running full tilt. If it is then get a fan controller and set the knobs so they are where you want them to be. On another note the system can probably run just fine under a heavy load with just 2 or 3 case fans. Personally i prefear to keep the CPU fan running full speed. But then i OC so it needs to be that way.

 

[aigomorla]

Is there an add-on card in existence that can provide more fan headers and connect them to the SMBus and power supply: basically enabling more fans which may be controlled through the system's software environment (aka speedfan).

There are actually a lot, but there very pricey.

The first unit off the top of my head is called the BigNG.
This plugs into your USB, you control it though the BigNG software.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=20837

Second one is by koolance. Its called the TMP-200.
Again this has its own set of software, and is connected by USB.
http://www.koolance.com/water-cooling/product_info.php?product_id=797


Then there are ones with built in LCD faces, like the Aquereo. There kinda hard to find...
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/aq4usbfavf.html

And you got your matrix Orbital's.
http://www.jab-tech.com/Matrix-Orbital-MX230-pr-1876.html

All of these controllers would require its own software.

The only unit i know that wouldnt require its own software is silverstone ECSA junk they had which worked with nvidia boards.
But you would need an nvidia board to pair it up with.

Heh... the 20 dollar fan controller is looking a lot better now huh?

 

[Nocturnal]

Just get a fan controller.

 

[mindwreck]

fan controller would work unless you want it controlled by temperature.

I have a matrix orbital and a fan controller. The orbital is very easy to program and you can set it to work with temp diodes. But i got it for the display reasons, its not worth pay this much just to control some fans.

A simple fan controller for 20 bucks is all you really want.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

hmmm. I was hoping for some miracle device. lol. I've got a suitable sunbeam controller, but it's really nice to tie individual fans to the temps of system components like speedfan allows.
I realize I certainly don't need all the fans in my system, but each has a purpose- so it's not like they're in there just for kicks.
There's the 140mm fan on the top rear of my case that exhausts upwards, the 120mm at the top rear that exhausts out the back, the 120mm side panel intake blowing on my expansion slots, the 120mm fan on the cpu hsf, and two 120mm intake fans on the front of the case (antec 300 btw)- the top one blows openly into the case over the top HDD and the lower fan which blows through my other two drives toward the bottom-mounted psu that has a 120mm exhaust fan pointed upward.

If I could tie each fan to a temp and have it variate automatically, I could cover cpu temps, gpu temps, system temps, nb temp, and drive temps independently. That would be bother wonderful and ideal in keeping sound down while matching temps for whatever it is I'm using the system for. Folding, gaming, watching videos, web browsing, scheduled maintenance in the middle of the night, and general usage all afford different thermal condition that I'm handling by settling with louder fan speeds and unlink manual control.

I considered upgrading to a controller that automatically variates fan speeds based on supplied thermal probes. But all the reviews I read concluded the probes lacked usefulness compared to sensors built into components. Plus, I rather like bringing up one software window and seeing temps and fan speeds and setting their relations.

A dream deferred I guess.

If no such device exists, is it possible to make one by putting together a pcb with headers, molex, and such.... and then attaching it to the SMBus somehow? I could see bus addressing as a roadblock- either the address are hardcoded or fused when manufactured, or a bios modification would be needed.

Still mad @ ASUS for bridging the two headers to the same pwm- I don't like using their 'smartfan' anyway.

 

[Modelworks]

There is an easy way to do this, well easy for me , depends on your level of knowledge.
You can buy a arduino board, small microprocessor that comes ready to run, for about $30.
It attaches to usb and can handle as many fans as you want to connect to it, depends on how far you want to go. You would also need to learn the arduino language which is pretty easy.

http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17&products_id=50
www.arduino.cc

Benefit of using arduino is that you can attach fans, lcd, keypads, whatever to the same arduino board and it doesn't have to communicate with the pc in order to work. You can program it once and it will hold those settings till you change them.

SMbus can be tapped into and used for anything you like really without touching the bios, it is just a serial bus that lots of devices share. The problem is if it is done wrong you could kill the board or harm other devices that already use it.

 

[wiretap]

Sunbeam Theta TP101... good luck finding one though.
http://www.velocityreviews.com/reviews/Sunbeam-Theta-USB-Fan-controller.php