Why does my computer fan have 3 wires?
The third wire gives your computer control over it. The speed of the fan is reported back to the computer’s processor, which can be used to control the fan’s speed by raising it or lowering it when necessary.
Are 3 pin or 4 pin fans better?
The significant difference in practice is that 4-pin fans allow for RPM to change based on the need for cooling temperature, this reduces noise and power consumption. While 3-pin can control the voltage, but the voltage can’t turn to change the fan RPM at all and accurate as much as 4 pin fans.
Can I plug a 4 pin fan into a 3 pin?
You can plug a 4-pin PWM fan connector into a 3-pin terminal on the motherboard without any problems. Without the fourth pin connected, the fan will just run at full speed.
Why do computer fans have 4 wires?
The 4-wire fans have a PWM input, which is used to control the speed of the fan. Instead of switching the power to the entire fan on and off, only the power to the drive coils is switched. The PWM signal drives the fan directly; the drive FET is integrated inside the fan.
Do 3 pin fans run at full speed?
When connected to 3-pin fan headers, the fan will run at full speed (unless the mainboard supports voltage based speed control).
Can you control a 4 pin fan?
Yes! PWM fans come with a 4-pin connectors for fully automatic speed control via your mainboard’s 4-pin PWM fan headers. When connected to 3-pin fan headers, the fan will run at full speed (unless the mainboard supports voltage based speed control).
What are the three wires on a fan?
- Black wire is for the fan.
- Blue wire is for the lamp if one is included with the fan.
- White wire is neutral.
- Green wire is for the ground.
- Red wire is sometimes included and acts as a conductor to carry power to the light kit.
What’s the difference between 3 wire and 4 wire fan?
Three Wire and Four Wire Fan Connectors Chassis and processor fans use either a three wire or four wire connector. The three wire connectors are for small chassis fans with lower power consumption. The four wire connectors are for processor fans with higher power consumption.
What’s the difference between three and four pin fan connectors?
A four pin connector is a little different than the three pin connector since it has the extra (fourth) wire used for controlling and sending signals to the fan, which likely has a chip on it that tells it to slow down or speed up (in addition to the other wires the three pin connector has). Three Wire and Four Wire Fan Connectors
What are the colors of a fan wire?
3 pin and 4 pin Fan Wire Diagrams Pin Name Pin Name Color Color 1 Ground Black Black 2 +12v Red Yellow 3 Tach/Signal/Sense Yellow Green 4 Control/PWM Blue Blue
Why do I need a fourth wire for a CPU fan?
In the case of fan failure, the motherboard can send an alert (beeper, message to the OS, etc.), or take action directly, like slow the CPU or even shut down the system. Add a fourth wire to control the fan’s speed. The fourth wire operates similarly to the third wire, but in reverse: this wire controls the fan speed.