Pc Fan Connector Types

Pulse width modulation pwm is a common method of controlling computer fans.

Pc fan connector types.

A pwm capable fan is usually connected to a 4 pin connector pinout. A 4 pin pwm fan connector will have four square holes on the front and four wires entering the back. Desktop board has a 4 pin fan header. Fans and on board fan headers are backwards compatible.

Three wire and four wire fan connectors. The four wire connectors are for processor fans with higher power consumption. Three pin molex connector kk family this molex connector is used when connecting a fan to the motherboard or other circuit board. This is still considered a 3 pin fan.

Moddiy male 3 pin fan extension connector molex 2510 with pins. Identifying fan type 3 pin or 4 pin pwm. Bearing type is often a specification that is neglected when purchasing fans and while sleeve bearings are certainly the most affordable a few extra dollars well worth it in this comparison. The main difference is going to be the 4th pin known as the control pin.

Fan has a 3 pin power connector. The common pins are the ground pin the power pin and the sense pin. When using a 3 pin power connector with a 4 pin fan header the fan will always be on. 2pcs 4 pin pwm fan extension cable and 4 pin ide to 3x 4 pin fan connector sleeved braided y splitter for computer pc 4 pin fan extension power cable cooling fans cable.

Ground 12 v sense control. Chassis and processor fans use either a three wire or four wire connector. Shielded fan molex connector pins male 0 09. The fan headers have 3 to 4 pins.

Connectors usually used for computer fans are the following. There is no fan control. Proper fan connector placement is shown in the figures below. Please note some fans may have a 4 pin connector but only 3 wires going into the back of the connector.

The three wire connectors are for small chassis fans with lower power consumption.