Best way to connect all those fans...

[Flor]

My new homebuilt has a total of 6 fans and I'm not sure yet how to
connect them best. Here's how things stand now:

Fan 1: Zalman 7000alcu CPU fan which I've attached to the supplied
Zalman FAN MATE speed controller which in turn is attached to the
mobo's (Abit IC7-G) CPU fan connector. This fan can be monitored by
the BIOS. I'm thinking I don't really need the FAN MATE in-line?

Fan 2: The Northbridge fan is attached to the mobo's NB fan connector.
This fan can be monitored by the BIOS.

Fan 3: One of the two exhaust fans that come with my Lian-Li PC-75
case is attached to the mobo's SYS fan connector. This fan can also be
monitored by the BIOS.

Fan 4: The second exhaust fan is connected to the mobo's AUX fan
connector (not monitored by the BIOS).

Fans 5 & 6: The two intake fans that come with the Lian-Li case are
attached to a 3-position (Lo, Med, Hi) front panel speed controller as
supplied by Lian-Li. They're not monitored.

Finally, I have an Antec TruePower480 PSU which has 2 "fan-only"
cables. I'm not using them currently but they supposedly provide
temperature-related control.

If anyone has any advice on the optimal arrangement for all these fans
I'd appreciate hearing it.

Another question: is it important to seal off all the extra openings
in the case? I have 2 unused 80mm fan openings and a 1.5"x6" slotted
grille area on the back panel

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Joseph]

buy a fan controller and connect these fans to it. Better control and less
noise. Leave the northbridge chipset fan alone though. You should have at
lease 1 exhaust fan. Air should circulate well for optimal cooling.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Flor" asked:

..........is it important to seal off all the extra openings
in the case? I have 2 unused 80mm fan openings and
a 1.5"x6" slotted grille area on the back panel

Yes. Those openings would otherwise "short circuit"
the air paths, and air would enter through those openings
and then flow directly to the exhaust fan(s), and no air
or very little air would enter through the normal air intakes
in the front, and components such as disk drives would
get no flow of cooling air.


*TimDaniels*