Question 1

Is the 3 speed switch mounted on the fan? How do you access it when the case is closed? Is it meant to set and forget?

Accepted Answer

If I remember correctly, the 3 speed switch is mounted inline in the cable that goes to the fan inside the case. The fan is designed to mount inside the case. It is also designed to set-up when you are inside the case and is not intended to be switched from the outside of the case. These are very good fans as I have used three of them over the past two years with no premature hour failure. Be sure and verify that your power supply wattage is rated correctly for adding this fan to your configuration. i.e., inrush/constant current etc...

Question 2

My HP computer has a 92 mm case fan that is rattling so I found this at Frys. The old fan is connected with a small 4 pin connector. This Tricool fan only has a small 3 pin connector, so that won't fit. The box states that it has a 4 pin connector, but no small one is included and it does not state if it is the small size.
There is a large connector with 4 pins and need advice if this can replace the small connector?

Accepted Answer

Hi Ken. I have an 11 year old HP tower. The motherboard on mine has both a 3 pin and a 4 pin connector on the board. I am not familiar with what HP has done in more recent models, however, I can answer some general questions about the power connection for your fan. There are 3 ways that case fans obtain their power. A 3 pin connector, a 4 pin connector, and a "molex" connector. Both 3 pin and 4 pin will be on your motherboard. The 4th pin is what allows your motherboard to ramp up or down the speed of the fan. 3 pin just runs at a constant rate. Usually 3 pin and 4 pin are interchangeable. You just have to line up the slot on the molded plastic end of the cable with the plastic blade sticking out of the motherboard. Molex is the 4 "big" pins you described. The molded plastic connector is flat and about 1" wide. In computer terms molex is ancient technology. It goes back to the time when your optical or floppy drives were connected with a 2" wide ribbon, or PATA cable. Molex does not connect to the motherboard. Instead, your power supply (PSU) usually has multiple extra molex connectors both male and female. Your 3 pin connector connects to the end of the molex adapter supplied with your Antec fan, and the molex adapter then connects to one of the extra molex coming from your PSU. This is universal for all of the cooling fans I have used regardless of the brand of the fan. I hope this helps.

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