ASRock EP2C602(-4LD/16) Fan setup

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alex_stief

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2016
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Before finishing this build, I wanted to ask if there are any known issues with fan control of this board.

AFAIK, it has a total of 8 4-pin fan connectors that are actually PWM headers. Correct?
The manual states that connectors 1-3 are backwards compatible with 3-pin fans, i.e. voltage control. Correct?

Will I run into any issues if I connect PWM fans that switch off below a PWM signal of 40%?
Any other things I should be aware of before choosing fans?
 

e97

Active Member
Jun 3, 2015
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If I'm not mistaken, you can set a minimum for each fan. I've set mine to auto and havent had any issues.

The fans turning off is a issue if it results in heat build up which eventually leads to degraded performance and/or system shutdown.

The PWM modulation of your fans 40% and mobos 40% might not be the same. - you'll have to test and see.


They're slight variations in the specs, you can read the specs here if you're curious:

Rev 1.2 (July 2004) http://www.formfactors.org/developer\specs\REV1_2_Public.pdf

Rev 1.3 (Sept 2005) http://formfactors.org/developer/specs/4_Wire_PWM_Spec.pdf
 
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alex_stief

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2016
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So now that I have the board, I am a little disappointed.
Only the 2 CPU fans can be set to a "smart" control mode. However with no additional preset like "quiet" or "performance". And by my standards, the auto setting applies too high fan speeds.
All other fans can only be set to a fixed speed between 1-9 +"full on".
For now I hooked up all case fans to the fan hub of the case which takes the PWM signal from one of the CPU fans as an input. This controls all fans based on whatever "smart" fan control feels is necessary. But too loud in my opinion.
 

ScootingCat

New Member
Apr 17, 2015
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So now that I have the board, I am a little disappointed.
Only the 2 CPU fans can be set to a "smart" control mode. However with no additional preset like "quiet" or "performance". And by my standards, the auto setting applies too high fan speeds.
All other fans can only be set to a fixed speed between 1-9 +"full on".
For now I hooked up all case fans to the fan hub of the case which takes the PWM signal from one of the CPU fans as an input. This controls all fans based on whatever "smart" fan control feels is necessary. But too loud in my opinion.
You might consider adding a Noctua NA-FC1 between your CPU fan signal and your fan hub.
NA-FC1
 

alex_stief

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2016
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Thanks for the tip. I actually have some rpm reduction gimmicks here. But my standpoint is that there should be a software way to control fans adequately, and not having to work around the limitations that hardware manufacturers build in for no apparent reason.
I will try to connect the case fans directly to the CPU fan headers with their built in y-splitters. The case fan hub uses voltage regulation which usually results in higher rpm compared to a PWM signal.

Edit: The case fans do not start when directly connected to the CPU fan header. PWM signal is too low. I ended up wasting 6 ULN Adapters from Noctua and connected the case fans back to the fan hub.
 
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