Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

[startool]

Hello,

I have an ASRock Z87-Extreme4 and i'm using an water-cooler for my CPU. I plugged the pump (3-pin) in the 3-pin connector and the fan (4-pin) in the 4-pin connector.

My question is: How can i adjust the FAN to run at auto/silent and force the pump to be always on maximum?

Currently any setting i change affects both the FAN and Pump at the same time.

[parsec]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

I sounds like you have the pump connected to the secondary three pin CPU fan connector, or one of the three pin chassis fan connectors. All of those headers will be affected by fan speed control.

Connect the pump to the three pin Power Fan connector, which will output a full 12V at all times. Or use a four pin molex to three pin fan connector adapter, and use that to supply power to the pump.

[startool]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

Is there a possibility (with a feature BIOS/UEFI update) to add separate control for the 3/4-pin connectors? Currently its pretty confusing to find out that two separate connectors are actually connected.

[parsec]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

Is there a possibility (with a feature BIOS/UEFI update) to add separate control for the 3/4-pin connectors? Currently its pretty confusing to find out that two separate connectors are actually connected.

Which ones, the two CPU fan headers? They are designed to work together, increasing or decreasing speed together for use with a dual fan CPU cooling configuration. IMO, that is a good feature. That is fairly standard on any mother board.

A UEFI update to have separate control of the two CPU fan headers? Could be possible, although I don't see how that would make a difference, given the other fan header options on the board.

All the Chassis fan headers are independently controlled, or should be, via the BIOS or A-Tuning. The Power Fan connector is not controlled, again by design.

[startool]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

Yeah my point was that people with AIO Liquid cooling solution would prefer to set the 3-pin (pump) to max (Full Speed) and let the 4-pin (fan) go on Silent/Standard. Sadly even in A-Tuning CPU-1 and CPU-2 are linked together and you can't adjust their speed indepent from one another (why?). The only workaround for the moment is to plug the 3-pin (pump) in some of the 3-pin chassis fan headers (but its not a perfect solution - you lose a 3pin header). How can i contact ASRock and let them know about this? For all we know they just coupled the fans together.

[parsec]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

I really don't understand what the issue is, and why you consider the three pin CPU Fan header to be wasted. I use an AIO cooler in my ASR Z87 board, and have it configured like this:

I have two fans on the radiator, four pin PWM fan on the CPU PWM fan header, and a three pin standard fan on the three pin CPU fan header.

My AIO cooler has a SATA power connection for the pump, and a three pin fan plug with only the RPM/speed wire connected to the plug. That plug is connected to the PWR Fan header, only to monitor the pump speed, although that is not required. I consider the PWR Fan header otherwise worthless, since it has no fan speed control.

Another option for pump power, depending upon the power connector used by the pump, is to connect it directly to the PSU. Another AIO cooler I use has a three pin fan plug for the pump power. I use a molex to three pin fan adapter, that has a second three pin fan plug, but with only the RPM/speed wire connected to it. That plug is again connected to the PWR Fan header on the board to monitor the pump's speed.

Otherwise, the PWR Fan header is perfect for powering the pump of an AIO cooler.

You can connect a chassis fan to the CPU Fan 2 header, and its speed will change depending upon the CPU temperature. Many users consider that the best type of fan control possible.

One chassis fan configuration I've used is to have two fans connected to one Chassis fan header with a 'Y' splitter cable. Actually I had two such sets of fans on two chassis fan headers, works just fine as long as the fans are not high wattage units.

Doesn't your Z87 EX 4 board have the Contact Tech Support option in the UEFI? A-Tuning also has a "Tech Service" option, to contact ASR tech support.

[startool]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The issue is very simple: the 3-pin/4-pin CPU headers are tied together, i.e. when i slow down the FAN, the pump slows down too. This is the reason why i consider the 3-pin wasted - you can't manually adjust it without altering the FAN (CPU2) settings.

What i would love to see is very simple:

Instead of CPU1/CPU2 connected together, i would like to see CPU1 independent control and CPU2 independent control. So i can force CPU1 to 100% and let CPU2 (FAN) work on Silent.

[parsec]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The issue is very simple: the 3-pin/4-pin CPU headers are tied together, i.e. when i slow down the FAN, the pump slows down too. This is the reason why i consider the 3-pin wasted - you can't manually adjust it without altering the FAN (CPU2) settings.

What i would love to see is very simple:

Instead of CPU1/CPU2 connected together, i would like to see CPU1 independent control and CPU2 independent control. So i can force CPU1 to 100% and let CPU2 (FAN) work on Silent.

While I understand how you want the two CPU fan headers to work since your first post, you just lost me with your latest post above. Here's your first post:

Hello,

I have an ASRock Z87-Extreme4 and i'm using an water-cooler for my CPU. I plugged the pump (3-pin) in the 3-pin connector and the fan (4-pin) in the 4-pin connector.

My question is: How can i adjust the FAN to run at auto/silent and force the pump to be always on maximum?

Currently any setting i change affects both the FAN and Pump at the same time.

CPU Fan1 is the four pin, PWM header, CPU Fan2 is the three pin header. Do you see the contradiction in your two posts?

[startool]

Re: Independent CPU FAN Regulation?

[/B]

While I understand how you want the two CPU fan headers to work since your first post, you just lost me with your latest post above. Here's your first post:



CPU Fan1 is the four pin, PWM header, CPU Fan2 is the three pin header. Do you see the contradiction in your two posts?

Sorry about that one, i didn't check the proper system names for the 3/4pin connectors. To simplify it even further, i would like both headers to have separate options in the BIOS/UEFI, so i can set them at different speeds/voltages.

Is there a precedent when AsRock may add feature to their BIOS/UEFI upon user request?