Rear and Front Fan Question

I got a few q's about rear and back front fans and the wiring. If you'll look in this pic, the fan has only 2 wires and is shoved into a 4pin power supply. The fan I want to buy has a 3pin and 4pin powersupply (comes with adapter). The fans I have right now are 2pin? What do I do to take them out? Just rip off the 2 wires attaching them? And if I buy a new 80mm fan i will be able to place it blowing in or blowing out right? (The front fan sucks in right?)

Front fan is usually intake, rear is exhaust.

The fan runs off 12V's, that's why it has those two small wires "wedged" into the 4-pin molex connector.

Three wire fans usually have the small 3-pin connectors to report fan RPM to the mobo.

I'm not sure what you want to rip the wires out of. I wouldn't think you would have to do that to anything to install the new fan.

Just plug the fan's connector either into the mobo or a molex connector off the PSU.

EDIT - Forgot, 12VDC is from the yellow wires off the PSU, 5VDC is from the red wires. Off the 4-pin molex connectors that is.

(Posting twice becase you can't load more than 1 pic )

The front is more confusing. The text is blurry so ill list my questions also.

1. There is a big casing over the front of my fan....how do i get it off?
2. The front fan has 5 or 6 twisted colored wires leading and attaching to the motherboard. I'm buyin a new fan, do I need these cables. Can i even replace the front intake fan????
3. Same thing as the back fan, the two power wires are "wedged" into a 4pin power supply. Why? And when I replace this fan (if i can), do i just snip them?

Thanks a ton guys, i have no clue what im doing so i couldnt do this without ya.

You will need to squeeze the sides in or the top and bottom to get the shroud off. The fan should just either "pop-in" or it is screwed. If you can't get the shroud off, you might have to take the front of the case off.

I think I see now what you're asking as far as the connectors. Those are standard w/ case fans that don't have the RPM (3rd) lead. They put those two 4-pin molex connectors so you can just plug in one end from the PSU and the other end goes into a device like CD-ROM or HDD. That way you don't waste any connectors.

Originally posted by EvilRick

Three wire fans usually have the small 3-pin connectors to report fan RPM to the mobo.

I'm not sure what you want to rip the wires out of. I wouldn't think you would have to do that to anything to install the new fan.

Is my front fan a "three wire fan" becuase it has three (actually 6, they are just twisted together) connectors running to the mobo? But it still has the red/black power wires.

What I am saying about ripping the wires out is when I put in my new fans. How do I disconnect my old fans (since they are wedged in there)

And when a fan says it works on a 4pin connector does that mean i connect it to a power supply like what a CDROM and HD work off of? Or do I need something speical.
Once again, thanks a ton.

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

1. usually to take those off, squeeze the sides and pull it off.

2. those are for you power button, reset button, HDD LED, power LED and speaker.

3. You can unplug the molex extentions (they are adapters) you'll notice the 2 molex connectors plugged into eachother, you can remove it from there.

Originally posted by unknown8


Is my front fan a "three wire fan" becuase it has three (actually 6, they are just twisted together) connectors running to the mobo? But it still has the red/black power wires.

They're two-wire. They just have that connector on like I stated in above post.

What I am saying about ripping the wires out is when I put in my new fans. How do I disconnect my old fans (since they are wedged in there)

You can just unplug them from the PSU, and they should unscrew or pop out of their housings. Should be no "ripping" involved.

And when a fan says it works on a 4pin connector does that mean i connect it to a power supply like what a CDROM and HD work off of? Or do I need something speical.
Once again, thanks a ton.

Yes, just plug them into either the 4-pin molex's off the PSU or a 3-pin connector on the mobo.

EDIT - Oh yeah, that cluster of colored wires all in a small bunch are the front panel connectors for the mobo, they're not going to the fan(s). Leave them plugged in where they are.

holy crap, evilrick = guru! kudos for u. thanks a bunch man. I really have no other questions except that the 80mm fans plug into a female connector right? So they come with a male? Am i correct?

Pretty much all fans have female connectors on them.

Do you have a source for your fans? With a pic of them anyway.

I doubt if you'll have any problems, just unplug the old and plug in the new.

When the time comes, just ask again if you have any ?'s or problems.

so when i put in the front fan, i just put it in backwards to suck air in right?