HeTiCu13
New Member
Hello.
One of my gaming systems is older, built by me in 2015. Later, when it came time to get a faster gaming system, I ordered one from Xidax, and that is now my main system. But, the older system refuses to die, and it's still a screaming machine, so I use it for other applications. However, after I spent some time cleaning it the other day, when I fired it back up, 2 of the system fans, both mounted on the front as intakes, squealed a bit until they got warmed up. So I decided to be proactive and get some replacements, preferably with some blue LEDs (the old one's have none).
I did some research and found some Corsair AF120 & AF140 w/blue LEDs on Amazon that seemed to be just what I am looking for. But there are several negative reviews that are puzzling me. One person says: "These are 3 pin full speed fans - not 4 pin PWM variable pin fans." That really perplexes me, as the original Corsairs in my system are also 3 pin fans, and yet, my MSI Z97 Gaming 5 mobo has been controlling them since day one. I am looking at the BIOS now, and can vary the fan speeds manually, or set to max, or set to Smart Fan mode. The speeds go up and down and I still do not hear them.
I had to research PWM to find out what that is since I haven't built a system in 7 years, and what I learned also puzzles me. How is my mobo controlling them since they are not 4 pin PWM fans? Are these newer Corsair 3 pin AF fans not built as well as the older ones from 2015? If I buy them and install them, is my mobo not going to be able to control their speeds?
Thanks for any help! If you need more info, please ask.
One of my gaming systems is older, built by me in 2015. Later, when it came time to get a faster gaming system, I ordered one from Xidax, and that is now my main system. But, the older system refuses to die, and it's still a screaming machine, so I use it for other applications. However, after I spent some time cleaning it the other day, when I fired it back up, 2 of the system fans, both mounted on the front as intakes, squealed a bit until they got warmed up. So I decided to be proactive and get some replacements, preferably with some blue LEDs (the old one's have none).
I did some research and found some Corsair AF120 & AF140 w/blue LEDs on Amazon that seemed to be just what I am looking for. But there are several negative reviews that are puzzling me. One person says: "These are 3 pin full speed fans - not 4 pin PWM variable pin fans." That really perplexes me, as the original Corsairs in my system are also 3 pin fans, and yet, my MSI Z97 Gaming 5 mobo has been controlling them since day one. I am looking at the BIOS now, and can vary the fan speeds manually, or set to max, or set to Smart Fan mode. The speeds go up and down and I still do not hear them.
I had to research PWM to find out what that is since I haven't built a system in 7 years, and what I learned also puzzles me. How is my mobo controlling them since they are not 4 pin PWM fans? Are these newer Corsair 3 pin AF fans not built as well as the older ones from 2015? If I buy them and install them, is my mobo not going to be able to control their speeds?
Thanks for any help! If you need more info, please ask.
