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Fan controller advice


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I think this is the right forum for this.

 

 

I am looking for a two channel fan controller that can handle 3 scythe s-flex g's. I am wanting to put each of my triple radiators on one channel. Does anyone know of a fan controller that I could use for this? Is it even a good idea?

 

Thanks,

Johnnyfive

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Yeah, it's a good idea. Well... I mean... it's not a bad idea :P

 

I use this Zalman controller in my main rig and I really like it. It has more than two channels, but most do. Can't hurt to have more though, right? You could put other stuff on there too.

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Yeah I saw that one, as well as the zalman, sunbeam, and frozenpc 6 channel controllers. I was hoping for a two channel that I could put three fans on each channel, and thus have one knob for each radiator.

I'm sorry, but that doesn't make any sense.

 

If you have 6 fans and you want them on 2 channels, then you're going to need to wire three fans into each input. So why are you willing to do this on a 2 channel controller but not on a 4 or 6? What difference does it make?

 

If you get the Zalman 4+2 channel, for example, then you can wire 3 fans to one channel, 3 fans to another, and then you've still got four more left over for other system fans or lights.

 

I'm not trying to talk you out of a 2 channel, but they are harder to find, plus the reasoning for why you think you need one doesn't make any sense to me.

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What you need to do is add up the wattage of each fan. If it doesn't say explicitly on the fan sticker, multiple the volts and the amps (e.g. 12V x 0.3A = 3.6W)

 

Then multiply by 3 to get the bank wattage (3 fans x 3.6W = 10.8W)... you'll probably find the Zalman controller are too lame to support three fan banks, unless you have low power fans...

 

I think some of the Sunbeam controllers support high wattage per channel.

 

If you are using high power fans in your fan banks, you could always make your own stepped attenuator from a rotary switch and diodes. I've made a working prototype that uses 3A diodes (thus supporting 36W per channel). If you're the soldering/modding type, it's quite a straightforward concept, although a bit of a fiddly mod.

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The reason I only wanted the two channels is because I do not expect to need more than that. I liked the idea of a simple controller with just two knobs on it. Most of the 6 channel controllers I have seen had mediocre reviews. I am not opposed to any number of channels, I was just curious if anyone knew of a two channel that could handle it. If not, Ill just get something else.

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The reason I only wanted the two channels is because I do not expect to need more than that. I liked the idea of a simple controller with just two knobs on it. Most of the 6 channel controllers I have seen had mediocre reviews. I am not opposed to any number of channels, I was just curious if anyone knew of a two channel that could handle it. If not, Ill just get something else.

I see. That makes sense, but not many people want only 2 channels, so I think it will be hard to find.

 

Also, nrg is right about the limited current on controllers like the Zalman. However, the Zalman's two extra channels have no amperage restrictions, but they can only switch between 12v, 5v (maybe 7v, I don't remember), and off.

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