Solved My new CPU fan wont work

[profdlp]

If I'm reading the original post right (#10), he's getting a CPU error - not a CPU fan error. Is that right, davtom179?

If that's the case you might need to update the BIOS, as it could be a simple case of the motherboard not being sure exactly what CPU is in there. If all this seems likely, I might have the shop where you bought the stuff do it just in case there is a problem. If they assured you it would work then let them take the (small) risk of a possible bad flash.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Most likely, the motherboard needs a BIOS update to accept that processor. I have done this in the past with a processor that was throwing up the CPU error, but I can understand being nervous about it. So, I'd ask the shop to do it, after researching it myself first.

 

[kidicarus]

I have a Arctic Pro 64 fan and it used to work fine with the cool and quiet on my old board, that one died so I got another board, this time the cool and quiet function says its disabled because the 4 pin fan isnt installed, which it is!
Is it possible that the control and sense wires need to be reversed?

 

[kidicarus]

Can anyone help me with this? I have found that the speedfan program allows me to change the speed of the fan, so I am confused as to why the bios cannot detect the fan correctly.

 

[essenbe]

Does your fan have a 3 or 4 pin connector? If the motherboard is a 4 pin connection and the CPU Cooler fan is a 3 pin connection, you can plug a 3 pin into a 4 pin connection. It should only go in one way. Look at the plastic on the connector and the groove on the back of the fan connection. Match them up and it will go in properly. It will just run 100% all of the time. The unused pin on the motherboard is for monitoring and adjusting fan speed, but the fan will work without it being connected. What motherboard and CPU did you get. Tell us the model of motherboard and CPU.

 

[kidicarus]

My fan and motherboard both have 4 pins and worked with cool and quiet on my previous board a Gigabyte m55s-s3, I blew the pci -e chipset somehow and now have reverted back to my old board an Asrock ALiveNF6G-VSTA.
If speedfan allows me to change the speed of the cpu does this mean that there is a problem with the bios?
I've updated to the latest rev but its made no difference

 

[Britton30]

Speedfan is to let you over ride the BIOS fan adjustments for, say, overclocking or game playing. I have the 3-pin CPU fan connector on my Gigabyte board and the fan speed is adjusted as the CPU temp rises and falls, and I have Cool'n'Quiet disabled.

 

[kidicarus]

Speedfan is to let you over ride the BIOS fan adjustments for, say, overclocking or game playing. I have the 3-pin CPU fan connector on my Gigabyte board and the fan speed is adjusted as the CPU temp rises and falls, and I have Cool'n'Quiet disabled.

Does this mean the 4th pin on my motherboard is not connected / broken somewhere?
Dry joint etc?

 

[Britton30]

Does this mean the 4th pin on my motherboard is not connected / broken somewhere?
Dry joint etc?

Not at all. Is your fan full-speed all the time? If so check through your BIOS settings, there will be something for CPU fan control. If you have it make it AUTO. The mobo circuits should control it then. The fourth wire is for PWM enabled fans, Pulse Width Modulation. I don't fully understand how it works.
In the 3-wire setup, two are for power, + and - with the 3rd one for speed sensing, RPMs.
Found a simple explanation of PWM control HERE

What is PWM? In simple terms, PWM involves rapidly switching the supply to the fan on and off, in this case 30 times a second, (30Hz). By altering the relative on to off times the average voltage "seen" by the fan is also altered. E.G. Assuming a 12V supply, when the on/off ratio = 50%/50% the fan will "see" 6V, likewise when the on/off ratio is 75%/25% the fan "sees" 9V. Obviously 100% output is achieved by having the output on continuously and at 0% the output is off. It is this on/off switching that makes the fan speed sensor inoperative.

 

[kidicarus]

Ive just set up speedfan to come on at boot up via task scheduler. The option to enable cool and quiet thru the bios is disabled, not sure why. I'll try a different four pin fan and see if that one is detected. Otherwise i'll just have to stick to using speedfan.