First post, by athlon-power
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I have an Intel SE440BX-2 motherboard that I've been using for a little while, and I've always used the system with one case fan, and obviously a CPU fan. I've recently added a front case fan to help and cool the GPU (it isn't really required, but it makes me feel better about it).
Two of the fan headers (FAN1 and FAN2) have CTL/RPM labeled below them, while FAN3 (the closest fan to the CPU socket) is just labeled 'FAN3'- there is no 'CTL/RPM' label beside it, but like the other two, it has a 3 pin header. The front case fan only has positive/negative- there is no third cable because I took it out of a PSU, and so far it's worked fine.
My question is, are the CTL/RPM fan headers PWM-compatible somehow? Or are they just adjustable via software? There is no option in the BIOS that talks about this, last time I was looking through it. And if they are in some form PWM compatible, and FAN3 is not PWM compatible, should I use the CPU fan and the rear case fan in the CTL/RPM headers, and use the non-PWM fan in the FAN3 header?
Is it unhealthy for something like a CPU fan to run at 100% all the time (I'm assuming that FAN3 just has the fan running at 100% the entire time)? I know the PSU fan is okay with running all the time because it can't be controlled, and so runs at 100% while in the PSU all the time, unless the PSU integrates a controller into the PCB that adjusts the voltage of the fan itself.
Here are the labels in question (I didn't take a picture of FAN1, because it's exactly the same as FAN2):
Where am I?