Compare fans 3 pin and 4 pin

For those who have had to assemble computers — and there are many such people, and not all of them are system administrators or programmers — it was probably evident that some PC models have fans with 4 legs, while others have 3. This is not just a design idea — inside computer everything exists for a purpose. This is a technical specification.

What is the difference?

Fans with different number of legs are called 3 pin and 4 pin respectively. The difference in them between the technical nuance in the work:

1. 1. If the cooler has 4 legs, it is considered more modern, but most likely it is installed on a modern motherboard model or even on a processor. Such devices allow the computer to control the rotation speed of the impeller. Accordingly, when the processor warms up, the blades are commanded to spin faster and cool down faster. The signal goes directly through the fourth wire, from the control chip.

1. 1. If the cooler has 3 legs, it means that it is an outdated model. It does not have a fourth wire, so the rotation speed is controlled by changing the voltage of the power cable. This method is less reliable, allows a much less accurate impact, it is impossible to urgently cool an overheated processor with it.

1. 1. By and large, a device with 4 legs is better, it allows you to take care of cooling according to the current situation. But it happens that there is simply nowhere to put it — old motherboards do not have a fourth connector.

Accordingly, with different connection combinations, the results will be different:

1. 1. 3-pin connects to 4-pin connector. There are options: either the motherboard will not be able to control the fan at all, then it will start spinning at standard speeds. Or she will give him commands by changing the voltage of the cable.

1. 1. 4-pin connects to 4-pin connector. Everything works as it should.

1. 1. 4-pin connects to 3-pin connector. There are options: either it connects, after which it will work at standard speed. Or not connect, and then it will be necessary to swap wires 3 and 4 so that the one that is responsible for the speed remains unused. In this case, the speed will also not be regulated.

1. 1. If the motherboard has a 4-pin connector, then you should buy the appropriate fan — it will work perfectly with it.

1. 1. If it has a 3-pin connector, then you can think about the choice. A 3-pin fan is worth taking if a motherboard replacement is not expected and you want to save money. The 4-pin fan is worth taking if the replacement takes place — then it will be “for growth”.