4 pin fan connectors

[Shrek]

My computer uses 4 pin fans, but the connectors are keyed differently (see attachment); the leads have the same colors in the same order and all fans are 12V. Can I use a fan with one type of connector and just swap the pins to have it replace the other? I am thinking to use an 80mm Noctua fan in my power supply but would need to exchange connectors.

i.e. does the different keying have a significance I am not aware of?

 

[Bill_Bright]

+12V is +12V. As long as you are sure of the voltage (requirement and supply) and the polarity, no problem.

The issue I might see is fan speed. Even a quality 80mm fan makes a lot of noise when running at maximum RPM.

 

[Shrek]

I was worried about the other two lines (Tach and PWM) but the colors match, so they should also be OK
and since the fans are PWM they should run at whatever speed is needed.

My PC is interesting in that it has a propriety power supply, and the mother board controls the power
supply fan.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I cannot speak for the other two lines. I thought you were just talking about the 12V wires. But yes, assuming you connect PWM to PWM, it should vary in speed as needed.

My PC is interesting in that it has a propriety power supply, and the mother board controls the power
supply fan.

You sure about that? Are there PSU fan settings options in your BIOS Setup Menu? Can you see the PSU fan's RPM in the BIOS Setup Menu? What about the PSU's temperature?

I have seen many proprietary PSUs, but they typically just swap wires in the main 20/24pin connector.

 

[Shrek]

Yes, there is a special connector (P2) on the HP Compaq 8000 Elite Convertible Minitower PC power supply and diagnostics can fire up ALL fans

It is also a 12V only power supply; no 20/24 pin connector

 

[Bill_Bright]

Well, then I can see why replacing the PSU's fan (instead of trying to find a replacement PSU) would be the easy thing to do.

I note that is why "proprietary" is a really nasty 4-letter word.

 

[Shrek]

Just prepping as the original fan still works, and I agree that "propriety" is a dirty word.

I got given the computer so deal with what I got.

 

[Shrek]

Just for the record, had a spare fan sitting around and things seem to be working fine after the connector swap.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Great. Glad you got it sorted out.

 

[Shrek]

I now get a suspicion that the connector with closer keying is for the CPU and those with further spaced keying are for the case; was wondering if someone can confirm (or deny) this suspicion.