Z240 SFF add front fans help

[Alfi0s]

Hey everybody, I wanted to ask for your help on this: I want to add 2 front fans to my z240 SFF. I added a RX 6400 and a couple of nvme to my system and I would like more airflow in there. I only have the rear case fan plugged in.

Do I get a 3-way splitter for the rear fan and the 2 front ones? Which kind of splitter and fans, 3 pin or 4? I'm also considering removing the hdd cage to get the fans attached to the front of the case.

Fan recommendations are more than welcome, I like noctua if that helps. Thanks!

[SDH · Accepted solution]

The way HP engineers its case fans is that they use 4-wire PMW fans rated to run at higher speeds and then use the motherboard's PWM controller to slow the fan RPM down to get the proper air flow for the design. So, you need a PWM fan splitter (4-wire, not 3-wire) to feed off the motherboard's rear case fan header.

I like the Noctua fans too, but they tend to run slow and then when you add the HP motherboard PWM influence they run even slower. An original SFF rear case fan is shown below, and I just ordered 2 new (from the Foxconn source via eBay from China). Note the brown plug end and the subscript on the fan's outflow-side label.... those are HP details, and the PMW plug does not have the usual middle ridge on one face... only on the two sides. That matches the motherboard header and is also usually a HP case fan trait. Those original fans are 60x60x25mm. Look up PVA060G12N on eBay and go from there:

There are free utilities to monitor temps such as CPUID's HWMonitor (the non-Pro version). You probably only need one front fan, not two. If you've bought Noctua PMW fans in the past then you may already have their nice 4-wire PMW fan extender cable and one or more of their quality PMW fan cable splitters, usually included. My guess is that an added 60mm PMW HP original rear case fan used up front will be best for your needs, and industrial strength Velcro would be a great way to stick it where you want. Make sure to face the fan's label towards the rear... that is always the desired direction of airflow, front to back.

[Alfi0s]

Thanks a ton for your help. I just got the 

rear case fan kit you recommended a few days ago and indeed has the fan you're recommending on your post. Would any 4 pin splitter work for these fans or they have a proprietary plug?

I was also thinking of drilling some holes on the side panel where the gpu/ turbo drive are (the case will be on its side) I figure heats rises, right?

[SDH]

The HP PMW fans use the exact same pin size and spacing, and the same standard PWM pin order. Dell has some proprietary fan plug ends but those are easy to recognize as different. So, any PWM 4-wire splitter should work fine.

In some rare cases I've had to shave off the middle ridge of a PWM fan plug to get a white standard PWM plug to fit onto the HP motherboard fan header, and have even swapped a 2-ridge HP fan plug end from a worn out fan onto the wires of a new fan that came with a standard white 3-ridge plug ended fan. Pay close attention to the color/order of the wires in the plug if you do that, especially if they are all black...  This all is why I now don't mind the wait for a new proper HP fan from China.

There is a lot of motion of air inside the case... just aim the new fan somewhat in the direction you want more air flow to and velcro it on that way. Don't drill holes in your case for sure. You'll get tiny metal shavings inside without fail, and that is a recipe for disaster. Heat only rises reliably when the air is not moving otherwise.

[Alfi0s]

Ordered the Y splitter and foxconn fan. Thanks a lot again!

[gabimarian]

Hello!

Have you managed to install the fan ? Have you seen some improvements ?

I am in the same situation like you - I recently installed a GTX 1050ti OC LP in my Z240 sff with no PCH (motherboard chipset) heatsink, and all the temperatures stays high. I'm worried especially about PCH temperature that stays at arround 70 degrees C in idle. Also the Samsung 970 evo plus SSD nvme inside a Z Turbo drive heatsink stays above 50 degrees.The Cpu stays at about 40 degrees and GPU at arround 60 degrees. All measured in idle, again.

I was thinking of making a hole (80-100mm) in the side cover and adding a powerful fan (slim version).

In the same case I had 2 mechanical HDD drives (configured in RAID node) and another SATA SSD, so it's a bit crowded inside.

Any other suggestions ?

Many thanks !