3 Pin Fan connector used on the ATX Motherboard.
3 PIN IDC FEMALE at the fan and 3 PIN
IDC MALE header at the motherboard.
| Pin | Name | Color |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GND | black |
| 2 | +12VDC or +5VDC | red |
| 3 | Tachometric Signal | yellow |
Notes
- Not all fans or motherboards control or power the fan assemblies the same way.
- Fans may be either 5 Volt DC or 12 Volt DC fans.
- Colors may change.
- Chassis and CPU fans may use either 3-pin or 4-pin power
connectors. 3-pin connectors are usually used for the smaller
chassis fans with lower power consumption. 4-pin connectors are
usually used by CPU fans with higher power consumption. Fans and
on-board fan headers are backwards compatible. Proper fan connector
placement is shown in the figures below:
- Fan has a 3-pin power connector; desktop board has a 4-pin fan
header:
Note: when using a 3-pin
power connector with a 4-pin fan header, the fan will always be on;
there is no fan control. - Fan has a 4-pin power connector; desktop board has a 3-pin fan
header:
- Fan has a 3-pin power connector; desktop board has a 4-pin fan
header: