Motherboard fan connectors provide fans with the small amounts of power they need to keep spinning, and in some cases, give the user control over fan speed. Here’s everything you need to know about motherboard fan connectors.
Motherboard Connections Explained
A motherboard fan connector is a small three or four pin connector on the motherboard. The fan has one set of cables (bundled together) that plug into the connector on the motherboard.
The motherboard fan connector is a Molex KK connector. It is part of a family of computer power connectors designed by the Molex Connector Company, which also made other internal computer power connectors, such as the larger 4-pin Molex used by older hard drives and the motherboard power connector.
Nowadays, the name Molex is rarely used. Motherboard manuals more often use the terms "SYSFAN" and "CPUFAN" when referring to these connectors. SYSFAN and CPUFAN are technically the same connector, but SYSFAN is used to connect PC case fans, while CPUFAN is used for the fan attached to the CPU heatsink. If you've never used these connectors before, don't worry. They're easy to use and nearly impossible to connect incorrectly. The most difficult moment you'll have is getting your hands and fingers into the area where you need to be.
