Lee Pigdon Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 So i am starting to peice together my build that is full of red features. My only niggling problem is that the case comes with 2 Front fans connected to a front panel LED switch. The LEDs are White. I absolutely love the case i am using. The few questions i have are these.... Has anyone with experience with this case performed a fan switch who can help me understand the wiring? Is there a simpler method other than leaving the LEDs off? I will be using Red LED fans in my build. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I haven't searched for the case, but usually the fans are just screwed in, so one could simply buy red led fans and replace the existing ones, you'll just need a screwdriver and a few minutes to swap em out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 I haven't searched for the case, but usually the fans are just screwed in, so one could simply buy red led fans and replace the existing ones, you'll just need a screwdriver and a few minutes to swap em out My concern is the wiring. It seems to be looped from the front panel switch. It may sound noobish but i dont want to balls it up. (my first build) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3X4S Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I have seen people place a small thin red (or other color) piece of transparent plastic over the LED - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 My concern is the wiring. It seems to be looped from the front panel switch. It may sound noobish but i dont want to balls it up. (my first build) Then it'll get slightly trickier, T3X4S has a point, and if you have a steady hand, it will give a pinkish red glow, depending on the cellophane used.. So I would keep his suggestion in mind If you went down the 'swap it out' route, then I'd start by tracing the fan wiring back to the case's switchboard, if they are plugged in, then you only need to unplug the old ones and plug in new ones, if the fan wiring is soldered on, then you might be left with the only option to cover the leds Having said that, depending on your motherboard, you might be able to just snip the wires, (VOIDING YOUR WARRANTY possibly) and replace the fans that way, make special note to cover any exposed wires with insulation tape at the very least, and run the replacement fans directly from the board, if supported. Please note, this is not recommended, I only posted it, as if it were me, it's what I would do if I could not live with white leds Lee Pigdon 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Then it'll get slightly trickier, T3X4S has a point, and if you have a steady hand, it will give a pinkish red glow, depending on the cellophane used.. So I would keep his suggestion in mind If you went down the 'swap it out' route, then I'd start by tracing the fan wiring back to the case's switchboard, if they are plugged in, then you only need to unplug the old ones and plug in new ones, if the fan wiring is soldered on, then you might be left with the only option to cover the leds Having said that, depending on your motherboard, you might be able to just snip the wires, (VOIDING YOUR WARRANTY possibly) and replace the fans that way, make special note to cover any exposed wires with insulation tape at the very least, and run the replacement fans directly from the board, if supported. Please note, this is not recommended, I only posted it, as if it were me, it's what I would do if I could not live with white leds So i just traced the wires back to the front CP and everything is glued and soldered. The 2 front fans connect to a wire coming from the CP via 3pin connectors. But the profile of this 3pin is smaller than that of the pre-installed exhaust fan otherwise i am guessing i could of swapped them straight out no problem. Dont know what to do. Do not really like the idea of placing coloured celophane over the LEDs. At a last resort i could move the front fans to the top vents of the case and leave the lights off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Supervisor Posted May 17, 2014 Supervisor Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hello, I would be very surprised if Corsair shipped a case in which the cans were not removable and replaceable using a standard 3-pin ATX fan connector. You might want to check in their own support forums for exact information on how to replace the fans in the Corsair Carbide 400r case. Regards, Aryeh Goretsky DaveGreen93 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 So i just traced the wires back to the front CP and everything is glued and soldered. The 2 front fans connect to a wire coming from the CP via 3pin connectors. But the profile of this 3pin is smaller than that of the pre-installed exhaust fan otherwise i am guessing i could of swapped them straight out no problem. Dont know what to do. Do not really like the idea of placing coloured celophane over the LEDs. At a last resort i could move the front fans to the top vents of the case and leave the lights off. All is not lost.. Local to you, is there a store that sells pc parts? OR any online retailer for pc parts, if you take a picture of the connector, they could probably source you one. (I mentioned the local store because there's a store near me, and if I took the case, or the fan, or a picture of the connector, he'd know what replacement part would fit) or secondly, And I apologise for not mentioning this earlier on, buy any red led fans you like, and get molex connectors from ebay or similar retailer, and hook them up to any free molex connector on the psu (they'll still turn off then you turn off the pc) +goretsky is also correct, so there's another avenue to look into (it's a lot of fiddling but that's one of the joys of a custom built rig, it'll become bespoke to you once all the running around is done) goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG-88 Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 On the 500r the two fans plug into male 3 pin adapters for the fan controller, it would be weird if the 400r has this so you cant change it. Can you take some pics? goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 So i went over to the Corsair forums and sourced an official answer. The stock case fans are designed to work with the front panel switches. After market fans will not work. To do this i just need to forget about the front CP and run them as normal. Not the answer i was hoping for. spikey_richie 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey_richie Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Time to get the red nail varnish out then. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 Time to get the red nail varnish out then. Will that actually work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daorbed9 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 So i went over to the Corsair forums and sourced an official answer. The stock case fans are designed to work with the front panel switches. After market fans will not work. To do this i just need to forget about the front CP and run them as normal. Not the answer i was hoping for. After market will not work with the switches but you can replace the fans with red led fans that dont use switches and stay on all the time. Just ignore the switch and plug the fans in the 3/4 pin on your motherboard or the power supply with the adapters. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 After market will not work with the switches but you can replace the fans with red led fans that dont use switches and stay on all the time. Just ignore the switch and plug the fans in the 3/4 pin on your motherboard or the power supply with the adapters. Could of done with this reply last week. Thanks all the same. CG-88 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey_richie Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Will that actually work? It should do, LED's don't get hot like a light bulb. Just put a thin coat on. If it doesn't give the desired effect, you can always remove it with some nail varnish remover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG-88 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Could of done with this reply last week. Thanks all the same.I only realised the same thing last night, the corsair fan connector that cones with the case cant be used on the motherboard, and vice versa so aftermarket won't fit in the fan controller. Sucks, but at least you know how to move forward with this now. Either mod the corsair fans, or use aftermarket fans on an aftermarket controller or directly on the mobo headers. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 I only realised the same thing last night, the corsair fan connector that cones with the case cant be used on the motherboard, and vice versa so aftermarket won't fit in the fan controller. Sucks, but at least you know how to move forward with this now. Either mod the corsair fans, or use aftermarket fans on an aftermarket controller or directly on the mobo headers. I am still gathering parts for my build but i like to know in advance of any issues i might face. I may use them initially with the lights off until i can afford a fan controller. Need to do some revision on these as i am not sure how they work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG-88 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I am still gathering parts for my build but i like to know in advance of any issues i might face. I may use them initially with the lights off until i can afford a fan controller. Need to do some revision on these as i am not sure how they work. The fan controller normally slots into the 5.25" tray, and the fans connect to connectors in the back of the unit itself which relate to the front switches. Example below off overclockers.co.uk: And then the whole unit is powered via molex connections so seems fairly straight forward. It might be possible to put aftermarket fans in the Corsair fan controller though...I know it definitely isn't possible to put the Corsair case fans on the mobo headers but hmmmm....give me 5 minutes and I will try with mine. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CG-88 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 OK so this is what I think you could do. The black connector below is the fan from the corsair case(im still assuming the 500r and 400r are the same) and the image above that is a bog standard 3 pin fan connection. The bits I have highlighted in purple mean you cant plug a normal aftermarket fan into the corsair connection BUT if you shaved those off it would connect fine. I don't have any spare fans or I would have tried it, but if it fits, there is no reason why the fan itself wouldn't work. Lee Pigdon and goretsky 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Pigdon Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 OK so this is what I think you could do. The black connector below is the fan from the corsair case(im still assuming the 500r and 400r are the same) and the image above that is a bog standard 3 pin fan connection. The bits I have highlighted in purple mean you cant plug a normal aftermarket fan into the corsair connection BUT if you shaved those off it would connect fine. I don't have any spare fans or I would have tried it, but if it fits, there is no reason why the fan itself wouldn't work. Yeah your right. Thats the exact problem. Maybe its a possibility then. goretsky 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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