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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
And is there any 4-pin 12V 1.5amp power adapter with speed control which can power the OEM apple fan right out of the box! This would solve all problems! :rolleyes:
 

PaulD-UK

macrumors 6502a
Oct 23, 2009
905
506
The Noctua NA-FC1 controller would do that.
Or the AliExpress one with the knob.
They all are sold without psu so they can work with either 12v or 5v fans.
 
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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
1st of many items delivered today!

AC:DC CJ-1215.jpeg
 

Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
Oh well! The legend has it that the delivery dude is still trying to deliver the package... :(

Screenshot 2023-10-17 at 8.37.52 AM.png
 

Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
@PaulD-UK, finally, the noctua controller is here... what will be correct order to connect the wires of the OEM fan? Notice the crossed black & red wires & the flipped fan in 2nd image. TIA

WhatsApp Image 2023-10-25 at 12.46.30 AM.jpeg
WhatsApp Image 2023-10-25 at 12.46.31 AM.jpeg
 

PaulD-UK

macrumors 6502a
Oct 23, 2009
905
506
In your L/top pic the iMac’s fan wires from Left to Right are:
+ve -ve Speed PWM

So the R/bottom pic is correct. 👍
 
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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
Can I use one of these cables to power-on the fan using noctua controller in a usb port of the computer, to eliminate power adaptor! These say that these supply 12V.

Or can you recommend a quality similar cable which will not ruin my computer or the usb port.

TIA

 
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PaulD-UK

macrumors 6502a
Oct 23, 2009
905
506
They only supply 0.4amp.
The iMac fan takes up to 1.6 amps.
So you could very easily use too much power from the USB port which will cause MacOS to shut off the power and give an error message. It might blow the USB port.
 
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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
They only supply 0.4amp.
The iMac fan takes up to 1.6 amps.
So you could very easily use too much power from the USB port which will cause MacOS to shut off the power and give an error message. It might blow the USB port.
Even having a Noctua controller in between won't help?
 
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PaulD-UK

macrumors 6502a
Oct 23, 2009
905
506
If you run the iMac fan very slowly it should run on 0.4 amp.
If you turn the controller up any more MacOS will cut off power to the port.

The iMac power supply does provide 12v, plenty for the fan and the logic board.

BEWARE!!!!
If the power supply isn't COMPLETELY drained of any power it is possible to give you a LETHAL shock, the mains voltage is stored in the capacitors and the LCD Backlight voltage is much higher than 12v.
Leave it depowered for many HOURS before risking touching it.
If you do remove it GET ADVICE as to exactly what to connect to.

BEWARE!!!!
 
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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
Now, the only problem remains is that usb continues to give power ouput when even the computer in sleep mode. No idea how to put usb port to sleep when the computer is sleeping...
 
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Nguyen Duc Hieu

macrumors 68040
Jul 5, 2020
3,016
1,003
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Now, the only problem remains is that usb continues to gives power ouput when even the computer in sleep mode. No idea how to put usb port to sleep when the computer is sleeping...

Your demand is opposite to many others'.
We need the USB port powered-on 24/7 for LED lighting, mobile devices charging, music listening on mini speakers,... even when the iMac is asleep.
 

Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
I found an ingenious solution. Power Outlet with Digital Timer! The external power adapter shuts off automatically for a few hours when computer and myself are asleep and powers on automatically in the morning! :cool:
 
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christre

macrumors newbie
Dec 28, 2023
1
0
Great info in this thread - I'm attempting a similar thing with the fan on a 2018 mac mini (after trying to change the fan, and getting nothing from smcFanControl). I'm struggling to find information on the wiring though - the best I could find was in a comment on a youtube video (!) but, like the original poster, I'm not sure how to translate that to the wire coming from the fan.

The comment said:
Pin 1 Speed Control Pin 2, 3 no connect Pin 4 +12v Pin 5 Ground Pin 6 Fan Rpm
Someone else commented:
For future Mac repairs those are Molex Pico-EZmate connectors, part number 781715006 for the six pin type, 781715004 for the four pin fan connectors on various MacBooks.

Anyone know if this is accurate, and which side pin 1 is on in the attached pic?

Thanks in advance.
 

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Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
Great info in this thread - I'm attempting a similar thing with the fan on a 2018 mac mini (after trying to change the fan, and getting nothing from smcFanControl). I'm struggling to find information on the wiring though - the best I could find was in a comment on a youtube video (!) but, like the original poster, I'm not sure how to translate that to the wire coming from the fan.

The comment said:
Pin 1 Speed Control Pin 2, 3 no connect Pin 4 +12v Pin 5 Ground Pin 6 Fan Rpm
Someone else commented:
For future Mac repairs those are Molex Pico-EZmate connectors, part number 781715006 for the six pin type, 781715004 for the four pin fan connectors on various MacBooks.

Anyone know if this is accurate, and which side pin 1 is on in the attached pic?

Thanks in advance.
Sorry, just saw this. If you are still looking for an answer, please see this message and subsequent messages for the clues...
 

Neutral Singh

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2019
60
37
Feedback after three months!
This solution works like a charm! Initially, the temperatures were hitting between 130 to 150 degrees F depending on the process, which were still on the higher side. At around 165 degrees F, it becomes almost unusable.

So, found another rather ingenious solution! I simply removed the memory door for an easier air flow behind the iMac and boom! the temperatures dropped dramatically to 100 to 120 degrees F even while running processor intensive tasks. This has also kept the fan noise to the bearable levels too with Noctua controller only running at 45% speed.

The iMac runs like a champion. Thinking about upgrading the processor to Core i9 9900K. 💕💕💕

Thanks @PaulD-UK & @Nguyen Duc Hieu for all the help!
 

thetechhimself

macrumors newbie
Apr 11, 2015
28
7
My iMac 27 2019 fan is not working. Looks like a Logic Board issue. So, the CPU gets hot and computer starts behaving really slow after sometime. Rather than spending a fortune on the repair, I was wondering, can the imac four pin fan be powered on using a special external cable via usb port of the imac itself or any normal power adapter? Has anybody explored this path? Thanks

View attachment 2294109
Good day,
This:
https://www.amazon.com/CRJ-Voltage-Step-Up-Sleeved-Adapter/dp/B081K8LBH3
With
This:
https://www.amazon.com/Noctua-NA-FC1-4-pin-PWM-Controller/dp/B072M2HKSN
is running flawlessly via a usb port at full throttle... So, a 5V usb port is giving out 12V to Noctua controller, which in turn powering the OEM fan at 12V using a usb port of the same computer. Fan is running at a maximum speed for last few hours without an issue.
Good day,

Question:

I presume you routed the power through a hole or other opening out of the iMac case to the power source? Any pictures or advice? I'm considering something similar, but am hesitant in doing so for presentation purposes... I'd like my iMac to still look aesthetically pleasing, but, have my additional cooling. Considering creating a double fan https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...cond-ssd-upgrade-air-vents-mod.2027485/page-3 By using a USB or AC powered solution for the 2nd fan as my 2020 iMac lacks something other than the power supply to directly tap to feed it.
 

thetechhimself

macrumors newbie
Apr 11, 2015
28
7
Feedback after three months!
This solution works like a charm! Initially, the temperatures were hitting between 130 to 150 degrees F depending on the process, which were still on the higher side. At around 165 degrees F, it becomes almost unusable.

So, found another rather ingenious solution! I simply removed the memory door for an easier air flow behind the iMac and boom! the temperatures dropped dramatically to 100 to 120 degrees F even while running processor intensive tasks. This has also kept the fan noise to the bearable levels too with Noctua controller only running at 45% speed.

The iMac runs like a champion. Thinking about upgrading the processor to Core i9 9900K. 💕💕💕

Thanks @PaulD-UK & @Nguyen Duc Hieu for all the help!
You certainly could, however without beefing up the cooling to a double fan solution, assuming you've swapped out your spinner hard drive (if you have one) with an SSD to provide the space, i9 processor's in iMac's work, after roughly 60-90 seconds, the heat sink can (will) become "saturated" where it can't take any more heat and the fans can't keep up dispersing in which case your CPU will dial back (throttle) to the highest power level that corresponds with 100C on full fans, and in turn, your CPU will run at whatever frequency that corresponds with that power level.

This isn't a problem if you run "bursty" loads where the fans have time to chop back down the heat on the sink between loads, but if you're running an extended heavy load, you're not going to realize maximum potential of the i9 is all.

My 2 cents? I would. Consider buying a "delidded" copy on Fleabay. They should be floating around. You don't have to, the 9th gen i9's do use a higher quality TIM than 8th gen and older, but given a delid and not? The delid will give you much better performance on the front end where it can hit a more aggressive frequency for longer out the gate till it does throttle when the heat sink saturates.
 
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TonyChan

macrumors newbie
May 10, 2024
1
0
My DIY 5K monitor which I built into a 2019 iMac case uses a 21 iMac fan, controlled by a PWM controller.

The 27 fan will run with 5 volts across the power wires at slow speed, ramping up as voltage is increased to 12v.

With the PWM controller the fan speed needs the temp sensor in the right place to control the fan.

This is my monitor build.
The PWM controller is pic 8 on the left.
What about the fan of 27 imac 2010Mid?
Can it controlled by general PWM controller? Here's fan pic
 

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PaulD-UK

macrumors 6502a
Oct 23, 2009
905
506
Quote:"What about the fan of 27 imac 2010Mid?
Can it controlled by general PWM controller?"


I can't see the power/control wires in you're pic, but if it's four wires then it will be PWM, and a controller will work.
Which wire is which needs to be tested...
 
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