How to test a fan out of a box

[KAQSP]

Hi guys, ok how can i test to see if a fan is working out of a box?what can i rig up?do they all require same voltage?

[RealBlackStuff]

Most, if not all, fans run off 5V DC.
Unsolder e.g. a fan connector from a broken motherboard, and connect your +5V to where the red wire goes into the socket and the -/GND to where the black wire goes into the socket.
The orange wire is for fan speed control, not needed here.
Some fans have 3, others 4 pins, so perhaps make one of each adapters.

[KAQSP]

Thanks, sounds doable.

[RealBlackStuff]

Actually, I just remembered I made a fan-adapter a while ago.
Cut a piece with fan-socket from a motherboard, and connected that to a USB cable, with a potentio-meter (in the + lead) thrown in as well.
USB supplies 5V, so no special 5V power adapter required.

[TRS-80]

Oh, I guess you must keep the side(s) on your box during normal operation then. lol

[RealBlackStuff]

Oh, I guess you must keep the side(s) on your box during normal operation then. lol

Explain please!

[TRS-80]

Explain please!

Reading the OP, my immediate thought was "walk up to my main computer and plug it in to one of the power wires likely dangling out the side of it." Because I mess around in there often enough (well, OK, not really*, but...) that I just keep the side panel off.

* Actually, the problem atm is that my CPU cooler is a little too tall for my case, and I can't get the side cover back on...

[Saucey]

... that my CPU cooler is a little too tall for my case, and I can't get the side cover back on...

Case size is always an afterthought with me.
I was going to buy a heavy duty fan but I ended up buying the CPU which came with a fan because I never over clock it or stress my desktop.

[Cigarguy]

Pretty simple if you have an extra desktop power supply kicking around. The hardest part is finding a fan header (like what's on the MB). The laptop fan only requires 5V so it's pretty safe voltage to work with. I wouldn't bother with testing it on a desktop system as if you screw up or short something out, the result can be undesirable.

1) Take a piece of wire or paperclip and bend into U shape. I use a short piece of stiff solid core wire. This will act as power supply on/off switch. Find the 20/24 pin main power supply harness that is supposed to be plugged into the MB. Take the U shape wire insert into the black and green terminal of the power supply. This will allow you to use the power supply switch to turn it on and off.

2) Instead of finding a MB header. I just use two pieces of wire for this purpose.

3) Using a molex connector from the power supply, take a piece of wire and plug it into one of the black terminal. Plug the other end of this wire into the black terminal of the fan.

4) Do the same as step 3 above with the red molex terminal and red terminal on the fan. On a molex wiring diagram, red is 5V, yellow is 12V, black power. On a fan, the wiring diagram is pretty simple. Typically red and black is for power while the other, usually white, is for relaying speed to the MB. Very few will have an extra terminal for PWM.

5) Turn on power supply and the fan should spin at max speed.

Again, you are dealing with low voltages here so it's perfectly safe. Sticking your tongue onto one of the terminal might give you a buzz but that's about it. What can be potentially lethal is if you open the power supply unit proper and stick something unholy in there.

I do this to test all sort of PC components. Especially useful for testing the noise of desktop fans when I want to know which of my many fans is the quietest.

[RealBlackStuff]

My assumption here was, that this was a LAPTOP question, which validates my suggestion.
Desktop fans (usually 12V) would almost certainly not run from a 5V USB port.

[TRS-80]

My assumption here was, that this was a LAPTOP question, which validates my suggestion.
Desktop fans (usually 12V) would almost certainly not run from a 5V USB port.

I guess when I read "out of a box" that box = desktop, or even server (to me at least). Well, that plus the fact we are in the General forum. But I suppose it could also mean brand new as in "just out of the box."

I suppose now that all of our answers were based on certain suppositions, lol. So maybe the OP should perhaps clarify?

[Cigarguy]

My assumption here was, that this was a LAPTOP question, which validates my suggestion.
Desktop fans (usually 12V) would almost certainly not run from a 5V USB port.

Desktop fans comes in 12v and 5V variety. Laptop fans are typical 5V or less.