RGB PC Fan Module

by SALMAN SALEEM

This Project was created upon experiencing Thermal Throttling on my laptop and found USB cooling pads as not effective, and those which were effective were highly priced. So I opted to use a good RGB PC fan instead, with a custom power supply for it so it can work as a Standalone fan.

***NOTE***

• Please check the pin numbers and pins for their connections of your fan before proceeding.
• Please take safety precautions before working on live wires and also beware of the hot soldering iron.

Supplies:

1. RGB PC FAN -1
2. DC TO DC BOOST CONVERTER - 1
3. USB WIRE AND MOBILE CHARGER ADAPTER - 1 WIRE
4. MULTIME TER
5. SOLDERING IRON AND SOLDER
6. SPDT SWITCH - 1 (OPTIONAL)
7. MOLEX CONNECTOR FEMALE - 1 (OPTIONAL)

Step 1: WORKING OF THE DESIGN

• RGB Fan Has Mainly 2 Components, RGB and the Fan.
• RGB Requires a 5v Dc Input While the Fan Requires 12v Dc Input
• Usually, Rgb Fans Come With a Molex Connector Which Has 4 Pins
• Pin Marked 1 Is Usually a 12v and Pin Marked 4 Is a 5v. Pin 2 and 3 Are Ground.
• In My Case, Only Pin 2 Was Available as Common Ground So I Joined the Negative Wires of 12v and 5v Together and Connected them to Pin 2

Step 2: CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

Step 3: USB cable setup

• Take an Old Usb-a Cable and Cut the Non-USB-A Part(e.g micro USB, USB-C...etc)
• Remove Shielding and Separate the Wires, Keeping Only the Power Wires Which Are Red=positive and Black= Ground, Cut the Other Cables Which Are Data Cables.
• Now Strip the Red and Black Wires, Connect Them to the Multimeter and Connect the USB to Power and Check if U Get 5V, If Yes Then Proceed.

Step 4: BOOST CONVERTER SETUP

• Take 2 Wires and Connect Them to the Output Terminals of the Boost Converter
• Connect the USB Wires to the Input Terminals of the Boost Converter
• Connect the USB to the Power
• Connect the Multimeter to the Output Wires and Measure the Output Voltage
•  Using the Screw on the Potentiometer Set the Voltage to 12v.

Step 5: 12V AND 5V SUPPLY

• Take 2 Wires and Connect Them to the Input 5v Terminals of the Boost Converter.
• Solder All the Wires on the Boost Converter.
• (Optional) Cut the Positive 5v Wire in Two Pieces Connect a Switch in Between Them.
• You Should Be Left With 4 Loose Wires 2 Coming From Input of Boost Converter (5v)and 2 Coming From Output of Boost Converter(12v)

Step 6: NOW THE HARD PART..... MOLEX CONNECTOR!! ♂

DON'T WORRY YOU CAN DO IT!!

(OPTIONAL) 

• Take a Molex Female Connector and Attach
• Positive 12 V to Pin 1 Positive 5v to Pin 4
• And Grounds to Pin 2 and 3 or Join the Two Ground Wires Together and Connect to Either 2 or 3 Pin
• Connect this to the Male Molex connector of the fan.

OR

• Just Solder the Wires to the Molex Connector of the Fan
• Positive 12 V to Pin 1 Positive 5v to Pin 4
• And Grounds to Pin 2 and 3 or Join the Two Ground Wires Together and Connect to Either 2 or 3 Pin

 Step 7: GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK!!! COZ YOU DESERVE IT!!

WE ARE ALL SET!!!

Give the USB Power and Verify, Also Test the Optional Switch Which Turns Off Only the RGB.

After Testing, Tidy Up All the Wires, Make the Circuit as Concise as Possible and Place the Circuit in a Small Box, and Glue It Shut.

  Step 8: END RESULT:

Now You Have a Standalone RGB Pc Fan Which Can Be Positioned However You Like According to Your Setup/laptop, Which Works on USB and Cools Your Laptop Tremendously and Saves Your Laptop From Thermal Bottleneck.

I HAVE NOTICED FEWER FPS DROPS IN GAMES BY USING JUST ONE FAN!!

 Step 9: PROJECT COST($$)

This Whole Project Cost me around RS 600(INR)

• RGB FAN(ANT ESPORTS) - RS 500
• BOOST CONVERTER - RS 100
• WIRES, USB CABLE- SALVAGED FROM OLD CABLES SO RS 0 

Connect with me @

• Linkedin
• Github
• Instructables
• Blog

ENJOY AND GOOD LUCK!!!