ACER PREDATOR G3-710 CASE FAN

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I just got done throwing this setup together for my wife with a bare bones 710 case I bought of eBay and thought I would add some additional details for future searchers...

The most ideal fans for the 710 are:

-92mm Four Pin Fans:

  -Noctua NF-A9 PWM         (22.8 dB/A)     12 volt  92x92x25mm    4-pin PWM

  -Noctua NF-A9-14 PWM    (19.9 dB/A)     12 volt  92x92x14mm    4-pin PWM

  -Noctua NF-A9 5V PWM    (22.8 dB/A)    05 volt  92x92x25mm    4-pin PWM

-92mm Three Pin Fans:

  -Noctua NF-A9 FLX            (17.1dB/A)     12 volt 92x92x25mm    3-pin

  -Noctua NF-A9 5V PWM    (22.8 dB/A)    05 volt  92x92x25mm   3-pin

-80mm Four Pin Fans:

  -Noctua NF-A8 PWM         (17.7 dB/A)     12 volt  80x80x25mm    4-pin PWM

  -Noctua NF-A8 5V PWM   (17.7 dB/A)     12 volt  80x80x14mm    4-pin PWM

-80mm Three Pin Fans:

  -Noctua NF-A8 FLX           (17.1dB/A)            12 volt 80x80x25mm    3-pin

  -Noctua NF-A8 ULN          (10.4dB/A)            12 volt 80x80x25mm    3-pin

  -Noctua NF-A8 5V PWM   (22.8 dB/A)           05 volt  80x80x25mm   3-pin

PWM- pulse width modulation (variable speed)

FLX- non-variable speed

ULN- ultra low noise (less cooling capacity from lower rpm’s)

dB/A: sound level (higher numbers are louder)

A Sonon 92x92x25mm, as mentioned, would also be a great choice as Sunon are also great fans and if you are OCD about fine details this would keep your 710 as close to factory as possible.

The 710 case can hold either a 92mm or an 80mm fan.  The motherboard fan pin-out will vary depending on the motherboard used.  Check and see if it your motherboard has either three-pins or four pins.  If you have a factory complete 710 you will more than likely have a 4-pin connector on the motherboard.

If you see numbers that are close like 91mm instead of 90mm it will fit.  Logically, fans would be measured diagonally (like a monitor) bolt hole to bolt hole (making a 90mm a 120mm) but they are not. They are measured on one of the square sides from fan end to fan end.  So in reality a 1mm difference is only .5mm on each side from the center out, kind of like how going from a 33” tire to a 35” tire only gives you 1” of lift.  So, .5mm is not a big enough difference even if the bolt holes reflect the extra 1mm as opposed to the fan just being 1mm larger with typical 90mm hole spacing.

If you have a four-pin connector using a four pin (PWM) fan is ideal, but a three pin fan can be substituted, if for example you have an extra one laying around or want to go the cheapest route possible.  The motherboard connector on a four pin will have 1/4 of the plastic edge not omitted so as to be able to fit a three-pin fan.  This is because the fan socket is designed to only allow fan connectors to fit one way so as not to hook it up wrong.

A 4-pin pin-out is: 12 or 5 volt pin, ground pin, RPM pin, and PWM pin- hence why the last pin is omitted with a 3 connector fan.  You will need to determine if you require a 5 volt or a 12 volt fan either by consulting the motherboards manual, or using a voltmeter on pin 1 (red) and pin 2 (black) with the motherboard powered up.  If you get real crafty, you can use ohms law to calculate amperage with the two different voltages and even get a 7 volt setup (midrange cooling and sound level) if you mix and match parts, but do this at your own risk after knowing your motherboards limits and doing a little more research.

The four-pin will vary speed depending on load via pulse width modulation signals from the motherboard.  A three-pin fan will either run at full rpm, or run at full rpm until the bios posts, and then slow down a little and maintain said slowed down rpm for the remainder of the time the motherboard is powered on. Keep in mind many three-pin fan from donor systems often have limiting circuitry (resistance) plugged in between.  These can also be added, or even a rheostat of some sort if you really want to be picky with a three pin.

The thickest fan that will safely fit without possible CPU fan obstruction, and again this depends on the motherboard, is a fan width a 25mm depth.  A deeper fan, if you stumble across one, may or may not fit depending on your configuration and modifying skills.

A 25mm fan will be quieter than a 14mm fan, although it will also be more expensive unless if you hunt around for a deal.  Generally, a 92mm fan will also be quieter (and more expensive) than an 80mm fan.  The smaller the fan and thicker the fan the more noise it makes.

Keep in mind that you can also rig the power if needed, like using a fan with a molex connector, or molex connector to SATA power adapter, or 3pin/4pin to molex/SATA connector- the sky is the limit when you get into adapters.  Many fans even come with a 4 pin and molex y-cable style connectors to be more universal, especially a lot of the generic Chinese fans.