How the heck do I turn down the included fans? I ordered the chassis only. It seems like they are connected to 45Drives their pcb next to the PSU which means they always spin at full power?
Can I wire these to the motherboard?
Hello Fossil,
The fan configuration that comes in the HL15 does not support any sort of RPM control in it’s default config. This was something that I brought in a recent post I make talking about my first impressions on the HL15.
If you look here, you can see that the fan connectors are all wired directly into the custom 20-pin connector that powers the drive backplane. You CAN unplug all the 2-pin adapters from the fan 3-pin holder and use the headers on the motherboard. However, I don’t think I have ran into too many motherboards that have 6 3/4-pin fan connectors. I suppose we could just use a few splitters. Or maybe something like this would be ideal to use.
I strongly dislike the fact that the 2-pin fan adapter does not unplug from the power PCB breakout. I do plan on adding my own fan hub to have some control over the fans as I also purchased the Chassis as a bare-bones system. Keep in mind that if you plan on doing this you will want to strongly consider running an actively cooled CPU cooler.
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I got 4 chassis fan headers so I could use splitters I guess. And yes, for a device thats meant for being inside a home this thing makes way too much noise.
Thanks, I will do some digging in the case. Looks like I unscrew 4 screws from the outside of the case that are holding the drive cage in place to get to the front row of fans?
I guess I will need to replace the 6 fans with PWM ones.
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You can do PWM fans if you want. I have put some work in finding some good potential replacements. I made an entire spreadsheet for this that I posted here. Just let me know if there is a fan you would like me to add so you can compare specs!
I am looking at the Noctua NF-S12A PWM or the NF-S12B PWM Redux (half the price of the 12A)
I have added the 2 fans you mentioned to my spreadsheet if you would like to compare them to some of the other Noctua fans that are out there.
I think that the Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM may be a better bang for you buck after looking at the specs on a graph. It’s also in the price range you are looking at.
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Will have a look, main focus is it being as quiet as possible. While still flowing enough air of course but it’s not like this machine will be running at 100% 24/7 
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Yep, and that’s why maybe getting some higher CFM fans that are slightly louder at 100% might not be a terrible idea as they aren’t going to be spun up to max speed all the time. (Of course with a 3rd party controller)
To be totally fair, this was documented and discussed quite a bit here, that the fans are not PWM and indeed single speed. Homelab means many different things to many different people. I have enterprise switches in my half rack downstairs, but not everyone has an environment that allows noise to be less of a concern, though it’s not uncommon.
Switching to PWM is entirely an option. However, it’s best to keep the CFM and static pressure as close to the stock fans as possible else risk overheating drives or other components. This is ESPECIALLY crucial if you’re using the full build’s motherboard with a passive CPU cooler.
My HL15 took off at 6:04pm on runway 17, the Tower says the last they saw it on there Radar was over the Atlantic…
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As it was the last point I had made in my initial reply.
As long as you have an active cooler on the CPU any fans will be fine as long as they are not super cheap, garbage fans. But also keep in mind that you’ll want decent airflow over all the drives. it’s worth getting something decent.
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These fans are a bit loud. My AV rack has 5 ac infinity 2U fans, is not even close as to my rack, they keep my amps and equipment cool
Gonna swap the fans out for Noctuas I have, so I compare…
Someone from 45Drives said in another thread that static pressure didn’t matter much. Also mine won’t be filled with 15 drives just yet plus the CPU has its own fan. I just need some airflow through the case.
I’ll be ordering some Notcua Redux’es and will report back once they’re in.
The fan noise might be discussed earlier but not at time of purchase. A fan controller is a must IMHO for anything that runs in the home.
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I’m curious actually….
I wonder how much of the fan noise is due to them being right up against the metal chassis in the front, where our PC cases usually have some room between them and a grate/filter.
I’d bet there’s actually a few factors that make them seem louder other than that.
- All metal chassis, creating an echo chamber
- Turbulence from the HDD’s
But, I am really curious how the Noctuas work out for you. Please do post back here, as I may purchase anotherHL15, but bare chassis and attempt a gaming PC build in it. My rack is one floor below my living room and I’d like to attempt to have a rig for the living room TV without having a PC physically there (my dogs are nuts!).
Yup, totally skipped right past that…
May have been attributed to me hacking away at dnf trying to fix some packages/dependencies that broke on me.
Separate note; I’m going to shoot you a PM later today with a couple questions on a semi-unrelated (but still homelab) matter if you wouldn’t mind!
All good! 
Of course! I’ll keep my eyes open!
Jeez. There must be cheaper cases for sale if you’re just doing a gaming build in a rackmount chassis
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Not in the same formfactor, backplane setup (I LOATHE CADDIES!!!), and allowing self repair.
I had a couple Rosewill cases, they’ve all been given to my brother for scrap. I’d rather the $800 to a North American company than $300ish to some plan in China. I get a case, someone gets a job, the world keeps turning. Plus, there has been quite a bit of buzz around an HL8 and smaller.
I try and buy as much as I can from smaller companies and projects I love than whatever is on special on Amazon, Newegg, etc.
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I’ve swapped out all my fans for noctuas. (3 redux 1700s, 1 redux 1200, 2 nf-f12s)
also ended up putting fan filters on the front 3.
the front 3 are still tied into the 3 pin power that’s routed to the front, since i didn’t feel like trying to snake the pwm to the board.
The back 3 are PWM controlled. This is with the stock passive heatsink on the full build, but I don’t think its going to be a problem. my storage so far is only half full, with most of the drives to the sides of the case. And the total wattage is about 200-250W with the drives.
The sound is MUCH quieter, but its still noticeable. It doesn’t help to be in a rack with 3 other servers that were already “mostly quiet”. I think I’m just raising the noise floor.
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I bought this case and have my VR PC mounted in it. It’s also a Rosewill case and it feels as cheap as it is. However for that application, it gets the job done.
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