I have a few qustions regarding the msi B450 - A Pro Max motherboard.

1.) Does the JRGB1 header work for fans with ARGB?
I hear it does if it's a 3 pin header. And 4 pin won't work?

Can't quite tell from the image which it is. It looks like 3 + 1 pins.

2.) There are 4 SYS_FAN headers.
If I want to plug in 6 fans, I think I'll need to get something called a 'fan splitter'?

I hear each header can only handle a certain amount of volts and amps though.
But I'm only going to plug in 2, maybe 3 fans at most into one SYS_FAN header.

Is that too much, and should I get multiple fan splitters instead, and put them into different headers?

I have an MSI B550 tomahawk max wifi motherboard and had a similar issue when I bought some fans.

Originally bought some fans that required the ARGB connector which I thought I had looking at the motherboard. It was a 4 pin JRGB but the plug would just not go in. Maybe it isn't supported? I think you have to check what voltage it is as well (I might be wrong).

So I ended up returning it and bought some fans that I had to connect to the psu that work great.

According to the manual (page 37), that JRGB1 connector is for up to 2 meter RGB led strips, not fans. That may be why TheLegendaryBigBoss had problems with it.

Fan headers can usually deliver up to 12V, and you can definitely use two or sometimes even three fans from one thanks to a fan spliter, but your mileage may vary. It's worth noting, tho, that you can't use RGB fans with those splitters as they use more power, obviously.

To solve both of your problems, you could try to find a fan controller hub that has enough room for all your fans. Some of them are manual, meaning that you need to open the case to change the light or the fan speed, but others connect to a spare USB header and allow you to control the fans from Windows. Many brands have their own HUBs, but some of them are locked to their own fans, creating a closed echosystem.

I wouldn't buy any brand with  a closed echosystem because I don't want any fan noise echoing😊

Well played, sir.

So I currently am using a fan controller hub (which lets me control the fans and rpb with a remote controller), and wanted to move away from that. At least from the one I am using.

Because the fans I have that came with it cannot plug in to the motherboard, as they have different connectors than usual. And I'm about to get a new CPU cooler, which has a normal connector.

That and because the hub seems to be malfunctioning. Whenever I boot up my PC for the first time in a day, the case fans will get extremely loud, until I shut off my PC. Wait 10 seconds or so, and boot it up again. Then they function normally.

Not sure if there's a way to fix that. Someone suggested I reset the CMOS battery, but I want to look up exactly what happens if I do that.

I'm not tech savvy enough to tell you if removing the battery will fix the problem you have with your current controller. I know that it basically resets your motherboard, meaning that any change you've made, like enabling XMP or even overclocking, will be reset to default and you'll have to do it again.

I wouldn't connect your CPU cooler to an external fan controller of any kind. It's always better to connect the fans to the designed CPU fan header as it can react faster to the cooling needs of your processor.

If you're not interested in fan controllers, then a fan splitter is your best choice. Just check the specs to see if they'll work fine. A regular motherboard fan header delivers 12V and usually (but not always! You'll have to find it online or ask MSI) 1A. Fans use a lot less than 1A to work, but you'll need to check their specs to see how much amperage they need or how much power they use and then do the math to see how many you'll be able to connect fromn one header. It's worth noting that there are some powered splitters that get power from your power supply through a Molex or SATA power connector and can take care of more fans at the same time, like this AKASA one. Just try to not mix different fans in the same splitter, because they'll have different specs and it may cause you some troubles.

If you're on Windows 11, you may be able to control the RGB of the fans thanks to Windows Dynamic Lighting, but I don't know how well it works.

Yeah, my CPU fan is in the motherboard. It's just the case fans that are in the controller.

Right now I'm leaning towards this, if possible:

I'll get 2 fan splitters (just in case, so I don't put too many fans on one fan header)

+

1 control hub that's solely for powering the RGB. No fan cables plugged into them. Just the rgb cables.
And I'd like the hub to connect to the motherboard, so that I can potentially control the RGB through software.

Do you know if it's possible to have the hub solely for RGB while the fan connectors are plugged into the motherboard?
And if the hub can be connected to the board? The current one I have is not, but instead connected directly to the PSU I believe.

If I'm honest, I'm not a fan of all the RGB craze, I try to avoid them as much as possible. And so I don't know much about the matter.

A quick search led me to this page: https://pcsavage.com/best-arb-and-rgb-fan-controllers-of-2023/

The Deepcool one could fill your needs. Connect the 3-pin cables to it for the RGB and the 4-pin ones, with the necessary splitters, to the motherboard for the speed.

Yeah I tend to shut off RGB at all times. (My mouse has it too, and it's always off)
But the fans I'm getting come with them, so I'd rather have the cables plugged into something, than hanging around in the case.

Though I think I'll go for a look that incporporates RGB later on when put some more effort into the overall look.
This one for example looks really nice to me.

I'll check that link out. Thanks.