Originally, each 3 or 4 pin connector that was used to connect a fan or a radiator to the motherboard of our PC had a specific function, each of which depended on the proper functioning of the system. Nowadays, on the other hand, everything is more automated, with advanced telemetry and control systems that allow a greater number of configurations and, therefore, a greater number of possibilities for each connector.
In addition, each card incorporates a series of connectors, which in many cases are common, but in others they may be specific to a model because they include more of them or duplicate others, so it is interesting to know them more closely:
Which fan connector should I use?
The first element to be cooled in a computer is its central processing unit, which performs the execution of all programs and coordinates the various components and peripherals in an organized manner. Today we have processors that can go beyond 100 W of consumption and generate high temperatures, that is why it is necessary when mounting a PC to know the ports to which to connect the heat sink or the radiator that cools the central processor.
The vast majority of plates already allow well-named configurations UPPER and LOWER, where we can define parameters depending on the temperature, in its ranges, and even how we want the board to control the fan or the pump, if for 3 pins or by PWM
CPU_FAN, connector for CPU fan
This fan connector was already present in early PCs, but has been updated over time to support PWM and range control. Its name indicates that this is the connector where we must connect the heatsink fan for the processor or, failing that, the heatsink fans if we have mounted an AIO system on our PC. The reason for this is none other than the processor temperature measurement systems.
It should be taken into account that when high clock speeds are reached, the heat generated by the CPU increases and therefore it is important that the system can turn on the fan of the AIO radiator or heat sink, in order to expel hot air out and keeping our CPU cooling system cool no matter what we are using.
CPU_OPT (OPTIONAL)
Some motherboards have an additional connector to that of the CPU FANHowever, it does not have the temperature regulating capability of the processor, as it share the tension due to the latter. This is a bit controversial in some motherboard models, because for both connectors, many BIOSes allow temperature regulation in the ranges, especially in the high ranges. So it is used to connect AIO fans or heaters that use two fans instead of one.
CHA_FAN or CPU_SYS
These are connectors that are used to connect the rest of the fans distributed throughout the case, and, therefore, they are used to connect the top, rear or front fans. At first they could only be regulated by voltage, but today they have evolved to the capabilities of CPU_FAN connectors, but without the temperature control system. Since we are going to be able to place several fans in our PC, we will find several of them on any motherboard.
H_AMP
To finish with the fan connectors, we have the H_AMP, which is designed to power high power fans, as it can triple the power of a normal connector. The problem it brought was that it didn’t get along with the standard PC bus, a device that was used to control the speed of the various fans on the PC.
Ports dedicated to water pumps
If you have a liquid cooling system, be aware that it requires a water pump to circulate the coolant in a closed circuit. Not all motherboards are designed to place cooling of this type, so you have to see if they are detailed in their technical specifications.
AIO_PUMP
As the name suggests, this is where you need to connect the AIO water pump. In case we use air cooling system, we can connect it to common fan. It doesn’t really differ much from fan connectors, however, with one crucial difference being that many motherboards include a system that lets you keep revs to a minimum to keep the pump from stalling and therefore the temperature from skyrocketing. Depending on the plate model we have, from BIOS We can adjust a curve or, instead, configure the voltage jumps by RPM.
W_PUMP
Most advanced and high-end motherboards usually have this connector, which can give more power to the water pump. However, care should be taken when using this connector as it can triple the power and energy supplied causing a reading error and we can burn out the fan while in use. The reason is that it is designed for high performance pumps for customized liquid cooling.
So if what you are looking for is to mount a computer with an extreme cooling system that goes beyond the capabilities that the conventional AIO heatsink allows, then this is the option you should choose, because its greater power will give you more power. will allow a more powerful water pump to be used and maintain high clock speeds for longer.
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