Question about Z170 or recent-gen motherboard fan-headers

[BonzaiDuck]

I posted this in the "Motherboards" Forum, but it is a fan-and-pump related question. Maybe someone here will know more than someone there -- sooner.

What do I know, anyway?

 

[aigomorla]

pumps can pull anywhere from 1A-2A for a DDC class.

This is way too much for any fan header.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

pumps can pull anywhere from 1A-2A for a DDC class.

This is way too much for any fan header.

Usually, it was my experience that mobo fan headers should not draw more than a limit of 1A from a header -- although I'd seen boards for which the instructions referred to a cumulative or total amperage draw.

So if a header is marked "Pump," you would think it would supply enough current for a pump. But I guess the question is still whether or not you could put a fan on that header with nothing but normal and acceptable consequences.

 

[aigomorla]

if its a normal fan sure you can.
even if its an enterprise class fan which draw .52Amps, you could even do that.

However, a pump... i think is asking for it.
This is why most AIO's have a sata or 4pin plug adapter for it.

Koolance DDC's came in 3 pins but on the box it said this was not intended to be plugged into the motherboard, and must be used by a koolance pump controller or use the adapter that came with it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

if its a normal fan sure you can.
even if its an enterprise class fan which draw .52Amps, you could even do that.

However, a pump... i think is asking for it.
This is why most AIO's have a sata or 4pin plug adapter for it.

Koolance DDC's came in 3 pins but on the box it said this was not intended to be plugged into the motherboard, and must be used by a koolance pump controller or use the adapter that came with it.

I think some AiO's use either a hub or a controller, drawing power from an SATA plug to the PSU. But that was just a second-hand impression, something I gleaned from reading.

But other than providing the PWM signal to such a hub, why would they label the port "Pump?" There's nothing in the mobo guide that says more than that you could connect a pump to the port . . .

 

[mooncancook]

I never have a mobo with a "pump" header, but if I have it I would plug my pump into it, but don't know what the difference is.

I just installed a Corsair AiO in my Z170 mobo. I followed the instruction and plug the 3-pin pump header into a fan header (CPU Fan 1 to be exact). It splits to connect two radiator fans. So the single fan header is powering a pump plus 2 fans. It is working fine right now, but I haven't done anything heavy yet as I'm still installing drivers ATM. I'm thinking about plugging the pump header to molex with adapter and the fans to the mobo, or at least one fan to CPU Fan 2 to reduce the load on that single header though.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I never have a mobo with a "pump" header, but if I have it I would plug my pump into it, but don't know what the difference is.

I just installed a Corsair AiO in my Z170 mobo. I followed the instruction and plug the 3-pin pump header into a fan header (CPU Fan 1 to be exact). It splits to connect two radiator fans. So the single fan header is powering a pump plus 2 fans. It is working fine right now, but I haven't done anything heavy yet as I'm still installing drivers ATM. I'm thinking about plugging the pump header to molex with adapter and the fans to the mobo, or at least one fan to CPU Fan 2 to reduce the load on that single header though.

I'm inclined to ask you as to which Corsair AiO you're using, since you mention that the AiO is voltage-controlled for 3-pin devices. The latest and greatest is the H115i, and I'll need to go back and look at the spec sheet again. But the EKWB Predator uses a PWM hub with an SATA power connection to the UPS. Or I'm pretty sure of that, while I'll probably check it again.

I once had an ASUS motherboard for which the instruction guide noted either an amperage limit per port, or a cumulative total for all ports as a spec. This was from the era when 4-pin PWM fans and ports were not all that prevalent. So one might conclude that you could draw up to 4A from a single port on a board with four ports. Somehow I decided not to test that conclusion, although I sought another opinion suggesting the cumulative total draw was the relevant concern.

Either built-in PWM or the use of a PSU-powered hub is desirable for reducing the draw on the motherboard. The Swiftech hub or splitter is touted with the idea that you can run a pump and fans from the same hub device, all controlled from a single CPU fan port.

But since there are AiO's which are designed to incorporate that function, it's a useful factor in your decisions about coolers.

 

[mooncancook]

Mine is the 110i V2, which is smaller at 240mm. Looking at pics of the 115i, it looks like it has a sata power cable coming out of the pump, so I guess it's a larger unit that draws more power.

I wonder if the 110i can draw too much power from a single fan header under load that might cause system instability too. It's probably better to draw power directly from the PSU I guess.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Mine is the 110i V2, which is smaller at 240mm. Looking at pics of the 115i, it looks like it has a sata power cable coming out of the pump, so I guess it's a larger unit that draws more power.

I wonder if the 110i can draw too much power from a single fan header under load that might cause system instability too. It's probably better to draw power directly from the PSU I guess.

In all cases, without exception. But you need a connection to the motherboard to control any fan speed or pump speed, either for varying voltage, changing the PWM signal, or varying voltage with an aftermarket fan controller with maybe a USB connection.

You can only vary voltage by providing it from the motherboard without adding a separate controller in the equation. LIKE I said, I'm inclined to limit amperage draw from the mobo to 1.0A at a given port, but there had in the past been indications that the upper limit was also cumulative, so you could run 12v in excess of 1A on a port if your total mobo fan-port amperage was less than some spec amount. And frankly, if the H110i isn't PWM-enabled, they'd otherwise warn you what not to do if it's typically designed to run from mobo ports.