AIO Cooler PWR Connection

[George S]

I'm so grateful for the help I received earlier today with my MSI X570s/PSU question, that I was able to make good progress with my build. At least until this new headscratcher:

 

The motherboard is an MSI Mag X570s Tomahawk Max WiFi, and the cooler is a CoolerMaster ML120L AIO. I came across the following headscratcher installing the AIO: The radiator fan has two 4-pin cables (one for the LED, the other to drive the fan), and the cooler block has one 4-pin (LED) and one 3-pin (power).

 

According to the scant installation instructions, the LED connectors are different (they take couplers that link them to a 3-way splitter), so no problem there.

 

What I'm not sure of is which, power cable goes to SYS_FANx (where "x"  = 1-4), and which one to CPU_FAN. Both of these are keyed four-pin headers. I presume that the radiator one attaches to one of the four SYS_FAN connectors, and the block goes to CPU_FAN. But even if it doesn't matter power cable which goes to which header,  I still cannot connect the 3-pin block line because it won't fit onto one of the 4-pin headers!

 

Now... I'm putting the system into a Phanteks Enthoo PH-ES614PTG case, which has, what looks like a fan controller hub. All of the headers on this hub are 3-pin. However, I presume that the block's power line has no business connected there.

 

So... What gets hooked up where?

 

Thank you.

[Bombastinator]

TLDNR: CPU FAN (though it really doesn’t matter much) 
 

3 pin power is unusual in this day and age.  Especially for a pump.  Are you sure they’re not reversed?  A 3 pin 12v fan connector can be plugged into a 4 pin pwm connector by simply plugging in anyway leaving the 4th pin empty.  The 4th pin has a yellow wire and is pwm, a better way of controlling speed. 3 pin works though.  It’s just a lot more annoying to control speed because you actually have to vary voltage.  Without such control a 3 pin cable will just run at 100% all the time.  Not a bad thing for an AIO pump really.  The SYS FAN and CPU FAN or any header really, is exactly the same, they’re just run off different names in bios.  You can run a CPU fan (which is what the pump is) off a SYS FAN header if you want to, you just have to use the bit in bios labeled SYS FAN to control it.  There is usually more than one sys fan, as those are for case fans, but it varies from motherboard to motherboard.  Sometimes they have a different name.  If you want to plug a 4 pin fan into a 3 pin header you can do that too.  Just leave the pin with the yellow wire hanging off in empty space.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Bombastinator

[George S]

8 hours ago, Bombastinator said:

TLDNR: CPU FAN (though it really doesn’t matter much) 
 

3 pin power is unusual in this day and age.  Especially for a pump.  Are you sure they’re not reversed?  A 3 pin 12v fan connector can be plugged into a 4 pin pwm connector by simply plugging in anyway leaving the 4th pin empty.  The 4th pin has a yellow wire and is pwm, a better way of controlling speed. 3 pin works though.  It’s just a lot more annoying to control speed because you actually have to vary voltage.  Without such control a 3 pin cable will just run at 100% all the time.  Not a bad thing for an AIO pump really.  The SYS FAN and CPU FAN or any header really, is exactly the same, they’re just run off different names in bios.  You can run a CPU fan (which is what the pump is) off a SYS FAN header if you want to, you just have to use the bit in bios labeled SYS FAN to control it.  There is usually more than one sys fan, as those are for case fans, but it varies from motherboard to motherboard.  Sometimes they have a different name.  If you want to plug a 4 pin fan into a 3 pin header you can do that too.  Just leave the pin with the yellow wire hanging off in empty space.

Thank you. Knowing that the header IDs are irrelevant from a physical standpoint does not make a difference is great to know.

 

Regarding the pump cable, Unfortunately that'll be a little difficult to identify, as the AIO and it's cables are all black. I snapped some photos and appended them to this response for "extra eye" purposes.

 

The cables are not reversed, as the header-bound ones are keyed BERG connectors, whereas the LED ones are molded. They also have smaller pin sockets, and an orientation mark identical to the one on their "twins" on the splitter they connect to with the coupler.

 

I did re-check the docs for the AIO, and according to that, the pump power cable should be 4-pin; at least that's what the pin-out diagram says... SMH.

 

The four photos attached to this reply are:

* LED connector

* AIO power connector

* AIO Docs page for connections

* Motherboard headers

 

The last photo bodes a question: Is PUMP_FAN any different from the other fan headers?

 

Also: I believe I may have kinda answered my question on how to connect that pump connector after looking at the motherboard photo: Align with the keying tab on the header (which my old eyes missed on naked-eye inspection)... Correct?

 

Thank you.

 

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, George S said:

Thank you. Knowing that the header IDs are irrelevant from a physical standpoint does not make a difference is great to know.

 

Regarding the pump cable, Unfortunately that'll be a little difficult to identify, as the AIO and it's cables are all black. I snapped some photos and appended them to this response for "extra eye" purposes.

 

The cables are not reversed, as the header-bound ones are keyed BERG connectors, whereas the LED ones are molded. They also have smaller pin sockets, and an orientation mark identical to the one on their "twins" on the splitter they connect to with the coupler.

 

I did re-check the docs for the AIO, and according to that, the pump power cable should be 4-pin; at least that's what the pin-out diagram says... SMH.

 

The four photos attached to this reply are:

* LED connector

* AIO power connector

* AIO Docs page for connections

* Motherboard headers

 

The last photo bodes a question: Is PUMP_FAN any different from the other fan headers?

 

Also: I believe I may have kinda answered my question on how to connect that pump connector after looking at the motherboard photo: Align with the keying tab on the header (which my old eyes missed on naked-eye inspection)... Correct?

 

Thank you.

 

Yeah that does look like 3 pin molex and something else proprietary and weird 4 pin.  I don’t keep track of what each company does for their proprietary rgb cables.  Only thing I know to do with those is find a USB controller that fits them.   The 3 pin mini molex I recognize though. That clip should fit on 4 pin though and would leave one pin open which will be the correct one when the catch fits correctly.  Looking at that board there seems to be a mini molex connection that actually says “pump”.  It will be the same as the other mini molex except for the name but could be handy as it is labeled like that.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Bombastinator

[George S]

16 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Yeah that does look like 3 pin molex and something else proprietary and weird 4 pin.  I don’t keep track of what each company does for their proprietary rgb cables.  Only thing I know to do with those is find a USB controller that fits them.   The 3 pin mini molex I recognize though. That clip should fit on 4 pin though and would leave one pin open which will be the correct one when the catch fits correctly.  Looking at that board there seems to be a mini molex connection that actually says “pump”.  It will be the same as the other mini molex except for the name but could be handy as it is labeled like that.

So in theory, I can also connect the 3-pin to PUMP_FAN1 and call you it good. The keying I get: The key on the connector fits the matching key on the header; the resulting open pin is a given.

 

As for the LED (RGB) connector, yeah I get it. They go to a 3-way split cable, and the other end attaches to an LED controller/switch that enables different lighting behaviours. I guess that the extra two pins are for that signaling, as the switch gets power via a 2-pin connection. Overkill in my opinion. Thank goodness I'm not installing light strips!!!