Where do you plug in AIO fans/Pump?

Soldato
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This is a curiosity question more than anything. Considering potentially using an AIO for my next build - but i've always wondered where the pump+2(or 3) fans get plugged into?

My current is aircooled and just plugged into cpu_fan1 on my B450 max motherboard.

I'm guessing you have a connection for each fan (so 1,2 or 3 fans/connections) and 1 pump connection? Anything plug into the PSU or is it all on the motherboard?
 
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There is a lot of variation.

I've got a Corsair H150i and that doesn't plug into any fan headers at all - it uses a SATA connection for power, then a connector onto an internal USB header to monitor/control the pump and fan speeds, plus the temperature of the coolant.

Others will have one connector intended to go on a dedicated pump header (if your motherboard has one, or CPU fan header if not), plus another for the fan or fans. They typically come with fan splitter cables, it's unusual to see any that need one header for the pump, and another for each individual fan.
 
Just be careful with fan splitters if you go for any more than 2 on a single header. Check the current rating of the header and make sure the fans aren't going to exceed it!
 
If you buy an Arctic Freezer II AIO, non bling version, you don't have that as an issue. Just a single cable running within the braiding of one of the tubes then connects to the CPU fan header and that is it. My 420mm AIO is controlled that way, the pump, VRM fan and three 140mm fans all work from that single connection.
 
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This is a curiosity question more than anything. Considering potentially using an AIO for my next build - but i've always wondered where the pump+2(or 3) fans get plugged into?

My current is aircooled and just plugged into cpu_fan1 on my B450 max motherboard.

I'm guessing you have a connection for each fan (so 1,2 or 3 fans/connections) and 1 pump connection? Anything plug into the PSU or is it all on the motherboard?

For my AIO the pump goes into the PUMP header on the board (B550). Then the 3 fans on the rad come with a daisy chain, and I have those connected together going to the CPU fan header on the board. My case fans (of which I have 3) each go to the separate FAN1, FAN2 and FAN3 chassis headers.

Hope that helps.
 
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