{"id":10985,"date":"2021-01-18T12:26:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T11:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=10985"},"modified":"2022-12-12T11:12:52","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T10:12:52","slug":"cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/","title":{"rendered":"CPU FAN vs. CPU OPT (When to use which)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668450e16b0f8\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668450e16b0f8\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-668450e16b0f8\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#What_is_CPU_FAN_CPU_FAN\" title=\"What is CPU FAN (CPU_FAN)?\">What is CPU FAN (CPU_FAN)?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#What_is_CPU_OPT_CPU_OPT\" title=\"What is CPU OPT (CPU_OPT)?\">What is CPU OPT (CPU_OPT)?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#SYS_FANS_CHA_FANS_etc\" title=\"SYS_FANS, CHA_FANS, etc\">SYS_FANS, CHA_FANS, etc<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#In_Summary\" title=\"In Summary\">In Summary<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#Can_I_plug_a_fan_hub_into_CPU_OPT_or_CPU_FAN\" title=\"Can I plug a fan hub into CPU_OPT or CPU_FAN?\">Can I plug a fan hub into CPU_OPT or CPU_FAN?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#Where_do_you_plug_in_PWM_fans\" title=\"Where do you plug in PWM fans?\">Where do you plug in PWM fans?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#Can_you_plug_a_4-pin_fan_into_a_3-pin_And_vice_versa\" title=\"Can you plug a 4-pin fan into a 3-pin? And vice versa?\">Can you plug a 4-pin fan into a 3-pin? And vice versa?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#What_is_the_difference_between_DC_and_PWM_fans_and_which_is_better\" title=\"What is the difference between DC and PWM fans, and which is better?\">What is the difference between DC and PWM fans, and which is better?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-vs-cpu-opt\/#Over_to_you\" title=\"Over to you\">Over to you<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wondering what the difference between all those fan headers on your motherboard is? Wonder no longer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Imagine this:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>You're <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/how-to-build-a-pc\/\">building your PC<\/a>, You have your CPU, cooler, and motherboard in your PC-Case.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>All you need to do now is plug that little connector from your CPU Cooler into the Motherboard. You take the wire and go to plug it in.<\/p>\n<p><em>And then you see this:<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_15401\" style=\"width: 619px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15401\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15401\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1.jpg\" alt=\"Motherboard CPU OPT and CPU FAN Headers\" width=\"619\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1.jpg 619w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15401\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15401 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20619%20411%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Motherboard CPU OPT and CPU FAN Headers\" width=\"619\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20619%20411%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 619w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1.jpg 619w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Motherboard-CPU-OPT-and-CPU-FAN-Headers-1.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-15401\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Motherboard CPU_OPT and CPU_FAN Headers<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Which one do you choose? CPU_FAN or CPU_OPT?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_CPU_FAN_CPU_FAN\"><\/span>What is CPU FAN (CPU_FAN)?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>CPU_FAN, standing for &#8220;CPU Fan&#8221;, is the <strong>main <\/strong>header used by the motherboard, the BIOS, or any fan-software (SpeedFan, HWMonitor, NZXT CAM, etc), <strong>to influence the CPU's thermals<\/strong> <strong>by <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/cpu-fan-rpm-guide\/\">controlling the fan speed<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You must make <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">sure<\/span><\/strong> to plug your CPU cooler fan into this header, as most motherboards worth their name would not allow you to boot your system otherwise.<\/p>\n<p>Also, if the system is already running somehow, a misread of this CPU FAN header will safely shut your system down if it detects that the CPU has no cooler or that the fans are defective and\/or not spinning (when they are supposed to).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_CPU_OPT_CPU_OPT\"><\/span>What is CPU OPT (CPU_OPT)?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>CPU_OPT, standing for &#8220;CPU Optional&#8221;, is mainly used when you have more than one fan on your cooler\/radiator, and you need someplace to plug it in.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially it's CPU_FAN without the &#8220;not booting if nothing is connected to it&#8221; part.<\/p>\n<p>Most AIO\/liquid cooling solutions can also use it as a power source for water-cooling pumps and other things that might require power but is not important or power-hungry enough to reroute power directly from the power supply.<\/p>\n<p>Properly connecting AIOs (All-in-one liquid CPU coolers) deserves an article in itself, though, as this process does differ quite a bit from connecting your Air Cooler. <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/connect-aio-pump\/\">Here's how<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"dem-poll-shortcode\">\n<!--democracy-->\n<style 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.dem__spot:after,.dem__radio_label:hover .dem__spot:after{opacity:1 !important}.dem__checkbox:checked+.dem__spot:after,.dem__radio:checked+.dem__spot:after{opacity:1;background-color:#7f11e0;border:dashed 3px #7f11e0}.dem__radio_label .dem__spot:after{background:#fff;box-shadow:none !important}.dem-poll-info{float:left}.dem-poll-info>*{float:left !important;font-size:14px !important;text-transform:uppercase !important;font-weight:800 !important;opacity:1}.dem-poll-shortcode{font-family:'Open Sans',Arial,sans-serif !important}.dem-graph{background-color:#ddd;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);font-size:16px}.democracy ul.dem-answers li{padding-bottom:10px}.dem-fill{border-radius:5px}.dem-votes-txt,.dem-percent-txt{padding:3px 0 3px 10px}.dem-total-votes{color:#7f11e0}<\/style>\n<div id=\"democracy-13\" class=\"democracy\" data-opts=\"{&quot;ajax_url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/g100.us\\\/wp-admin\\\/admin-ajax.php&quot;,&quot;pid&quot;:13,&quot;max_answs&quot;:0,&quot;answs_max_height&quot;:&quot;300&quot;,&quot;anim_speed&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;line_anim_speed&quot;:750}\"><strong class=\"dem-poll-title\">Are you using an Air or Liquid CPU Cooler?<\/strong><div class=\"dem-screen vote\"><form method=\"POST\" action=\"#democracy-13\"><ul class=\"dem-vote\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li data-aid=\"74\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label class=\"dem__radio_label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"74\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> AIO (All-In-One) Liquid\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li data-aid=\"73\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label class=\"dem__radio_label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"73\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> Air\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<li data-aid=\"75\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label class=\"dem__radio_label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"75\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> Custom Liquid\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li><\/ul><div class=\"dem-bottom\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"dem_act\" value=\"vote\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"dem_pid\" value=\"13\"><div class=\"dem-vote-button\"><input class=\"dem-button \" type=\"submit\" value=\"Vote\" data-dem-act=\"vote\"><\/div><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" class=\"dem-link dem-results-link\" data-dem-act=\"view\" rel=\"nofollow\">View Results<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/div><noscript>Poll Options are limited because JavaScript is disabled in your browser.<\/noscript><\/div><!--democracy-->\n\t\t\t<!--noindex-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"dem-cache-screens\" style=\"display:none;\" data-opt_logs=\"1\"><div class=\"dem-screen-cache voted\"><ul class=\"dem-answers\" data-voted-class=\"dem-voted-this\" data-voted-txt=\"This is Your vote.\"><li class=\"dem-winner\" title=\" 2913 votes - 65% of all votes\" data-aid=\"74\"><div class=\"dem-label\">AIO (All-In-One) Liquid <span class=\"dem-label-percent-txt\">65%, 2913 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"dem-graph\"><div class=\"dem-fill\" data-width=\"65%\"><\/div><div class=\"dem-votes-txt\"> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-votes\">2913 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-percent\">65%<\/span> <\/div><div class=\"dem-percent-txt\">2913 votes - 65% of all votes<\/div><\/div><\/li><li class title=\" 1419 votes - 32% of all votes\" data-aid=\"73\"><div class=\"dem-label\">Air <span class=\"dem-label-percent-txt\">32%, 1419 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"dem-graph\"><div class=\"dem-fill\" data-width=\"32%\"><\/div><div class=\"dem-votes-txt\"> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-votes\">1419 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-percent\">32%<\/span> <\/div><div class=\"dem-percent-txt\">1419 votes - 32% of all votes<\/div><\/div><\/li><li class title=\" 120 votes - 3% of all votes\" data-aid=\"75\"><div class=\"dem-label\">Custom Liquid <span class=\"dem-label-percent-txt\">3%, 120 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"dem-graph\"><div class=\"dem-fill\" data-width=\"3%\"><\/div><div class=\"dem-votes-txt\"> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-votes\">120 <span class=\"votxt\">votes<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"dem-votes-txt-percent\">3%<\/span> <\/div><div class=\"dem-percent-txt\">120 votes - 3% of all votes<\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"dem-bottom\"><div class=\"dem-poll-info\"><div class=\"dem-total-votes\">Total Votes: 4452<\/div> <div class=\"dem-date\" title=\"Begin\"> <span class=\"dem-begin-date\">12. Dec, 2022<\/span> <\/div><\/div> <div class=\"dem-notice dem-youarevote\" style=\"display:none;\"> <div class=\"dem-notice-close\" onclick=\"jQuery(this).parent().fadeOut();\">&times;<\/div> You or your IP have already voted. Thanks! \ud83d\ude42 <\/div><button type=\"button\" class=\"dem-button dem-vote-link \" data-dem-act=\"vote_screen\">Vote<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"dem-screen-cache vote\"><form method=\"POST\" action=\"#democracy-13\"><ul class=\"dem-vote\"> <li data-aid=\"74\"> <label class=\"dem__radio_label\"> <input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"74\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> AIO (All-In-One) Liquid <\/label> <\/li> <li data-aid=\"73\"> <label class=\"dem__radio_label\"> <input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"73\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> Air <\/label> <\/li> <li data-aid=\"75\"> <label class=\"dem__radio_label\"> <input class=\"dem__radio\" type=\"radio\" value=\"75\" name=\"answer_ids[]\"><span class=\"dem__spot\"><\/span> Custom Liquid <\/label> <\/li><\/ul><div class=\"dem-bottom\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"dem_act\" value=\"vote\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"dem_pid\" value=\"13\"> <div class=\"dem-notice dem-youarevote\" style=\"display:none;\"> <div class=\"dem-notice-close\" onclick=\"jQuery(this).parent().fadeOut();\">&times;<\/div> You or your IP have already voted. Thanks! \ud83d\ude42 <\/div><div style=\"display:none;\" class=\"dem-voted-button\"><input class=\"dem-button \" type=\"submit\" value=\"Already voted\" disabled=\"disabled\"><\/div><div class=\"dem-vote-button\"><input class=\"dem-button \" type=\"submit\" value=\"Vote\" data-dem-act=\"vote\"><\/div><a href=\"javascript:void(0);\" class=\"dem-link dem-results-link\" data-dem-act=\"view\" rel=\"nofollow\">View Results<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<!--\/noindex--><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SYS_FANS_CHA_FANS_etc\"><\/span>SYS_FANS, CHA_FANS, etc<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_15402\" style=\"width: 1292px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15402\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15402\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard.jpg\" alt=\"System Fan Header on Motherboard\" width=\"1292\" height=\"912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard.jpg 1292w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-1024x723.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-768x542.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1292px) 100vw, 1292px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15402\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15402 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201292%20912%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"System Fan Header on Motherboard\" width=\"1292\" height=\"912\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201292%20912%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1292w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1292px) 100vw, 1292px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard.jpg 1292w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-1024x723.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard-768x542.jpg 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/System-Fan-Header-on-Motherboard.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-15402\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">System Fan Header on Motherboard<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And while we're at it, we might as well address these as well:<\/p>\n<p>I'm sure you've already figured it out from the name. These are the headers you connect your case fans to and are meant for differentiating fan control.<\/p>\n<p>They're like CPU_OPT but not necessarily connected to the thermals of the CPU. So you're free to tinker with them and increase or decrease them according to your GPU thermals, CPU thermals, Case thermals, or whatever you wish.<\/p>\n<p>And there are a wide variety of such headers on modern motherboards\u2014mostly focused on helping water cooling. Let's rejoice that the days of plugging in 20 different things to one or two headers are thankfully over.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_Summary\"><\/span>In Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to connect fans from your CPU cooler or radiator, use the CPU_FAN header (With a splitter\/hub if you have a lot of fans).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you only have a two-fan cooler, for example, you can just use CPU_FAN for one fan and CPU_OPT for the other. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a radiator with a large number of fans or just a large number of fans in general, you can look into getting a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fan splitter<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fan hub<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to accommodate them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, you can use something like that to plug all three fans (or six if you have fans on both sides) of a 360mm radiator to the CPU_FAN header.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or you can just get a Y splitter (two female connectors, one male) and plug one of the fans into CPU_FAN and the other two into the splitter, and then that into CPU_OPT.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can do the same thing with your case fans as well. Case fan into hub\/splitter, hub\/splitter into case fan header.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13025\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub.jpg\" alt=\"Use cases for a fan hub\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13025 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Use cases for a fan hub\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/01\/Use-cases-for-a-fan-hub.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_plug_a_fan_hub_into_CPU_OPT_or_CPU_FAN\"><\/span>Can I plug a fan hub into CPU_OPT or CPU_FAN?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. But I'd recommend you use CPU_OPT or a <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/pwm-dc-system-fans\/\">case fan header<\/a> and keep CPU_FAN just for the CPU.<\/p>\n<p>And make sure that you're not powering a lot of fans from one header. Headers can run hot when there's a lot of power going through them.<\/p>\n<p>Get one that takes in external <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/power-supply-guide\/\">power from the power supply<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_do_you_plug_in_PWM_fans\"><\/span>Where do you plug in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pulse-width_modulation\" target=\"_blank\">PWM<\/a> fans?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you want to use any of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomshardware.com\/reviews\/glossary-pwm-pulse-width-modulation-definition,5888.html\" target=\"_blank\">PWM functionality<\/a>, you need to plug the 4-pin PWM connector into another 4-pin header or else you will lose that functionality.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13652\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control.jpg\" alt=\"Automatic PWM Fan Control\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13652 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Automatic PWM Fan Control\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2021\/09\/Automatic-PWM-Fan-Control.jpg\"><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_plug_a_4-pin_fan_into_a_3-pin_And_vice_versa\"><\/span>Can you plug a 4-pin fan into a 3-pin? And vice versa?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. 4-pin fans can also be connected to your motherboard's 3-pin fan headers just fine. But you have to keep in mind that when connected to a <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/connect-aio-pump\/\">3-pin fan header<\/a>, the fan will run at full speed unless your motherboard has voltage-based speed control.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_difference_between_DC_and_PWM_fans_and_which_is_better\"><\/span><strong>What is the difference between DC and PWM fans, and which is better?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It depends. DC is old and has been used since the times of the dinosaurs. It has a 3-pin connector and it works well, but if you want more control over how fast your fan spins, you want PWM.<\/p>\n<p>PWM allows you to have finer control over your speeds and allows you to reliably go to lower speeds.<\/p>\n<p>Mostly any fan worth its weight in salt comes with a 4-pin PWM connector these days.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_you\"><\/span>Over to you<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>That's about it from us! Need help with assembling your PC? Let us know in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> or our <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">Forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wondering what the difference between all those fan headers on your motherboard is? Wonder no longer. Imagine this: You're building your PC, You have your CPU, cooler, and motherboard in your PC-Case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2343,"featured_media":12128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[74],"tags":[273,175,119],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2343"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10985"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21062,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10985\/revisions\/21062"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}