Question System Fan vs Pump Fan

[Itz_TryFX]

Hi,

I have the MSI Pro B660M and I can only see 2 Sys Fan headers but I need more than 2 headers. Is it fine if I put the case fans through the Pump fan headers? What's the difference between the 2 anyways? If the motherboard does have more than 2 sys fan headers, where are the missing headers because I cannot see them mate.

 

[DRagor]

MSI Pro B660M

Which model exactly? there is a couple of them with similar name

 

[dwd999]

Hi,

I have the MSI Pro B660M and I can only see 2 Sys Fan headers but I need more than 2 headers. Is it fine if I put the case fans through the Pump fan headers? What's the difference between the 2 anyways? If the motherboard does have more than 2 sys fan headers, where are the missing headers because I cannot see them mate.

The difference is in how they are controlled. Fans can be controlled by either cpu temperatures or motherboard temperatures or B660 chipset temperatures or some combination of all of them. So it will depend on how your motherboard bios or the software provided by MSI for fans controls the headers in determining what they can be used for. If the Pump fan header can be controlled the same way as the Sys Fan headers then you could use it that way. With fan splitters you could control as many as 4 fans with the current Sys Fan headers and 2 more if the Pump fan header can be properly controlled.

 

[Itz_TryFX]

Which model exactly? there is a couple of them with similar name

https://www.cclonline.com/pro-b660m...hPqRTmI2zdZ2O10Rlw&PublisherName=PCPartPicker

 

[DRagor]

Ok, so in order:

Is it fine if I put the case fans through the Pump fan headers?

Yes

What's the difference between the 2 anyways?

Pump header defaults to PWM mode while Sys headers default to DC mode, but you should be able to change that in BIOS. Also Pump header has higher allowed amperage (so you can connect more fans to it using splitter).

If the motherboard does have more than 2 sys fan headers

Nope, just 2

 

[Paperdoc]

Here's another factor. Most headers labelled for PUMP use will always send the "pump" attached to it signals to run full speed, since most AIO systems want the pump at full speed always. However, MANY mobos include an option in the configuration of the PUMP header to set it to be used for a FAN instead, and that option DOES allow for speed control of the attached fan. Your mobo's manual does not mention this option so I can't tell you if it exists - you'll have to look in BIOS Setup for that header. So you need BOTH the option to set the header to FAN use, and the option to set it to use the MOTHERBOARD temperaure sensor, and not the CPU one.