Power source
Type of power connector for the cooling system. Power is usually output through the motherboard, for this the following connectors are most often used:
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3-pin. Three-pin connector; Today it is considered obsolete, but it is still widely used.
—
4-pin. Plug with 4 pins. Its main advantage is the ability to automatically adjust the rotation speed via PWM (for more details, see "Speed controller").
These two standards are mutually compatible: a 3-pin fan can be connected to a 4-pin connector on the motherboard, and vice versa (unless PWM is available in both cases).
Much less common are options such as 2-pin, installed in some inexpensive fans;
6-pin, used in cooling systems with RGB backlighting, which requires a rather powerful additional power supply; 7-pin and 8-pin, similar in their specifics to a 6-pin connector; as well as power supply via a standard
MOLEX plug provided in separate case fans.
Pump size
The dimensions of the pump that the water cooling system is equipped with.
Most often, this parameter is indicated for all three dimensions: length, width and thickness (height). These dimensions determine two points: the space required to install the pump, and the diameter of its working part. With the first, everything is quite obvious; we only note that in some systems the pump simultaneously plays the role of a water block and is installed directly on the cooled component of the system, and it is there that there should be enough space. The diameter approximately corresponds to the length and width of the pump (or the smaller of these dimensions if they are not the same — for example, 55 mm in the model 60x55x43 mm). Some operating features depend on this parameter. So, the large diameter of the pump allows you to achieve the required performance at a relatively low rotation speed; the latter, in turn, reduces the noise level and increases the overall reliability of the structure. On the other hand, a large pump costs more and takes up more space.
LED power supply
The type of power connector for the backlight system. The following interfaces are most often used for these purposes:
— 3-pin (5V). Three-pin connector with a working voltage of 5 V. It is supposed to supply power to the corresponding decorative lighting systems.
— 4-pin (12V). The four-pin connector can supply 12-volt power to operate the backlight.
— iCUE LINK. A proprietary connector from Corsair that allows you to synchronize the backlight and control the cooling system fans. For flexible adjustment of backlight effects and fan speed, use the proprietary Corsair iCUE software.
