VII Hero: What exactly does CPU_OPT do?

[Flopzeer]

Dear fellow ROG-fans,

Since I cannot find an answer to this question anywhere, I thought I'd ask it here: What does CPU_OPT do? Is it linked to the CPU_FAN header, or is it possible to send a different PWM signal through both headers? I am asking this question because I want to mount the NZXT Kraken X61 pump (3 pins) to the CPU_FAN header and the two fans (4 pins) on the radiator via a y-splitter to the CPU_OPT header. However, the pump must run at 12V and I don't really want to let the fans run at 12V constantly, so it'd be nice if they were not linked.

I hope someone knows the answer to this 🙂

[mmckeever01]

I use the CPU_OPT to run the 2nd fan on my heat-sink.

[Limabean]

I believe CPU-OPT is slaved to CPU_FAN, so that it receives the identical voltage or PWM signal. The voltage cannot be set separately.

[Stinoo]

Just plug the pump to the CPU_OPT or _FAN and go to your bios; you can manually set the CPU_HEADER to full speed (100%).
I would use that Y-splitter to connect the two radiator fans to a normal CHASSIS_FANHEADER.

Now in the NZXT CAM software you can easily adjust the fan RPM and make some nifty profile that fits your need.
The CAM software will see your fans regardless of which fanheader you connected it to on the motherboard, as the 2 fans are also connected to your NZXT X61.
The 'Silent mode' in the CAM software is really nice; low RPM = low noise, but still decent cooling.

[Flopzeer]

Stinoo wrote:
Just plug the pump to the CPU_OPT or _FAN and go to your bios; you can manually set the CPU_HEADER to full speed (100%).
I would use that Y-splitter to connect the two radiator fans to a normal CHASSIS_FANHEADER.

Now in the NZXT CAM software you can easily adjust the fan RPM and make some nifty profile that fits your need.
The CAM software will see your fans regardless of which fanheader you connected it to on the motherboard, as the 2 fans are also connected to your NZXT X61.
The 'Silent mode' in the CAM software is really nice; low RPM = low noise, but still decent cooling.

The problem with that way of managing the fans is that there's no CAM for Linux - and I use Linux quite a lot. My PC is being cooled that way now, but my PC is notacibly louder in Linux than in Windows, because there's no AI Suite or CAM. I want to set the fancurves in the BIOS via Qfan for the two intake fans, two radiator fans and one last outtake fan. I was thinking, maybe connecting the pump to molex (give it the 12V it needs) and then y-split the radiatorfans to CPU_FAN, y-split the intakes to a CHA_FAN and just connect the last fan to another CHA_FAN header. Would that approach work? If the pump gets <12V it rattles anyway.