What is CPU OPT header? What is CPU OPT on motherboard? What’s CPU_FAN header and case fan? CPU OPT vs CPU FAN, what’s the difference?

1. Title: Heatsink Header Types:CPU_OPT,CPU_FAN,and SYS_FAN
Keywords: cpuopt, cpuopt fan,cpu fan vscpu opt, whatis cpu opt,cpu optheader
Description: What is CPU OPT header? What is CPU OPT on motherboard? What’s CPU_FAN
header and case fan? CPU OPT vs CPU FAN,what’s the difference?
URL: https://www.minitool.com/lib/cpu-opt.html
Summary: This library provided by MiniTool will introduce you mainly to three types of heatsink
headers: CPU OPT,CPU fan,and case fan (SYS fan), as well as compare CPU fan with CPU_OPT.
About CPU Fan Header
To learnwhat doesCPUOPT mean,firstof all,youneedtoknow whatis a CPU fan header.
Accordingto the answeronQuora, mostcomputershave a CPU and a heatsink mountedontopof
the CPU witha fan.A CPU fanheaderiswhere youplugthe fan.The CPU fanheaderisimportantfor
it can detectwhetheryourfanisworkingornot. If it detectsthe fanisn’trunningoris not working
properly,itwill close the systemorstopthe systemfromstartingto protectthe computerfrom
overheating.
https://www.minitool.com/news/fix-cpu-fan-not-spinning.html
What Is CPU OPT?
CPUopt meaningisCPU optional.Itisa headerthatisusedto connectsome type of wiringfora
liquidcoolingsystem. Once connected,youare able tocontrol the speedof the fan fromthe
motherboard.
Most gamingmotherboardsare equippedwithsuchCPUOPT for controllingthe heatsinkspeed.
whenyouaren’tusingthe PC forheavyload, youcan reduce the fan speedsoas to reduce the noise
of yoursystem.
Some heatsinksmaypairwith2 fansor mayhave clipson bothsides.Insuch a situation, one fan
pushescool airintothe finswhile the otherfanpullshotairout.
In general,CPUOPTis an additional CPUfanheader. Since itis“additional”,itisnotnecessaryand
the systemcan start normallywithoutworkingwithCPU_OPT. thatisto say, CPU OPTcan’t prevent
the systemfrombootingif there isa problem.Yet,itcan warn youaboutproblems.
https://www.minitool.com/news/hp-laptop-fan-noise.html
CPU Fan vs CPU OPT
Both CPU fanheaderand CPUOPT fan connecter are heatsinkheadersforconnectingthe fansof
radiatorson the motherboard.The difference isthat the CPUfan headercan detectfanproblems
and protectthe systemfromoverheatingbypreventingitfrombooting.While the CPU-OPTandonly
detectandwarn about issues;itcannottake actionsto deal withthe problems.
Case Fan
As the name indicates,acase fan isa kindof fanusedto cool the case or enclosure of the computer
host.There are othernamesforthistype of coolerlike SYSfan.Asfor the brand Asus,itcallsit a
chassisfanor CHA-FAN.

2. SimilartoCPU OPT, a case fan can informyouif there isa problemwiththe fan,butcan’tprotect the
systemfromoverheatingbystoppingitfrom bootingup.
Tip: Besides the fan headersmentioned above,therearealso someother fan headersincluding
AIO_PUMP,W_PUMP+,and H_AMP.
Alsoread:IntroductiontoComputerFanIncludingApplications
Can I Use CPU OPT for Case Fan?
CPU fan header,CPUOPT,and SYS fan header,if all of themare 4 pinfan headers,the motherboard,
and inturn the BIOS andthe OS,can control the fans’speed.therefore,theoretically,youcan
connectthe case fanor one of the case fansto the CPU OPTwithout a problem.
However,if youconnectyourcase fan withthe CPU opt header,the speedof the case fan will
increase dramaticallywhenthe CPUgetshot,just like the heatsink/CPUfan connectedtothe
CPU_FAN headerwill do.And,whenthe CPUcoolsdown,the case will slow down.
While if youconnectthe case fanintothe SYS_FAN header,itwill change itsspeedaccordinglyby
the signal comingfrom the thermal sensoror some software controlledbythe BIOSor the OS.
https://www.minitool.com/news/how-to-cool-down-laptop.html