Aurora CPU-Pump (black) connector on MIO

Hi Tesla1856,

thanks for the reply.

Actually I m missing the liquid cooling system as it broke down from previous owner and i want to replace it with a new one.

But the ones you can find/buy are with  3pins and the connector has 7 pins so i'm kinda confused here.

I do not have the old connector from the pump unit to compare so i have to rely on info on the web.

I can find a Corsair H50 or H70 unit in my region here but no asetek.

So I'm looking after the connector/pin info to convert and connect this corsair unit so i can use that together with command center.

Can you help me ?

thanks

Do you have a whole Aurora (X-58) machine?

Are you trying to replace the Asetek CPU cooler (heatsink/pump/radiator) with a different system? Or, are you trying to install a second liquid cooling system for the graphics card?

Those 7 pin connectors appear to be Dell proprietary to lock the Dell version coolers (the Asetek OEM units) to the AW desktop platform.

Unlike most other Dell desktops, Dell has not released even the most basic pin-outs for the MB, etc. ... so there is definitely not any pin-outs for anything connected to the MIO-Board or Top-Lighting-Board. 

If you want to continue to use the MIO-Board (and it's matching Command Center monitoring/control software) the easiest thing to do it to purchase a replacement Aurora Alienware cooler assembly from Dell spare parts. It's actually made by Asetek (but Dell parts might not actually know that or relay that info. to you). It will come ready to plug in and go.

The Corsair after-market CPU coolers are also made by Asetek (but again, Corsair might not actually know that or relay that info. to you). They are built with 3-4 pin connectors so they they can connect to standard motherboards (usually marked CPU_FAN on MB).

The Dell-Alienware Aurora cooler assembly appears to have other slight differences (other than just the connector) creating the proprietary cooling solution. For instance, it has separate cables for the pump and fan (so the MIO-Board can be "placed" in the middle for control). This would likely prevent swapping in a different part (see first paragraph). To be sure, you would have to consult the installation manuals for both Corsair coolers.

On the stock Alienware cooler, all the wires from the pump are black. The only way I can see ... to figure out which wire does what ... it to test them with a meter. However, without a Corsair version cooler to compare the readings to ... it will be difficult to figure out.

Hmm thanks   I don't seem to be able to find an adapter for this pump thing connector.   But then since the most aftermarket cpu liquid cooling pumps are 3 or 4 pin connectors, how can i adjust this to make it work like a stock cooler?   I know there is a cpu_fan connector aswel but then i would loose the speed/sensor data in command center.   any ideas?   Steven

You buy something like lets say the Corsair H50. You then buy one of the adapters I linked. You plug the pump connector into the adapter and then the adapter into the top board where is says CPU LC Pump1. You then plug the fan into the same top board that is marked SYS Fan2.

And thats it. The ACC will pick it up and everything will work just like if you had bought it from Dell with the water cooling.

I don't know about the Aurora but for the Area 51 the pump has one 5-pin that connects to the PCB board on the top back of the system.  It is not a 7-pin. For my system if I was going to use aftermarket cooling I would buy this 5-pin adapter. http://fanadaptors.ecrater.com/p/8485388/dell-5-pin-4-wire-fan-connector This would change any 3-pin/4-pin pump into the Dell 5-pin.

Here is another one that is black if you want one to match the system better. http://linkecomputer.com/products/1002882/CB-PWM-D5/Works/

The connector for the fan is a standard 4-pin PWM so you wouldn't need an adapter for it.

Hmm thanks

I don't seem to be able to find an adapter for this pump thing connector.

But then since the most aftermarket cpu liquid cooling pumps are 3 or 4 pin connectors, how can i adjust this to make it work like a stock cooler?

I know there is a cpu_fan connector aswel but then i would loose the speed/sensor data in command center.

any ideas?

Steven

I don't know about the Aurora but for the Area 51 the pump has one 5-pin that connects to the PCB board on the top back of the system.  It is not a 7-pin.

Interesting ...

So, the Aurora and Area-51 use different stock coolers. I wonder why they did that?

@ Saturnus24

If you insist on using an aftermarket unit ...

Look on the Aurora MB, at the top between the processor and the RAM sockets. See that 4 pin socket (with 3 wire cable) marked MB_CPU_FAN ... find out where the other end of that cable plugs into.

Thanks for the info, but can somebody post me a few detail photos of the connector ?

steven

Sorry to bring up an old thread. i was wondering if anyone would know what type of connector this is? i have an asus rampage iii board and want to connect this 5 pin on the board but there is no 5 pin connector to be seen. the 5 pin is coming from an alienware  water cooling kit. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I have two junk Alienware Aurora computers that I found when someone dropped them off at an electronics recycling center.  The motherboards were gone but everything else was there including the pump, the fans, the power supply and the MIO board and fan/ pump board.  I am very interested in reusing the pumps so  I "borrowed" the computers. I ran across your post when I was trying to track down the pinout for the 7 pin connector.  

On the seven connector, pin 1 and pin 5 are jumpered together and not connected to the pump so I ignored them. They wouldn't have anything to do with operating the pump in a standard "non Dell" setting as only three wires actually come from the pump itself.  Consequently, pins 2, 3 and 4 must emulate the wires on the Corsair H50.  I know the older model Corsair H50 has a three pin connector for the pump because I have one of those also. The problem is they are all the same color so you have to find out which one is power, which one is ground and which one is the sensor wire.

I took one of the computers and jumpered the green wire on the power supply to ground and much to my surprise, all the fans and the pump took off.  Thus, the 7 pin connector had power to it.  I poked around with my multimeter and found that

when I put the positive lead on pin 2 and the negative lead on the 4 pin, I got about 12 volts. When I reversed them, I got negative 12 volts.  Consequently 2 pin is the power wire, 4 pin is the ground wire and by default, 3 pin is the sensor wire.

I will confirm this tomorrow by cutting the 7 pin connector off and soldering on a standard three pin fan connector.  I'll hook the pump and it's fan up to a motherboard, boot to BIOS and see what readings I get for fan speeds from each motherboard fan connector.  I'll post the results when I get them.  

I stand corrected. I pulled the fan pump board off of the computer case so it was isolated and tested again. I need to get my glasses adjusted.  Pin 2 is positive, Pin 1 and Pin 5 are grounds, Pin 3 has to be the sensor wire. Thus, it is basically a standard 3 pin connector configuration.  There isn't anything on pin 4 or 6 or 7. I'm going to use them in non-alienware machines so I am comfortable with changing the connector permanently. Sorry for the confusion.

I stand corrected. I pulled the fan pump board off of the computer case so it was isolated and tested again. I need to get my glasses adjusted.  Pin 2 is positive, Pin 1 and Pin 5 are grounds, Pin 3 has to be the sensor wire. Thus, it is basically a standard 3 pin connector configuration.  There isn't anything on pin 4 or 6 or 7. I'm going to use them in non-alienware machines so I am comfortable with changing the connector permanently. Sorry for the confusion.

I had a friend who has forgotten more about electronics than I will ever know verify my findings. The table for the 7 pin header is correct above is correct. Pin 1 is ground, pin 2 is 12V, pin 3 must be the sensor wire and pin 5 is also a ground.

I would assume the 5 pin connector is the same.  There is only one way to find out.  Fire up a working systrem and take some multimeter readings