Max. air flow
The maximum airflow that a cooling fan can create; measured in CFM — cubic feet per minute.
The higher the CFM number, the more efficient the fan. On the other hand, high performance requires either a large diameter (which affects the size and cost) or high speed (which increases the noise and vibration levels). Therefore, when choosing, it makes sense not to chase the maximum air flow, but to use special formulas that allow you to calculate the required number of CFM depending on the type and power of the cooled component and other parameters. Such formulas can be found in special sources. As for specific numbers, in the most modest systems, the performance
does not exceed 30 CFM, and in the most powerful systems it can be up to 80 CFM and even
more.
It is also worth considering that the actual value of the air flow at the highest speed is usually lower than the claimed maximum; see Static Pressure for details.
Min noise level
The lowest noise level produced by the cooling system during operation.
This parameter is indicated only for those models that have capacity control and can operate at reduced power. Accordingly, the minimum noise level is the noise level in the most “quiet” mode, the volume of work, which this model cannot be less than.
These data will be useful, first of all, to those who are trying to reduce the noise level as much as possible and, as they say, “fight for every decibel”. However, it is worth noting here that in many models the minimum values are about 15 dB, and in the quietest — only 10 – 11 dB. This volume is comparable to the rustling of leaves and is practically lost against the background of ambient noise even in a residential area at night, not to mention louder conditions, and the difference between 11 and 18 dB in this case is not significant for human perception. A comparison table for sound starting from 20 dB is given in the "Noise level" section below.
Lighting colour
The colour of the backlight installed in the cooling system.
See above for more details on the backlight itself. Also note here that in the illumination of modern cooling systems there is both one colour (most often
red or
blue, less often
green,
yellow,
white or
purple), and multi-colour systems such as
RGB and
ARGB. The choice of a single-colour backlight depends mainly on aesthetic preferences, but the last two varieties should be touched upon separately.
The basic principle of operation of both RGB and ARGB systems is the same: the design provides for a set of LEDs of three basic colours — red (Red), green (Green) and blue (Blue), and by changing the number and brightness of the included LEDs, you can not only intensity, but and tint of light. The difference between these options differs in functionality: RGB systems support a limited set of colours (usually up to one and a half dozen, or even less), while ARGB allows you to choose almost any shade from the entire available colour range. At the same time, both of them can support backlight synchronization (see below); in general, this function is not required for RGB and ARGB systems, but it is used almost e
...xclusively in them.Lighting sync
Backlight synchronization technology, provided in the cooling system with built-in lighting (see above).
Synchronization itself allows you to "match" the cooling backlight with the backlight of other system components — the motherboard, processor, graphics card, case, keyboard, mouse, etc. Thanks to this matching, all components can change colour synchronously, turn on / off at the same time, etc. The specific features of the operation of such a backlight depend on the synchronization technology used, and, usually, each manufacturer has its own (Aura Sync for Asus, RGB Fusion for Gigabyte, etc.). The compatibility of the components also depends on this: they must all support the same technology. So the easiest way to achieve backlight compatibility is to collect components from the same manufacturer. However, among the cooling systems there are solutions of the multi compatibility format — compatible with several synchronization technologies at once; a specific compatibility list is usually indicated in the detailed specifications of such models.
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.
