iCUE LINK AIO VRM fan module: Everything you need to know

When it comes to AIO coolers, CORSAIR has no shortage of options. Any size, color, any price bracket. We’ve also been liberal in our frequent release of optional pump caps: These can be swapped out at any time to refresh the look of your PC.

While most of the components in a PC contribute to the overall vibe, the AIO Pump cap is of particular importance. It lives dead centre, flanked by your RAM, the motherboard VRMs, and the GPU. Given that the pump cap occupies such a pre-eminent spot, we like to get fancy with it.

Hence the LCD screen modules we started shipping years ago. These allow you to display images, gifs, or system info right there on the cap, making the options virtually limitless. However, these upgrade kits have always been purely visual, having no effect on the system. Today, however, we introduce the iCUE LINK AIO FRM fan module. Not only does it look sick, it can actually improve your system’s temps. Here’s how.

• Dimensions: 78 x 37mm
• Connection: CapSwap
• Rated Current (5V): 0.28A
• Fan Size: 70mm
• PWM Control: 0–100%
• Speed: 0–3000 RPM ±10%
• Airflow: 2.46–12.8 CFM
• Static Pressure: 0.15–2.74 mm-H2O
• Bearing Type: Magnetic Dome
• Sound Level: 10–31.5 dBA
• Warranty: 2 Years
• Compatibility: CORSAIR iCUE LINK AIOs only
• Available colors: Black, White

Where normal pump caps are solid pieces of plastic and purely decorative, this one is a housing containing a fan. At the bottom of the housing there are four slots, one on each side. The fan sucks in air from the top and exhausts it through those slots to cool anything adjacent to the pump cap.

Of course, the pump cap is on top of the AIO coldplate, which is on top of the CPU, so perpendicular slots would be too high-up to effectively cool anything. Our design angles the slots downwards, so the air flows diagonally back towards the motherboard, which means it’s blowing the correct way to hit anything above, below, or either side of the CPU socket.

As indicated by the name, this means that the air will hit the VRM heatsinks on the motherboard (usually positioned above and to the left of the CPU), but there’s often other components around the CPU, too: This pump cap will deliver additional airflow to the M.2 Slot below, and the RAM modules on the right. This example describes the most common motherboard layout, but other layouts will be able to take advantage of the VRM fan module cap, too. Regardless of whatever weird and wonderful motherboard layout you have, there’s going to be some components crowded around the CPU socket, and this pump cap will deliver extra airflow to these otherwise overlooked parts.

Just like any other CORSAIR fan, the AIO VRM fan module can be fully controlled via CORSAIR iCUE software. You can configure it to speed up and slow down in relation to system temperatures, or manually set it at any given speed from 0 RPM all the way to 3000 RPM. The fan also uses a magnetic dome bearing, so even at high speeds it will operate quietly due to the low friction afforded by this type of bearing.

We mentioned earlier that the pump cap in an AIO takes centre stage in your PC, so it’s still got to look good, and the AIO VRM fan module is no exception. Of course, the housing is made from similarly translucent plastic to our regular pump caps, so the underlying RGB LEDs can do their thing. But, we’ve also made efforts to make the outer hub and the fan blades translucent, too, meaning that not only do you get lower temps on your VRMs, but you get a mini light up turbine right in the middle of your PC. Very cool, in both senses of the word.