H150i Pro shopping list

I'm presently running the following:

H100iv2 with 2 x white LED fans at the top

5 x ll 120 RGB fans - got the 3 pack with controller and 2 singles

1 at the back in exhaust, 1 at the bottom input, 3 at the front input, 2 at the top exhaust

Lightning node and Controller which came with the triple pack.

Air 740 case

It's all working, but I'd kind of like to finish off the RGB look and upgrade the cooler to the 150i Pro. I was kind of disappointed to note that the RGB 150i does not come with RGB fans (but I guess that'll be the platinum when it comes out), so I guess I'll need 3 more there.

I have space in the Air 740 for one more fan at the bottom but would need a power splitter to supply the volts from the mobo.

If I want to get everything tied in and controlled from icue and run it in silent mode as much as possible (it's an i5-8670k @ 4.8Ghz at the moment... can't get it too stable at 4.9 / 5.0 without silly voltage) what will I need to buy?

I think I need the commander pro but can't help but think the triple pack and a single with another lightning node is enough?

Still think it's daft that the RGB cooler isn't all RGB but I bet that topic's been done to death.

You can get PWM fan splitter for $4. That one is easy. Yes, you should get the commander pro. It will move fan speed control off the BIOS and into iCUE, which you need to run anyway. It will replace the LNP unit, but that may still get used later if you need to support more fans/strips. I never thought I would go past one controller, but funny things happen.

So new set-up will be H150i front intake, bottom 120 x 2(?) intake, top exhaust 2 LLx120 and 1 x LL120 rear exhaust? Obviously you are a few LL short.

Surely the intent was 3xLL120 in the front of the radiator. The top and rear exhaust will also be pretty side facing in, so you'll want that to be LL. Depending on the case position, you may be able to skip new RGB fans on the bottom intake and use something you already have. It's a deep well and you'll only see it if the case is right next you on the desk. At a minimum, you need 1 more LL. Something you may want to assess is how the fans will look in their new positions. The top is going to feel big and empty without the 240mm radiator up there. Going to 2x140mm might help with that, but it is certainly subjective. Another thing to consider might be one LL140 for the rear exhaust and use the current 120s for other slots. As you've likely noticed, the cutout at the rear is 140mm size. I drives me a little nuts to have a 120mm there with exposed air around the outside. I prefer 140s anyway and this case always seemed designed for that, but it might make sense to do that evaluation now. You can mix and match 120 and 140 LL sizes all you like on the same RGB Lighting Hub. Same number of LEDs on each, so it works the same.

I do have 3 at the front at the moment and the intent is to replace the top 100i v2 with the 150i pro, so I go from 2 fans to 3 at the top.

Good idea about the 120 being swapped with a 140 - it would indeed look better, so I can use that one at the bottom. I'll do that for sure now.

Ah wait... you're saying the 150 can't go on the top... and just checking.. bugger. There's only room for 2 x 120 / 140s there.

So... 3 x 140 and put the 150 pro behind the 3 x 120s at the front plus a commander pro?

Yes, Air 740 is front mount 360mm radiator only. This isn't really a bad thing. In a case where you can do front and bottom intake, it will save 2-3C right off the bat just in radiator location. The front rail is cooler than the top above the motherboard VRM and RAM. 2-3C is about the best you could ever do with fan changes and such, so this is a win.

As for the rest of the placements, it's really a matter of aesthetic choice. 120 or 140 mm fans will git in all the remaining slots. Aside from the gap on a 120mm in the rear, I don't consider any of them to have serious consequences either way. A 140mm fan will move more air for the same noise compared to a 120mm fan, but you may not need a strong blast of air anyway.

The Commander Pro is six fan headers. You can probably get away with using 1 splitter on a single port (I have already done this with 7xLL140), but I would not push it beyond that. The H150i will take the three on the front rail. That leaves 5, so you should be OK unless you decide to go push pull with 6 fans on the front radiator.

RGB Lighting Hub - this also has a 6 fan limit. You will have six if you do 3 front, 2 top, 1 rear. That leaves the decision about the bottom. Running 8 LL from one RGB hub may be pushing your luck a bit and require specialized splitters. Leaving the bottom dark or using non RGB fans resolves that issue. The proper solution is another RGB lighting Hub, but this then introduces some complexity to your lighting programming as it will be a separate channel. If you already have a few spare fans around (like the AF140 grey that originally came with the case), I would be tempted to use those for now and see how things go.

Thanks for all your help with this - you've pointed out some things I clearly missed and opened up some options :)

Much appreciated!