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Connect 3 SP -120 Fans, 1 Corsair LED strip and 1 LL120 FAN


DJ-MX

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Hello good forum people,

 

I have a question in regards to corsair's RGB Ecosystem. I want to connect 3 Corsair SP-120 Case fans ( That came with my Corsair Crystal 570X ) Togheter with a corsair LED light strip. In addition I later want to upgrade to full LL120 FAN's. However for now I just want to start off having 1 LL120 as my rear case fan. Please see the picture for reference. Is it possible the way I made it on my picture or do I HAVE to buy another Corsair Fan LED controller? All sugestions are welcome!5aLdgS4.png

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Take a look at the FAQ here.

 

You have multiple problems and this would be a arduous installation.

 

1) Each fan type (SP-RGB/ML-RGB/LL/HD) needs its own 6 port RGB Lighting Hub. For the above, you would need one for the 3 SP and 1 for the single LL.

 

2) Fan must always go in numerical order on the RGB Lighting Hub starting at 1. (Easy and probably just convenient to mark the diagram as you did).

 

3) RGB strips will go into the one of the two LED channels on the Lighting Node Pro (LNP) on the right. Only fans go into the RGB Lighting Hub, which then goes into the LNP. So, for 3 SP, 1 LL, and 4 strips, you need 2 Lighting Node Pros (and 2 RGB hubs). You can chain the two LNPs together to get all three on one USB port.

 

4) You are short a LNP. You would get one with your LNP + strip package, but don't buy another. They come for free in the multipacks. In light of this and the above, it would make a lot more sense to buy a triple pack of LL120 with the free LNP giving you the necessary two. The extras then become the top fans. If you wanted 140mm up top, you can buy the dual pack of LL140 which also has a LNP. You can mix and match different sizes on the same RGB Lighting Hub.

 

5) An obstacle many 460/570x owners run into when doing this same thing is the RGB hub that came with the case does not have the necessary wire to connect to a LNP. Corsair does not sell it as a standalone. This leaves you in a pickle with the SP on a remote and the LL and strips on the software. Not really the goal. Some people make their own cable, but certainly not for everyone.

 

 

In light of the above, I would recommend either dropping the LL rear fan for the time being or pushing ahead and getting all 6 LL fans. Obvious that represents a significant cost. It might be enough to start with the current SP + strips (software controlled) and see how things go. You could add the LL in 3s, ultimately ending up with one RGB lighting hub for 6 LL fans and 1 LNP (1 channel for fans, 1 for strips).

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Thank you so much for your detailed answer in regards to my post.

Although the LL 120's look stunning, dropping$185 on 6 of them seems a little ludicrous. I simply don't have the budget for that after having spent 2 grand on the PC already. On top of that, over here the LNP isn't exactly "free" with a 3-pack of fans. Whilst a single LL 120 costs around $20, a 3-pack with an LNP and a RGB lightning hub costs $93 . Quite the additional cost for the 2 controllers. My ultimate goal was to (eventually) get 3 LL 120's and pair those with the included SP 120's. This is why I loved your idea to just get a 3 pack of LL 120's however if I read your comment correctly this too is impossible. If I were to attempt this I would need 2 LNP's, so far so good (One comes with the LED strip and 1 would come with the bizarrely expensive 3-pack of fans) However as you state the pre-installed RGB Lightning hub does not have the adequate connector to connect an LNP. This would in turn leave me short on 1 RGB Lightning Hub (as the one that comes with the case is practically useless). Right ? Would you be able to link me something of an info page about this DIY LNP cable you were talking about ?

 

I Do have to say that this is a drop in the bucket for this case. Were I fell in love with this case on first sight more and more problems do start to surface as I do my research. Not only is the included RGB lightning hub not compatible with an LNP but there's also RAM clearance issues when installing a top mounted radiator, an unfinished PSU shroud, hard to remove dust filters, etc. Definitely things that I feel like Corsair could have fixed. Whilst I could be absolutely wrong about this, to me it doesn't seem like much effort to make the included RGB hub compatible with your other RGB products. I feel slightly ripped off if I have to buy the same thing multiple times just because the manufacturer decided not to support it any other way.

 

So with straight up buying 6 LL 120's out of the way, seriously I might as well burn my wallet. What would you recommend? Should I settle for less or still pursue my RGB galore dreams ? (getting atleast 3 LL 120's) :P

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A LL120 or LL140 for $20? I have never seen them that low and if true, maybe you do buy a few up. The list price is $40 USD and the typical sales price is $34.99, which has held steady for a long time. The triple 120 pack price moves around from the $90-$110, so the calculation was based on $35 x 3 = $115 (+$40-50 for LNP) versus $90-$110 with LNP. Just to mix this up a little more, they do sell the strip package without the LNP but with extensions for $40, $10 less than the LNP + strip package. Not sure that helps in this instance, but another factor to consider depending on how this shakes out. My extensions were invaluable for setting up a slightly larger 740 case.

 

The first fans that came out were the SP-RGB and HD fans. They had remotes and different parameters than the ML and LL that would come later. The RGB lighting hub in the 570 will work with any fan type, but the real obstacle is the missing RGB hub to LNP/C-Pro connector. I do not understand why Corsair does not make this available. Your plan is very similar to everyone else who buys this case and then want to start a conversion to the higher functioning HD/LL/ML series. Here is a link to some cable help. I have not needed to do this, but DevBiker can likely answer for detailed questions about how to do this.

 

My instinctive reaction is to tell you to get the LNP + strip package and leave the LL fans alone for the time being. You will have the signature LED look in the front with the SP-RGB. You will have some lighting control options with the remote and the SP-RGB do not offer the complex patterns of the LL or HD anyway. Think of them as 256 color LED fans. The strips will offer some excitement with more programability for the interior. This will give you an introduction into the control mechanics and program without fulling committing. An additional consideration is how many other Corsair iCUE (Link/CUE) devices you have. With the SP-RGB on remote, they do not need any software (this is why it came this way originally). Using Link instead of iCUE would allow you to operate the RGB effects without active software. This is meaningful if you have other competing control/monitoring systems and running two of those at the same time. I would also allow you some time to discover what you like/don't like about the software before further committing. Once you put the LL fans in, the RGB software (iCUE or Link) must active and running at all times. When an if you decide you want to commit, do the LL as full 6 fan swap (or 3+1 if only using 4 fans). This eliminates the double LNP + RGB hub requirements. Also, once you stick the LL in there, the SP are going to immediately start feeling inadequate. Take it in stages. There really isn't a negative cost consequence to doing it this way, other than ending up with one more LNP. That is not a waste. It may be useful down the line or as a backup.

 

*If your board has a 5v addressable RGB header, that should make the strips work with Mystic Light and eliminate the need for the initial LNP and iCUE. I am not saying that is the way to go, but a fallback point if needed.

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Thanks once again for your great comment. You're really helping me out here. I think you hit the nail on the head with your message. For now I will most likely be sticking to the SP's with the light strip. It would be especially nice if I could connect it all to mystic as my cooler master radiatior fans could also be connected to that. Although I do feel like you would lose customizebility in comparison to corsairs own software. I'm not sure what the exact trade-offs are. By the way there is a website here in the Netherlands (a legit one) selling these fans for 20 euro's a piece with free shipping. I'm not sure but that does seem like a steal now. It's just a shame that you can't buy the led strip with both an LNP and a RGB hub. One thing about the 570x is that it doesn't come with a rear fan. Any recommendations for that, atleast for now?
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Certainly, and while I described the HD fans above as being older, that does not mean they are somehow more limited or inferior. It was more of reference to explain the evolution of the control system. HD and SP came first and got a remote control. Now RGB software is into everything and the ML and LL fans need a LNP or C-Pro. They cannot work without them.

 

Find some youtube stuff with the different fans so you can see the lighting differences. The HD are 12 "spotlights" in clear frame. I like the clear frame very much, but not everyone likes the spotlight effect. Nevertheless, these did not require active software management in Link (all fans do with iCUE) and they are my preferred fan.

 

The LL have the 12 LEDs around the outside plus 4 inner, but then have a diffuser ring to kill the spot light look. The only real knock on them previously was you needed the software active all the time to make them work. This meant that on restarts, cold boots, whatever... all your fans went rainbow swirl crazy until the program loaded. However under iCUE, all fans and strips do this so we are back to preferred aesthetics. The other thing worth mentioning is LL fans do not look quite so spectacular from the back. So, if your intent is to use them intake fans in the top or rear of the case, that might be a consideration. This does not apply to most people, but worth mentioning. The HD fans look quite nice (and bright) from both sides and the clear frame casts light all over. I keep mine at 33% brightness and think "Wow, look at all that light." White at 100% causes shadow burn in on the surrounding walls.

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Alright might be going for 3 more HD"s then. As long as I can find those in a pack with an RGB hub and an LNP. Still have to Google that lol. Also I read that even with an LNP and a new RGB hub the included SP's won't work with cue software. If you buy brand new corsair SP-120's they work fine, but with the included SP-120's it doesn't actually work I read. So if I would buy that 3 pack of HD"s would I need to controll those trough software or hardware? And if it's hardware could I still not plug them into the RGB box that came with the Case? Sorry for kinda asking the same question a few times now. Just wondering
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Oke little update defenitely NOT going for the HD's I really dislike the spotlight effect and they only cost 10 euro's less than the LL 120's. Right now my plan is to probably buy a 3 pack os LL 120's mount those in the front of the 570x and then use the left over SP 120 fans for the rest of the case (I don't really mind that I will not be able to control those with software I think) Eventually I will buy another 3 pack of LL 120's and replace the remaining fans. Thanks so much!
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