Cooling the h150i Pro radiator with SP120 Corsair RGB Fans?

Hello all,

First time builder here. Currently, I have decided that I will be using the Corsair h150i CPU Liquid Cooler and using the Corsair 570x Midtower case. The case itself comes with 3 SP120 RGB fans that are meant to be placed in the front of the case. However, the front of the case is the only place in which a 360mm Radiator can fit, or so I think, and thus I would have to sacrifice the stunning RGB fans for the stock fans that come with the radiator.

I was wondering if it would be sufficient to use the SP120 fans (included with the case) to cool the radiator, intake from the front, and use the fans that come with the h150i as exhaust points in the back and upper part of the case. Furthermore, if using the SP120 fans as cooling for the radiator would work, would the PMW cables from these fans be able to plug into the CPU Block? Also, how would I power the Radiator fans that would now be used as exhaust points...would I have to individually power them via sata?

Really any help is appreciated as these products are the perfect ones for my build.

Corsair 570x Midtower Case and h150i Pro Liquid Cooler

My build:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700K 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor ($349.99 @ Walmart)

CPU Cooler: Corsair - H150i PRO 47.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 GAMING X ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)

Memory: Corsair - Vengeance RGB Pro 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($97.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($77.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Western Digital - Blue 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($109.89 @ OutletPC)

Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($454.99 @ Newegg)

Case: Corsair - Crystal 570X ATX Mid Tower Case ($159.98 @ Amazon)

Power Supply: Corsair - RMx (2018) 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg Business)

Total: $1660.80

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-31 17:27 EDT-0400

The problem is the SP120-RGB fans that come with the 460/570 case are not PWM and thus will not work with the H150i or any other AIO controller. Those are always PWM fan controllers. You would need to power and control them from the motherboard or another fan controller like the Commander Pro.

This is a frequent issue with that case and others handle it in different ways. Some re purpose the SP-RGB fans to the top and rear. Others buy LL or HD fans for the front, then quickly grow tired of the less lighting capable SP and replace those as well. Be aware the SP-RGB fans also require their own RGB Lighting Hub and not compatible on the same hub as other RGB fans.

The problem is the SP120-RGB fans that come with the 460/570 case are not PWM and thus will not work with the H150i or any other AIO controller. Those are always PWM fan controllers. You would need to power and control them from the motherboard or another fan controller like the Commander Pro.

 

This is a frequent issue with that case and others handle it in different ways. Some re purpose the SP-RGB fans to the top and rear. Others buy LL or HD fans for the front, then quickly grow tired of the less lighting capable SP and replace those as well. Be aware the SP-RGB fans also require their own RGB Lighting Hub and not compatible on the same hub as other RGB fans.

Thanks for the feedback! It would probably be best for me to just use the included case fans as exhaust and have the radiator fans actually cool the radiator in the front of the case. Unfortunately, I'll have to sacrifice the nice look of the RGB in the front.

If you are tied down and not wanting to increase fan costs, you may find using an alternative control solution for the SP-RGB in the front rail is more rewarding. Your motherboard can certainly handle this. It may be able to handle it well if you have a temp probe or "tempin" 2 prong connector on your board. Check the manual. For about $6 you can get a 10K thermistor probe that connects to the board and offers a fan control variable. Run the sensor end to the exhaust side of the radiator. The exhaust air temp will approximate coolant temp.

Also, depending on case position, you may like the SP-RGB lighting up the interior vs just the front panel. User choice.

If you are tied down and not wanting to increase fan costs, you may find using an alternative control solution for the SP-RGB in the front rail is more rewarding. Your motherboard can certainly handle this. It may be able to handle it well if you have a temp probe or "tempin" 2 prong connector on your board. Check the manual. For about $6 you can get a 10K thermistor probe that connects to the board and offers a fan control variable. Run the sensor end to the exhaust side of the radiator. The exhaust air temp will approximate coolant temp.

 

Also, depending on case position, you may like the SP-RGB lighting up the interior vs just the front panel. User choice.

Thanks for all the help. I do agree that it may actually look better to have the fans on the inside of the case and dissipate some thematic colors onto the motherboard.