Fan Controller Advice - I need some!

Hi Guys

I am hoping someone can provide some advice. This will be my second build.

 

Kit I am using and plans:

 

Case: Corsair Carbide 240 Air

Mobo: Asus Z170M PLUS microATX

Cooler: Corsair H100i v2

Fans: Corsair Air Series AF120 (LED ones)

 

Setup,

I was going to setup the radiator with 4 of the fans in a Push/Pull in the front of the case, then have one on the side/top (depending on orientation) to blow air out

 

The Mobo states it has:

"With onboard thermal sensors and hardware-level 4-pin/3-pin PWM/DC mode detection, Fan Xpert 3 makes sure every fan achieves the best balance of cooling performance and low noise!"

 

Looks to me like it has 2 fan connectors onboard.

 

QUESTION:

I guess i need to connect my 4 Push/Pull fans to one of the onboard connectors, and I need some advice on whether i need a fan controller for that or a 1-4 splitter cable? If its a controller then adivce on which one would be welcome.

(I imagine 1-4 splitter will not provide the power needed for 4 fans???)

 

Any advice will be gratefully received,

Thankyou and StayCool

Uridium

What are the 4 fans you want to use on the radiator? Current draw is going to be the limiting factor. Doubtful you can stay under the 1.0A limit for 4 fans (same for board and H100i controller). Splitting them across the H100i and board might save a header for something else, but makes keeping them at similar speeds more difficult. You will also need to be mindful of your GPU length. A lot of push-pull talk with a 240 ends right there.

I will be using 4 of the Corsair Air Series AF120

Link on Corsair Site

 

I figured they may not be able to get enough power from one Mobo connection, which is why i was looking as some sort of splitter/controller, such as a 'SilverStone PWM Fan Hub System' or a 'NZXT Grid Cooling, Black (AC-GRID-10-M1)'

 

These link to the Mobo and also accept a Molex from the power box, and then you connect your 4 fans into this.

 

I just want to make sure that using one of these, I can still have my Mobo (or Corsair Link) adjust the fans when necessary to lower the speeds when not needed.

 

GPU Length - already looked into that. Gonna go for a stubby short GPU.

Or if I end up with a standard length one, use Push/Pull on one half of the Radiator and just Push on the other half near the GPU.

I am generally familiar with that type of control system, but neither one those controllers specifically. In order to transfer the control signal from the pump, it would need to be PWM capable, as would the fans. Motherboard could surely do either DC or PWM, however DC fans will have a 60% minimum run speed on the Asus board (25% for PWM).

 

I am not sure the AF series is the way to go. In push-pull, it is at least viable, but you would still need moderate fan speeds at minimum just to get the air through the radiator. That somewhat defeats the purpose of going push-pull, which is to be able to run low fan speeds without choking the airflow. I think you would be better off with a hybrid or more static pressure designed blade. The newer SP120(RGB) and HD120RGB would be better, although they are quite expensive. There is a lot of completion in that bracket and many alternatives 120mm LED choices with a hybrid blade, if that is a requirement. You may also want to give some consideration as to whether you want PWM or DC fans. 120mm LED radiator suitable PWM fans are a more rare.

 

A lot of people have been caught in the GPU conundrum with this case. Besides running into length problems, there is a soft maximum width of around 130mm, depending on how your PSU cables attach to the GPU. This thread has pictures of a 140mm wide 1070 that did not work, but it shows the issue well. The cards tend to be skinny and long, or short and wide. Neither one is overly helpful for this.

Many thanks for your advice C-Attack. I appreciate your time.

 

Currently I have already got most of the parts for the build on their way (with the exception of the GPU), so can't make many changes at this point. Should it prove problematic, I can shake my wallet a bit to see if any more $$$ fall out and look into upgrading the fans to the ones you mentioned.

 

Even without the PWM with these fans, I am still going to have to have some type of powered Fan Splitter/Controller to run multiple fans from a 2 port Mobo.

 

Anyway, its all an enjoyable learning experience building these machines!

Thanks again for your advice.

Uridium

Do you really need to use push/pull on an H100i V2? Usually push/pull will only gain you 2 - 5 degrees with an increase in noise