LL120 vs QL120 on a H100i Platinum

Hi guys, maybe someone will help or advise...

I'm planning my build and planning to get H100i Platinum running 2x ML120 fans on it and a LL120 3x pack for my case but wondering if it would be better choice to get 3x pack of newer QL plus extra 2x to swap on the radiator - my worries are that the LL and ML won't sync up nicely.

Also should I run a iCule commander for this setup or Lighting Node Core / Pro?

and lastly, is there any chance of syncing it all either way with Asus Aura?

I think that both LL and QL won't sync with the ML fans, as the all have a different number of leds. So the only way is to set a different effect for each type of fan, but if you'd like to have all synced together... go for all identical fans.

Another import difference between those fans is only QL have lighting effects on the back side, so think carefully about AIO position and air direction. For example, LL fans have nice effects on the front side but this means you have to mount them as exhaust to see them...otherwsie you'll just see the back part and just reflections of RGB effects (if you're looking for the white model you'll also see the black cables).

Commander Pro and Lighting Node Pro allow you to make different things. If you are only interested in RGB management, LNP allows you that through iCUE but then you have to mange RPM via motherboard. With a CoPro you can do both things... let's say a CoPro is a LNP + fan hub + USB hub. I sincerely recommend it for any Corsair-based configuration.

About Asus Aura... let's say it has SOME features less than iCUE... moreover it' not been updates since ages, Asus now has pointed on Armoury Crate (which I personally hate).

Baio

Thanks for the reply Baio!

Could you insight me on if its worthy to change the fans on the H100i to LL or QL as QL have a different plug/insert and wont work with lightning Node.

How would you go about it personally as I'm thinking of going 2x LL/QL on the H100i and 3X LL/QL as case fans on my Meshify C.

I will get all the Node Pro / Core from the 3-pack.

Also, should I be worried about the lower airlow on the vs ML's?

Thanks!

All three fans have the same connector and will work with the same lighting controllers (Lighting Node Pro, Lighting Node Core, or Commander Pro). The complication is the number of LEDs per fan (ML=4, LL=16, QL=35). The lighting controllers can only designate one fan type per RGB channel. You can get away with mixing LL and ML by keeping the ML at the end of the chain and they each act like 1/4 of an LL fan. It is manageable, but not something I recommend people do deliberately. The QL really don't go with all of this because of the mathematically odd number of LEDs and the sheer complexity of the design compared to other fans. None of these fans are cheap. It's hard to recommend spending a lot on LL fan when you can have the QL for just a bit more. I just put 6 on my new build. There are fun. If you are going to have any fans where the backside of the fan is in your direct line of sight, the QL crushes prior offerings. If the budget can accommodate it, you get the QL.

As for management, new QL come with the Lighting Node Core. This is the prior Lighting Node Pro + the RGB LIghting Controller in one package. The difference is each LNC has only 1 RGB channel whereas a Lighting Node Pro has 2, allowing you to plug in another set of 6 fans, RGB strips, etc. All of your fans' lighting wires will go to the lighting controller (LNC). Their power wires will go to the usual places, MB headers or the AIO splitter for the two radiator fans.

A ML fan has a superior blade design for radiator duty. It is flatter and wider. However, the difference becomes less important with lower wattage or larger radiators. A 240mm radiator is not huge, but then your 3700x is quite efficient and power lean compared to say a 9900K or a 2080 Ti. I am running 2x360 radiators with 6 QL fans. The loop includes an 8700K@5.2 and a 2080Ti. Combined peak wattage for both takes me 525W and my coolant temperature rise is really good. You can turn that into an 87.5W per QL fan ratio. Compare that to a 3700X using real world power figures (not the box TDP) and I see peaks of around 150W. That gives you 75W per QL120 and a theoretical advantage. There is no reason to think fan choice is going to have any impact on your performance. The 3700X is going to be like all the other recent CPUs and you will hit the voltage/CPU temp limit, long before the cooling capacity is exceeded. Keeping the ML on might get you 1-2C better coolant/CPU temps at most. However, since you already have them, there really isn't an additional expenditure. You are going to want to buy at least 1 triple pack of QL120s to get the included LNC. Pricing lately has to put this even vs 3 singles anyway, so there is no reason not to get the multipack with hardware, even if not used immediately.

If you are getting a Platinum AIO then that controls the RGB on the AIO fans. The other fans, either LL, QL, ML, SP, or HD would be controlled by the Lighting Node Hub and Pro that they come with in a three pack. You just can not mix fans on the Hub, but you can mix fans if you had a hub for each type of fan. Since you only would buy a three pack then the Hub controls the RGB for those 3 fans, using iCue. The Platinum AIO has wiring for the RGB for the 2 fans it comes with. The only difference would be how the fans look since they would have less LED's than the other fans in the case.

Personally I have LL, HD, and the ML's in my case. I mixed the LL and HD on my hub for now and can set them as one color, can set not multiple static colors because I have them all set as HD fans and the LL's get all goofy looking if I change colors. I need to get a internal USB hub of a Commander Pro so I can add my other Hub in and have enough internal USB header to correct that though.