Enermax Cluster Advance fans for an H100i ?

[MadatMe2]

I know this has been discussed many times, but that's the problem. There are just sooooo many threads to read through!

 

I am about to move everything into a Corsair Air 540 case. I have a H100i cooler which I plan to place vertically on the front.

 

I would like to be using 120mm fans with LEDs, all the same ones around the case and on the H100i.

I thought the 3 on the front would be intakes, along with the one on the back. And the 3 on the top would be exhaust.

 

Having read around, the fans for the H100i should be PWM fans. Corsair do not seem to do PWM fans with LEDs. So I have seen the Enermax Cluster Advance fans http://www.enermax.co.uk/fans/cluster-adv/

 

Has anyone used these fans on an H100i?

Has anyone used these fans??

 

My mobo only has one other 4 pin fan header, so I will get the Akasa PWM fan splitter cable for the remaining 5 fans.

 

If anyone has any thoughts or recommendations, I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks.

[jameyscott]

You'll only need two fans for the top because it only supports two fans.

 

I would personally just going with SP120 LED fans and circumvent the H100i's built in fan controller.

 

As far as running multiple fans on one header, just make sure that it has an external power source like Molex or sata otherwise you'll end up blowing the fan header on the motherboard.

 

Another option would be to get a cheap fan controller like the SunBeam Rheosmart. I personally own that fan controller and it is awesome.

[MadatMe2]

Haha. I haven't unboxed the case yet and I was reading a thread by someone who had chosen colours similar to what I want to do. Managed to completely miss the section where he fabricated the top to fit 3 fans ! :roll:

 

Might put the H100i at the top then. So have the 3 at the front and 2 at the top as intakes, the one at the back as exhaust and mount some mini fans on a plate and attach them next to the PCI plates as exhaust.

 

 

Ideally I wanted the Corsair Link Cooling Kit to control the fans, but you just can't get them in the UK. And as others have posted, we wait for the new version assuming it is coming.

 

So my idea was to have the H100i fans still controlled by Corsair Link and have the rest of the fans controlled by the mobo or a fan controller. So these should be PWM fans so that they are ready for the next incarnation of the Corsair Link Cooling kit.

 

However I've just found out the SysFan 4-pin header on my mobo isn't actually a proper 4 pin header for PWM :(:

 

CPU Fan header

 

 

Pin1: Ground

 

Pin2: +12V/Speed Control

 

Pin3: Sense

 

Pin4: Speed Control

 

 

Sys_Fan1 header

 

 

Pin1: Ground

 

Pin2: +12V/Speed Control

 

Pin3: Sense

 

Pin4: Reserve

 

 

 

The Asaka PWM splitter does have a SATA power connector on it, but is of no use due to the mobo Sys_Fan1 header.

I like the Sunbeam Rheostat 6 but I'll have no PWM connector as the input to the controller so it will just be manual control. Unless I can use the CPU_Fan header?

 

Perhaps I'm trying to achieve something that just isn't possible with my mobo and a lack of Corsair Cooling kit. Goddam you Corsair, where's the new one? :p:

[MadatMe2]

May have found an interim solution.

 

The NZXT Sentry Mix 2 fan controller. Supports 6 channels and uses 2 molex connectors for power. The fan connectors support 4 pin also (although I think it is just using them as 3 pin anyway same as the Rheostat 6 would have been).

I could still leave the 2 fans connected to the H100i and the CPU_Fan header, and control the remaining 4 fans (3 front and 1 rear) with the controller.

 

Also I think the NZXT will suit my build a little better than the Rheostat. Really like the design of the Rheostat but would have preferred sliders than knobs that stick out.

 

This means I have PWM fans ready for the next incarnation of the Cooling kit.

 

 

So just need to confirm if these Enermax fans are any good or suitable for the H100i !!

[HOODedAssault]

I would use all fans on the controller including h100i fans. Much less complicated in my eyes. There isn't a massive difference between fan speed on h100i anyways. On my h105 the difference between 1000rpm and 2500rpm is like 2°C under load... also use the 3 front as intakes and rear and h100i as exhaust. Better flow that way. If you have h100i as intake it'll heat up every other component in your case. 3 intake front h100i and rear exhaust is perfect 3 in 3 out.

[MadatMe2]

I've been searching the forums and it seems intake/exhaust is highly debated !!

 

Some say to have the H100i fans as exhaust so you don't add to the internal heat.

Some say intake so you get the best cooling of the H100i to keep the CPU temp down.

Others say it really doesn't matter because the rad doesn't heat the air that much, it's all about airflow.

 

Seems positive/negative pressure is a similar debate.

 

 

Maybe you are both right. I should just control the fans from the controller and not bother connecting them to the H100i. Then I don't have to worry about breaching the load limit for the controller and frying it!

 

And if I place the H100i at the top then to get the airflow in the case it probably should be exhaust. That way I get air in the front and out at the back and top. And if I make up the mini fans to sit on the mesh by the PCI slots and set them as exhaust I will get airflow past the GPU.

 

Seems like I just need to add some stuff to a shopping cart somewhere !

[MadatMe2]

How rude of me. Forgot to say thanks to you both for your feedback and suggestions. :)

[HOODedAssault]

Ya plus when you have it at the top as intake you are fighting hot air trying to rise. Seams crazy to me to run it as intake. Even if it did run cooler it'd be by a couple ° and is that worth heating every other component in your case. Not imo, not like it's going to net you a higher overclock.