Zotty's CORSAIR RGB Hardware and iCUE Eco-System FAQ

[SteWithAV]

Hi all

 

Ok, so I intend to build my son his first proper gaming pc that isn't one of my old hand-me-downs.

 

I've never build a PC with an AIO or as much RGB before, so this is confusing the heck out of me and I'm struggling to find the exact answer to my query.

Basically, I have the 240mm H100i elite Cappelix. as well as 4 additional ML120 fans (I read the Cappelix came with ML so wanted the same throughout).  I also bought a Commander Pro as I have the Corsair LED expansion kit that I wish to daisy chain around his case.

 

Reading random posts on here is giving me the impression that I CAN connect and power the commander Core via the Pro, but I CAN'T control or adjust the lighting properly, and sometimes the fans aren't being detected?!?!

 

I had it in my head that the all the fans will connect to the Cores RGB ports, and the PWM will go into the Pro along with the RGB lighting strips power. I could then create some flowing RBG patterns that would pass through all fans and strips together.

 

OR is it just a case that I have to connect the USB power and Sata for the Core to their own supplies for the lighting to be detected and adjustable?

 

I'm starting the build in a couple of days when the rest of his parts arrive, but this Core/Pro stuff is giving me sleepless nights lol.

 

Thanks in advance.

[DevBiker]

@SteWithAV - The Capellix coolers do come with ML fans - but they have 8 LEDs. The ML-RGB Pros that are available in retail have 4 LEDs. So they aren't the same fan.

Don't worry though - you can still put them on the Commander Core OR you can use the Commander Pro. But you don't need the CoPro if you got the ML fans in a multipack ... that will have a Lighting Node Pro that you can use for the strips AND the ML-RGB Pro (if you want to).

Finally ... rumor has it that there will shortly be a firmware update for the Commander Core to allow it to control multiple different fans. That's what we've been told so we'll see. That would certainly simplify everything.

[Zimnick]

Need some help here as I've tried looking through this thread for my answer but not clear on it.

Doing a new build and first time doing AIO/case fans not preinstalled. I have:

•H150i Elite with the commander core.

•6x QL120 w/ RGB hubs.

•Commander Pro.

I saw the diagrams up front from Zotty, but I'm confused as they show an additional cable/port on the RGB HUBS that doesn't exist on the hubs that I received with my 3x QL120 packs. The hub has 6x 4pin RGB ports, 1x SATA, 1x USB 2.0.

My question is, how do I connect this 6 port RGB hub to my commander pro? Do I use the USB and plug that into one of the USB headers on my commander pro? Or do I use one of the RGB LED hub cables that came with the commander pro and connect that to one of the 6 RGB ports on the hub?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[DevBiker]

Zotty's diagrams show the Corsair RGB Fan LED Hub. What comes with the QL fans is the Lighting Node Core. The LNC connects via USB and has a MCU inside while the Fan Hub connects to either a Lighting Node Pro or Commander Pro and is just a super-dumb relay device (it's just traces and a single, lonely capacitor in there).

With the Commander Core and a Lighting Node Core, you don't really need the Commander Pro. You can put the ML-RGB fans on the Commander Core for both PWM and RGB and then use a LNC for the QL's and put them on the Commander Core as well - just get some PWM splitters.

[Zotty]

Imagine/diagram links fixed and edits made. More to follow 🙂

[jayjay0812]

Hi All, new here but long time Corsair Addict!

 

Im having trouble trying to figure out how to get all the following connected correctly so that the iCue software will work and control it all correctly.

I have the following:

 

5000D Case

H150i Elite Capellix with Commander Core (Replaced the stock fans on the 360mm rad with 6x LL120 in a push pull config)

13x LL120 (total including the 6x on the H150i)

2x Commander Pro

2x Lighting Node Core (more spare if needed)

Corsair Lighting Node Pro RGB Kit with 4x RGB Strips

Could anyone help me out with a diagram please? 

 

FYI iCue works great with all my other Corsair Devices (K70, Void Elite, M65, iCue Nexus, ST100, MM700, Vengeance RGB Ram and the Asus Strix Mobo and GPU)

 

Thank you in advance.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by jayjay0812

[Mmmmbeer76]

Hi folks. Just a quick question. With 6 fans connected to the commander core can the fan speeds of each fan be controlled individually?

 

Thanks.

Edited September 19, 2021 by Mmmmbeer76

[pyrotenax]

Evening. 

I am building 9 fans inc H150i Elite Capellix cooler into a 5000D Airflow case

I have 2x packs of 3 of QL120 RGB and the 3x fans included with the H150i

I also have .... a Commander Pro (bought separately)

2x Lighting Node CORE (included with QL120 RGB packs)

1x Commander CORE (included with H150i)

I plan on using 3x QL120 RGB fans in front panel (1- Bottom, 2- Middle, 3- Top)

I plan on mounting H150i at top of case with its bundled fans as "pull" on top of rad and 3x QL120 RGB fans as "push" underneath rad ([push under rad 4- Front, 5- Middle, 6- Back] ; [pull above rad 7- Back, 8- Middle, 9- Front])

I would like to have the ability to control each fan separately (RGB and fan speed) but also to link RGB lighting effects through all fans individually or sequentially.

Also in the mix will be RGB RAM and built in motherboard RGB. 

1) Do I just follow the connection diagram attached

2) Do the push and pull fans require connecting to the same  Commander CORE

Thanks

 

[Zotty]

On 9/19/2021 at 9:54 PM, Mmmmbeer76 said:

Hi folks. Just a quick question. With 6 fans connected to the commander core can the fan speeds of each fan be controlled individually?

 

Thanks.

yes they certainly can buddy 🙂 

[Zotty]

On 9/20/2021 at 7:53 PM, pyrotenax said:

Evening. 

I am building 9 fans inc H150i Elite Capellix cooler into a 5000D Airflow case

I have 2x packs of 3 of QL120 RGB and the 3x fans included with the H150i

I also have .... a Commander Pro (bought separately)

2x Lighting Node CORE (included with QL120 RGB packs)

1x Commander CORE (included with H150i)

I plan on using 3x QL120 RGB fans in front panel (1- Bottom, 2- Middle, 3- Top)

I plan on mounting H150i at top of case with its bundled fans as "pull" on top of rad and 3x QL120 RGB fans as "push" underneath rad ([push under rad 4- Front, 5- Middle, 6- Back] ; [pull above rad 7- Back, 8- Middle, 9- Front])

I would like to have the ability to control each fan separately (RGB and fan speed) but also to link RGB lighting effects through all fans individually or sequentially.

Also in the mix will be RGB RAM and built in motherboard RGB. 

1) Do I just follow the connection diagram attached

2) Do the push and pull fans require connecting to the same  Commander CORE

Thanks

 

hi buddy..

 

1..  yes follow the diagram buddy 🙂

2.. yes buddy. that way you can match their speeds easier and keep them tied to fluid temp... personally i would put all the rad fans on a PWM repeater and have them controlled as a single fan in iCUE. this means they will all receive the same signals at the same time and keep them all matched....

[Zotty]

On 9/14/2021 at 3:50 PM, jayjay0812 said:

Hi All, new here but long time Corsair Addict!

 

Im having trouble trying to figure out how to get all the following connected correctly so that the iCue software will work and control it all correctly.

I have the following:

 

5000D Case

H150i Elite Capellix with Commander Core (Replaced the stock fans on the 360mm rad with 6x LL120 in a push pull config)

13x LL120 (total including the 6x on the H150i)

2x Commander Pro

2x Lighting Node Core (more spare if needed)

Corsair Lighting Node Pro RGB Kit with 4x RGB Strips

Could anyone help me out with a diagram please? 

 

FYI iCue works great with all my other Corsair Devices (K70, Void Elite, M65, iCue Nexus, ST100, MM700, Vengeance RGB Ram and the Asus Strix Mobo and GPU)

 

Thank you in advance.

Hi Buddy.. quite a technical one this... start with this




my advice would be to use a PWM repeater on any rad fans to bring the number of fan headers down that you need and indeed making control of them easier (they become one single fan in icue). that would free up a pwm fan header to teh 13th FAN.....  that would just leave one fans RGB to sort (above diagram covers 12 fans).. i would add the extra one using one of Pirate Dog Techs RGB Fan Splitters. this lets you place 2 fans on one RGB head on the RGB Fan LED Hub..

either that or add an extra RGB Fan LED Hub or a Lightning node core

 

[Thaerr]

Zotty, what software do you use to create your diagrams? I would like to organize my thoughts about the system that I am building, and your diagrams are absolutely incredible, and I'd like to use the same format.

[Zotty]

On 9/28/2021 at 5:30 PM, Thaerr said:

Zotty, what software do you use to create your diagrams? I would like to organize my thoughts about the system that I am building, and your diagrams are absolutely incredible, and I'd like to use the same format.

MS Paint lol.. been my go to tool for a fair few decades now haha.. no bells or whistles.. simple creation....

[Zotty]

Recent diagram i did for a User with a 1000D  22 RGB fans.H150i elite in Push/pull config.  1 Commander Pro and 3 RGB Fan LED hubs (2 cloned hubs and 2 cloned fans on the none clones hub)

 

[hmassacre]

@Zotty I've looked through the diagrams and I'm not sure which one covers what I'm trying to build. 

I have 7 ML120 Pro LED fans. What do I need to connect them all and control speed? 

[Zotty]

17 hours ago, hmassacre said:

@Zotty I've looked through the diagrams and I'm not sure which one covers what I'm trying to build. 

I have 7 ML120 Pro LED fans. What do I need to connect them all and control speed? 

Hi 🙂

 

what else do you have?. what did you get with the fans? what case do you have and any other corsair Devices inside said case?

[hmassacre]

Hi @Zotty, thanks for the response. 

I have the Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL. Nothing came with the ML120 Pro LED fans but the screws. The only other corsair device I have is the icue h150 elite cappelix aio cooler. 

[c-attack]

23 hours ago, hmassacre said:

Nothing came with the ML120 Pro LED fans but the screws.

You don’t happen to have the single color (white, blue, or red) ML Pro LED fans?

 

If you do have the ML Pro RGB fans, these will direct connect to the RGB side of the Commander Core controller. However, I am wondering if you really have 10 RGB fans to manage and not 7, including the 3 from the AIO kit. At 10, you probably need a second RGB controller. 

[hmassacre]

@c-attack Yes, I have 7 of the single color (white) ML Pro LED fans. It is my understanding that I cannot connect them to the RGB side of the Commander Core that came with the 3 fans from the AIO kit. So I'm trying to figure out how to run the 7 other fans. 

 

[c-attack]

No, the ML PRO LED are what was once atypical -- a PWM LED fan.  They need a PWM connection only and will maintain that color (non-adjustable).  The Commander Core can handle up to 6 PWM connections, but you probably want a PWM repeater hub to help offload some of them.  That connects to one PWM header from the Com Core and then provides signal and power to 4-10 other fans.  These are inexpensive (<$20) and there is no reason you need individual fan control in those banks of 3 on the O11.  Your configuration will determine which fans should go on the PWM repeater and which need their own controls.  

[swarfega]

Hi Zotty. I have just bought the new Corsair Commander Core XT. 

Currently I have a Commander Pro installed with two Lighting Node Cores. I would be grateful if you could produce a diagram for 6+2 QL fans connected to the Core XT.

Or an alternative is to keep the two QL fans on the H100i SE separate as they are now. They have their own Lighting Node Core.

I really want to remove as much RGB devices as I can streamlining whole thing.

[Astral85]

I'm planning to replace my LL with 6x QL fans. I currently have LED strips on LNP ch 1 and the LL on LNP ch 2 via RGB hub. Can the QL connect to the RGB hub and LNP ch 2 or do I need to use the LNC? Will my profiles apply the previous effects that were on the LL (LNP ch 2) to the QL on the LNC? If not will I least still have the effects imported into the lighting layer section available to re-apply? 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Astral85

[Astral85]

Can the Lighting Node Core with 6 x QL fans be safely run off a Commander Pro USB 2.0 header or is there a power limitation to what can run off a single motherboard USB 2.0 header? I could run the LNP with 4 x LED strips off the C-Pro USB 2.0 header instead if power is an issue....

Edited October 23, 2021 by Astral85

[DevBiker]

On 10/21/2021 at 4:11 AM, Astral85 said:

I'm planning to replace my LL with 6x QL fans. I currently have LED strips on LNP ch 1 and the LL on LNP ch 2 via RGB hub. Can the QL connect to the RGB hub and LNP ch 2 or do I need to use the LNC? Will my profiles apply the previous effects that were on the LL (LNP ch 2) to the QL on the LNC? If not will I least still have the effects imported into the lighting layer section available to re-apply?

With 6X QL Fans, you won't be able to put anything else on the Lighting Node Pro.

So ... in your case, you would need to use the LNC.

[DevBiker]

16 hours ago, Astral85 said:

Can the Lighting Node Core with 6 x QL fans be safely run off a Commander Pro USB 2.0 header or is there a power limitation to what can run off a single motherboard USB 2.0 header? I could run the LNP with 4 x LED strips off the C-Pro USB 2.0 header instead if power is an issue....

It might work; hard to say. Some current USB controllers have don't play well with the CoPro. In that case, an internal USB hub would fix the issue.