Buying into Corsair RGB Fans, Questions about Setup

[saik1992]

Hey!

 

I'll split this in three sections. First is general Corsair LL120/QL120 Questions, second is ASUS ROG + RAM specific Question and third is regarding the O11D XL.

 

1: I currently have a single LL120, and a triple pack of QL120's, a Commander Pro and a RGB Fan Hub is on the way.

 

Was this the proper way to go? From my Understanding I can connect the Node Core to the Commander Pro (via RGB or USB2.0 header?), put the three QL120's on that and then (have?) to use the RGB Fan Hub for the LL120.

 

Could I have just used the RGB Point on the Commander Pro to connect the LL120? Or could I connect the LL120 to the Node Core that's in the triple QL120 pack? (The sheer amount of Products makes this really confusing to be honest).

 

2. I have a B550 E-Gaming sitting here (waiting for a 5900x to fill it) and a ROG Strix 3080 O10G coming my way. From what I've read those will be compatible with iCUE as long as I have Armoury Crate installed.

 

Do I have to have Crate running, or is installing it enough?

Will I be able to use non-Corsair RAM (G.Skill Trident Z NEO) through iCUE or will I have to use Crate for this?

 

3. The O11D XL has a RGB Strip in it's front Panel. That Strip is just an ARGB connection. Instead of having the HW Button controlling it I'd love to run it through either iCUE or my MB later on. Is there a way to run it through iCUE? If so, how?

 

Thanks for reading and maybe answering.

[c-attack]

You may want to get a 4th QL rather than add mismatched fan to the 3 others. You typically don't want to mix fan types on the same controller/hub. 1 LL added to the end of a string of QL is probably the most benign, but if you are buying I don't see any reason to do it. If you already have it from something else, then you can make do.

 

The Lighting Node Core (LNC) that comes with the QL is a standalone device with controller and power in one package. It needs a USB connection. It doesn't matter where that is. We'll have to see how the B550 boards react. AMD did something unusual on the X570 that makes USB connections a bit tenuous and the passthrough on the Commander ineffective.

 

You do not need/want Armory Crate to be actively running in the foreground as an App. It's "Lighting Service" does need to run, but Asus makes sure to force that on. You don't need to do anything else. However, if you are using it manage other RAM, you will want to use AC anyway. Uncheck the CUE "plugins" box in the settings and use AC for MB, GPU, and possibly the case front strip as well.

 

You can jack the front 30 LED strip into either D-RGB header on the motherboard and retain both front switch and Aura/AC control. The last switch setting on the front of the case hands control over to whatever it's connected to. It is possible to do this with CUE as well, but you need a 3rd party adapter to turn the Asus style connector on strip into one that will connect to either RGB channel on the Commander Pro. This will work the same way as when connected to the MB -- multiple standard modes on the case with the last handing over control to the software.

 

I use one of these to connect devices to CUE that would normally go to the MB.

[saik1992]

Yeah I've already had the LL120 before, but ultimately wanted to buy into the QL120 series.

 

The LL120 is going to be replaced sooner or later, I just want it to light up at all (and I may build out my Girlfriend's Rig with LL120's as she likes their lighting more, so a 10$ RGB Hub is not really painful)

 

Just wanted to know if it works.

 

I've already seen the ARGD Cable and Assumed I need to control RAM through Crate. Can I have Armoury Crate closed if i set everything Up? I am thinking about getting an NZXT Kraken X73 as well and don't want 3 RGB Softwares at once, lol.

[c-attack]

As long as the LL is the last fan in the chain, it will be pretty smooth -- certainly compared to mixing other types and quantities. You'll tell it "QL x 4" and the only side effect should be the software will generate and time an extra half QL after the last LL. That should add a slight pause to the end of all preset effects, but you'll still get all the cool extra ones for the QL to work.

 

If you are not linking the MB to CUE, you can do whatever you want with Armory Crate. This is probably going to be the best arrangement and you may find you have more control over the GPU with it vs CUE. Given how minimally the motherboard lights matter in a case full of RGB stuff, you like do whatever makes the GPU show its best. If you use the Asus integration feature in CUE and have other devices connected to non-controllable features, they usually freeze or enter a state of suspension. So when I enable it, my devices on the MB 5v D-RGB headers will stop exactly where they are. I suspect the G.Skill RAM is going to do the same, but don't have any on hand to test.

 

The cable I linked connects the cases RGB controller and then connects to a RGB channel in a Lighting Node Pro or Commander Pro to bring it into CUE. It's default connector can connect to the Asus MB D-RGB header directly, but you won't be able to control that with the Asus integration (no 5v control in CUE).