iCUE Nightmare

[Sassums]

Purchased an iCUE 7000x RGB Case from corsair.  I have the factory mounted Commander Pro XT which controls the 3 fans at the front and the 1 at the back.  

I also have an iCUE H170i AIO mounted for the CPU and the Commander Module that goes along with it.

I then added 4 fans on the side of the case and installed another Commander Pro XT model and daisy chained it off the original Commander Pro that came with the system.

The iCUE Software detects the AIO without issue.

The iCUE Software detects the 2nd Commander Pro Model and all associated fans without issue.

The ISSUE is the iCUE software detects the factory installed Commander Pro unit but the unit only detects 1 of the 4 installed fans.

Doesn't matter how I plug them into the unit it only ever detects the rear fan.  I could plug it into spot 4 which I believe is the factory configuration and it detects it but nothing else.  I move it to spot 1 and it detects it but nothing else.  I am at a complete loss as to what is wrong.

The fans all are powered as they are all spinning - I just don't seem to have any control over them.

I'm also reading I should be able to control the RAM with the iCUE software?  It's Corsair DDR5 RGB memory (Its lit up but I have no control).

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

[c-attack]

Corsair naming is messy to say the least, with overlapping superlatives in the names masking critical hardware differences. For clarity’s sake, we try to shorten them to keep they differentiating part of the title. If I understand correctly, you have 1 Commander Core XT (from the case), purchased a second Commander XT, and then also have the AIO specific Commander Core from the H170i kit. You do not have a Commander Pro which is visually similar but uses an older style RGB LED hub system for supplemental fan 5v power. This matters because the Commander Core/XT controllers use different circuitry for both PWM and RGB control. 
 

So it seems the issue is the Commander XT that came with the case. It is detected (a more common issue), but won’t recognize the fans. Do you mean for RGB control?  Or PWM speed control in the cooling tab?  What fans are connected to it?  Note the Commander Core/XT controllers are 4 pin PWM only, so 3 pin dc fans will not be controllable. For RGB, both Com Core/XT controllers use an auto detect system to set the base LED count, but can be set manually. So if you have a string of SP-Elite fans, you can manually set it to “8 led fan series” in the Lighting setup tab. If that does not work or if you are trying to get speed control, turn the system off, flip the PSU switch off, wait 10-15 seconds, then flip it back on and power up. This should force the Core/XT controllers to re-assess. 
 

How many fans are in use?  You must use the Com Core that powers the AIO and likely need at least 1 Commander XT. That would give PWM and RGB control for 12 fans and with the PWM repeater in back speed control for 17-18 fans. Do you need the 3rd Commander XT?

 

RAM detection on DDR5 - make sure you go into the bios and enable “SPD write”. This is a safety feature preventing software from accessing the RAM. Most Z690 boards have this disabled by default. Further complicating the issue is some of them use a double negative to turn it on. So it may something like “Disable SPD Write” and then you set to False to turn it on. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by c-attack

[Sassums]

Thanks for the reply!

Sorry - Yes I have the Commander XT that came with the case.  It's connected to 3 140mm fans at the front (came with the case) and the single 140mm fan at the back (came with the case).  This XT is plugged into the motherboard's usb port.  The AIO and associated Commander unit is also plugged into the motherboard's second usb port.  I then daisy chained a second Commander XT off the case's Commander XT and it powers up and everything works as it should.

I apologize - I am strictly talking RGB Control.  The Commander XT that came with the case does not recognize the RGB (The fans don't light up) however they are spinning and when I go to the iCUE dashboard I am receiving all the statistics related to all fans in the system (RPMs, Temps, etc).

I just find it strange that the Commander XT that came with the case is having an issue and the Commander XT that I added daisy chain style is being recognized and I am able to control the RGB no issue.  

In total I have 8 case fans (3 up front, 1 in back, and 4 smaller ones on the side) and then 3 fans associated with the AIO radiator. 

If I manually detect the fans it kind of works (its strange) it lights up 2 in the front and the 1 rear fan (using its identification to arrange the fans it lights up a red, green, and the rear blue)  But once I save it it doesn't work.  

Technically speaking I do not need the 3rd Commander XT (I am worried that if I plug fans into the one that came with the case perhaps it is bad? - is there an easy way to test fans without having to turn off the computer and then turn it back on?)

I can arrange the three front fans onto the Command Module that the AIO uses and then connect the rear fan to the Commander XT that powers the 4 side fans.  It just (I assume) won't be a smooth transition for RGB purposes as the rear fan wont be in sync with the front ones.

[c-attack]

Both the Commander Core and XT use independent RGB ports, unlike all other Corsair controllers. So if a fan RGB is bad or a port is bad, the problem should be limited to that single fan/port. Multiple fans dark on the Com Core/XT controllers usually is a configuration issue and not a hardware fail. Make sure you add a effect to the Lighting Effects tab and make sure select all or choose individual fans for application. 
 

However, if fan 3 still won’t light up, you can move them back in sequence to 4 and 5. Unlike all the other controllers, you can skip RGB ports on the Commander Core and XT. Still, a full shutdown, PSU off reset would be the normal step to try before this without a clearly visible fan defect. 
 

The usb passthrough ports on the Commander Pro and XT are just that — passthroughs. They do not offer device to device communication and act more like a splitter. The only reason to split fans up into multiple groups (under capacity) is if you have different fan LED counts (designs). QL double ring fans don’t pair well with other types. ML-Elite, SP-Elite, and SP-Pro all have different names and motors, but identical 8 LED center hubs and can be used on any controller in any order. Those fans in the H170i and the SP-Elite on the front panel  are identical for RGB purposes, so there isn’t much reason not to group them on the Commander Core. 

[Sassums]

The problem is the software does not even detect the fans....so when I go in and hit "Auto Detect" it will recognize 1 of the 4 fans that are plugged in.  It doesn't matter where I plug fan 4 (the rear fan) it always detects that one regardless of which RGB slot I put it into.  But like I said when I go to the dashboard the software is receiving information in terms of RPM's from the fans. It just seems to be the RGB part that is not connecting properly.  Ive debated swapping out the Commander XT's to see if that fixes it but haven't driven up the motivation to do so yet. 

All fans should be the exact same RGB SP Elites - the 4 that came with the case are 140mm, the 3 attached to the CPU radiator are 140mm as well, and then the 4 on the side panel that are 120mm.  

And that was my next move - to attach the front 3 fans to the Commander Core the CPU is using and see if they fire up and then attach the rear fan to the Commander XT the side panel is using.

My only question/concern is if the rear fan is attached to a different Commander unit I cannot group it with the front fans, correct?

Also, my 3090 has RGB  - it is hit or miss if it shows up on the iCUE software (ill be firing the computer up later to see what shows up - im trying to be 100% certain I removed the software ASUS installed for controlling  RGB stuff)

[c-attack]

Sometimes the auto-detect just misses. However you mentioned setting “8 LED fan series X 4” produced equally strange results. It should not. That makes me wonder about the controller. Be aware any time you move connectors on these auto detect controllers (Com Core and XT), you must force it to re-run the RGB auto detect. There is a button in the settings. However, the PWM header does not work like that and it shuts it down if it’s empty. You often need to do a full shutdown and power on to trigger a PWM side re-detect. 
 

Fan speed control and RGB are separate functions on all these Corsair fans. That’s why there are two wires — one for the 12v power/control and the other for the 5v RGB. These are independent so you don’t need them to be on the same controller, except to maintain your sanity with managing them. It’s possible you have multiple bad fans, but that is a low probability. Try connecting just the RGB wire to any other RGB controller, change the setting or re-run the RGB auto detect. See if they light up. 
 

Once you have deciphered if this is a couple bad fans or a bad XT, you can reach out Corsair Support for replacements. I think we can get you set up to run without that 2nd XT if need be. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by c-attack

[Sassums]

So I went ahead and disconnected the 3 front case fans (that came with the case) from the XT and plugged them into the Core that came with the AIO for the CPU Cooler.

I had the computer shut off and the power switch flipped so their was no power running to the case.

Fired it back up and ran an auto detect with the iCUE software and it still did not detect the 3 front case fans.  The fans attached to the AIO Rad and CPU LED were unaffected by the additional fans so its making me think the fans are possibly the problem?

[c-attack]

It’s hard to imagine all three front fans completely frying their LED strips, but maybe they were exposed to extreme heat or something long before it wound up in your box. This should work. Try setting it manually to “8 series fan X 6”. 
 

If you have not done so already, start a support ticket with Corsair. Somewhere in this chain, something is going to need to be replaced. 

Edited February 28, 2022 by c-attack

[Sassums]

So I went ahead and had it auto detect the 3 fans on the RAD (that worked originally) and then manually detected the 3 fans using the "8 series fan) option.

The software detected the 3 front case fans however of the front 3 (even though the software saw them all) only the top and bottom one actually lit up.  The middle one did not (even though the software assigned it a color and everything).

Is it possible one fan is causing the rest of them to not be automatically detected?  

Also leaves the question if its the fans causing the issue or the XT.....

[c-attack]

4 hours ago, Sassums said:

Is it possible one fan is causing the rest of them to not be automatically detected?

Most Corsair RGB controllers are serial and that is exactly how it works — bad fan #2 knocks out fans 3-6. However, the two Commander Core/XT controllers have independent RGB circuits so the bad fan should be the only one affected. Would it cause the auto-detect to fail?  Good question.  I am not exactly sure how it works, but given you can mix and match it should be performing some type of additive LED calculation for the total rather than attempting to assess all of them as a group. Unlike all the other controllers you can skip RGB ports. 
 

As a final test, move the misbehaving #2 to RGB port 6 (or just somewhere else). Then move one of the working fans from 1/3 to the #2 port. You’re checking to see if that former #2 fan works at all and/or if the #2 RGB port is bad. This should make it fairly plain for Support as to whether you need a new ML-Elite or a new Commander Core. If you do need a new Com Core, ask to do an advanced RMA. This is the standard pre-ship and credit card hold until bad product received. The Elite AIO cannot function without the Commander Core so sending that back either puts you down for a while or you have to go to a back up cooling method. 

[DevBiker]

Have you at least tried to configure the Commander Core XT manually? It seems that you are insisting on autodetection. We can't tell you that until you bypass autodetection and set up the fans in iCUE. 

The fans have a return data signal. This is what the Commander Cores use to "autodetect" the fans. If that has a bad crimp (which I've seen in several fans) on that port or a bad solder on that return line, it won't get autodetected. That doesn't mean that the fan is bad. So ... do the manual detection as was suggested several messages ago and get back to use with the results of that. It doesn't appear to be what you want to hear as you keep blocking that out but that's the next step that you need to do. 

[Sassums]

10 hours ago, c-attack said:

Most Corsair RGB controllers are serial and that is exactly how it works — bad fan #2 knocks out fans 3-6. However, the two Commander Core/XT controllers have independent RGB circuits so the bad fan should be the only one affected. Would it cause the auto-detect to fail?  Good question.  I am not exactly sure how it works, but given you can mix and match it should be performing some type of additive LED calculation for the total rather than attempting to assess all of them as a group. Unlike all the other controllers you can skip RGB ports. 
 

As a final test, move the misbehaving #2 to RGB port 6 (or just somewhere else). Then move one of the working fans from 1/3 to the #2 port. You’re checking to see if that former #2 fan works at all and/or if the #2 RGB port is bad. This should make it fairly plain for Support as to whether you need a new ML-Elite or a new Commander Core. If you do need a new Com Core, ask to do an advanced RMA. This is the standard pre-ship and credit card hold until bad product received. The Elite AIO cannot function without the Commander Core so sending that back either puts you down for a while or you have to go to a back up cooling method. 

Excellent I will try that this evening and see if I can't narrow it down.

 

4 minutes ago, DevBiker said:

Have you at least tried to configure the Commander Core XT manually? It seems that you are insisting on autodetection. We can't tell you that until you bypass autodetection and set up the fans in iCUE. 

The fans have a return data signal. This is what the Commander Cores use to "autodetect" the fans. If that has a bad crimp (which I've seen in several fans) on that port or a bad solder on that return line, it won't get autodetected. That doesn't mean that the fan is bad. So ... do the manual detection as was suggested several messages ago and get back to use with the results of that. It doesn't appear to be what you want to hear as you keep blocking that out but that's the next step that you need to do. 

Per my last message I did set the fans to manual for detection purposes.  Thanks for your concern.

[Sassums]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:10 AM, c-attack said:

Most Corsair RGB controllers are serial and that is exactly how it works — bad fan #2 knocks out fans 3-6. However, the two Commander Core/XT controllers have independent RGB circuits so the bad fan should be the only one affected. Would it cause the auto-detect to fail?  Good question.  I am not exactly sure how it works, but given you can mix and match it should be performing some type of additive LED calculation for the total rather than attempting to assess all of them as a group. Unlike all the other controllers you can skip RGB ports. 
 

As a final test, move the misbehaving #2 to RGB port 6 (or just somewhere else). Then move one of the working fans from 1/3 to the #2 port. You’re checking to see if that former #2 fan works at all and/or if the #2 RGB port is bad. This should make it fairly plain for Support as to whether you need a new ML-Elite or a new Commander Core. If you do need a new Com Core, ask to do an advanced RMA. This is the standard pre-ship and credit card hold until bad product received. The Elite AIO cannot function without the Commander Core so sending that back either puts you down for a while or you have to go to a back up cooling method. 

So I flipped them around (using ports 5 and 6 on the Commander unit that powers the CPU Cooler) and the same front fan on the case will not light up.  So it would seem it is the fan that is the issue rather than anything else.

[Sassums]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:10 AM, c-attack said:

Most Corsair RGB controllers are serial and that is exactly how it works — bad fan #2 knocks out fans 3-6. However, the two Commander Core/XT controllers have independent RGB circuits so the bad fan should be the only one affected. Would it cause the auto-detect to fail?  Good question.  I am not exactly sure how it works, but given you can mix and match it should be performing some type of additive LED calculation for the total rather than attempting to assess all of them as a group. Unlike all the other controllers you can skip RGB ports. 
 

As a final test, move the misbehaving #2 to RGB port 6 (or just somewhere else). Then move one of the working fans from 1/3 to the #2 port. You’re checking to see if that former #2 fan works at all and/or if the #2 RGB port is bad. This should make it fairly plain for Support as to whether you need a new ML-Elite or a new Commander Core. If you do need a new Com Core, ask to do an advanced RMA. This is the standard pre-ship and credit card hold until bad product received. The Elite AIO cannot function without the Commander Core so sending that back either puts you down for a while or you have to go to a back up cooling method. 

Just wanted to thank you for all the help.

Got the replacement fan today and had the same issues. 

Did some trouble shooting and narrowed it down to the RGB extension cable Corsair installed and believed it to be bad.  Bypassed it and the fan lit up.

Upon further investigation it appeared that when manufactured the extension wasn't plugged in correct and instead one of the pins was bent to the side missing the connector altogether. 

So I am not sure if that was the fix or if the fan was by BUT everything is finally lit up. 

And I was able to run all the fans on 1 Commander XT and 1 Com Core from the AIO unit.

[c-attack]

Ugh…. You’re the second person recently to report defective/improperly installed cable. I need to add that to check list when assessing this. Good job solving this. 

[Sassums]

14 hours ago, c-attack said:

Ugh…. You’re the second person recently to report defective/improperly installed cable. I need to add that to check list when assessing this. Good job solving this. 

I think the auto detect is still wonky and to my knowledge did not detect every fan but when I went and manually set it it was able to get everything going correctly.