Corsair Hydro Series H80i v2 cooler fan running at max RPM and is way too loud!

[troythector]

I have a Corsair Hydro Series H80i v2 cooler installed with Ryzen 5 CPU and Asus Prime B450-Plus motherboard. 

After installing the iCUE v. 4.31.168 software since Corsair Link is EOL, the cooler fan has been running at 2700 RPM constantly even though I set mode to quiet and is very noisy. CPU temps are fine and averages around 46°C, so I'm expecting CPU fan RPMs to be around 1400 in quiet mode.

• Is this an issue with the software or do I need to replace the fan?
• What benefits does the iCUE software have vs the Corsair Link software?
• I even been thinking of replace the fans. Which quiet PWM fans would you recommend?

Thanks,

[c-attack]

CUE 3 was the merger of the former internal devices program (Corsair Link 2) and the external peripherals program (CUE) about 5 years ago.  CUE 4 became the successor to CUE 3 about 2 years ago.  The user interface has changed substantially, but the ability to control fan speeds is not something that has changed.  There is a problem with the setup at the moment.

 

Can you post a screen shot of your "cooling" tab for the H80i v2 that shows the curve set?  Most issues of this type tend to be new user errors learning the interface, although CUE 4 is more similar to Link than it's predecessor.  The values assigned to the Quiet, Balanced, Extreme presets have changed over the years, but there is no reason you need to use them and most users should make their own fan curve.

 

Cooling, click yellow +.  A graph will appear below.

1) Change the "sensor" to H80i v2 Temp.  That is the coolant temperature and best method of control.

2) In the lower right corner are several shape tools.  These match the current presents.  Click the one on the left that should show "Quiet" when you hover over it.  This will apply a starting set of points.

3) Most users (especially if you have a rear mounted AIO) will see high temps when the GPU is under load vs just the CPU.  No avoiding that, but you need to relax the top end of the curve.  Typically the curve becomes aggressive around 40C (sometimes 45C on H80i models).  You want to set a tolerable fan speed for your typical high temp.  For example, if you generally see max liquid temps around 42C and the highest speed you are willing to sustain is 1500 rpm, then set a point at those two coordinates. Save the 2000+ blast for after 50C.  If you reach 50C coolant temperature, there is an issue.  

 

It is unlikely the fans are malfunctioning and the cooler is maxing them out based on coolant temp level.  What is the current H80i v2 temp at idle?  It should be about 4-7C above the room temp or equal to the case internal air temp.  If its running at 40C+ or more right after you boot or you can watch it slowly tick upward from the moment you power on, then there is a flow issue developing.  This is how most AIOs end their life and since it is a "no maintenance product" it is going to have an end at some point.  

 

I never liked those coarse SP120L fans from the v2 coolers and we can definitely find you something with a smoother tone, but it may make more sense to see if the AIO is still in good health  first.  

[troythector]

Thank you for your response.

After creating the Custom curve and played around with the points, I manage to get the temp stable at 47°C with the highest point at of the curve at 50°C. 

I have attached:

• H80I_V2_Cooling_Quiet.jpg which is the untouched Quiet profile which I have been using. I think since the temp was around 42°C which is above the highest point the Quiet profile curve, it caused the fan speed to a constant 2700 RPM.
• H80I_V2_Cooling_Custom.jpg I created as per your recommendation helped but as mentioned, I needed to increase the curve to 50°C. Now CPU temps are stable at 47°C with fan RPMs between 1800 to 1920 which is still much quieter than it was. The higher CPU temp is most likely due to circulation not being great in the Cooler Master Silencio 550 case I am using.
• H80I_V2_Cooling_Custom_Perf.jpg shows the fan RPMs fluctuations as mentioned.

It looks to be working fine now. Thanks.

[c-attack]

The problem is the coolant temp is higher than expected.  This is a relevant measure affected by both room and case temperature.  The curves are written for a standard 20-23C room temp, so if you are tropical or in the middle of a hot Summer, the fans will be loud.  You seem to be seeing temps in the 40-50C range.  If your room temp is 35C, then this is par for the course. 

 

However, I think it is more likely your H80i is starting to slip.  Eventually, the CPU block will get clogged with bits of this and that and restrict the flow.  One way to check if this is in play is to flip the pump speed up to Extreme and watch the coolant temp.  On a working cooler at idle, this should have no effect at all and possible no clear movement at load either.  However, if  you see the H80i v2 Temp drop 2C in a second or two after upping the pump speed, that means it is fighting the blockage in the block.  This condition is degenerative and it will continue to get worse week by week.  You know you are at the end of the line when the liquid temp no longer cools down after load and stays up at those levels all the time.  You may want to start thinking about what you need for a replacement.  If the coolant temp went up 7C when you dropped the fans from 2700 to 1800 rpm, then you are likely out of time already.  It's not possible for the fans to reduce coolant temp by that kind of number, unless the liquid is trapped in the radiator for longer than it should, as a result of the blockage at the CPU cooling fins.  

Edited December 23, 2022 by c-attack