QX120 Fans disappeared from iCUE - running, but no lighting effects. (Also have an H150i Question)

[Will2881]

I had a PC built with my case fans being 6x 120mm CORSAIR iCUE LINK QX120 RGB PWM PC Fans Starter Kit with iCUE LINK System Hub.  I downloaded iCUE and everything was fine.  iCUE detected both link hubs, with each tied to 3x QX120 fans.  I want to say this issue arose after updating iCUE.  I turned the PC off for the night and the next morning, upon startup, 3 of the fans no longer have any active lighting effects.  They're running, but no longer detected in iCUE.  iCUE still shows both link hubs, just not the fans.  Now, I left to run some errands the day before yesterday and the PC went to sleep.  When I got home and started it the fans were suddenly detected again, appeared in iCUE and lighting effects were present.  Yesterday upon starting up the PC the fans were once again undetected and all lighting off.  I've tried detecting hardware under the hub option in iCUE & rebooting the PC.  But as of now, they're unlit and don't shop up in iCUE.  Any advice?  The hub is detectable, so I'm hoping its not the issue, could it be a cable going bad?  Also seemed random that after the PC went to sleep it woke up suddenly detecting everything again only to lose it a day later.

 

Also have a question concerning my AIO.  I have an iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT Liquid CPU Cooler, which I believe should have come with its own hub as well, but it has never appeared in iCUE.  I'm not sure if they (CyberPowerPC) included the hub with it or what, as I've only seen the two hubs listed in iCUE and they seem to be tied to the 6x QX fans.  My Dominator Ram & K55 are detectable in iCUE as well.  The LCD display works and shows current temps in Celsius, but I'd like to have control over fan speed and upload a custom image/gif if I want.  Assuming its hub wasn't installed, would it require one of those to enable that functionality, or should I get a Commander Core?

 

I appreciate any help.  I just bought this PC back in February, so it's annoying as hell having something go wrong even if we're just talking about RGB effects.

[c-attack]

Device to software communication is through the USB 2.0 connection on the motherboard (internal).  If a specific device pops in and out of CUE all the time with a Windows USB ding accompanying it, the problem is going to be somewhere in the chain.  The physical cable, motherboard properties, or you need to install your chipset drivers if brand new.  However, why are you using 2 CUE Link Hubs?  Each one can handle up to 14 (soon to be 24) QX fans at one time.  There is no need for a second hub for 6 QX fans.  I would remove the one that keeps dropping out.  You will need a bridge wire to link your 2 x 3QX arrays.

 

The H150i Elite XT (LCD or not) is the prior generation of AIO before the CUE Link system.  It will not use a CUE Link hub.  It does use a Commander Core controller that is PWM/RGB control for 6 PWM RGB fans --- but not QX fans.  Those must go on the CUE Link hub.  In CUE it should appear as the AIO/LCD pump face.  If you have 3 AF-Elite RGB fans from the AIO, those connect to the Commander Core and are controlled from the AIO tab.  If you have QX fans on the radiator, they will be controlled through the CUE Link and specifically the QX Fan tab.  

[Will2881]

It was a prebuilt system so I guess they decided to include both hubs.  So, I need to remove one hub and buy a connecting cable to link the set of fans that are working to the set that are no longer being detected?

As for the H150i, it does have the AF fans.  So, I need to order a Commander Core and attach that to my AIO?  And then the AIO & LCD display should appear in iCUE?  To summarize, I'll use one Link Hub for the 6 QX fans and a Commander Core for the AIO, but then they should all be integrated into iCUE, is that correct?

I'm thinking of adding a Corsair rear exhaust fan, it's just a stock one right now.  If I were to do that I assume I'd just need an additional cable to hook it up to the Link Hub if I get a QX fan?

 

Thank you for your help, just making sure I have my head wrapped around all of this.  

[c-attack]

1 hour ago, Will2881 said:

o, I need to remove one hub and buy a connecting cable to link the set of fans that are working to the set that are no longer being detected?

You may be able to use the cable that connects set #2 of QX back to it's hub.  That would then connect QX-QX-QX to the next QX-QX-QX triple -> then back to the Hub #1.  Where people get caught on this is the tight spaces.  A lot of users need a 90 deg connector to fit into tight case corners.  If you don't, then you should have what you need.  There's no reason to use dual hubs with this number of fans and no other CUE Link devices.  

 

1 hour ago, Will2881 said:

As for the H150i, it does have the AF fans.  So, I need to order a Commander Core and attach that to my AIO?

No, it should be there already.  The AIO gets it's power from the Commander Core.  No Commander Core, no boot and a CPU temp warning 20 seconds later.  You can't run the AIO without it.  The LCD top has 1 USB 2 connector and the Commander Core another.  There should be a splitter on the LCD top so they can share, but not all motherboards like that.  If the AIO + LCD hub continue to be elusive, you may need to look at a powered USB hub.  Anyone with more than 2 connections usually needs one and some MBs mandate the use from the start because they are a little shaky on USB 2 voltage.  

 

For the new rear exhaust....  if you go QX, you need the single fan and then a bridge cable of some type to connect it back to one of the other 3xQX triplets.  If you get another AF-Elite, it will connect to fan port 4 on the Commander Core.  No other requirement.  Straight plug and play.  Obviously, those two fans look quite a bit different, so choose based on what you prefer.  

 

The CUE Link products array has become really messy and it's hard to sort it effectively right now for the cables.  Here is one example of the 90 deg connector.  It comes in various lengths.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/pc-components-accessories/cl-9011133-ww/icue-link-cable-2x-135mm-with-slim-90-connectors-black-cl-9011133-ww

 

[Will2881]

Thanks, I already went ahead and ordered a Commander Core, didn't think it had one already, two of those shorter cables you linked and one longer cable. along with one QX 120 fan for the rear exhaust.  I'm going to take it to Geek Squad at Best Buy and have them set it up...already have a membership and it'll be free, plus I really don't have any experience with working on PCs.  I'm hoping they'll be able to get everything linked and showing up in iCUE so I'll be able to control fan speed, RGB, & the LCD for all of my fans and the AIO...and then I can just return the commander core and any cable they don't end up using.  Hopefully, that'll get it sorted.

 

If you wouldn't mind, could you send a link of an example of the powered USB hub I might need, so I can know what to get in the event that I run into that problem?  I really appreciate all of the help.

[c-attack]

This is an example of an internal USB 2.0 hub.  Lots of brands work.  There are two key things to make sure it has.  1) The 9 pin "internal USB 2 connectors" like in this example; and 2) It needs to have it's own power delivery.  This is typically a SATA connector like you use for a HDD or SSD.  You don't want the type that has typical external USB plug style connectors and if it doesn't have separate power, it simply adds more load the motherboard port which is often the problem to begin with.

 

Make sure you differentiate between a "Commander Core" and a "Commander Core XT".  The first only comes in AIO bundles and it is an essential component in the power delivery to the pump, plus fan speed and RGB control.  If your pump is running and the AF fans light up, you already have one.  A Commander Core XT (we usually drop the 'Core' in the middle for ease in communication) is a stand-alone PWM fan and RGB controller.  It looks like a Commander Core but does not have the AIO power port on the side.  Instead it gets an extra RGB channel for things like LED strips and other devices, plus 2 temp probes.  The Commander XT cannot control your AIO and you have no use for it since you have the CUE Link hubs doing RGB and speed control for all the QX.

 

One of the more common issues with pre-built PCs is the builders often do not connect the components together in the same way most users would do at home.  It's not always ignorance and sometimes is deliberate it an attempt to "dummy proof" the PC.  In the days past most builders would connect directly to the motherboard, bypassing the Corsair controllers.  This was in case the user did not install the CUE software and the motherboard was pre-programmed to make sure it ran at power on.  It's possible they wired in two CUE Link hubs because you "bought" 2 QX triple packs and there is a hub in each.  I would have put the second in a small box for you, but that is not so important right now.  It's a relatively easy thing to change. 

 

What I am curious about is whether all devices are really connected back to the motherboard.  LCD top, Commander Core, CUE Link Hub 1, CUE Link Hub 2.  That's 4.  No motherboard I know of has more than two, so they must have used some type of splitter.  I suspect it will be an unpowered one and that is the issue, but maybe you'll be lucky and there is a powered hub in there already.  

[Will2881]

So you think if they used an unpowered splitter that's why the Commander Core never showed up in iCUE at all and why the 2nd set of fans stopped being detected?  I went ahead and ordered that hub you linked just in case.  And you're right, I had ordered a Commander Core XT, so I canceled that.  So, to make sure I understand, if everything is properly hooked up the Commander Core should link the AIO with iCUE, correct?

 

Between the two smaller cables, one longer Link cable, and the hub you linked that I bought I should have the components necessary to get this all sorted out, whatever the issue turns out to be, so my AIO & fans are all detected and linked in iCUE?

[c-attack]

The Commander Core won’t show as a separate device in CUE when in AIO mode. If the pump is connected to its side power port, CUE should show you the pump top instead with all fan controls underneath. In your case, it should show the lcd top. 

[Will2881]

But there should be a way for me to control the lighting effects & speeds of the fans on the AIO, right?  I don't want to have my 7 QX fans lit up one way and my AIO fans lit up another.  I want them all to be able to sync.  And I'd like to be able to control what displays on the LCD.

[Will2881]

Side note...I had turned off my PC last night, powered it up this morning and the other 3 fans lit up.  But I went into iCUE and they weren't detected and as soon as I clicked on the Link Hub they were tied to the lighting stopped again.

[Will2881]

I opened up the case and the commander core is definitely there.  I unplugged the Link cable going to the three fans that weren't lighting up and upon starting up the computer again the fans lit up and are detectable/customizable in iCUE.  So now, the issue is the commander core/AIO not showing up in iCUE.

[Will2881]

Any ideas as to why the H170i isn't showing in iCUE?

[c-attack]

On 3/12/2024 at 4:36 PM, Will2881 said:

I opened up the case and the commander core is definitely there.

 

21 minutes ago, Will2881 said:

Any ideas as to why the H170i isn't showing in iCUE?

You'll need to follow the USB cable from the Commander Core to it's end point.  That should be the bottom of the motherboard, but I suspect it's dangling.  That is the communication path and based on devices alone we know they can't all be connected without some external aid.