H100i LED - Does CorsairLink 2 have to run?

[AlphaBravo]

I have my H100i LED in the processor group and set to change colors based on the processor temperature ("Temperature Mode"). The LED does change colors like it supposed to only if the CorsairLink 2 program has been running. If I boot up the computer, but don't run CorsairLINK 2, the LEDs will not respond to temperature. If I run CorsairLINK 2, and then exit out of the program, the LEDs will respond to temperature.

 

If I have the LED set in the "Cycling Mode," it will cycle even if CorsairLINK 2 has not been running at all.

 

In order to have the H100i LED cycle according to processor temperature, does CorsairLINK 2 have to have been running? Should the LEDs cycle according to temperature even if I haven't run CorsairLINK 2 at all during that computer/boot session?

[peanutz94]

Yes LINK has to be running to use any of the advanced features of the cooler.

[Speed]

All that needs to stay running (at least on this machine) is CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe after CorsairLINK2.exe has initialized it with the profile data. So, you can run CorsairLINK2.exe (the UI) then close it. CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe stays as a remnant in the process tree because CorsairLINK2 doesn't close it when it quits and it remembers the LED data. In this case, that's a feature. All this gets you, though, is the LED color temp change. CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor starts with Windows, even when CorsairLINK2 isn't set to do that. Even without CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe running, the fans spin up when the CPU comes under load, because the current temperature/fan relationship is stored locally by the cooler block.

 

It'd be great if CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe would read the profiles and init on its own. Once you refine a good profile, it should be able to handle all of your load levels; except perhaps for extreme gaming, etc.

[AlphaBravo]

All that needs to stay running (at least on this machine) is CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe after CorsairLINK2.exe has initialized it with the profile data. So, you can run CorsairLINK2.exe (the UI) then close it. CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe stays as a remnant in the process tree because CorsairLINK2 doesn't close it when it quits and it remembers the LED data. In this case, that's a feature. All this gets you, though, is the LED color temp change. Even without CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe running, the fans spin up when the CPU comes under load, because the current temperature/fan relationship is stored locally by the cooler block.

 

It'd be great if CorsairLINK_HardwareMonitor.exe would read the profiles and init on its own, then it could be started standalone. Once you refine a good profile, it should be able to handle all of your load levels; except perhaps for extreme gaming, etc.

 

Thanks for that explanation.

 

I just seemed odd to me that the other things (like the fans spinning up, the H100i LED cycling mode) do not require the CorsairLINK program to run, but the LED "Temperature Mode" does require it to have run at least once. Strange that the LED profile under "Temperature Mode" is not stored locally by the cooler block.

[Speed]

Yeah, I figured it would be but testing proved that not to be the case. Go figure...