Fan Speed Issues using Commander pro

Hello All,

First time post on here and I am having an issue with my fan speeds and not adjusting down below ~1300 RPM. I will provide the best information I can with potential fixes I have tried.

Specs are as such:

i7 8700, ( air cooled from the Motherboard 4 Pin Fan header)

Asus ROG Strix 2070s

32 gb Ram

700W PSU

5 Fans All plugged into the Commander Pro:

- 1 SP Fan Over top of the CPU cooler (Working properly and the speed can be adjusted by iCue)

- 1 AF Exhaust (Came with the case fan- Can be adjusted with iCue)

- 3 AF 120mm 3-pin fans for the case (all of which CANNOT be adjusted using iCue) Link

The fans in question cannot be adjusted using iCue and consistently spin at ~1300 RPM, but they CAN be increased to ~15 or 1600 RPM with custom fan curves.

The Fans in question are using the GPU Package as the sensor and even with custom fan curves it does not solve the issue.

I am looking for a solution to get iCue to make these fans work, OR alternate software, OR a recommendation to get these fans to work.

My thought was to use my other 4 PIN fan header (non-CPU) on the Motherboard with a splitter to control these 3 PIN AF 120's, but would that work? Can a 4 PIN header control a 3 PIN fan with modulated speed? Isn't that what the Commander Pro is supposed to do?

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Cheers,

Go to CUE settings and change all the fan port settings from "Auto" to 3 pin. This is not normally an issue for DC 3 pin fans, but then most people are using PWM with all these RGB models.

Make sure you have properly applied your fan curve to all the fans. This is the number 1 new user mistake by far. When you click on the fan profile (left), it should highlight yellow. Then click all the fans on the right you want to run that profile. They will ring yellow to show they are in step.

Stay off the three presets (quiet/balanced/extreme). They will produce this condition regardless and are not adjustable. You seem to have already done this, but if you need to use CPU temp as the control variable for whatever reason, create a custom curve to do so. That will let you set your own control points.

I'm guessing the three AF120 (LED?) fans on the front are on a case controller (5, 7, 12v), so they will not appear in CUE.

Nearly every CPU fan header (and MB headers in general) are dual 3/4 pin DC/PWM combatable. Most are auto sensing these days. Only on very low end budget boards will you see specifically assigned CPU fan = PWM, case fan = DC type assignments. I am not familiar with your board, but you can likely verify in the MB online manual.

Go to CUE settings and change all the fan port settings from "Auto" to 3 pin. This is not normally an issue for DC 3 pin fans, but then most people are using PWM with all these RGB models.

 

Make sure you have properly applied your fan curve to all the fans. This is the number 1 new user mistake by far. When you click on the fan profile (left), it should highlight yellow. Then click all the fans on the right you want to run that profile. They will ring yellow to show they are in step.

 

Stay off the three presets (quiet/balanced/extreme). They will produce this condition regardless and are not adjustable. You seem to have already done this, but if you need to use CPU temp as the control variable for whatever reason, create a custom curve to do so. That will let you set your own control points.

 

I'm guessing the three AF120 (LED?) fans on the front are on a case controller (5, 7, 12v), so they will not appear in CUE.

 

Nearly every CPU fan header (and MB headers in general) are dual 3/4 pin DC/PWM combatable. Most are auto sensing these days. Only on very low end budget boards will you see specifically assigned CPU fan = PWM, case fan = DC type assignments. I am not familiar with your board, but you can likely verify in the MB online manual.

I am in fact using a custom fan curve, they don't move below 1300 RPM or above 1500 or 1600. Also, the specific fans that are 3 pin are selected to 3 pin in settings.

I also have made sure to set the fan curve for those specific fans. This does not change the issue with those fans.

Also, the three AF's that are having issues are NOT connected to a case controller, they are in the commander and appear in iCue but it doesn't do anything to their speeds. They can go from 1300-1500 RPM.

thank you though for the help!

How did you connect the front 3 AF120s to the Commander? The wiring that comes with the 780T will not work as a splitter and was designed to work with the knob controller. Are they connected individually?

The AF series run in a higher voltage range (7-12v) than some other DC fans. However, at 7 volts I would still expect a lower minimum speed that 1300/1650 rpm. I don't have any AF120s around to test, but I did run this on my AF140s and they do drop down to ~550/1100 rpm I expected. I would expect the AF120 to be able to get down to 900 rpm or thereabouts.

Can you post a screenshot of your fan profile?

How did you connect the front 3 AF120s to the Commander? The wiring that comes with the 780T will not work as a splitter and was designed to work with the knob controller. Are they connected individually?

 

The AF series run in a higher voltage range (7-12v) than some other DC fans. However, at 7 volts I would still expect a lower minimum speed that 1300/1650 rpm. I don't have any AF120s around to test, but I did run this on my AF140s and they do drop down to ~550/1100 rpm I expected. I would expect the AF120 to be able to get down to 900 rpm or thereabouts.

 

Can you post a screenshot of your fan profile?

Hello! Thanks for the reply.

The 3 AF 120's are simply connected using the fan's connector to the Corsair Commander Pro Slots. They fit fine, just that they are 3 pin fan connectors going to the (potentially) 4 pin headers on the commander.

This might sound strange but I feel like they USED to be quieter and slower. In the past couple of weeks (I can't identify anything I have blatantly changed) they have lost the ability to go down below 1300 RPM and I feel like it is due to something on the commander or iCue. OR they actually don't have this ability and I am just paying more attention to it now.

Firmware and updates and uninstalling/reinstalling have not helped.

The Fan curves are custom and are set to sit about 600 RPM till 55-60ish then ramp up towards maximum when they get to 65-70 degrees. That being said, Even setting the system to a FIXED RPM setting for those three fans, and then putting those to 0 or something lower than 1300 does absolutely nothing. They can only go up to around 1600. So their range is 1300-1600 RPM is.

https://gyazo.com/06d65558a7704c78e9ea21fba168c35b

The bottom three fans in the stack are the AF 120's. One of them is going off of the CPU sensor as it blows directly into the path of the CPU. The other 2 are on the GPU package Sensor.

It seems unlikely to be a fan hardware problem, if three independent AF120s on three different headers all do the same thing.

I did consider if there was something odd about the AF120 3 pin I didn't remember. There are multiple versions of these things in both LED and "L" form that were included in cases. Sometimes those have slightly different specs, but if it was really a 1300 rpm minimum this would have been a constant issue the last 7 years with a steady stream of users complaining. 1300 rpm on 3x120 is going to be loud and buzzy at the desktop level. I also tested the AF140 and AF140 LED on my Commander and it did run 7/12th of maximum I was expecting.

I thought perhaps the Commander might not be able to do zero mode with a DC fan, but was able to successfully do it the AF140 on both a curve settings and Fixed RPM at the de facto minimum 7v (563 rpm). I know it won't run 550 rpm for you, but it should drop to around the 860-ish the top two fans are showing. That is the minimum I expected for the AF120.

I would swap one of the front AF120s with Fan #1 (rear exhaust) on the Commander and see if it still runs at 1300 (fan issue) or drops to 860 rpm (Commander issue??).

Are these retail AF120s from the usual red/black box? Or are they the ones that came with the case (AF120L)?

**Edit - Try using the fixed RPM mode in the custom curve and drag the speed line up/down to test control. It's possible if there is some type of software problem, CUE can't read the GPU temp and/or locked up and thus it thinks it's is doing the right thing. I am not sold on that since the middle front fan seems to be on CPU temp and not working, while the 1-2 are on CPU temp and do. Also, beware of running other full spectrum monitoring programs at the same time that poll Corsair devices (like HWiNFO or AIDA). Loss of fan control is one of several possibilities. Again, this doesn't seem too likely since you have partial control, but there are not a lot of threads to pull at right now.

It seems unlikely to be a fan hardware problem, if three independent AF120s on three different headers all do the same thing.

 

I did consider if there was something odd about the AF120 3 pin I didn't remember. There are multiple versions of these things in both LED and "L" form that were included in cases. Sometimes those has slightly different specs, but if it was really a 1300 rpm minimum this would have been a constant issue the last 7 years with a steady stream of users complaining. 1300 rpm on 3x120 is going to be loud and buzzy at the desktop level. I also tested the AF140 and AF140 LED on my Commander and it did run 7/12th of maximum I was expecting.

 

I thought perhaps the Commander might not be able to do zero mode with a DC fan, but was able to successfully do it the AF140 on both a curve settings and Fixed RPM at the de facto minimum 7v (563 rpm). I know it won't run 550 rpm for you, but it should drop to around the 860-ish the top two fans are showing. That is the minimum I expected for the AF120.

 

I would swap one of the front AF120s with Fan #1 (rear exhaust) on the Commander and see if it still runs at 1300 (fan issue) or drops to 860 rpm (Commander issue??).

 

Are these retail AF120s from the usual red/black box? Or are they the ones that came with the case (AF120L)?

 

**Edit - Try using the fixed RPM mode in the custom curve and drag the speed line up/down to test control. It's possible if there is some type of software problem, CUE can't read the GPU temp and/or locked up and thus it thinks it's is doing the right thing. I am not sold on that since the middle front fan seems to be on CPU temp and not working, while the 1-2 are on CPU temp and do. Also, beware of running other full spectrum monitoring programs at the same time that poll Corsair devices (like HWiNFO or AIDA). Loss of fan control is one of several possibilities. Again, this doesn't seem too likely since you have partial control, but there are not a lot of threads to pull at right now.

That is precisely my issue lol It is LOUD.

They are in fact the Retail AF 120's that came in a three pack. I Linked them up top and they are virtually brand new so I doubt it is a defect on the fans. I could see one failing but all three seems to be a "feature". I THINK they are a persistent spin fan since they are 3 pin with now PWM management so they go strictly off voltage. But you cant adjust voltage on the Commander Pro with iCUE (I think?).

I will try swapping around the fans but I am almost certain it is that these fans have a minimum speed or something is going on software wise.

Thanks for the help.

That is precisely my issue lol It is LOUD.

 

They are in fact the Retail AF 120's that came in a three pack. I Linked them up top and they are virtually brand new so I doubt it is a defect on the fans. I could see one failing but all three seems to be a "feature". I THINK they are a persistent spin fan since they are 3 pin with now PWM management so they go strictly off voltage. But you cant adjust voltage on the Commander Pro with iCUE (I think?).

 

I will try swapping around the fans but I am almost certain it is that these fans have a minimum speed or something is going on software wise.

 

Thanks for the help.

The reason why I say this, I had an issue with 1 out of 8 Fans. I couldn't control the RPM it was stuck on 900/RPM, then I replaced it with a new the Fan and I was having the same issue.

Zotty on the forum helped me, by telling me about trying the (Forced Firmware Update) and that fixed my issue.

Hey, have you tried doing a (Forced Firmware Update)?

The reason why I say this, I had an issue with 1 out of 8 Fans. I couldn't control the RPM it was stuck on 900/RPM, then I replaced it with a new the Fan and I was having the same issue.

Zotty on the forum helped me, by telling me about trying the (Forced Firmware Update) and that fixed my issue.

I tried but I couldn't find the proper file! That sounds exactly like what my issue is because (again, I could be wrong here) I don't think it used to do this.

Do you know which firmware you updated to? or where I could find it?

His situation was a little different with the #1 fan stuck. This has been a somewhat regular issue, but it’s always fan #1. When it’s not, it’s usually something else and you are able to make them spin up faster.

If you want to try this, it’s CUE settings -> Commander -> check for update. It tells you it’s up to date. Click force update. If it does not work, don’t do this repeatedly. You don’t want to flash the firmware more often than necessary.

What happened with swapping fan 1 and fan 4 or 6?

His situation was a little different with the #1 fan stuck. This has been a somewhat regular issue, but it’s always fan #1. When it’s not, it’s usually something else and you are able to make them spin up faster.

 

If you want to try this, it’s CUE settings -> Commander -> check for update. It tells you it’s up to date. Click force update. If it does not work, don’t do this repeatedly. You don’t want to flash the firmware more often than necessary.

 

 

What happened with swapping fan 1 and fan 4 or 6?

I just tried a firmware update, forced it to go through and nothing changes. The fans spin up to their 1500-1600 when the commander device gets disconnected to perform the update and then back down when it comes back online.

After swapping the rear exhaust fan, and one of the AF 120's the whole system went crazy. Here is what happened:

- The rear exhaust fan WOULD not spin. I tried changing it from 3 pin to 4 pin to auto and nothing. It was recognized but would not start.

- The three other (yes all three) AF fans slowed down! to where they should be but the one that I swapped showed a speed of 0 RPM. Even though it was clearly at about 800.

- I created a new profile to test the fan I swapped to see if I had control over it and it would not move.

- And now one of my fans is Lost. Not recognized. It is spinning, but I can't see it in iCue. Not even when switching 3/4 pin/auto.

I think it may be my commander unit is faulty?

Thoughts? It definitely is not a question of are these fans capable of going slower now. They are. It is something funky going on b/w either the Commander and the fans, or iCUE through the commander to the Fans.

EDIT: I am now trying to force a firmware update to get my fan back and the device is not visible, with the update stuck at 0% and it won't budge.

EDIT 2: I had to uninstall and reinstall iCUE to use it, the commander was locked up in a firmware update and to get the fan to show up again. It didn't fix anything though.

So this is pretty clearly either a Commander PRO is faulty issue, or my iCUE firmware is not recognizing these fans correctly and is doing some funky things. It's like the fan's aren't calibrated right?

There is something weird going on with the Commander and if you haven't already contacted Corsair Support, do that now to get ball rolling.

The fan max on the firmware flash is normal. I don't know how to explain what happened after. It seems like the unit is having a hard time managing the 12v control. That could be a hardware issue involving the DC voltage controller. The only other thing I can think of is if maybe you have a lot of other devices on the same SATA ribbon as the Commander, something like a pair HDDs that are active or something else using a lot of 12v. That doesn't seem likely and while we occasionally see this with the weaker 5v rail, I've never seen it on the 12v. That said, in your screenshot the 12v rail is down around 11.77v. If you were under heavy load for the entire PSU, that might be somewhat normal. I don't think it is at idle. I tried to replicate this and loaded up 6 DC fans on the Commander and I did not get a 12v drop on the Commander's reading. That value is for the device only and not the PSU as a whole. It's also not 100% accurate, but I do think it may indicate a problem either with the supply or the Commander itself.

If you have a couple of 2 way splitters lying around, you may be able to pair up some of the fans on the working headers to until this is resolved.

There is something weird going on with the Commander and if you haven't already contacted Corsair Support, do that now to get ball rolling.

 

The fan max on the firmware flash is normal. I don't know how to explain what happened after. It seems like the unit is having a hard time managing the 12v control. That could be a hardware issue involving the DC voltage controller. The only other thing I can think of is if maybe you have a lot of other devices on the same SATA ribbon as the Commander, something like a pair HDDs that are active or something else using a lot of 12v. That doesn't seem likely and while we occasionally see this with the weaker 5v rail, I've never seen it on the 12v. That said, in your screenshot the 12v rail is down around 11.77v. If you were under heavy load for the entire PSU, that might be somewhat normal. I don't think it is at idle. I tried to replicate this and loaded up 6 DC fans on the Commander and I did not get a 12v drop on the Commander's reading. That value is for the device only and not the PSU as a whole. It's also not 100% accurate, but I do think it may indicate a problem either with the supply or the Commander itself.

 

If you have a couple of 2 way splitters lying around, you may be able to pair up some of the fans on the working headers to until this is resolved.

I really appreciate all of your help on this given there is no responsibility to do so or compensation, so thank you!

I have a 700W Bronze PSU so the 12v may or may not be great since it is bronze rated, but you are right. I was not under load of any kind and that screenshot was at Idle. Either way, I don't think it is an issue of the fans not having enough power since I am trying to get them lower... Which would require less power and should be capable. In fact I can speed them up with what limited control I have available.

I will get a support ticket started for the Commander with Corsair. I also likely have warranty for my purchase with the retailer since I just purchased it recently so I could seek that option as well.

In the mean time, I actually ordered a splitter so that I could try putting these three fans that aren't working directly to the MOBO header for direct control, but that kind of eliminates the purpose of having the commander haha.

Thanks again for the help. I will see what my options are with Corsair and my retailer.

Hi, I had the same problem I had my commander pro for few years working fine but after I replaced my AIO and cable sleeves it happened maybe something shorted, I tried everything suggested reseting, firmware updating , trying different sata cable I dont think i should have power issue using HX1000i

Anyway I went ahead and bought another commander pro and its working fine

Also each time I did the reset I get number showing at the top (2)

how do I remove this, its not big deal doesnt seem to effect anything

Hi, I had the same problem I had my commander pro for few years working fine but after I replaced my AIO and cable sleeves it happened maybe something shorted, I tried everything suggested reseting, firmware updating , trying different sata cable I dont think i should have power issue using HX1000i

 

 

Anyway I went ahead and bought another commander pro and its working fine

 

Also each time I did the reset I get number showing at the top (2)

 

how do I remove this, its not big deal doesnt seem to effect anything

Hey! Thanks for posting with a similar issue. A new Commander Pro solved it? My retailer is going to take care of an RMA for me which hopefully will solve the issue!

Thanks.

Hey! Thanks for posting with a similar issue. A new Commander Pro solved it? My retailer is going to take care of an RMA for me which hopefully will solve the issue!

 

Thanks.

Yeah new one solved it , my original commander pro I had for few years so guess can't get it repaired ? :(

Luckily Amazon had it for same-day delivery I'll put it all together tomorrow so many wires to neat up gutted I had to buy another commander pro

Hopefully replacement sorts it for you ,

Yeah new one solved it , my original commander pro I had for few years so guess can't get it repaired ? :(

 

Luckily Amazon had it for same-day delivery I'll put it all together tomorrow so many wires to neat up gutted I had to buy another commander pro

 

Hopefully replacement sorts it for you ,

Thanks for the report. Yeah fingers crossed it will work.