Commander Core + Commander Pro ?

Hey guys, this is my first post here.

This is also my first time building a PC, so forgive my ignorance. I've always bought pre-built gaming systems in the past, but thought I would finally give it a shot myself. Turns out, it can get pretty confusing lol.

So I've ordered pretty much all of my parts, and I'm down to my AIO and case fans. Last night I purchased the new H150i Elite Capellix 360mm cooler. My case is going to have a total of 9 fans, x3 on the bottom, x3 on the side and then the 3 mounted to the 360mm radiator on the top. (It's a Lian Li 011 Dynamic case by the way).

Now I know the Capellix comes with the "Commander Core", but I believe that's only enough to run the radiator fans, and 3 more fans for a total of 6. So that leaves 3 fans unaccounted for. The 6 that I'm installing on the bottom and side are going to be the Corsair QL series fans. So do I need to get one of the bundles with the Commander Pro? I'm not sure if the Core and the Pro can be daisy changed together or not though?

I appreciate any help, and apologies for any confusion or lack of details.

The Commander Pro and Commander Core can be used at the same time. Each connects back to the system via USB 2 and they will each show up as a separate device. However, adding another controller of that size seems a bit unnecessary for what you are doing. You may want to consider getting a less expensive powered PWM hub/repeater that gets power from the PSU (SATA) and then runs 1 PWM wire to 1 port on the Com Core. All fans on the hub/repeated run the same speed, as specified in the CUE software. That would allow you to put 3-6 fans on the PWM hub without needing another large controller. There is no reason you need individual fan control over fans with the banks of three on each side. Another option would be motherboard/BIOS control, whatever is available.

Do make sure you get at least 1 multipack of QL120 x 3. You will need 1 Lighting Node Core to handle lighting power/control for 3-6 of the QL fans.

The Commander Pro and Commander Core can be used at the same time. Each connects back to the system via USB 2 and they will each show up as a separate device. However, adding another controller of that size seems a bit unnecessary for what you are doing. You may want to consider getting a less expensive powered PWM hub/repeater that gets power from the PSU (SATA) and then runs 1 PWM wire to 1 port on the Com Core. All fans on the hub/repeated run the same speed, as specified in the CUE software. That would allow you to put 3-6 fans on the PWM hub without needing another large controller. There is no reason you need individual fan control over fans with the banks of three on each side. Another option would be motherboard/BIOS control, whatever is available.

 

Do make sure you get at least 1 multipack of QL120 x 3. You will need 1 Lighting Node Core to handle lighting power/control for 3-6 of the QL fans.

the above is great advice.

i would probably also go the PWM repeater route to simply things.

here is my set up.. its not what you are after but does show the use of pwm repeaters... 32 fans.. 1 commander pro

http://i.imgur.com/Q2bE2bml.jpg

and here is one where all fans are powered from the H150i AIO.

http://i.imgur.com/AtwxHpIl.png

Push/pull concept

http://i.imgur.com/qc0FjKIl.png

I should receive a H150i Elite soon. soon as its in my hands i will be able get some diagrams up and have more details to share.

all images are clickable for full res...

I have the exact same build and I'm having the same problem. I'm gonna connect everything and test it today to see if it works daisy chained and will let you know. If I had one more USB2.0 header on my motherboard I would be fine.

Daisy Chaining the Commander Core into the Commander Pro makes the fans and lights work but the Commander Core is not recognized in ICUE so you can't change fan colors or speed.

I should receive a H150i Elite soon. soon as its in my hands i will be able get some diagrams up and have more details to share.

Thanks Zotty, I'm interested on maximum current and how many fans that we can plug into this commander core with splitters.

Thanks Zotty, I'm interested on maximum current and how many fans that we can plug into this commander core with splitters.

either way you are going to be limited by the Sata Power Connector. so i would have thought given it has to power both the RGB and the Fan speed and its MCU.. i doubt its going to be much more than its design of 6 fans... should be no reason why you couldnt put PWM repeater hubs on for more fans, but doubt its going to do the RGB of more than 6 fans.

Hey' can anyone help me with a issue I'm having which I noticed after replacing the first Faulty Fan.

On my setup I have 8 Fans total, now I only have 6 Fans directly to The Commander Pro and I have 2 Lighting Nodes connected to it.

- The Commander Pro has 6 QL 120mm Fans powered and all 6 lighting wire are connected to 1st USB Lighting Node.

- On the 2nd USB Lighting Node I just have the 2 QL 140mm Fans lighting wires connected, because I have the Fans powered by the NZXT Z63 and I can control the RPM through NZXT CAM.

- The first time I set the system up the 6 QL 120mm Fan light wasn't working, but it was powered and the fans are (Blowing Air)

-> I read someones comment on Corsair to switch the wires around and that kind of fix the issue for me, but this time around 1 out the 6 was not lighting up? I was able to control the fans RPM, except for that 1 Fan and it would stay stuck at 900/RPM.

- So, I went ahead and purchased another pack of 3 Corsair QL RGB, I replaced the faulty fan and there we go the fan is powered up and the lighting works!

** So here's the problem**

That new Fan I just installed, I can't control the RPM it stays stuck on 900/RPM, other Fans I can control ... What could be the caused of the New Fan not being able to go higher than 900/RPM?

Hi buddy... try a forced firmware update on your commander pro in icue settings...

one thing.... have you hot swopped on that header? as in. unplugged and/or replugged in to the commander pro while the system is running?. this is known to kill the headers.. doesnt happen everytime.. but can do!

Hi buddy... try a forced firmware update on your commander pro in icue settings...

 

one thing.... have you hot swopped on that header? as in. unplugged and/or replugged in to the commander pro while the system is running?. this is known to kill the headers.. doesnt happen everytime.. but can do!

Thank You!!:headbang:... The forced firmware update fixed it!:sunglasse

YAY!!! glad you are sorted man

Hi slider and zotty,

Did either of you get your builds done with the h150i elite capellix? I grabbed one on sale this weekend and I'm planning to build in a Lian Li pc-011 dynamic or dynamic xl (still deciding). So like the OP I will have either 6 or 7 (xl) case fans in addition to the 3 that come with the h150i. I want each fan to be individually addressable. I've read elsewhere in the faqs and forums sometimes you need to have the same kind of fan on the same controller (ex all ML or all SP), is that true with the new commander core too?

Honestly I'm a little frustrated with corsair about the ml120 rgb pro fans for sale separately. They only have 4 leds per fan, while the ML120s with the h150i elite capellix are 8 rgb per fan. I wanted them to all match. It seems like going with sp120s might be the best from an rgb asthetics point of view, but I'd prefer magnetic levitation ones if they were available with the same 8 rgb leds per fan.

Back to the original question, for my potential setup I'm ok to use pwm splitters (3 side fans can be together, 3 bottom together, 3 aio even together, 1 rear separate if I go with the xl case). So would this be the best setup?

1 USB 2.0 header to commander core

Pwm 1 thru 3 connect to included aio fans

Pwm4 split 3 ways to side 3 fans

Pwm5 split 3 ways to bottom 3 fans

Pwm6 to the 1 rear fan (for xl case only)

Rgb1 thru 3 connect to included aio fans

Rgb4 to rear fan

1 USB 2.0 header to lighting node core

RGB 1 thru 3 to side 3 fans

RGB 4 thru 6 to bottom 3 fans

This seems like it should be OK to me, but I was curious how icue would know which fans were specific to the Aio and if it was really OK to connect the case fans to the remaining empty ports (or if the included commander core only had 6 ports for the situation of using 3x push/pull on the 360 aio)

Thanks in advance for your advice guys!

hi buddy..

pwm splitters.., i assume you mean powered PWM hubs?.

not sure with the Commander Core. But Commander Pro didnt get on with none powered pwm splitters once you went over 2. and was known to kill the headers.

to add.. its all sata powered. so you have a 4.5a limit at that connection.

given its has to run its pump/mcu/rgb. not so sure going over 6 fans with out powered pwm hubs is a great idea....

Daisy Chaining the Commander Core into the Commander Pro makes the fans and lights work but the Commander Core is not recognized in ICUE so you can't change fan colors or speed.

Dredging up the past here. But I recently got a Commander Core with my Corsair H100i Elite Capellix AIO.

I was intending to add 2 or 3x of the QL120 fans to this commander core. But reading what you wrote, it would seem that I would not be able to alter the color scheme or fan speed on these fans as they are not the same ones used on the H100i?

Dredging up the past here. But I recently got a Commander Core with my Corsair H100i Elite Capellix AIO.

I was intending to add 2 or 3x of the QL120 fans to this commander core. But reading what you wrote, it would seem that I would not be able to alter the color scheme or fan speed on these fans as they are not the same ones used on the H100i?

Hi Buddy.

yes you would be able to change the color of the QL fans. but certain sequential RGB effects will play wrong.

Hi Buddy.

 

yes you would be able to change the color of the QL fans. but certain sequential RGB effects will play wrong.

Wrong as in, I would be able to set them up, as if they were the same kind of fan that was included with the H100i, but not as if they were their own individual kind of fan?`

Also, will I be able to customize fan speeds?

Much appreciate the reply :biggrin:

Hijacking this topic a bit, but if I have a commander PRO, an RGB led fan hub and a Lighting Node CORE with 7 QL120 fans is it just a powered fan hub I need (to power some of the fans)? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B5F5VKM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1 Like that cause it powers off of SATA?

I'm switching over to a corsair water cooling solution and will have 2x360 rads and the 7 fans split over 3 on each rad and 1 at the back of the case.

Cheers

Hijacking this topic a bit, but if I have a commander PRO, an RGB led fan hub and a Lighting Node CORE with 7 QL120 fans is it just a powered fan hub I need (to power some of the fans)? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07B5F5VKM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1 Like that cause it powers off of SATA?

 

I'm switching over to a corsair water cooling solution and will have 2x360 rads and the 7 fans split over 3 on each rad and 1 at the back of the case.

 

Cheers

Every Corsair RGB Hub (whatever the kind) has room for 6 fans, so if you have a RGB Led Hub and a Lighting Node Core you will be ok any kind of fan you have (be aware that if your 7 fans are let's say LL and QL, you will have to connect each kind of fan to a different hub). Mixing different fans on the same hub can bring weird effects.

On RPM side, IMHO you have 3 solutions:

1) use a Y splitter and bind the rear fan to one of the 2 radiators

2) Buy a couple of selfpowered fan hubs (like the one you linked) and group each radiator's fan so they act the same. This will take up 3 CoPro's ports.

3) Don't buy anything and connect the rear fan to a mobo's header. This won't allow you to control the rear fan through iCue.

Baio

Hi all, my turn to hijack this topic.

@Zotty ok so I have the Corsair 5000D Airflow, the H150i Capellix 360 AIO, and 10 extra ML 120 fans (total 13 fans) 3 RGB front and 3 RGB side, original 3 RGB AIO set to push inside the top mounted Rad set to exhaust, 3 non RGB in pull on top of the rad and 1 non RGB as rear exhaust. The 6 on the Rad are all connected to the Com Core as well as the rear fan via an PWM splitter.

The 6 fans on the front and side are connected to the PWM Repeater that is with the 5000D Airflow and atm they are connected to the MB (Strix Z590-3 with an i9 11900k) and using the bios to control the intake, they are also connected to their own RGB hub and Lighting Node.

Would I be better off connecting the 6 on the rad to the Com Core 1,2,3 via PWM Splitters, the 6 on the front and side via the PWM Repeater into Com Core 4, and the rear fan into Com Core 5. This would leave me with 1 free fan header on the Com Core, but if I am correct I could control all fans then, knowing that the front and side ones would be at the same speed but controllable all the same.

13 fans is somewhat interesting to setup without a Com Pro, just using what I have. Thx in advance.