No, you do not. You will control the fans and LED via the Corsair Link software from the provided Corsair Commander hardware that is provided in this kit. You do not need to buy an Corsair Link capable PSU for it to work.
Consider this Commander hardware like a central hub that you can connect any C-Link capable device into, including the PSU, if you wish to do so but aren't require to.
Unlike the HXi and RM series (which are analog PSUs), the AXi is a digital PSU. The AXi allow the most control of the PSU such as allowing you to switch between single rail and multirail (by default, it set as multi-rail - except for the earlier releases), adjust the OCP of 12v rail when in multi-rail mode, the voltage that 12v is at, control the fan speed, monitor power consumption from the wall and what it is delivering, and calculate the efficiency of the unit base on those numbers.
Since the RM series is an analog PSU, it requires an analog-digital bridge in order for it to be used. It doesn't allow you as much control over the PSU, in which you could only monitor the fan speed and voltage of the 12v, AFAIK. It's also a single-rail PSU.
In the intermediate, this analog-digital bridge built-in. It seem that with this unit, Corsair allow pretty much the same amount of control as the AXi series, except the ability to adjust the OCP. Likewise the multirail mode is set as the default with the OCP point at 40A on each PEG, EPS12v, and 24-pin connector, as well as one for every peripheral cables combine.
jayjay_ reacted to quan289 in Corsair Link and RM, HXi, and AXi Series
