How does a Hub works?

[cutelittlebabyboss]

Hi guys, I'm planning to build a pc with 10 ARGB fans(Deepcool CF120) and 1 Cpu cooler(Coolermaster MA620M). Firstly, I need a hub to connect all the ARGB and PWM connectors together, but there aren't much ARGB and PWM Hub with 10 or more connectors of argb and pwm each on it. Secondly, How does a Hub actually works? Some says the sata or something, is sata coming from the power supply or the motherboard, and after i connect the sata from somewhere to the hub, i have heard that i need to connect another cable from the hub to the motherboard, how does it really works???? So i'm getting a ARGB and PWM hub, but not much manufacturers have 10 argb and pwm connectors hub, can someone suggest one to help me? How does a hub works? where does it connect from(motherboard or psu) and where does it connect to(motherboard which connector or pin or something)? FYI, i'm getting Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) and Lian Li O11D case. Wish to hear your reply soon, thanks!

[VioDuskar]

honestly, it depends on the fans, the motherboard, and the hub. 

most hubs i've seen use the standard LED pinouts, and just distribute the signal, so nothing can be addressed individually. with the exception of some really brand specific stuff, using brand specific connectors. 

[Paroxy]

As an example:

 

The CORSAIR Commander PRO is powered via a SATA power cable.  It connects to the motherboard via a 9-pin USB2 header.  Fans and RGB are controlled by Corsair's iCue software.

 

If you need to 10 fans controlled like this you'll probably need 2 hubs.

 

This Cooler Master RGB Controller/Hub recommends using splitter cables to control more fans or LED strips.

 

Here is an ARGB splitter cable: https://www.newegg.ca/p/1W7-00AW-00005?Description=rgb splitter&cm_re=rgb_splitter-_-1W7-00AW-00005-_-Product

[cutelittlebabyboss]

1 hour ago, Paroxy said:

This Cooler Master RGB Controller/Hub recommends using splitter cables to control more fans or LED strips.

 

I actually wanted to use the Cooler Master ARGB and PWM hub, however it is only meant for cooler master fans and i found out that the fans they sell have a lot of bad reviews.

1 hour ago, Paroxy said:

It connects to the motherboard via a 9-pin USB2 header.

So what you meant here is that the hub is powered by the SATA power cable which is from the Power Supply? Then I connect the hub to the motherboard with a 9-pin USB2 header? Then if i'm using a china pwm and argb no brand hub, how do i control the argb fans? Do i use the app for DeepCool or motherboard app or something else? Can you quote them individually and reply, thanks!

[Paroxy]

Usually the cheap China ones just have an remote control you can pick colors from. If you can send me links to something you're looking at I can look into for you and figure out how they work.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

8 minutes ago, Paroxy said:

If you can send me links to something you're looking at I can look into for you and figure out how they work.

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=608682516227&_u=t2dmg8j26111 it has rgb(12v) and pwm, argb(5v) and pwm hub. There is 2 different connectors for each, one is 大4D which idk what it is and one is sata. Can you figure out where the sata power cable comes from, the motherboard or the power supply? and where does the hub connects to the motherboard, which pin as i heard that there is one in (sata cable)and one out(idk where the out goes)for the hub. Thanks!

[Paroxy]

Power supplied by a SATA power connection on the bottom.

 

ARGB connector at the very top connects to your motherboard.

 

The 2 pin connection at the very top is the PMW connection on of the fan headers on your motherboard.

 

You would use your motherboard software to control the ARGB and fan speeds.

 

If do you get this one it comes in different configurations. So make sure it's 5V and has the SATA power socket.  There is a 5V one with a Molex power socket as well if you prefer that.

 

 

[cutelittlebabyboss]

1 minute ago, Paroxy said:

2 pin connection at the very top is the PMW connection on of the fan headers on your motherboard.

PWM? I thought pwm fans are 4pins?

[Paroxy]

Just now, cutelittlebabyboss said:

PWM? I thought pwm fans are 4pins?

This card doesn't need the 2 power pins from the PWM fan header on the motherboard because it gets it's own power from the SATA power connection.  So to save space they put a 2 pin socket on it.  It may or may not come with that cable, the listing doesn't specifically say if it does or not.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

1 minute ago, Paroxy said:

This card doesn't need the 2 power pins from the PWM fan header on the motherboard because it gets it's own power from the SATA power connection

Wait so, i just need to connect the sata cable from psu to the hub, then i connect the argb and pwms from the fans to the hub and it is done? the argb 3-pin and pwm 2-pin at the top is just useless?

[Paroxy]

The 2-pin PWM cable and ARGB cable at very the top of the card connect to your motherboard so you can control fan speed and your set RGB colors / patterns. 

 

The SATA power cable from your PSU just provides power for the fans and LEDs.

 

You could connect to the card only the SATA power cable and your fans, and your fan RGB cables, but you then won't be able to control fan speed or your RGB.

[Paroxy]

Or look at this way:

 

In the attached image is a fan header on your motherboard.

 

Pin1: Ground

Pin2: 12 volts DC

Pin3: Fan Speed Sense

Pin4: PWM Fan Speed Control

 

Because that card is powered by the SATA power cable, it doesn't need the power from your motherboard on PIN1 and PIN2.

 

PIN3 and PIN4 allow your motherboard to read the fan speed (Sense) from the card, and set the fan speed (PWM) on the card.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Paroxy
Clarity

[Paroxy]

Lastly I should point out that it is "dumb" card.  As in, it doesn't do any logic or processing.  It just repeats the single speed and RGB signals it receives at those two connectors on the top and repeats it to all the fans.   From your motherboard software's point of view, it will appear as you have only 1 fan connected.   

 

I can't say for sure if your motherboard will see 1 or 10 controllable RGB sets, but I'd bet on it seeing them all as 1.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

56 minutes ago, Paroxy said:

but I'd bet on it seeing them all as 1.

then how do i control them individually? My motherboard only got 1 Addressable Gen 2 header.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

Ok, so i found that the motherboard i chose before, Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) , isn't compatible with 3600mhz ddr4 ram, so i will change the mobo to MSI MPG X570 GAMING EDGE WIFI. and it has only usb 3.2 internal connection, and my case has usb 3.0, is it backwards compatible?

 

[Paroxy]

The Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) is compatible with 3600 speed memory.

 

Your case's USB 3.0 ports will work just fine connected to a USB 3.2 header.

 

That motherboard also has 5 fan headers plus the CPU fan header. I would get PWM splitter cables and control the fan speeds in groups of 2.

 

Then get that "Dual 10-way argb pwm temperature control hub hub motherboard synchronous AURA 5v / 12v branch extension one point 10" to connect your 10 ARGB fan cables together, power it with the SATA power cable, and connect it to the ARGB header on your motherboard.  The ARGB header on your motherboard supports upto 120 LEDs.  Those DeepCool fans have 12 LED groups each, so you're right at the limit.  They should synchronize together automatically.

 

By the way, why do you have 10 fans?

[cutelittlebabyboss]

On 4/12/2020 at 12:30 AM, Paroxy said:

The Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) is compatible with 3600 speed memory.

 

Your case's USB 3.0 ports will work just fine connected to a USB 3.2 header.

 

That motherboard also has 5 fan headers plus the CPU fan header. I would get PWM splitter cables and control the fan speeds in groups of 2.

 

Then get that "Dual 10-way argb pwm temperature control hub hub motherboard synchronous AURA 5v / 12v branch extension one point 10" to connect your 10 ARGB fan cables together, power it with the SATA power cable, and connect it to the ARGB header on your motherboard.  The ARGB header on your motherboard supports upto 120 LEDs.  Those DeepCool fans have 12 LED groups each, so you're right at the limit.  They should synchronize together automatically.

 

By the way, why do you have 10 fans?

Wait, so i buy PWM Fan splitter and plug them into the motherboard's chassis fan connectors. Then i connect the argb fans, the rgb lightings to the hub, and the PWM fan cable to the PWM fan splitter. If i do it like this, then it will show all 10 argb fans individually? and I have another question, so the taobao hub i'm going to buy has a 2pin pwm header at the top, how do i connect it to the motherboard which has a 4pin header?

[Paroxy]

1 hour ago, cutelittlebabyboss said:

Wait, so i buy PWM Fan splitter and plug them into the motherboard's chassis fan connectors. Then i connect the argb fans, the rgb lightings to the hub, and the PWM fan cable to the PWM fan splitter. If i do it like this, then it will show all 10 argb fans individually? and I have another question, so the taobao hub i'm going to buy has a 2pin pwm header at the top, how do i connect it to the motherboard which has a 4pin header?

Yes and no.  Each fan as 2 cables, a PWM cable and a ARGB cable. 

 

We are only going connect the ARGB cables from the fans to that Taobao hub, the SATA power cable, plus one more ARGB cable to connect the hub to your motherboard.  We aren't going to connect the PMW cable from the hub to the motherboard.

 

The 5 PWM splitter cables will connect to the 5 fan headers on your motherboard, and 2 fans each.  You'll be able to control the fan speeds in groups of 2.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

26 minutes ago, Paroxy said:

Yes and no.  Each fan as 2 cables, a PWM cable and a ARGB cable. 

 

We are only going connect the ARGB cables from the fans to that Taobao hub, the SATA power cable, plus one more ARGB cable to connect the hub to your motherboard.  We aren't going to connect the PMW cable from the hub to the motherboard.

 

The 5 PWM splitter cables will connect to the 5 fan headers on your motherboard, and 2 fans each.  You'll be able to control the fan speeds in groups of 2.

Ok, so the 2pin PWM Fan header on the hub is completely useless, so i just need to connect the SATA power cable from the PSU to the hub and argb splitter from hub to the motherboard's argb header? Btw, is it possible if I connect a 1-2 argb splitter to the ARGB header on the motherboard and then connect one of the cable to the hub?

[Paroxy]

You only need 1 ARGB cable to connect the motherboard to the hub.  It plugs into the top of hub like in that photo I posted earlier.  I believe your motherboard only has 1 ARGB header any ways.

 

Then, each fan's ARGB cable will plug into either side of the hub.

 

We aren't going to use the PWM feature of the hub because you want finer control of the fan speeds.

[cutelittlebabyboss]

10 minutes ago, cutelittlebabyboss said:

Btw, is it possible if I connect a 1-2 argb splitter to the ARGB header on the motherboard and then connect one of the cable to the hub?

But is it possible if i do that? Can i do that?

[Paroxy]

11 hours ago, cutelittlebabyboss said:

But is it possible if i do that? Can i do that?

That should be fine.

[Aravind Raja]

If you want individual fans control while using a splitter u need gen2 argb fans and gen2argb controller like the A1 from cooler master