Using Corsair fans without the commander pro?

[Cringe123]

Hello. I got a corsair pc case (corsair obsidian 500d). It came with 3 corsair fans, a commander pro, and an rgb hub. I built the computer and tried to control the fans rgb and speed with icue. I tried for multiple days to get it to work but nothing worked at all. I couldnt even control the fan speed as it just kept glitching out and not showing up the fan control options. I want to plug the fans directly into my motherboard instead of into the commander pro, but it uses this special rgb header that only works with the commander pro. I eventually changed the fans for some other spare cooler master ones I had and removed the commander pro. I can control the rgb and speed perfectly, but these fans have a really annoying whine when at certain speeds, and the corsair ones didnt. Is there any way its possible to use corsair fans by just connecting to the motherboard? I would just buy different fans that dont have the whine but I have no idea what to get. I've tried looking at arctic fans and other cooler master ones but I cant be sure whats good. Thank you.

[minibois]

Corsair fans have two cables on them, a PWM cable (which is standard) and an RGB cable (which only goes with Corsair equipment).

You can plug the RGB wire into the RGB Hub, which goes to the Commander Pro and then to your motherboard USB and control RGB with iCue like that.

Then you can plug the PWM cables into your motherboard directly, into the SYS_FAN connectors (provided you have enough fan headers) and control the fan speed with a fan curve in your motherboard's BIOS.

 

When it comes to Corsair fans, the RGB has to be done with Corsair hubs (unless your motherboard has J_RAINBOW I think? don't remember how that all works), but the fan speed is a standard PWM cable.

[Cringe123]

11 minutes ago, minibois said:

Corsair fans have two cables on them, a PWM cable (which is standard) and an RGB cable (which only goes with Corsair equipment).

You can plug the RGB wire into the RGB Hub, which goes to the Commander Pro and then to your motherboard USB and control RGB with iCue like that.

Then you can plug the PWM cables into your motherboard directly, into the SYS_FAN connectors (provided you have enough fan headers) and control the fan speed with a fan curve in your motherboard's BIOS.

 

When it comes to Corsair fans, the RGB has to be done with Corsair hubs (unless your motherboard has J_RAINBOW I think? don't remember how that all works), but the fan speed is a standard PWM cable.

Ah, I thought you might be able to get an adapter. I have an argb header but corsairs header seems to be different. Do you have any recommendations for fans instead then as I cant use these. It wasnt just the fan speed that was glitching out. The lighting kept randomly breaking every 20 minutes or so and I would have to restart to fix it. I need 4 and a budget of £60

[minibois]

8 minutes ago, Cringe123 said:

Ah, I thought you might be able to get an adapter. I have an argb header but corsairs header seems to be different. Do you have any recommendations for fans instead then as I cant use these. It wasnt just the fan speed that was glitching out. The lighting kept randomly breaking every 20 minutes or so and I would have to restart to fix it. I need 4 and a budget of £60

That fan issue sounds rather annoying

I don't have experience with RGB fans, other than with some Corsair options, so not sure what RGB fan set to recommend.

 

As for normal fans, I have had great experiences with Arctic P12 fans, which can be had well within your budget for a 5-pack.

[An0maly_76]

iCUE software doesn't usually crash or glitch out, so I wonder if your system has some sort of instability issue. I didn't even have that problem when my RAM was unstable. The PWM side can be run from motherboard headers, with splitters, if necessary. But the RGB is something else.

 

Do you have an iCUE case? If so, it should have an iCUE Lighting Node Core screwed to the chassis (steel panel side) that can control the RGB, just not the PWM. In my 3600X rig, just plugged the RGB into the Lighting Node Core in the Corsair 4000X case it used, and used these cables that were recommended me to split the two PWM headers for my six fans.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PXLHNZ6

 

But aside from that, I would recommend updating the iCUE software, and if the Commander is new, exchange it for another. The one you have could be defective.

Edited August 31, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[thrasher_565]

you can get adapters for the fans but they cost alot imo... diy and soldering would be cheaper.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/373207039166?hash=item56e4df7cbe:g:dLEAAOSw7k1iZceK

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/143723544925?hash=item217697415d:g:fSQAAOSwzElgpuoo

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/314097686892?hash=item4921ae596c:g:DgAAAOSw~n1ihZdZ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoPDvrNv%2B4U5V395XQKm8%2B5NBkEbwa%2FkmOh8pdIMQ4%2BnPXvC8Ldqka%2BrtI6ELmchnd3SpQLH%2FdlXDzfcUy7ewCOUB23wUqMPfMHMyKXYWCPRib%2FEzXRrJm8615V8THJLX3FUE41eCwYEcalO5EOrOZ8b26Lgt0FHRg3rdzsi2T4JANJeEhUcA21MsmRwajMu9U0niSG31U%2F7acYH%2FFO7JytA%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR578xfreYA

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/403644685773?hash=item5dfb191dcd:g:nRsAAOSwm4VidkE2&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4NZ8hI8gEm2l42dQalbOkX4K447Dgqd7%2B4Vr6nsoCIueTXfrLH8%2BU9W8teFrBEt27%2FuRmQNzSIf8K4%2BbTiXCAOO382NPYqMbOGKyFMuyPe6PXtEHn3lJSSzev90bk%2BzMEK691JlHFza0ReFQeCSdOn5YS1eLW%2B4D%2B5nkkL2f3YlU2s8YmJdwA9qlL2hj2FQugjfSxy%2FjIS56jOgR2PaWPKk%2Fk%2FudRhSZwh5PMSqGooKjS0A4wPqJO%2BQlO9VY27h05WaVRi084WgP4XLYb1vheCVRG2pNkkRSIWqw2Ng8JCEf|tkp%3ABk9SR578xfreYA

https://www.moddiy.com/products/Corsair-LED-RGB-3-Pin-to-5v-RGB-3-Pin-Female-Connector-Adapter-Cable.html

https://www.moddiy.com/products/Corsair-RGB-LED-Light-3-Pin-Male-to-5v-RGB-3-Pin-Female-Adapter-Cable.html

Edited September 1, 2022 by thrasher_565

[Cringe123]

On 8/31/2022 at 9:13 PM, An0maly_76 said:

iCUE software doesn't usually crash or glitch out, so I wonder if your system has some sort of instability issue. I didn't even have that problem when my RAM was unstable. The PWM side can be run from motherboard headers, with splitters, if necessary. But the RGB is something else.

 

Do you have an iCUE case? If so, it should have an iCUE Lighting Node Core screwed to the chassis (steel panel side) that can control the RGB, just not the PWM. In my 3600X rig, just plugged the RGB into the Lighting Node Core in the Corsair 4000X case it used, and used these cables that were recommended me to split the two PWM headers for my six fans.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PXLHNZ6

 

But aside from that, I would recommend updating the iCUE software, and if the Commander is new, exchange it for another. The one you have could be defective.

I believe my commander pro might have been defective. I gave it to my friend as I dont need it anymore (I got some new fans). The exact same issues are happening for him so I believe you may be right.