Question Argb fan

[Sashaobr]

Hello, I have

Li UNI ARGB Fan with Controller​

I was wondering, can I use it without pc just stand alone , I am building a laser enclosure, and I want to provide circulation air into it.

 

[Aeacus]

I was wondering, can I use it without pc just stand alone

To power the fans and ARGB controller box, you need: 5V DC SATA power.
However, there is no manual control for the fan LEDs or speed. For that, you still need a MoBo.

I am building a laser enclosure, and I want to provide circulation air into it.

Why would you put ARGB fans into there? I'd just put some Delta Industrial fans into there and call it a day. Or perhaps even Noctua, if you don't need high airflow and are fine with what consumer fans can deliver.

 

[Sashaobr]

• #1

Hello, I have

Li UNI ARGB Fan with Controller​

I was wondering, can I use it without pc just stand alone , I am building a laser enclosure, and I want to provide circulation air into it.
What kind of power supply I will need to have them operate?

 

[Paperdoc]

A lighted fans is really two devices in one unit. There is a FAN MOTOR, and separately some LIGHTS in the frame. The MOTOR requires power at 12 VDC (max) and also includes a way to send back out its speed signal. An 3-pin fan has its speed controlled (reduced) by reducing the VOLTAGE supplied to it on Pin #2 (Pin #1 is Ground). A newer 4-pin fan must have a special PWM Control Signal supplied on Pin #4 to control its speed; otherwise (with no such signal) it will run full speed.

Power for the LIGHTS AND control of their display pattern is done separately from the motor. If no connection is made to these inputs, the lights simply will not operate. For ARGB lighting systems, there are three inputs: Ground, +5 VDC supply, and the Digital Control Line carrying data packets of instructions. Normally ALL of these are supplied from a Controller, either one on the mobo that feeds these signals out on an ARGB Header, or one in a separate ARGB Controller Box that requires at least a 5 VDC power source and Ground, plus some means of issuing configuration settings to set the display.

For simply cooling this laser enclosure, OP should be using a simple fan with NO lights. This would require a modest power source of 12 VDC at up to 1.0 A max current for almost all fans designed for computer case use. Very high-performance fans for larger applications can be had but may need a higher max amps rating. With no other control systems, such a fan will operate at full speed always. Fans of the type OP cited CAN be used with custom connectors arranged for the MOTOR only, but that wastes the ARGB lights that cost money. IF OP wants those lights to WORK then a second power supply and Controller will be needed, and that's getting complicated and more expensive.

 

[Aeacus]

A newer 4-pin fan must have a special PWM Control Signal supplied on Pin #4 to control its speed; otherwise (with no such signal) it will run full speed.

Not quite. All 4-pin PWM fans are capable of operating in DC mode as well, by regulating the voltage they get.

For simply cooling this laser enclosure, OP should be using a simple fan with NO lights.

👍
Exactly what i suggested above. Delta or Noctua and call it a day.

Fans of the type OP cited CAN be used with custom connectors arranged for the MOTOR only, but that wastes the ARGB lights that cost money. IF OP wants those lights to WORK then a second power supply and Controller will be needed, and that's getting complicated and more expensive.

Interestingly, Lian-Li specs sheet shows that the fans connect entirely to the ARGB control box (for both the LEDs and fan power), while only +5V DC SATA is needed to power the ARGB control box. Could be that the fans are +5V as well (even Noctua offers some +5V fans).

Source: https://lian-li.com/product/uni-fan-sl/

 

[Paperdoc]

Further to Aeacus's post above.

About speed control of a 4-pin fan, that's right - it can be controlled by Voltage supplied on Pin #2. My post was not clear on this - I meant to indicate it would run full speed IF the user made the simple connection of a fixed 12 VDC supply to Pin #2.

About the connection system by Lian Li, I see from that diagram that each fan's connection system (and thus their daisy-chain interconnections) uses a single connector. But the cable that connects the FIRST fan to the Controller has TWO cables, and at the controller the two ports they plug into provide separate lines for motor and lights. In turn, the Controller uses three ports to get four inputs: a USB2 communication line for the software utility, a SATA power input for both 5VDC and 12 VDC supplies, and a two-headed cable to connect to the mobo's Fan and Lighting headers for control signals. So the fan motors do operate on common 12 VDC power and PWM control signals. However, the connectors involved to get all that to the first fan of any one group are non-standard, and would require custom re-wiring if one tries to use such fans without the Controller.

 

[Aeacus]

However, the connectors involved to get all that to the first fan of any one group are non-standard, and would require custom re-wiring if one tries to use such fans without the Controller.

And this would lead us back to OP's initial question; In your opinion, is OP able to control the Lian-Li fan LEDs (ARGB) + ARGB controller box without MoBo?

I say no.
Since for LED control, OP either needs USB to MoBo (by using Lian-Li own software) or 3-pin ARGB to MoBo (to use MoBo's own ARGB software). Just using the ARGB control box, with fans, will not give LED control (there are no buttons on ARGB controller for that).