[SOLVED] Deepcool CF120 RGB

Nov 12, 2019
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I'm new to PCs and I would like to buy three Deepcool CF120 RGB fans, but I have a few questions:
-Are these fans good for an aio cooler? If not could you suggest some other ones? (they need to have addresable RGB, PWM and not too expensive).
-Are these fans compatible with MSI Mystic Light? (I don't want to use the stock effects)
-If they are compatible where is the connector on the MB that I need to use? (MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC)
-Last thing, is the cable that I need for the RGBs included in the box or do I have to buy it on my own?
(English is not my main language so I'm sorry for any mistakes)

It would be great if you guys could help me.
Thanks
 
Solution
Yes, those fans seem suitable. Their Air Flow max (CFM) and pressure max (mm of water) specs are reasonable for use on an AIO radiator. As you say, they are PWM type fan motors with ADDR RGB (3-pin, 5 VDC) type lighting units. Their specs say the motor consumes 0.11 A current max (very reasonable) and the lights use 0.45A max (also reasonable) PER FAN. For reference, when you connect more than one fan motor to a mobo SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header, the header is limited to no more than 1.0 A max current to its total load, so three fans at 0.11 A each is no problem. Similarly, your mobo manual says the JRAINBOW header for ADDR RGB lights ca supply up to 3.0 A max, and the fans each consume at max 0.45 A for the lights, so still no problem...

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
Yes, those fans seem suitable. Their Air Flow max (CFM) and pressure max (mm of water) specs are reasonable for use on an AIO radiator. As you say, they are PWM type fan motors with ADDR RGB (3-pin, 5 VDC) type lighting units. Their specs say the motor consumes 0.11 A current max (very reasonable) and the lights use 0.45A max (also reasonable) PER FAN. For reference, when you connect more than one fan motor to a mobo SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header, the header is limited to no more than 1.0 A max current to its total load, so three fans at 0.11 A each is no problem. Similarly, your mobo manual says the JRAINBOW header for ADDR RGB lights ca supply up to 3.0 A max, and the fans each consume at max 0.45 A for the lights, so still no problem.

MSI Mystic Light is the utility supplied by MSI for use with its mobos for RGB light power and control via the mobo headers. It is general enough to work with both their plain RGB (4-pin 12 VDC) and ADDR RGB (3-pin, 5 VDC) RGB lighting systems. As it happens, the mobo you cited has two of the Plain RGB headers and one of the ADDR RGB type. You will be using only the single ADDR RGB type header, labelled JRAINBOW on your mobo - see your manual p. 40, and look at bottom front corner of the board.

Like all other RGB Fans, these ones come with TWO cables from each. One is for the motor only and ends in a 4-pin (well, 4 holes on a female connector) standard fan connector with two ridges down one side to mate with a tongue sticking up beside the mobo SYS_FAN headers. The other is a wider connector with space for 4 holes, but one hole blocked off. This is the ADDR RGB lighting cable that goes to the mobo JRAINBOW header. In each case you may need an accessory cable.

First, for the radiator fans, you have not told us what AIO system you plan to buy. This is important because there are several ways that they power and control their rad fans. The simple way is that the PUMP unit is plugged into the PUMP_FAN1 header (in your mobo) to power and control only the pump. Then the rad fans are plugged into another mobo header (in your case, the CPU_FAN1 header and the normal automatic fan speed control system in that header is used to control the rad fans according to the CPU's internal temperature sensor. IF that is what your system will do, then you will need a simple fan SPLITTER cable able to supply at least three outputs, perhaps like this example

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168124..._re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-12-423-163-_-Product

NOTE that this device has one input arm that plugs into the mobo header (CPU_FAN) and three output arms with male connectors for your fans. Of those arms, one one has all 4 pins so it can return its fan's speed signal to the header; the other two outputs are missing Pin #3 by design, and this is proper. This Splitter does NOT have any other connection "arms". (A HUB, which is a different device, has an third type of "arm" that must plug into a SATA or Molex power output connector from the PSU. You do NOT need that.)

Another type of Splitter that looks like a small printed circuit board (and should be fastened down to avoid it moving and shorting out somewhere) is this

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E168824..._re=coboc_fan_splitter-_-82-422-016-_-Product

With this one, the only output that does send its fan's speed back is the one labelled "CPU", so ensure that ONE of your rad fans is plugged in there.

SOME AIO system do things differenty and control the rad fans through the Pump unit using a software tool and a USB2 cable connection to the pump for commumication. In this case you would need a way to connect your three Deepcool fans to the output socket on the AIO system pump unit. Depending on what that socket is like, you MAY be able to use a common fan Splitter as above.

Now for the LIGHTS. You have three fans with lighting cables, and one JRAINBOW header. So you need an RGB Splitter like this

https://www.newegg.com/p/1W7-005X-0...cm_re=RGB_splitter-_-9SIACJF8XP0023-_-Product

That is a two-pack of 3-pin 5VDC ADDR RGB splitter cables, each with three outputs. Because their output connectors are female, they include gender-changer adapters to convert their outputs to male so you can plug in your fans' ADDR RGB cables.

None of this talks about fans for CASE VENTILATION becasue you have not asked any questions about them. IF you have questions about those, post back here.
 
Solution
Nov 12, 2019
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Thank you really much for your time and the very detailed explaination. About the AIO I actually already have that. It's an NZXT Kraken X52. I took a look at itand it seems like it uses a USB 2 cable that connects to the motherboard and for the fans it comes with a splitter: one end is SATA, the other one goes to the pump and there are 4 daisy-chained fan hubs, so it shouldn't be a problem connecting the fans to the AIO. Regarding the RGB splitter I believe that if you buy the triple fans pack it already comes with a 4 to 1 adapter and a sync cable that ends in a "4 pin with the 3rd one missing" which is the same as the JRAINBOW hub right? So I shouldn't need to buy anything else.
Thanks a lot again
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
Ah, with the AIO spec I can be more specific.

First, the Deepcool fans you prefer are not as powerful as the ones supplied with the NZXT system. The Deepcool fan specs say they can deliver max 56.5 CFM airflow against no backpressure (less against some airflow resistance, of course), and can generate at least some air flow up to 1.63mm water backpressure; above that there is no ariflow. The comparable specs for the AER P120 fans that come with the NZXT Kraken X52 system are max 73.1 CFM and max 2.93 mm water backpressure. Those are big differences. What they mean is that at low to medium workloads and heat generation, the Deepcool fans can keep up with the heat removal needs by running near top speed. But at high workloads they cannot do the job, whereas the original NZXT AER P120's can.

So, if you want alternatives, NZXT sells an ADDR RGB fan with PWM motor, their AER RGB@ unit. But its specs are similar to the Deepcool P120's. I note with interest that NZXT offers those in an AIO system only with a larger 360mm radiator and THREE such fans in a Bundle that includes their X72 AIO system, the three fans, and their Hue2 Lighting Controller box to connect all those fans' ADDR RGB cables. You had planned to use a smaller (240 mm) radiator X52 system with TWO fans.

I've got to go do some other stuff, so I'll leave off here and come back to help look for other alternatives.
 
Nov 12, 2019
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Thanks for giving me the specs cause I actually couldn't find them anywhere. Now that I know them I think that the Deepcool fans should still be fine because I asked a friend of mine that has the same radiator as me and he uses two Corsair SP120 LED which have similar specs (57.24 CFM|1.46mm/H2O) and is having no problems at all. Plus I'll only use it for gaming and I'm not gonna overclock, so I should never reach super high CPU thermals. The reason why I chose the 240mm radiator is beacuse my case doesn't support 360mm radiators, but I does allow up to three 120mm fans in the front. So what my plan is, I mount the radiator on the front with two of the fans and third one will be blowing air straight to the hard drives cage in the lower part of the case. I actually wanted to put the radiator on the top but then I discovered that it's too thick, so I had to improvise a solution. Obviously correct me if I'm wrong and thanks again for the help.
 

Paperdoc

Polypheme
Ambassador
OK, that's a good plan since you are confident those fans will do your job for you. And that explains your rad size and the need for three fans. I won;t bother looking for additional alternatives, then. You will end up with a couple of spare high-volume fans (the two that come with the Kraken X52 system) with no lights in them, so maybe you can use one for the rear exhaust fan in your case. Maybe even a top exhaust IF you think it useful.
 
Nov 12, 2019
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Yes, that's exactly what I had in mind. Now that I have no more questions I'll probably buy the fans next week. Thank you really really much for the help and for your time.