NotSteve

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Oct 9, 2016
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Hey everyone,

I've recently been looking into my fans because I'm finding them to be annoyingly loud and I've pinpointed that the loud fan that's causing me these issues is the single stock corsair fan that came with the H80i v2 that I have on the back of my radiator and plugged into the CPU_FAN header. What I want to know is what is the fan speed based off of, is it the CPU temp? Should I get a new fan that is quieter that I can fit in the same place, or should I adjust the fan curve? And if I adjust the fan curve can anyone recommend what I can adjust it to? I don't want to cause any damage here but the noise is too much so I want to do something about it, especially now while I have the time.

Thank you for any answers :)
 
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@NotSteve

I just checked my setup.
Both fans go into a Y-splitter that then goes into the waterblock. Another cable from the same location on the waterblock goes to the MB fan header. Finally there's a mini USB port on the waterblock that I have plugged into a USB header on the MB.

Maybe try running the Corsair LINK software just to check out and adjust settings? Upping the pump speed to performance is worth it all by itself.
I have the same H80i v2. It comes with 2 fans on the radiator (one push, one pull). Do you only have one? Also, make sure your rad is clear of dust. Since it's a small rad just a little bit of dust clog really lowers it's cooling capability.

I use the Corsair Link software (I don't like or need the newer iCUE software). I'll need to check, but I think I have both fans hooked up to the little controller and the controller plugged into an internal USB header.

I find that the 'balanced' (or custom close to 'balanced') setting for the fan speed works best for me and I have the metric set against the H80i v2 temp instead of the CPU temp. Having it on the H80i temp avoids rapid fan ramp ups and downs as the CPU heats up and cools. Instead it's a steady, slow fan ramp up and ramp down. This makes the fan speed increases/decreases less noticeable. Also, in the Corsair software, set you pump to performance speed. There's almost no audible difference and it'll give you another 1-2 degrees of cooling.

Note that I have excellent case air flow and my H80i v2 is working perfectly. Your situation may be different, necessitating different settings.
 
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NotSteve

Honorable
Oct 9, 2016
73
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10,535
I have the same H80i v2. It comes with 2 fans on the radiator (one push, one pull). Do you only have one? Also, make sure your rad is clear of dust. Since it's a small rad just a little bit of dust clog really lowers it's cooling capability.

I use the Corsair Link software (I don't like or need the newer iCUE software). I'll need to check, but I think I have both fans hooked up to the little controller and the controller plugged into an internal USB header.

I find that the 'balanced' setting for the fan speed works best for me and I have the metric set to the H80i v2 temp instead of the CPU temp. For me, this avoids rapid fan ramp ups and downs as CPUs heat up and cools. Note that I have excellent case air flow. Your situation may be different, necessitating different settings.

My airflow isn't great due to room constraints but the moment ikea open up again after lockdown I'm getting a better desk and will have better airflow.

I also only fit one of the fans that came with it because I don't have room in my case for the second. This is the only corsair fan in my system so I don't have any control nodes and I can't switch between modes like 'balanced' or 'quiet' that you have with yours :( My only way of doing it is using ASUS Fan Xpert (or similar software) to create custom fan curves and hope this improves with the noise without sacrificing too much cooling power. I don't know if you think I should totally steer clear of doing this?

I recently cleaned out my PC as well so it should be mostly dust free. I'm leaning towards getting a different fan and replacing the standard corsair one. I've read a lot of articles online saying that loads of people have found these fans too loud.
 
Did you follow the instructions for install?
I'm not referring to a separate Corsair controller. The waterblock itself has a mini USB that you plug into an internal USB header on your motherboard. The fans plug into a little Y-cable that connects to that controller and one of the fan headers (if I remember correctly). I won't be home until tomorrow and will check how I have it set up.
 

NotSteve

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Oct 9, 2016
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Did you follow the instructions for install?
I'm not referring to a separate Corsair controller. The waterblock itself has a mini USB that you plug into an internal USB header on your motherboard. The fans plug into a little Y-cable that connects to that controller and one of the fan headers (if I remember correctly). I won't be home until tomorrow and will check how I have it set up.
From what I can see I've got a cable going from the waterblock to the AIO Pump header on the MB and the fan behind the rad is plugged into the CPU_FAN header.

Update on the fan noise though: I've changed the fan curve and it doesn't seem half as bad now. I'm gonna keep an eye on my temps and the noise to make sure all is well. If that's the case then I might be fine to leave as it is. Even when I'm not gaming the fan is still at around 1080rpm though.
 
@NotSteve

I just checked my setup.
Both fans go into a Y-splitter that then goes into the waterblock. Another cable from the same location on the waterblock goes to the MB fan header. Finally there's a mini USB port on the waterblock that I have plugged into a USB header on the MB.

Maybe try running the Corsair LINK software just to check out and adjust settings? Upping the pump speed to performance is worth it all by itself.
 
Solution