News Hands-On: Corsair's iCue Link Brings USB-Like Connectivity to Cooling Components

[Admin]

Corsair's iCue Link ecosystem makes connecting RGB cooling components a lot like USB. It works well, but adds to the cost.

Hands-On: Corsair's iCue Link Brings USB-Like Connectivity to Cooling Components : Read more

 

[gg83]

I really like this concept. Too bad they use proprietary connections.

 

[spiketheaardvark]

Taking the hint that the author is giving, why are we not just using USB? Data, yep. Power, has that too. Existing standard with wide adoption, that allows daisy chaining, and cheap mass produced components.

 

[LuxZg]

My thoughts exactly. This forces you into their proprietary hubs and components, cost rises a lot, vs USB hub and connectors. Even the additional microcontrollers that need to be added to each component, I'm pretty sure USB beats the pricing simply due to scale that existing USB ecosystem offers. So for me, this is nice idea and all, but - hard pass. Make the same with USB and it will be way more fun.

 

[cknobman]

My DeepCool LS520 daisy chains all its fans and controller together without using a proprietary connection.
Not seeing whats so special about this.

 

[pdegan2814]

My DeepCool LS520 daisy chains all its fans and controller together without using a proprietary connection.
Not seeing whats so special about this.

As I understand it, daisy-chain setups prior to iCUE Link didn't let you control the fans in the chain individually, and chaining together different types of devices was problematic. With this setup, it's less like a daisy chain and more like a network. Each device, be it a fan, RGB strip, All-In-One, etc. that's connected to the iCue Link hub is controllable individually from within the software. In addition, that one cable controls power, speed control, lighting control, and data flow on a single cable.

 

[pdegan2814]

I really like this concept. Too bad they use proprietary connections.

To be fair to Corsair, they aren't the only ones using proprietary connections for stuff like this. Personally, I'd love it if a future USB standard covered these types of connections, but that's going to require the major manufacturers getting together to agree on what that standard should cover. It'll take some time.

 

[khaakon]

Taking the hint that the author is giving, why are we not just using USB? Data, yep. Power, has that too. Existing standard with wide adoption, that allows daisy chaining, and cheap mass produced components.

Yes, and more yes. And I personally think it's so sad that this hasn't been done years ago. Motherboard/PSU/Fan manufacturers should agree on some simple and smart new standards for signaling and voltage to and from external devices. Fans in particular, maybe even that (W)RGB thing.

 

[digitalgriffin]

ILink software has always been universally bad. Like written by a 1st year programmer bad.

Unless there is an onboard controller which offloads the data line handling duties, it's a no go. It will eat up CPU cycles casing you to lose frames. It's hot steaming garbage. It will also need a dedicated power line. USB isn't that powerful.

 

[Sleepy_Hollowed]

ILink software has always been universally bad. Like written by a 1st year programmer bad.

Unless there is an onboard controller which offloads the data line handling duties, it's a no go. It will eat up CPU cycles casing you to lose frames. It's hot steaming garbage. It will also need a dedicated power line. USB isn't that powerful.

Fact. This may be OK for decorative computers, nothing else, and that software can interfere with other polling interrupts, it’s terrible.

 

[Udyr]

Fact. This may be OK for decorative computers, nothing else, and that software can interfere with other polling interrupts, it’s terrible.

This is only OK for decorative computers. These fans won't perform any better by having these connectors and all the gimmicks they bring.

 

[gg83]

To be fair to Corsair, they aren't the only ones using proprietary connections for stuff like this. Personally, I'd love it if a future USB standard covered these types of connections, but that's going to require the major manufacturers getting together to agree on what that standard should cover. It'll take some time.

For sure!

 

[ryanp83]

Corsair's iCue Link ecosystem makes connecting RGB cooling components a lot like USB. It works well, but adds to the cost.

Hands-On: Corsair's iCue Link Brings USB-Like Connectivity to Cooling Components : Read more

So, I just bought the QX120 Starter Kit that comes with 3 fans and the hub (for $159.99) and Corsair only includes a single cable and not the 90 degree one. I am using these in a Corsair 4000D Airlfow case and man that non angled cable is a tight fit. I also purchased an additional QX120 for rear exhaust (very common config) and that was $49.99 and the kicker is that is DOES NOT include a cable to connect to the hub so it is basically un-usable unless physically connected to the other fans. Seriously Corsair? Corsair sells additional cables (no in stock of coarse) for $19.99 plus $9.99 shipping so I need another $30 to even use my $50 fan. I am returning everything and going with some Lian Li fans. I consider myself a bit of a Corsair fanboy (no pun intended) but this is really something else. I would not recommend