Question Need help with nzxt product ecosystem and fan installation.

[Spaceliquid]

How do I setup aer rgb 2 fans with a smart device v2 in a nzxt h510 elite (including daisy chaining) on a nzxt n7 z390? Having a bit of trouble understanding this since I want to buy a pc but not understanding the rgb fans and nzxt ecosystem properly. I know this a very specific case but how do I do this? Could someone help ( pics would be appreciated, thnx

 

[Paperdoc]

The case comes with the Smart Device V2 unit, and there are several connections to make for it. It has one cable that must plug into a SATA power output connector from the PSU for power to this unit. It has another cable that must go to a mobo USB2 header, and this is used for communication between the Smart Device and the NZXT CAM software tool running on the mobo. The Smart Device has two LED output ports - view them as two separate "channels" for power and control of ARGB lighting devices. It also has three Fan output ports for control of fan MOTORS.

There's a detail not clear in their manuals. They appear to say that both the fan motor and RGB lighting components of each AER RGB2 fan are done though a single cable from the Smart Device. Further, only one such connection directly to the Smart Device is needed. Thereafter one uses other cables (supplied) to daisy-chain from the first fan to the second, and so on. This puts all the fans on that chain under exactly the same signals from a single Smart Device output channel, so they are synchronized. The problem I have is: why does the Smart Device have three separate fan output ports? MAYBE I misunderstand, and the fan MOTORS all have their own separate cables that go to these ports, while only the RGB lights in the fans are handled by the daisy-chain system.

Now, the case also comes with at least one ARGB light strip pre-mounted in the case front. The manual suggests that it should be plugged into the unused LED output port of the Smart Device. In that arrangement, the strip lighting effects can be different since they are on a different output channel. BUT the alternative is to use a different cable (supplied) to go from the last fan in the daisy chain to the light strip, so that it also is synchronized with the lights in the fans.

In the Notes regarding the ports of the Smart Device there is a recommendation that you connect your CPU cooler to one of this Device's fan ports so that the CAM software (see below) can control it for good but quiet operation. It includes a note that, if you do this, you will need to tell the mobo in its BIOS Setup screens to Ignore the fan speed of the CPU_FAN header - otherwise it will give out error messages about failed CPU fans, and may even shut down.

If you have other non-RGB fans for case ventilation (I believe one does come pre-mounted in the case rear) they need only fan power and control. You MIGHT do that using another fan output port of the Smart Device. Alternatively, you can certainly plug those fans into any of the six mobo SYS_FAN headers.

Control of both fan speeds and lighting effects is done by the free downloaded CAM software tool. It communicates with the Smart Device via that USB2 connection cable. But it ALSO can control the mobo fan headers for you, so CAM can control all your fans, no matter which place you use to connect them.

 

[Spaceliquid]

So, when the fans are daisy chained, there's only one cable which runs from the daisy chained fans to the smart device?

 

[Paperdoc]

That's right.

 

[Spaceliquid]

So then which cable plugs in to the fan output ports?

 

[Paperdoc]

If you mean the output ports on each fan, that is where you connect the two-armed cable from one fan's output to the second fan's input (and so on for third fan) to form the "daisy chain".

 

[cembot]

Hi,

can you help me with @Paperdoc? I have a NZXT h510 Elite and daisy chained the 2 front fans and added 2 new rear aer fans, 120mm back and 140mm top. I can control all RGB effects, but the Fan Controlon port1 for the front fans doesn't work.. Fan 2 and 3 are adjustable + my X62 aio pump. I don't know where to search for answers anymore.. google, reddit, computerbase...TY in advance

 

[Paperdoc]

I'll need more details to understand.

I believe you have six fans all together. Two are mounted on the radiator of the Kraken X62 AIO system and are connected using a cable coming out of the pump on top of your CPU chip. One of the small lines from the multi-headed cable coming from the pump goes to the CPU_FAN header, and there is another that connects to a USB2 header on your mobo. You are using the CAM software utility to observe and control that AIO system, right? On that you should be able to see the pump speed and the speed of the two rad fans (although only one fan speed will show) and configure those items. You also should be able to "see" the PUMP speed in BIOS Setup shown as the "fan" speed on the CPU_FAN header. Is all that right?

Separate from that, you have four CASE ventilation fans. Two 140 mm AER RGB 2 fans come pre-mounted in the front, and you have also two additional AER RGB 2 fans, a 140mm at top and a 120 mm at rear. I understand that it is the front pair of these four that are your issue - specifically, the control of their speed.

The H510 Elite case comes with a device pre-mounted inside called their Smart Device V2. It requires connections to a SATA power output from the PSU, and to a second USB2 header of the mobo. It does NOT make any direct cable connection to a mobo fan header. It has two output ports for ARGB lights, and you have them working to power and control the lighting in your fans. It also has three output ports for fan motors, and comes with one Splitter that can convert one of those ports to three outputs. If I understand correctly, you have connected all four of your case fans to this Smart Device's ports.

The ONLY control of speeds of fans connected to the Smart Device is via that same CAM software utility. It uses one of the USB2 connection cables to "talk" to the Smart Device. This means there is NO way for your mobo's fan headers to know anything about the case fans that are NOT connected to them. Only the Smart Device, and thus the CAM software, has that info. As far as I can tell, all three of the ports for fans are handled by CAM as separate fan headers and configured and controlled individually. IF you use the Splitter on one of the ports, only ONE fan of the Splitter's group will have its speed reported via CAM, and the others in that group will be presumed to run at the same speed, but not "seen" individually.

The specs for the standard AER RGB 2 fans say they are of the newer 4-pin PWM design. That means the fan motor cable from each will have 4 wires, and end in a connector with 4 holes. BUT please check all four of those case fans, because you MAY have one or two that are an older design with THREE wires and connector holes. IF you have any 3-pin fans, control of their speed may require a different setting.

So, verify if you will exactly where all the fans are plugged in. Also check the wire and connector hole count on the cables from each fan. Within CAM, can you examine separately each of the THREE output ports? Your post indicates that you can, and you observe that some fans' speeds are being controlled (how do you know?) and others are not (what speed indications do you have from those front fans?).