NZXT Kraken X42 will not power Nocuta fans

[sharndowg]

Good day all,

So I'm a first time water cooler, but long time builder. I just fitted my X42 which arrived a few days ago, very happy with it apart from a seemingly strange problem. It will not power a Noctua Industrial PPC 2000 PWM 140mm fan that I installed instead of the stock one. Whereas if i connect the stock fan, it powers it completely fine.

The (Noctua) fan itself is fine, when its plugged into the fan header on the motherboard its works as it should. So i know its not a faulty fan. The problem lies when it is connected into the X42 radiator and pump system; when the PC is booted, the fan moves and inch then stops, never to move again. It looks physically like it is not getting enough power, and if i try to encourage the fan with a little push to start, it does nothing. It just stops again.

If I use the stock NZXT fan, it spins up perfectly and works normal. now, here is the strange part: if using the stock fan, and I then plug the added Noctua in to the second fan connector on the X42, it spins up also working fine! Not sure where to start with this problem, as mentioned this is my first time with a AIO cooler, this is new territory. Is this normal?

IN A NUTSHELL: The stock fan works on its own, in either fan port on the X42 perfectly. The Noctua does not work in any port if it is the only fan connected. The Noctua works only if the stock fan is present in one of the two fan ports.

Is this strange or is it my ignorance?

I would be grateful if someone with experience can give me a solution. Cheers chaps!

Regards,

6700K
Asus Z170I Pro Gaming
NZXT Kraken X42
EVGA 550 GS
Fractal Core 500

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

What fan header are you using?

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2389193/noctua-f12pwm-case-fan-spin.html?584d79885bcbc=reload

Read last entry in this thread has a quote from Noctua , that another user posted.

 

[sharndowg]

Im using the only cpu fan header available on my board (CPU_FAN). The other two are 4 PIN chassis fans (CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN2) and are not in use.

Regarding the thread you posted, I'll fiddle with the fan profiles in the bios. Thanks. I'll also try another PWM Noctua, I have one in another system.

I will report back. Thanks.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I had a SYSfan header on one of my Gigabyte boards that wouldn't run an industrial.

 

[sharndowg]

So after fiddling with fan profiles in the bios, nothing changed. It's still acting up. I spoke to support at NZXT briefly before being cut off, the guy informed me that indeed this was a strange scenario and he would report it. He told me to adjust the fan profiles in the bios, to which I said I had already (as per this thread).

So we were annoyingly disconnected and shortly after and I decided to fiddle some more. I found that the (Noctua) fan will spin on the X42 if I connect as a 3-pin instead of 4. This leads me to think that there is a problem surrounding the PWM function with the X42 or its compatibility with other fans. I don't think power (or lack of) is the issue, it runs great with two 140mm.

Regarding that, I will just use it with two fans connected for now. I have raised an issue with NZXT and they said they will be in contact again.

Thanks for help,
If i find a solution i will add it to the this thread for others that experience the same problem.

 

[Paperdoc]

If I understand the Kraken manual, this system does NOT use the mobo's automatic control system to control the fans on the Kraken's rad. Instead, it does its own control, using the Kraken CAM software that MUST be downloaded and installed in your computer as an app running under Windows. This software uses some info from the mobo, but establishes its own fan and pump speed control systems, using the pump unit's connection to a mobo USB2 header for communication. Thus,"fiddling with the BIOS" is likely to do nothing for you.

You have not mentioned the CAM software at all. Did you download that, and install it? Is it running? THAT is the tool you should be using to configure how the Kraken system controls its own rad fans. See if its manual tells you what things you can manipulate.

The Noctua fan you are trying to use IS a 4-pin PWM-type fan, just as the original Kraken fan is. There are a couple of differences between the two, but I would have expected that not to matter. So I am surprised, as you are, that it does not. The problem MAY be in the control system's configuration for the fan's minimum speed (sometimes called the fan's Minimum Duty cycle in PWM systems). If you have access to that parameter in the CAM software, try setting its minimum speed to a higher value when trying to use only the Noctua fan. That may allow it to start up properly when the system is cold, as it is when first turned on.

 

[sharndowg]

Paperdoc- Sorry, I forgot to mention the CAM software was installed at the same time as the radiator. I've had a little play around with it, but I had not given it much thought as I assumed the issue was coming from somewhere else. I will definitely have a look into it tonight. Especially minimum speeds. That sounds very interesting. Thanks

 

[sharndowg]

The problem MAY be in the control system's configuration for the fan's minimum speed (sometimes called the fan's Minimum Duty cycle in PWM systems). If you have access to that parameter in the CAM software, try setting its minimum speed to a higher value when trying to use only the Noctua fan. That may allow it to start up properly when the system is cold, as it is when first turned on.

This was exactly it. A surprise to me was that the default setting for the X42 is silent mode not "standard", which in this case has the fan RPM set at lower than the Noctua's minimum fan speed. So after a little RPM fiddling we are cooling normally. thanks fellas. 😉

 

[Paperdoc]

Hurray, you got it to work!
Thanks for Best Solution.