Question The ARGB fan's lighting port's current is not specified ?

[knowledge2121]

I am looking at this fan : TL-C12C-S

The current for the lighting port is not specified.

My board's ARGB headers are rated 3A. Can I connect 8 of these fans to one ARGB header ?

Can I use a multimeter to figure out the current for each fan ? if so, how ?

 

[Lutfij]

Info - Thermalright fan ARGB amps

[Moderator edit: Changing title to Info and moving thread from Components to Opinions and Experiences. Post is not a technical question and based on OP's experiences.] My new setup is the microcenter MSI B650-P Pro Wifi and Montech King 95 (non-Pro) case. I bought 4 types of Thermalright...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[knowledge2121]

So its 0.44A per fan ? I can't find anywhere else to confirm this...I contacted Thermalright and here is what they said:

There are eight LEDs in a TL-C12C-S. And the current is 0.096A in total.

they claim it is 0.096A per fan .... but I highly doubt that this is true!!!!

 

[Paperdoc]

I have read that a ROUGH estimate of LED max power use in such fans is 20 mA per LED - that's 0.020 A per LED. The maker claims each fan contains 8 LED's, so that is 0.16 A per fan for lights only, or 1.28 A max total for 8 such fans. No problem for a header able to supply up to 3.0 A.

OP, the specs provided to you by Thermalright tech support are 0.096 A per fan, or 0.012 A per LED. That is less than the guideline I am used to, and MAYBE it is right or MAYBE it is a small under-estimate if they are citing AVERAGE power use, and not MAX. Either way, there is not a problem.

Alternatively, the actual measured values posted by the link provided above says 0.44 A max per fan, quite a bit more (2.5 times!) than that rough guideline. That would make the total for 8 such fans 3.5 A, more than the header can provide. I will comment that the method of power use measurement in that post may not be accurate. What WOULD be more accurate would require some custom wiring fabrication in a cable connecting one fan's lights to a mobo ARGB header. You need to insert into the +5 VDC power supply line a multimeter to measure DC Amps in a range 0-50 mA. Although such a measurement can under-estimate that current slightly (because the ammeter itself imposes a small added resistance in the circuit), such an error is small. And of course, one would need to alter the display type to find the max current for very bright use of all colours.

If you cannot verify the LOWER power requirement and want to be sure the higher value of 3.5 A total is met, you need to use an ARGB HUB like this from Thermalright

https://www.amazon.com/Thermalright-Controller-Support-Magnetic-Suction/dp/B09SLPGJJS/ref=sr_1_33?crid=283YB5GMHI6P2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xZMKqBiTmw4UKGtjNm0BYoYmQFF3s96DVGMOW157oCBT9H9NCGw1t-2sFtqaV_AVdOcjM755DeuVQC-vje_t6VYvKMTq-RqO2fZuMAOO4-Jgu4avjWIoPrcUubmahkNUpWZjNI-ChxoZnxRK176JODw0Ntx-4AMmfy7PTr5DTWt8JWm3bfnNMBVnFYf5EO3yiNRKjmk5ureJ7_m7awugOXMs1n3eFbwtZES0M0LokoQ.qciuMLxMQUag0EcK23yVteGrXL6fB5KQV1uLnj3wUdw&dib_tag=se&keywords=argb+Hub&qid=1720537633&sprefix=argb+hub,aps,100&sr=8-33

It gets the control signals from a mobo ARGB header but draws NO current from that header. Instead all the power for its lights comes from the PSU directly via a cable to a SATA power output from the PSU. That power source can supply up to 4.5 A total load. Note that this is a LIGHTING Hub only. There are now many combo units that have BOTH lighting and fan motor hubs in one box or board, but you do not need that.

 

[knowledge2121]

ok so I changed my setup:

PC Specs:

• The case is a CORSAIR 7000D Airflow.
• The board only has 3x (5V/3A) ARGB headers.(z790 aorus elite x wifi7)
• There are 9x ARGB TL-C12C-S case fans + 3x ARGB AIO fans (5v/0.36A each) + ARGB water block(5v/0.72A).

--------------------

ARGB setup:

• 4x TL-C12C-S into the first ARGB header. (front of the case).
• 4x TL-C12C-S into the second ARGB header.(left side of the case).
• 1x TL-C12C-S (back of the case) + 3x AIO fans + water block into the third ARGB header.

Is this setup safe ?

 

[Paperdoc]

Yes, each of those three ARGB headers will come nowhere near their normal 3.0 A current max .I'm surprised at the high amps you quote for ARGB lights in each unit, but assuming they are correct you will not have any problem. For the first two headers the four fans each will be in daisy chains. But for the last header with one rear fan, three rad fans and a pump, that's three lighting connectors to plug into the third header. You will need a simple ARGB SPLITTER for that, like this for example.

https://www.amazon.ca/Extension-Addressable-Splitter-Suitable-Synchronization/dp/B08H12C8H4/ref=sr_1_32?crid=ZCFJFZS0UNKD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._UD37NnSN_0wb-KgSNZGW0K1sz0GbiVYjtZrRd0OSSpzauKd6qQ0cm1tvKqfw4BMDkxyhZWHxVITfowRfWGvN89As0maFQoOoC0NpQFvg8AxWBB0T3gU15u9tDHGR0JiBe5V1mkG0jHZfCrsq8JgQvtzG-YU8vnWBqkRZDGjqnQwJcAuTVEEiXGOhKlQuOH325mnEVBMEey4r_gcZHHQnf_r-cYLrX0okxhVYRrsMJvNA3H7-PRlIyF8zzjgR-y8qgJZq9Td7_1eUiZvQ_0-8hU5tKo6Enz2VOG5cU0umKw.Mek4DBnO3PdzCfg0DNdnFYRtO4nidYcpKBk872eYJTE&dib_tag=se&keywords=argb+splitter&qid=1720577010&s=industrial&sprefix=argb+splitter%2Cindustrial%2C99&sr=1-32

It has five output connectors. Of course, you could use a Hub instead like I linked to above, but not needed.

 

[knowledge2121]

the AIO's fans + water block are also daisy chainable...

 

[Tony217]

good this helped me

 

[Zerk2012]

So its 0.44A per fan ? I can't find anywhere else to confirm this...I contacted Thermalright and here is what they said:



they claim it is 0.096A per fan .... but I highly doubt that this is true!!!!

I would believe that ARGB and fan motor might be .44A but just LED's don't use much at all.