Asus X99-5 Fan Connections for H110 Cooler

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Motherboard: Asus X99-S
CPU: i7 5820K

Cooler: Corsair H110

This should be my last question on this build which I’m hoping to finish in the next week or so. I took Clint’s advice and got a SSD but ran into a question on the fan connectors to which I’ve seen conflicting reports when I’ve googled for information.

I’m fitting a Corsair H110 liquid cooler which uses 3 fan connectors (1 for the pump and 2 for the two fans), the case also uses 3 connectors for the 3 chassis fans. The X99-S has a cpu_fan, cpu_opt and 4 chassis fan connectors

I’ve read that there are issues if you connect the pump to the cpu_fan and one of the fans to cpu_opt as the fan will then always run at 100% as the two are linked.

I was assuming then that a better approach would be to either connect the pump to one of the chassis fan connectors and set it to 100% or connect it to the psu, and then connect the two cooler fans to the cpu_fan and cpu_opt but then read elsewhere that there were problems with the fans never going over 50% even under load.

So I’m a bit confused now as to the best way to connect the cooler now having read conflicting information and was hoping someone would know the best way to do this.

Many thanks

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The pump seems to have a 3 pin connector which makes it a voltage regulated unit, with the third wire returning RPM to the controller. I assume the fans are the same. The X99 has 4 pin cpu fan connectors and are PWM controllers so won’t control the speed of VR fans. You need to confirm if the X99 will drive your cooler, if not you will need a PWM to VR converter – I can’t find one that does the job automatically, they are all manual speed control.

You can run the pump and fans off one VR supply, but speed control may go out the window. Ideally the cooler would have a controller that hooks up to the mobo and runs the pump and fans at mobo determined speed.

cheers, Paul

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The pump seems to have a 3 pin connector which makes it a voltage regulated unit, with the third wire returning RPM to the controller. I assume the fans are the same..

cheers, Paul

The pump is 3 pin but the fans are 4 pin. If I can’t use the cpu_opt I’ll be short of a connector though I guess I can use a splitter on one of the chassis fan connectors so that the motherboard can still control the fans

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I’ve always listened to LinusTech Tips….watch his video, especially at the 5:19 minute mark. Here he connects the pump fan plug into the mobo cpu header and then the fans are connected to the mobo existing fan headers or directly to the PSU.

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Found a DIY controller that seem to do the job, but it’s for a single fan only.
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/so-you-want-pwm-control-of-your-3-pin-fan.115752/

cheers, Paul

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You could connect the fans to the cpu_fan and cpu_opt, then run the pump from 12 volts, or get an adapter to run the pump from one of the chassis fan connectors. Whatever you do, you should stick to one fan / pump per mobo connector.

cheers, Paul

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I recommend you follow the video in post #3. (There are a number of options described)

I’m using the Corsair H100i, but it’s pump gets power directly from a HDD-like power connector, and I plan on using
fan splitters on the two CPU headers for the push/pull fan config I’m planning.

The only issue I have with the Corsair series closed unit coolers are the radiator hoses could be a few inches longer.
You won’t need any Corsair software for monitoring or control, as the Asus board you’ve chosen should have superior EUFI BIOS based fan control.
I’m not sure if that X99 board you have has the extra fan header board included, but it’s proven to be VERY useful on my setup.

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A thought about the pump. All of the cooling is dependent on the pump running so you need to ensure the pump runs all the time and at a decent rate, with it running full speed once the CPU is above idle. This probably means it’s best to have it running full speed all the time via a direct 12 volt connection.

cheers, Paul

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Unfortunately there’s no extra fan board on the X99-S, so I’ll either do what’s in the video and connect the pump to cpu_fan and leave fan_opt empty, I can then connect each cooler fan to a separate connector and use a fan splitter to handle the two front intake fans on the case and use the last connector for the exhaust.

I may also go back to my first plan (as Paul suggests above) I can then get away using the cpu_opt with the cpu_fan header for both cooler fans as they will run in tandem in any case and connect the pump to the psu with a molex -> fan connector

I guess I’ll have to experiment a bit which I was hoping to avoid as it’s a bit fiddly moving some of the connectors around, though I suspect that I’m fussing over an unnecessary detail here in any case.

EDIT: After thinking about it some more I’ve decided on the following:

Pump: cpu_fan
Radiator fans: both cha_1 with a pwm splitter
Chassis fans: cha_2, cha_3, cha_3

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Let us know how the temps fare.

I notice you have intake and exhaust fans. This is probably bad design because the whole lot will only run at the rate of the least powerful fan. I would have the most powerful fans, in this case the cooler, drawing air through the box and radiator, then out. Again, check all temps to see how it’s fairing.

cheers, Paul

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I’ve read so many different views on intake/exhaust fan ratios. Corsair recommend drawing air into the case but as the radiator is on top not only are you blowing hot air into the case but heat rises as well so it seems to be a little contrary to physics.

I’m trying a different configuration which I read of and (to me at least) seems to make more sense. That is, having the two front fans as intake so blowing cold air into the case and have the two radiator and the back fan as exhaust to draw off the heat. I’d imagine the board controller will take care of any imbalance by adjusting the fan speeds and if need be I could always add an extra intake if it needs further balancing (luckily I have a Maplin shop within walking distance)

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You can safely ignore the “hot air rises” bit because you have forced airflow via the fans.
The power supply fan is fixed so you need to base the airflow on that, i.e arrange for the air to flow in the same direction.
You should not draw air through the radiators and into the case because that will increase internal temperatures – the power supply doesn’t do it that way.

cheers, Paul

BTW, hot air does not rise, cold air is heavier and gravity pulls that down displacing the hot air.

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You should not draw air through the radiators and into the case because that will increase internal temperatures – the power supply doesn’t do it that way.

This was my thinking as well, I’ve never quite understood why Corsair recommend it. I guess their thinking is that it’s drawing cooler air from outside the case which will increase the thermal efficiency of the radiator, but blowing hot air into the case would (to me at least) seem to negate any gain in efficiency.

You’re quite right about cold air displacing hot, it’s been many years since I did physics 🙂

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BTW, hot air does not rise, cold air is heavier and gravity pulls that down displacing the hot air.

Sorry Paul, but that’s not correct. A parcel of air that is warmer than its surroundings is less dense and so lighter, so it floats up until its temperature matches its surroundings (remember that temperature normally decreases with height). Note that cooler air will be drawn in under where the parcel has started rising. This is simplistic but illustrates the basic process.

It is correct to say that it’s wrong to say that hot air rises. A parcel of air at 0 deg C will rise if the surrounding air is lower than that temperature. Conversely, a parcel of air at 30 deg C will not rise if the surrounding air is also 30 deg C or higher.

At the micro level the same principle applies; however a fan can only pull in air at the ambient temperature – so I assume what happens if that’s very hot (35 dec C plus), a hot cpu will require some other form of cooling to stop it overheating. But I’m not sure as we don’t get those temps in the UK!

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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Drawing outside air into the radiator allows it to cool the CPU more due to the potentially lower radiator temperature. Ultimately the airflow depends on your case design and position in the room.

cheers, Paul

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Drawing outside air into the radiator allows it to cool the CPU more due to the potentially lower radiator temperature. Ultimately the airflow depends on your case design and position in the room.

cheers, Paul

I’m still thinking about this (probably overthinking now), if I went the Corsair route and had the 2 radiator fans as intakes as well as the 2 front chassis fans as intakes that would create positive pressure but would that then cause a problem with the one remaining fan at the back for the exhaust being a 4:1 ratio?

The flow would work from front to back and down to back if the exhaust can keep up.

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There is no way the exhaust fan will keep up. You should have fans on one side of the airflow only and lots of holes on the other side.

cheers, Paul

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Air does not rise, there is no force acting upward from the Earth’s surface. Gravity is the only force acting on the air and that force is downwards.

cheers, Paul

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Paul, I suggest you google for Meteorology, fluid dynamics, what causes hurricanes, et al. You will then see that gravity has very little to do with it.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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No gravity, no fluid dynamics, no hurricanes et al…

cheers, Paul

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Why hot air rises: http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=563

Jerry

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I’m still thinking about this (probably overthinking now),

I’m quite sure you’re over-thinking it…

I’m currently using my H00i as an intake.

You could go either way and it really doesn’t make much difference.
As long as you have adequate overall cooling throughout the system you’ll be fine.

39237-Temps

Until I can get the modification on one of my side panels that will allow me to mount
the 240mm radiator, I’m stuck in a kind of limbo. With my current setup I’m only utilizing
half of my H00i’s radiator as a push/pull configuration.
As you can see from the CPU temps it works fine, but the temps are still higher than what I’d like.
(That 66 degree C is with Prime95 running for an hour or so)

From the fan section of CPUID HWMonitor you’ll also note that I could still use some
fine tuning of the fans, their tuning in EUFI BIOS, and placement.
It’s a build still in progress, so bear with me.

You’re not likely to get everything up and running EXACTLY the way you’d like it to be in the first go.
Fine tweaking to gather more info and whatever extras that you find you’ll need is all perfectly acceptable
when performing a brand new biuld.

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Corsair is correct: Pull outside cool air through its heat sink.

The hottest components, generally most expensive and most important, is the cpu. Should lower its temperature fast, first and foremost.

It is not unlike regular internal cpu heat sink – draws the internal cooler air to cool the quick-hot cpu, all the while blows this hotter air everywhere inside, raising the *average* internal temperature!

The other fan(s) draws this hot air out, effecting air exchange. It is this volume air exchange that is important, in the “long term” (relatively). The heat sink effort is to deflate dT/dt: the too quick temperature rise of the cpu.]

It is better to ‘pressurize’ the box, than to ‘vacuum’ out air.
That is, force more air in than to suck more air out.

Heat capacity of a matter depends on mass and volume. The more air means higher heat capacity. The less air, less heat capacity.
Proof? I had done an experiment. 1st, more pull-out than push-in. The temperature probes (not the motherboard temperature sensors) showed increased average temperature. 2nd, turned the fans around to ‘pressurize’ the box, average temperature drop, as compared to the ‘vacuum’ method.

[Must be done in moderation. If you have 100 fans pushing in and only a pin hole to exhaust, the highly pressurized air actually heats up by itself! – Thermal Dynamics at work.]

Why not pull the hottest air out?
If you have more fans pushing air in, then it is a more effective cooling method. But you must make sure it is more air going in than pulling out.

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It is better to ‘pressurize’ the box, than to ‘vacuum’ out air.
That is, force more air in than to suck more air out.

There is no difference if the air paths are well designed. The issue with PCs is that the box just has holes wherever they fit rather than designing air paths – it’s cheaper and more flexible. Pressurising the box will allow air to leak out wherever it can, but this does not necessarily lead to good airflow over the components that require cooling. As CLiNT said, you won’t get it right first time, monitor the temperatures and adjust as required.

cheers, Paul

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Thanks for the advice everyone I guess I’ll have to play around with it and see how it works out. The 750D case is pretty open inside with all the cables running under the backplate so hopefully airflow should be good.

On the fan configuration if I change it back to intake through the h110 that would be 4 intake to 1 exhaust though I could then remove a slot plate at the back to improve the flow.

I’ve a week’s vacation next week so I’ll have some time to play around with it then.

EDIT: I also forgot about the 2 fans on the graphics card which will act as exhausts as well

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7 fans will not be quiet!

cheers, Paul

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I’ve got about as many or more, but not to worry, they can be subdued once you have everything sorted
& setup the way you like.
I got rid of my fan controller because in EUFI BIOS there are more sophisticated controls that can
make a hardware fan controller obsolete. Well, that’s at least according to Asus spec, but we’ll find out soon enough if it’s a reality.

I’ll also be testing some fan splitters for use on some of the chassis channel headers.

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A slight diversion but looking back at Clint’s earlier post how accurate is HWMonitor?

I’ve used Speed Fan on my current pc for some years but it reports the core temps as 20c lower than HWMonitor and bearing in mind I’ve had this cpu and mobo running hard for near on 8 years if I believe HWMonitor it’s really been constantly running in the 60c-80c+ range so should have burned out a long time back.

I’ll grab the old Asus s/w to recheck but when I last checked it, it did agree with SpeedFan.

Oddly all the other temperatures agree it’s just the cpu cores

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Boot into EUFI BIOS and check your temps there.

Whatever is closest to THAT will be your most accurate SOFTWARE monitoring tool.

CPUID’s HWMonitor:
Ignore individual cores, see “package”.
The cores may be more accurate when they are loaded, but “package” should be looked at for overall CPU temps.

CPUID’s HWMonitor is actually the most sensitive and accurate 3rd party software monitoring tool around.
Many other tools, like SpeedFan, will give you far less information. Add that to the fact that
more performance motherboards are opening up a world of new sensory information with sensors placed
in more locations based on the actual chipset’s hot spots, including each installed memory slot.

SpeedFan is a very limited tool in comparison to CPUID’s HWMonitor.

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Boot into EUFI BIOS and check your temps there.

It’s an 8 year old mboard so no UEFI (Asus P5WDG2 WS) but I can try heating it up with Prime95 and reboot as fast as I can into BIOS to see what the temps are.

It’s academic as it will be kept just as a backup pc in any case, but I was just curious as to why there was such a variance in reported core temperature.

They do both agree on cpu temp which looks okay though HWMonitor reported an upper temperature of 442C so it looks like the mboard is so old it can’t get correct readings.

On wavy’s post I’ve decided to go with the H110 as intakes so the case will have positive pressure (I’d forgotten about the gpu fans), the airflow looks good on paper but if the temps look a bit too high then I’ll switch them back to exhaust and check that.

Busy weekend coming up 🙂

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I’ll interject my plan here (plan because I am still having problems not heat related) I will have several fans blowing air in and some blowing out. The object as was mentioned before is to have the box pressurized. The main advantage to that is to be able to filter incoming air. This is still a work in progress but once implemented should keep my box clean on the inside. (I just hate house keeping :^_^: )

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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I’ll interject my plan here (plan because I am still having problems not heat related) I will have several fans blowing air in and some blowing out. The object as was mentioned before is to have the box pressurized. The main advantage to that is to be able to filter incoming air. This is still a work in progress but once implemented should keep my box clean on the inside. (I just hate house keeping :^_^: )

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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You’ll need to clean the filters.

cheers, Paul

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It’s hard to keep the inside of a case clean, especially one with many fans, even with decent fan filters.
Having the interior pressurized to an extent might help, but I haven’t noticed too much of a difference.

Of course it helps not living in a desert where the winds can damage the paint finish & plastic light housing on your vehicle.
Vacuuming the fan filters with a small soft bristle attachment helps with larger particulate, but
even with vacuuming & intake fan filters in place, I can still accumulate a fair amount of dust with the consistency of flour over time.

I still plan (out of necessity) on opening the case up and spending an hour or more cleaning about once every 6 months or so.
That’s just life in a desert type environment for you, add humidity to the mix, as in monsoon, and you get garage grunge funk.
Looking on the bright side, it’s only once every 6 to 8 months for serious cleaning.

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HWMonitor reported an upper temperature of 442C

That is over 800°F, way too hot. Comparison: some Laserjet printers get over 400°F internally when doing print jobs.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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That is over 800°F, way too hot. Comparison: some Laserjet printers get over 400°F internally when doing print jobs.

It’s been running for 8 years like that so I think it’s safe to say it’s a misreading 🙂

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No-lead solder melting requirement is 350C.
Contrary to myth, semiconductor is not damaged during solder flow. The induced mechanical problem is cracks on the board, and on some IC packages. The trick is tight and slow ramp up and ramp down temperature control.

The PC monitoring stuffs are not really accurate themselves. It is not actually measured but ‘derived’. There are fuzz factors added to ‘correct’ it, to a more ‘logical’ number. Delta of 5C-10C is easy.

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It’s up and running 🙂

I haven’t ramped up the overclocking yet but it seems to run pretty cool. I did an initial test on a really evil spreadsheet which flatlines the cores at 100% and it’s holding at around 41C. It’s getting late so I’ll try Prime95 in the morning for a couple of hours.

Only very minor annoyance is the fans on the H110 can whine a bit when they ramp up, I’ll have to look at replacing them I think.

Tested the backup/restore as well.

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Only very minor annoyance is the fans on the H110 can whine a bit when they ramp up, I’ll have to look at replacing them I think.

Try toggling the fan control in EUFI BIOS from PWM to DC mode first prior to replacing them.

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Of course it helps not living in a desert where the winds can damage the paint finish & plastic light housing on your vehicle.
Vacuuming the fan filters with a small soft bristle attachment helps with larger particulate, but
even with vacuuming & intake fan filters in place, I can still accumulate a fair amount of dust with the consistency of flour over time.

I still plan (out of necessity) on opening the case up and spending an hour or more cleaning about once every 6 months or so.
That’s just life in a desert type environment for you, add humidity to the mix, as in monsoon, and you get garage grunge funk.
Looking on the bright side, it’s only once every 6 to 8 months for serious cleaning.

Amen Clint. I don’t have a pressurized system and if I don’t clean my computers at least once a month, it’s hard to see the fins on the CPU fan 😮

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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I’m certainly impressed with the UEFI fan control, using Prime95 the maximum cpu temperature was 57C but looking at the actual values it seems to hold in the 51C-52C region, though it does gradually creep up again.

This is using the two H110 fans as intakes, the two on the front as intakes and the back fan and two gpu fans as exhaust.

I was a bit sceptical about using the H110 fans as intakes but I have to say I’m convinced now.

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Computer cooling is all about airflow. In or out makes little difference if sufficient cool air is passed through the heatsink / radiator.

cheers, Paul

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With a radiator built for a 140mm fan, you’ll have that added surface area in which to disparate heat from too.
How’s that fan splitter cable working Slorm? Are you actually using one?

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Yes it works fine Clint. I’m actually using two of them one on the radiator fans and on for the front intake fans.

I’ve had a few other issues but they were to do with a problem on restoring Quark on a SSD saying it’s been tampered with, but I’ll start a thread in Maintenance for that if I can’t get it resolved. The first thing I do on a new build is test the backup and restore so I got a bit caught out when I did a restore for real a few days later and Quark caused a software protection problem

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