Recommended Fan Controller: 3x 360 rads

alexkyriak · 21 Aug 2021 at 18:05

Hi all, can anyone recommend a good fan controller? In a previous very old water loop build I used an aquaero 5 LT. this was 2x240 rads and 1x 360.

This was great in that it gave me fine control over discrete sets of fans per rad, and great fan curve software, and connectivity for temperature sensors and other bits n bobs.

But, it felt slightly messy in that I had to find a spot on the chassis to mount the controller board and had a job trying to get the cable management half tidy.

I am now building a new system with 3x360 rads. So the question is: what’s the state of play in fan controller world these days? what’s the best way to manage fans? Is aquaero 6 the best of the bunch? Or are there better or different options/techniques?

There is now the added complexity of RGB lighting which while totally cosmetic I have to admit I do quite like the concept of. How are the lights best controlled and integrated?

Any advice much appreciated

alexkyriak · 21 Aug 2021 at 19:23

Dear Mods: please can you move this thread to the watercooling section? Apologies, I posted this in the wrong area. Thank you.

alexkyriak · 23 Aug 2021 at 15:07

Awesome, thanks for the responses guys. So OCTO basically does what the Aquaero 6 LT does? I want to pick up the water temps at two locations, pick up the flow, control the fan speeds accordingly with curves, and then control the RGB lighting scheme. Which OCTO seems to be able to accomodate. So basically am needing to make a call between more expensive 6LT and the OCTO.

alexkyriak · 24 Aug 2021 at 23:35

Thanks a lot guys. Clearly I have a lot to learn in the world of rgb lighting and fan lighting. I get how aquaero works for fan control, obviously from my current system’s aquaero, beautiful piece of kit, but for the next system I want to do with lighting, it seems quite complex for the uninitiated like me….! Am unclear if aquaero has sufficient control for 9 rgb fans though? Am considering lighting 9 fans on 3 rads. Plus a tenth fan for rear case exhaust I guess.

alexkyriak · 26 Aug 2021 at 00:44

Cheers @doyll , I have a lian li o11d XL. Regarding layout, thinking a 360 rad 60mm at bottom in push / pull, 360 vertical/side rad 45mm in pull, and a top 360 45mm in push. Cooling fans and thinking Varder xm3 120 all around.

Interesting you say about more exhaust than intake. I had read that more intake is better? Personally don’t have the experience to compare the options, only built one system previously, two rads on intake, one on exhaust.

alexkyriak · 26 Aug 2021 at 18:46

Ah, sorry - I didn't understand. Appreciate it was about area and not fans, but I thought you implied it's good to have more exhaust area, than intake area with fans.

"Just make sure case has as much or more exhaust vent are(a) than intake vents with fans"

I presume you mean the intake fans will push the air out anyway though the non-fanned exhausts, as they're pressurising the case? Interesting concept. If I understood correctly..? Sorry if I'm being thick!

I had understood it was better to have more intake than exhaust (both with fans), so as to pressurise the case.

alexkyriak · 11 Sep 2021 at 09:00

Quick question on the Octo. Does the aquasuite software need to be running in the OS before the fans are controlled? Or does it perform some sort of onboard control?

I know the aquaero has a microcontroller on it which means it can run independently of the aquasuite software (or any software) which is useful. (My current system has an aquaero but I haven’t got the aquasuite software installed at all since I relatively recently put on a fresh OS install. At startup it just runs the profiles I once set a while ago on a different OS… it just ‘works’!)

Other than that sort of ‘robust’ software independent functionality, I can’t see why I’d need an aquaero over an octo, assuming octo also has this functionality.

Basically, I only need to control banks of fans via pwm and linked to water temp sensors. (Three 360 radiators, two in push pull)

alexkyriak · 11 Sep 2021 at 21:21

Ok thanks @im4gine3. On the basis Octo doesn't have onboard microprocessor control type of feature, that might tip me to an aquarero 6 LT. 4 PWM channels should be good to segregate to 3 rads plus a potential rear fan. Only thing I'll need to verify is the number of fans being powered, it'll be something like 15 overall in 6, 6, 3, for three 360 rads, two on push / pull.