# Do CLCs adjust fan/pump speed based on CPU or coolant temp ?



## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

What is the best way to get rid of those short CPU fan bursts but still be able to have your CPU cooling spin faster/slower depending on the temperature ? Just in a less aggresive way.
Let's say the PC is running just the browser and some basic apps,sitting at 30  degrees.When I launch some other software the cpu usage goes to +70% for a while and then drops.The fan spins up and then slows down again.
Same as while playing,for example Odyssey.You're running around and turn into the densely populated area,the usage spikes again,the fan spins up,then you leave the area,the fan spins down.

Shouldn't a cooler that regulates the pwm based on coolant temp better absorb those sudden temperature spikes ?

Setting the fans to silent mode does not solve it,I still want them to run in performance mode,just when I really need them (longer high load) not for short high loads.


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## R00kie (Jan 12, 2020)

It depends on the cooler, pretty much all of them keep the pump speed constant, as there is no need to change it.
for the fans though, it depends where you have them plugged in, for example, corsair AIO's have an option in their software to either control fan speed as the coolant temp grows, or the the CPU itself, so it's up  to you how you want to set them up. When I had my H100i I had a custom curve set up, so that the fans would spin up when CPU temps went up, but I wouldn't allow them to spin up to 100%


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 12, 2020)

I have mine synced with my gpu but I use icue.  If that isn't an option doing it based on cpu coolant and setting up your own fan curve is the most ideal.


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## Tatty_One (Jan 12, 2020)

I have my Motherboards "Smartfan" in the Bios control my AIO fans on PWM, works a treat, keeps the CPU cool and the fans are quiet, I must admit though in the past dependant on motherboard it has occasionally been hit and miss but my last 3 boards have all done the job well.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

Frankly I hate pretty much everything about CLCs but the fact they run on liquid is potentially a great solution for those short PWM spikes.
the coolant temp won't go up so steeply for short cpu temp spikes.

I first thought of this while watching a video on how clc testing procedure should include a warm-up time for the coolant to be objective


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## Zach_01 (Jan 12, 2020)

For water cooled systems yes, the fan curve setup on the coolant is the way to go to avoid rpm spikes as possible
This may be variable depending the TIM used. High transfer heat rate TIM can and will produce some mild rpm spikes but not like air coolers.

For air coolers this is done by incerting a large delta/hysterisis for the fan curve but its not as good as water temp based curves. High rpm spikes still exist.


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> Frankly I hate pretty much everything about CLCs but the fact they run on liquid is potentially a great solution for those short PWM spikes.
> the coolant temp won't go up so steeply for short cpu temp spikes.
> 
> I first thought of this while watching a video on how clc testing procedure should include a warm-up time for the coolant to be objective




I agree for Rendering/heavy cpu usage apps but for gaming the coolant temp barely goes up its the reason I sync my fans with my gpu if not they will max at 600rpm. On smaller 240mm coolers this may not be the case though..... My biggest gripe with cooler testing in general is it's done on an open test bench which means results are nearly useless.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

thanks for all the answers
if I get this









						Corsair Hydro H115i RGB Platinum (CW-9060038-WW) - Chłodzenie wodne - Morele.net
					

Chłodzenie wodne Corsair Hydro H115i RGB Platinum (CW-9060038-WW) jest dostępny w Morele.net! Szukasz tego produktu? Sprawdź - najczęściej to właśnie Morele.net ma najniższą cenę w Polsce.




					www.morele.net
				




can I set a custom fan curve for the coolant temps ?


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## Zach_01 (Jan 12, 2020)

oxrufiioxo said:


> I agree for Rendering/heavy cpu usage apps but for gaming the coolant temp barely goes up its the reason I sync my fans with my gpu if not they will max at 600rpm. On smaller 240mm coolers this may not be the case though..... My biggest gripe with cooler testing in general is it's done on an open test bench which means results are nearly useless.


Yes this is true... Typically in a case the CPU cooling radiator is participating to the case's cooling (front intake or top exhaust). Setting the curve to GPU makes sense, but only in gaming scenarios. When running CPU intensive loads tho, without the participation of the GPU could be an issue...



cucker tarlson said:


> thanks for all the answers
> if I get this
> 
> 
> ...


As many as you like...


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

what the other option under sensor ? cpu temp ?


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> what the other option under sensor ? cpu temp ?




Pretty much everything you can even set it your your DDR4 temps, every motherboard temp, gpu, every single cpu core, and coolant.



Zach_01 said:


> Yes this is true... Typically in a case the CPU cooling radiator is participating to the case's cooling (front intake or top exhaust). Setting the curve to GPU makes sense, but only in gaming scenarios. When running CPU intensive loads tho, without the participation of the GPU could be an issue...
> 
> 
> As many as you like...
> ...



I typically set it to a fixed 1500rpm for cpu intensive stuff.



cucker tarlson said:


> thanks for all the answers
> if I get this
> 
> 
> ...



They have a blacked out version of this coming out without the RGB fans for cheaper @cucker tarlson





						iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler
					

The CORSAIR iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT is an all-in-one liquid CPU cooler built for both low noise operation and extreme CPU cooling, with a 280mm radiator, two CORSAIR ML140 PWM fans, and 16 RGB LEDs.




					www.corsair.com


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## Zach_01 (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> what the other option under sensor ? cpu temp ?


Yes its an option
In that dropdown menu there are all motherboard temps (but without names, just #1,#2,#3...) including CPU. Its the same order as HWiNFO see it.


Other than that its whatever the system report as @oxrufiioxo says.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

what pump design does the 115i use ? asetek ?


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> what pump design does the 115i use ? asetek ?



The Pro uses an Asetek the Platinum uses Coolit....  I'm not currently sure about the XT.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

which one is better ?


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> which one is better ?



I think in general the Platinum outperforms the Pro but because of the fans not the pump..
The Pro fans max out at 1200rpm vs 2000rpm on the Platinum. I'm betting with the same fans they would be nearly identical.


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## EarthDog (Jan 12, 2020)

TL DR

I don't play games... all my fans are on silent. The difference fans make from silent to ramped up isnt the difference of hitting TJmax or remotely worrisome temps in my case. I'll hit 90c(max) during stress tests, but less than 60c gaming... why spend the time? Silent all the way.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

EarthDog said:


> TLR
> 
> I don't play games... all my fans are on silent. The difference fans make from silent to ramped up isnt the difference of hitting TJmax or remotely worrisome tempscincmy case. I'll hit 90c(max) during stress tests, but less than 60c gaming... why spend the time? Silent all the way.


ok boomer

I still want good performance when I'm playing,my oc tends to cause stability problems when temps go too high.


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## EarthDog (Jan 12, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> ok boomer
> 
> I still want good performance when I'm playing,my oc tends to cause stability problems when temps go too high.


Lol...

I get good performance. I run a damn 16c/32t cpu at 4.4 ghz in this manner.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 12, 2020)

EarthDog said:


> Lol...
> 
> I get good performance. I run a damn 16c/32t cpu at 4.4 ghz in this manner.


ok


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## sneekypeet (Jan 12, 2020)

TBH I just set the pump to run full speed, as you typically cannot hear them unless your head is in the case. Then set a fan curve, where I just run fans silent like ED mentioned.


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## xkm1948 (Jan 12, 2020)

CLC just set everything according to water temp in the loop and you should be fine


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## Kissamies (Jan 12, 2020)

The only "premium" AIO I've had was the OG Corsair H100i and IIRC it had that possibility. All other AIOs which I've had have been generic Asetek ones and I've simply ran them at full speed, maybe I've been lucky but none had annoying pump noise at all.

I'd run by the coolant temp, since quick changes of CPU temps just ramps it lower and higher and IMO that's hella annoying, at least in fans.


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## EarthDog (Jan 13, 2020)

sneekypeet said:


> TBH I just set the pump to run full speed, as you typically cannot hear them unless your head is in the case. Then set a fan curve, where I just run fans silent like ED mentioned.


...and I dont even need to run the pump at full tilt either.. set to 1.5 gpm flow. After that is diminishing returns anyway (why more noise amd little heat dumping the loop is my thought). Even dumping 300w load through 3x120mm rad, all my settings are static. Running another 100 mhz isnt worth it to me for this ubiquitous silence. 

But you should be able to set both the pump and fans at a static level without issue. Some software has hysterisis settings too. But if you dont want the yoyo effect, set it to the water like chloe said or go static. Easy breezy.


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## newtekie1 (Jan 13, 2020)

This is one of the reasons I connect the fans to my motherboard instead of the CLC.  Then I use the options in my motherboard to limit how fast the fan can change speed.  All the motherboard I use have the option to wait 10 seconds inbetween changing fans speed, this greatly reduces noticeable fan spikes.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 13, 2020)

newtekie1 said:


> All the motherboard I use have the option to wait 10 seconds inbetween changing fans speed, this greatly reduces noticeable fan spikes.


this is very good.
are they asrock ?

still,having the cooler absorb the heat into the coolant before ramping up the fan is the best option imo.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 14, 2020)

I think I wanna go with Corsair pro/plat cause of software,60 month warranty and quiet fans,but should I get the 240 or 280?


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> I think I wanna go with Corsair pro/plat cause of software,60 month warranty and quiet fans,but should I get the 240 or 280?



280mm without a doubt the 240mm is annoying, at least it was on my 3900X


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## EarthDog (Jan 14, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> I think I wanna go with Corsair pro/plat cause of software,60 month warranty and quiet fans,but should I get the 240 or 280?


280mm SHOULD be more quiet.. you can confirm this from any review. It will have a bit more surface area and a bit better performance as well.


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## Chomiq (Jan 14, 2020)

Anyone running Corsair setup cares to shed some light on performance impact of iCue in the background? I remember seeing plenty of complains about it in various places.


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

Chomiq said:


> Anyone running Corsair setup cares to shed some light on performance impact of iCue in the background? I remember seeing plenty of complains about it in various places.



Less than 1% on either of my systems when minimized/background.. 2-3% while it's open.



EarthDog said:


> 280mm SHOULD be more quiet.. you can confirm this from any review. It will have a bit more surface area and a bit better performance as well.



On a 3900X it wasn't even close 8-10c cooler and much quieter. I thought the first h100i platinum was defective and got a replacement that also didn't do very good job on a 3900X in a blender load.


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## newtekie1 (Jan 14, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> this is very good.
> are they asrock ?
> 
> still,having the cooler absorb the heat into the coolant before ramping up the fan is the best option imo.



Yes, they are AsRock. And setting the delay between fan speed changes allows the coolant to absorb the heat before the fan speed ramps up.


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## Zach_01 (Jan 14, 2020)

Definitely 280mm instead of 240mm...


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## EarthDog (Jan 14, 2020)

oxrufiioxo said:


> On a 3900X it wasn't even close 8-10c cooler and much quieter. I thought the first h100i platinum was defective and got a replacement that also didn't do very good job on a 3900X in a blender load.


I wouldn't call 8-10C spread normal between 240 and 280... because, science . Another variable was involved in that result be it TIM applications or mount...differing ambients, etc. If you go by empircal testing, the difference is typically half that (or less) in many cases.









						The Best Liquid Coolers of 2017 (CPU Cooler Round-Up)
					

This guide looks at the best closed-loop liquid coolers (“AIOs”) for 2017, but also includes a few of the worst – the leak-prone and the weak-fanned. -




					www.gamersnexus.net


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

EarthDog said:


> I wouldn't call 8-10C spread normal between 240 and 280... because, science . Another variable was involved in that result be it TIM applications or mount...differing ambients, etc. If you go by empircal testing, the difference is typically half that (or less) in many cases.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I agree I was pretty shocked but 2 240s behaved nearly identically my ambient is controlled and is always within 1c. The tim was also identical brand between the 3 coolers. I remounted the 240mm cooler multiple times but couldn't get it lower than 80c vs 70-72c on the 280mm cooler.


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## EarthDog (Jan 14, 2020)

I don't know what to tell you outside of the fact that an outside variable was introduced somehow. 

This also shows how little effect stock fans can have... with most of these seeing a couple C difference at most. 

This is why I subscribe to the 'not playing games' method and just set shyte on silent. Done. No reindeer games, just set and forget along with a beefy overclock on a HCC chip.


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

EarthDog said:


> I don't know what to tell you outside of the fact that an outside variable was introduced somehow.




Yeah, maybe I was just super unlucky and got 2 defective units I didnt try a 3rd. I do know that the 240mm is about 7c worse on a 5ghz 9900k with fans maxed out on both units but that's a more extreme scenario than a stock 3900X.


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## EarthDog (Jan 14, 2020)

oxrufiioxo said:


> Yeah, maybe I was just super unlucky and got 2 defective units I didnt try a 3rd. I do know that the 240mm is about 7c worse on a 5ghz 9900k with fans maxed out on both units but that's a more extreme scenario than a stock 3900X.


Perhaps. Just trying to show that empirical testing yields only a couple/few C at most between 240 and 280 mm. Obviously this depends on the rad, but never have I seen an 8C+ difference all other things remaining the same. 

280mm FTW, regardless!!


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

EarthDog said:


> Perhaps. Just trying to show that empirical testing yields only a couple/few C at most between 240 and 280 mm. Obviously this depends on the rad, but never have I seen an 8C+ difference all other things remaining the same.
> 
> 280mm FTW, regardless!!



Yeah, even had I gotten temps on the 240mm at a place I was happy with the noise would have annoyed me enough to replace it at some point anyway.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 14, 2020)

115i pro/plat it is then
gonna cost me a leg but I don't mind paying premium for products that deliver
any other clcs I should be looking at ? I know x62 is really good,but I don't know about the software


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> 115i pro/plat it is then
> gonna cost me a leg but I don't mind paying premium for products that deliver
> any other clcs I should be looking at ? I know x62 is really good,but I don't know about the software



I think a lot of this is going to be personal preference sorta thing but I hate NZXT/Thermaltake software. I've been using icue since it launched and only 2 updates caused me issues and corsair fixed them pretty fast otherwise I really like it for my commander pro and aio.


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## Tatty_One (Jan 14, 2020)

Well in terms of 280's, the Enermax LiqTech II 280 is a fair bit cheaper (well it is here in UK), performs pretty well and has pump control, not suggesting it performs as well but for the price it is decent bang 4 $.









						Enermax LiqTech II 280 Review
					






					www.ocinside.de
				




There are a couple of polish sites that have reviewed also which you can see from the links on Enermax's site.....









						Enermax - LIQTECH II
					






					www.enermaxeu.com


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 14, 2020)

Tatty_One said:


> Well in terms of 280's, the Enermax LiqTech II 280 is a fair bit cheaper (well it is here in UK), performs pretty well and has pump control, not suggesting it performs as well but for the price it is decent bang 4 $.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


it's even more expensive than 115i plat here
and I hate enermax fans,they're loud and they rattle at high speeds cause they're feel light and cheap.

I have a couple of ml120s and damn they feel heavy and sturdy,plus they're really quiet even at 1500rpm while pushing a lot of air.I was actuially using them as case fans and they did pretty damn well.That's why I like the idea of 115 since it has ml140s.

115 plat is the thinnest of the premium clcs too,at 27mm.it's gonna be a tight squeeze in my case cause of the vrm heatsink sticking out a little bit.


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## oxrufiioxo (Jan 14, 2020)

cucker tarlson said:


> it's even more expensive than 115i plat here
> and I hate enermax fans,they're loud and they rattle at high speeds cause they're feel light and cheap.



The biggest issue with enermax right now is their Threadripper coolers were terribly unreliable which would make me nervous about all their aio products.


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## Tatty_One (Jan 14, 2020)

Damn, the Enermax unit is £40 cheaper over here than the Corsair.  My Cousin uses it with his 9700K and keeps it cool, he is only a light gamer but he works with CAD and various 3D imaging packages and he is very happy with it but I agree, if it is the same price or more in Poland it is a def No.


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## cucker tarlson (Jan 14, 2020)

I just checked and it seems I do have enough clearance for 25mm fan and 27mm rad.







does the 115i have a 0rpm mode ?


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## SK98 (Dec 15, 2020)

newtekie1 said:


> This is one of the reasons I connect the fans to my motherboard instead of the CLC.  Then I use the options in my motherboard to limit how fast the fan can change speed.  All the motherboard I use have the option to wait 10 seconds inbetween changing fans speed, this greatly reduces noticeable fan spikes.



Really interesting! I am building my first PC and find your point interesting. However, I cannot really find which motherboards have those capabilities. Could you tell me which motherboard you currently use?


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## EarthDog (Dec 15, 2020)

SK98 said:


> Really interesting! I am building my first PC and find your point interesting. However, I cannot really find which motherboards have those capabilities. Could you tell me which motherboard you currently use?


all of them have fan headers that are controlled in the bios (or windows), bud. 

Or are you talking about hysteresis, specifically?


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## Zach_01 (Dec 15, 2020)

Most modern boards I think have the option of hysteresis/delta for temp in BIOS. 3-5C usually. You can compensate fan rpm spikes.

But all this is pointless if you have the ability to point fan curve on water temp. This requires additional software like Corsair AIOs have. iCue for example. This how I run mine. Fans on the AIO and water temp control. No fan spikes even if CPU temp spikes to +15-20C for 1-2 sec.


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## EarthDog (Dec 15, 2020)

I just set it on low... I don't want to hear the fans ramp up on anything I do, I don't care if the CPU is reaching 90C as opposed to 85C...set it to low and leave it alone... 

A simple 3x120mm rad and 3 Yate Loon 120mm fans on low (~700 RPM) is dead silent in everything I do (mind you I have an overclocked i9-10980XE overclocked not some APU.  )


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