DIShONOUREDKEV :
I was wondering if the Fan Speed of the Thermaltake NiC C5 is controlled by the motherboard or if it is only adjustable manually by using the VR control knob. Also for those of you who have used or are using this cooler, I would like know about your experiences with this cooler, as this is the first time I am going to build a PC. Any comments on my parts list will also be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your help
Better late than never.
I just installed the very similar Thermaltake NiC C4 earlier this evening; I think the only difference is the number of heat tubes (four in the C4, five in the C5).
And based upon my limited experience, and ignoring what else is going on with mine (and a very limited amount of troubleshooting), the answer is "fan speed is only adjustable manually via the VR control knob".
To which I'd add "when it works at all".
The fans are a 2-into-1 cable arrangement (they're hard-wired together with shrink-wrap: and yeah, I hope the accountant who saved 3 cents by doing it this way instead of using a socketed Y-connection rots, too ...and ditto for the other accountant who shaved ½ cent off with the way-too-short control knob cable) and the control knob "Y's" out of that hardwired shrink-wrap part.
But the problem I'm experiencing is that when plugged into the proper side of a 4 pin fan header, one of the fans (the push fan, in my case), is locked in full speed, and the VR knob has no effect. (The pull fan is just fine, and is responsive to the knob.)
...and everything you've read about the cooler being noisy is true. Even if just one of the fans is on full, it's pretty loud. Indeed.
(I'm not complaining about full speed fan sound level btw: I knew what to expect going in, and I'm good with it ...and the ancillary benefits of the C4 would more than out-weigh the occasional rise in noise level IF I could tone it down the rest of the time ...when I halt the full-speed push fan, leaving the pull fan on its low setting, the C4 IS quieter than my case fans ...so I just need to solve this one issue to be perfectly satisfied.)
...in a Newegg review, another C4 owner said he replaced the stocks fans with Noctua NF-12's.
...I may end up going a similar route. Dunno yet, but I'll follow up when I learn something.