I'm currently in the process of selecting parts for my new PC, and I'm a bit lost on how many USB headers I'll need. My motherboard is the X870E Aorus PRO ICE (rev 1.1), and I'm using the Lian Li O11D EVO RGB case, which requires 2 USB 3.0 (or higher) headers and 1 USB 3.1 (or higher) Type C header. Additionally, I have the Lian Li Hydroshift II LCD, and I'm uncertain about how many USB headers it requires. I'm also using 10 Lian Li SL120-Inf wireless fans that connect to a Lian Li controller, but I'm confused about how many USB headers they need and whether it's common to daisy chain fans. I plan on buying the Lian Li Strimer wireless for the CPU, GPU, and motherboard, which also connects to the Lian Li controller and requires one USB 2.0 header. Essentially, I need help understanding how the controller functions, if I need to daisy chain the fans, whether all these parts work through one controller, and if I require an additional USB 2.0 adapter to get more headers. Thanks for any insights!
1 Answer
For your setup, the case needs 1 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 header. The Hydroshift cooler requires 1 USB 2.0 header, but it supports wireless, so that simplifies things. The Lian Li controller uses 1 USB 2.0 header and can handle up to 10 channels, which means you can connect multiple fans or strimers. As long as everything is connected wirelessly, you'll only need that one USB 2.0 header and the two headers for the case. You'll actually have enough channels on the controller for all your components, so you should be covered!
You're right about the wireless functionality! Everything except the case connects wirelessly, so you only need that one USB 3.0 header for it. The Lian Li connector can handle several setups, but just keep in mind the limits per channel: 4 fans or one Strimer or the AIO on each channel.