OCTO - the compact 8 channel fan controller with 100W power

For more than a year, our compact QUADRO control system has been a complete success and has been a source of excitement. In combination with the constantly improved aquasuite software, it won comparative tests regularly and received the best ratings.

For us, however, this is no reason to sit back and relax. The desire for even more fan channels and lighting effects has reached us and prompted us to develop a new product.

We are proud to present Aqua Computer's most highly integrated fan controller to date: OCTO.



On a surface smaller than a credit card (76x48mm) the OCTO offers eight fan channels, two RGBpx channels for LEDs and in addition to the QUADRO a new signal connector. The LED channels have been expanded from 64 to 90 LEDs per channel. It is also possible to connect a flow sensor and four temperature sensors. In total, up to 19 cables can be connected in the maximum configuration!



The OCTO is connected to the mainboard via USB and configured using the aquasuite software. Like all our controllers, the OCTO works completely autonomously, software is not required for operation. Nevertheless, the aquasuite can interact with the OCTO via a service running in the background and, for example, transfer temperatures from the hardware monitoring of the mainboard to the OCTO.

All sensor data can be visualized individually in the aquasuite. The data can be displayed on a preconfigured overview page. It is also possible to create your own overview pages. All device settings as well as future updates can be easily managed with the aquasuite. Any number of devices can be used simultaneously - each with its own settings and monitoring.



This means you have all the options: Configure once and then run the OCTO completely autonomously or comfortably with many extended functions. Of course, the OCTO has access to the functions of the new aquasuite Playground. This means that previously unimaginable functions can be set up in just a few minutes and make OCTO an incredibly powerful tool.



Outstanding functions:
- 8 channel PWM fan control, 100W total power, active switch-off for the channels, current measurement, overcurrent protection
- 2 channel RGBpx LED control, up to 180 addressable LEDs can be controlled
- Signal output for connection to power switch or mainboard, configurable hardware alarms
- 4 analog temperature sensors can be connected
- aquabus integration for the aquaero 5/6



The housing is made of high-quality rubber with an anodized aluminum front panel. To mount OCTO the front panel can be removed to fix the controller with four screws. Afterwards the front panel is mounted back again. In addition, OCTO uses the common hole spacing of 2.5" SSDs. This allows attaching OCTO on the backside of a 2.5” SSD or in PC cases with a flat SSD mount.



Power
Up to 25 watts can be connected to each of the eight fan channels. The total power is limited to 100 watts only by the power supply cable. An overload protection for all channels prevents the fan electronics of the OCTO from being damaged or the power connection from being overloaded in the event of incorrect operation.

Each channel can be switched off completely if required. This is a special feature because PWM outputs normally have a permanent 12 Volt voltage. An optionally adjustable start boost starts the fans reliably. The start boost is executed until a speed is detected at the corresponding output.

Monitoring
Four analog temperature sensors and one flow sensor can be connected to OCTO. Up to 16 additional sensor values can be transferred from the computer to OCTO in the form of software sensors. For example, it is possible to control outputs according to the CPU or GPU temperature or to visualize the load using LED strips.



Control
Each fan channel can be configured individually. In addition to the manual setting of the output power, automatic control is also possible. A setpoint controller with temperature setting and a curve controller are available as modes. With the setpoint controller, the desired setpoint value is set and the fan is controlled appropriate. Experienced users can optionally adjust the PID controller settings individually. The curve controller in turn defines a power curve with temperature and power value of the fan via 16 freely adjustable points.



RGBpx
OCTO is equipped with the new RGBpx technology which allows setting each LED to one of 16.8 million possible colors using compatible LED strips or fans.

This allows smooth animations and breathtaking effects as well as the possibility to individually adjust the lighting to your requirements. So the workplace can truly shine in the right light.

OCTO provides two RGBpx connectors for up to 90 LEDs (up to six Aqua Computer RGBpx LED strips) each. Effects can be applied to the LED strips with twelve independent controllers.

Each of the twelve LED controllers provided by OCTO can be assigned to one of 23 effects. All effects offer additional settings. In addition to adjustments for the coloring, stepless controls also allow you to adjust the speed or intensity in a wider range.
Due to the high update rate, even slow transitions are displayed smoothly and without flickering.



Many effects can also be actively influenced by a data source. Thus, effects can be linked to any sensor values such as temperature or load.

Since the effects can be placed anywhere on the LED strips, most of them can also be combined: For example, LEDs 1 to 16 can have a continuous color change while LEDs 6 to 11 have a temperature-dependent color change from blue to red. This results in a temperature display that is flanked at the left and right by a color change effect.
The effects are processed similar to a video editing program. The uppermost LED controller is always visible and may cover the effects of the controller below and so on.

AMBIENTpx
AMBIENTpx immerses the environment in a dynamic lighting atmosphere. In the background, the current image content of the monitor is analyzed in real time and the color scene is reproduced on the LEDs. This results in an intensive experience during movies or games, as the image appears much larger than it actually is.



The analysis of the image content can be individually customized. Thus, the area to be analyzed can be set very narrow but also very wide. The settings also support multi-monitor setups and automatically adapt to the image format of movies. If both LED channels are used for AMBIENTpx, two monitors can be illuminated with AMBIENTpx. Up to 12 LED strips are available for the output.

OCTO as aquabus expansion device
In addition to its use as an autonomous USB fan controller, OCTO can also be used as an aquabus extension for an aquaero 5/6. In this configuration, OCTO's eight fan outputs are provided for the aquaero's control functions as well as the four temperature sensor connections and the flow sensor connection. The aquaero is extended by the OCTO to the maximum number of 12 fan channels.



The scope of delivery includes a temperature sensor (70 cm), the USB cable (100 cm) and a mounting kit.

The OCTO is available immediately, but initially only in limited quantities. The price is 54.90 Euro.