Need help with ARGB fans & strips & controller

[ProPigeon]

Hello,

 

I'm looking to grab some adressable RGB strips and fans, and were wondering how I could make this all work.

I have an ASUS z390-f gaming motherboard, that comes with only one 5V 3pin ARGB header, and 2 non-Argb 4pins.

I would like to have about 3 ARGB fans along with at least 2 ARGB strips. I could not find anything straight up about this, all the connectors are unclear for me so I need help!

It is important for me to find the cheapest solution (I know about ROG Terminal but thats just too expensive atm (saving up for 1440p 144hz monitor and a gpu that can run games on that), altough if it's the only option to meet my standards i will list below i will have no other opportunity then to go with that) 

 

So what I'm looking for is your best ideas for:

• ARGB fans that are ASUS AURA compatible and as cheap as they can get,
• ARGB LED Strips that are also ofc AURA compatible, and as cheap as they can get,
• And a best & cheapest solution to make these all work with a mobo like mine, with only 1 ARGB header. So I need a controller of some sort too.

This is what the PC looks like now, feel free to tell me how you think I should configure the rgb for it!

 Also, an off topic question (that I still do have so ill ask anyways) Does anyone have experience with LED strip placement in the Fractal design Define R6? I wonder how many strips I should get, and where to put them, and also, I'll buy the GPU riser from fractal design, but the gap between the vertical slots and the tempered glass seem pretty little, so if I bought a beefier card in the future, something like a 2070S strix or aorus ed, would you think that it will fit?

 

My GPU is in process of RMA right now, if you were wondering where it was. It's a strix 1060 6gb, it had faulty LED-s. (yes I RMA-d it for its LED-s, it's important for me ok?)

 

Ty!

[lightblind]

21 hours ago, ProPigeon said:

Hello,

 

I'm looking to grab some adressable RGB strips and fans, and were wondering how I could make this all work.

I have an ASUS z390-f gaming motherboard, that comes with only one 5V 3pin ARGB header, and 2 non-Argb 4pins.

I would like to have about 3 ARGB fans along with at least 2 ARGB strips. I could not find anything straight up about this, all the connectors are unclear for me so I need help!

It is important for me to find the cheapest solution (I know about ROG Terminal but thats just too expensive atm (saving up for 1440p 144hz monitor and a gpu that can run games on that), altough if it's the only option to meet my standards i will list below i will have no other opportunity then to go with that) 

 

So what I'm looking for is your best ideas for:

• ARGB fans that are ASUS AURA compatible and as cheap as they can get,
• ARGB LED Strips that are also ofc AURA compatible, and as cheap as they can get,
• And a best & cheapest solution to make these all work with a mobo like mine, with only 1 ARGB header. So I need a controller of some sort too.

This is what the PC looks like now, feel free to tell me how you think I should configure the rgb for it!

 Also, an off topic question (that I still do have so ill ask anyways) Does anyone have experience with LED strip placement in the Fractal design Define R6? I wonder how many strips I should get, and where to put them, and also, I'll buy the GPU riser from fractal design, but the gap between the vertical slots and the tempered glass seem pretty little, so if I bought a beefier card in the future, something like a 2070S strix or aorus ed, would you think that it will fit?

 

My GPU is in process of RMA right now, if you were wondering where it was. It's a strix 1060 6gb, it had faulty LED-s. (yes I RMA-d it for its LED-s, it's important for me ok?)

 

Ty!

The best solution I have is thermaltake they have a 9 port ARGB controller you can get on Amazon for around $30. The fans can be a bit more expensive but as long as you don't go with the Trio version fans you can put up to 9 fans or a mix of fans and strips on the one controller. Then just add cheap LED strips to the standard RGB 4-pin headers if you wish. It is compatible with the ASUS AURA as well. Or if you want to go with Thermaltake's software instead you can buy the fans and strips only and use the included 9-Pin USB controller that will support up to 5 fans/strips at once, note you can chain the controllers as well so you don't use up both of you USB headers on the board. I had option 2 on my old asus x470 board and now use option 1 on my asus x570. Just a side note, with Thermaltake you cannot mix and match with other brands, their fans and strips use a 9-pin connector (not to be confused with a USB header but looks the exact same) that plugs into their own controllers. I know there are others on the market like cooler master that you can mix and match with other products. I just wanted to be clear on this so if you chose my route you don't buy the 9 port controller and expect to buy cheaper fans to use with it. Others may have differed  opinions on better fans and the like as well but I can say I've not had any problems at all with mine even in smaller cases and heavy use cpu loads they will keep thing nice and cool provided the placement configuration is right just like with any other fans. 

Thermaltake Riing Plus 12 RGB TT Premium Edition 120mm Software Enabled 12 Controllable LED RGB 9 Blades Case/Radiator Fan -Triple Pack. $86.00

https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Premium-Software-Radiator-CL-F053-PL12SW/dp/B01NB0S6A6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=31ZBU61Y719SI&keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+12+rgb+tt+premium+edition&qid=1574515370&sprefix=THERMALTAKE+riinG+PL%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-2

Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 RGB TT Premium Edition 140mm Software Enabled Circular 12 Controllable LED Ring Case/Radiator Fan Five Pack. $149.99
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Software-Circular-Controllable-CL-F057-PL14SW/dp/B071F883Z6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+14+rgb+tt+premium+edition&qid=1574515551&sr=8-3

Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 RGB Tt Premium Edition 140mm Software Enabled Case/Radiator Fan Triple Pack. $109.99 
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Premium-Software-Radiator-CL-F056-PL14SW/dp/B06XKBKYCQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+14+rgb&qid=1574515706&sr=8-3

Thermaltake TT Sync SATA Powered 9 Port Addressable LED Controller TT Premium Edition (Compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light Sync) $24.98
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Addressable-Controller-Compatible-CL-O015-PL00BL/dp/B079FYL6LM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=thermaltake+9+PORT+CONTROLLER&qid=1574515833&sr=8-1

Sorry i don't have anything on the Fractal Case or GPU situation. I'm using the Thermaltake View 71 and an RX 5700 XT. 
I have a total of 12 fans and 6 LED strips. 

[ProPigeon]

1 hour ago, lightblind said:

The best solution I have is thermaltake they have a 9 port ARGB controller you can get on Amazon for around $30. The fans can be a bit more expensive but as long as you don't go with the Trio version fans you can put up to 9 fans or a mix of fans and strips on the one controller. Then just add cheap LED strips to the standard RGB 4-pin headers if you wish. It is compatible with the ASUS AURA as well. Or if you want to go with Thermaltake's software instead you can buy the fans and strips only and use the included 9-Pin USB controller that will support up to 5 fans/strips at once, note you can chain the controllers as well so you don't use up both of you USB headers on the board. I had option 2 on my old asus x470 board and now use option 1 on my asus x570. Just a side note, with Thermaltake you cannot mix and match with other brands, their fans and strips use a 9-pin connector (not to be confused with a USB header but looks the exact same) that plugs into their own controllers. I know there are others on the market like cooler master that you can mix and match with other products. I just wanted to be clear on this so if you chose my route you don't buy the 9 port controller and expect to buy cheaper fans to use with it. Others may have differed  opinions on better fans and the like as well but I can say I've not had any problems at all with mine even in smaller cases and heavy use cpu loads they will keep thing nice and cool provided the placement configuration is right just like with any other fans. 

Thermaltake Riing Plus 12 RGB TT Premium Edition 120mm Software Enabled 12 Controllable LED RGB 9 Blades Case/Radiator Fan -Triple Pack. $86.00

https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Premium-Software-Radiator-CL-F053-PL12SW/dp/B01NB0S6A6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=31ZBU61Y719SI&keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+12+rgb+tt+premium+edition&qid=1574515370&sprefix=THERMALTAKE+riinG+PL%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-2

Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 RGB TT Premium Edition 140mm Software Enabled Circular 12 Controllable LED Ring Case/Radiator Fan Five Pack. $149.99
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Software-Circular-Controllable-CL-F057-PL14SW/dp/B071F883Z6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+14+rgb+tt+premium+edition&qid=1574515551&sr=8-3

Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 RGB Tt Premium Edition 140mm Software Enabled Case/Radiator Fan Triple Pack. $109.99 
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Premium-Software-Radiator-CL-F056-PL14SW/dp/B06XKBKYCQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=thermaltake+riing+plus+14+rgb&qid=1574515706&sr=8-3

Thermaltake TT Sync SATA Powered 9 Port Addressable LED Controller TT Premium Edition (Compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light Sync) $24.98
https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Addressable-Controller-Compatible-CL-O015-PL00BL/dp/B079FYL6LM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=thermaltake+9+PORT+CONTROLLER&qid=1574515833&sr=8-1

Sorry i don't have anything on the Fractal Case or GPU situation. I'm using the Thermaltake View 71 and an RX 5700 XT. 
I have a total of 12 fans and 6 LED strips. 

Thank you very much for the detailed answer!!

 

So, if I bought one of those TT controllers, I can connect 9x adressable RGB Strips/fans - but the strips and fans must come from thermaltake too?

So for example, if I got the 140 3x pack with controller, and bought a few thermaltake argb strips with it, my setup would be complete only having to plug a sata power and in the controller and an usb from controller to mobo, all aura synced?:D

That sounds perfect, if this is right.

 

Questions.. : Do you get the extender cables if you order the 3-led strip pack with controller? How long are the 3 strips? Can you order a pack with 3fan(140)-3strips?

 

[lightblind]

1 hour ago, ProPigeon said:

Thank you very much for the detailed answer!!

 

So, if I bought one of those TT controllers, I can connect 9x adressable RGB Strips/fans - but the strips and fans must come from thermaltake too?

So for example, if I got the 140 3x pack with controller, and bought a few thermaltake argb strips with it, my setup would be complete only having to plug a sata power and in the controller and an usb from controller to mobo, all aura synced?:D

That sounds perfect, if this is right.

 

Questions.. : Do you get the extender cables if you order the 3-led strip pack with controller? How long are the 3 strips? Can you order a pack with 3fan(140)-3strips?

 

Yes, if you go with the TT controller you must also go with TT devices only.
Yes, the strips come with extenders and each strip is about 12-14 inches I'm guessing. https://www.ttpremium.com/product/pacific-lumi-plus-led-strip-3-pack/
You might find someone selling bundles like that but it's not likely unless it's like ebay or something.
To answer the configuration question. If you wanted say 3x fans and 6x strips that's 9 pieces so all would fit on a single controller and the controller would use one SATA power to the PSU and then plug directly into the ARGB 3-PIN on the motherboard and that's it. You would use the ASUS AURA or whatever RGB handler software your motherboard uses to control the RGB affects. Here's another picture to show the different lighting for each component I have which are all controlled by AURA. Please excuse the messy cable management. 

As previously stated I have 12x fans and 6x strips, so I'm actually using 1 of the 9 port controllers and 1 of the 5 port USB controllers that is TT software driven.

[lightblind]

43 minutes ago, lightblind said:

Yes, if you go with the TT controller you must also go with TT devices only.
Yes, the strips come with extenders and each strip is about 12-14 inches I'm guessing. https://www.ttpremium.com/product/pacific-lumi-plus-led-strip-3-pack/
You might find someone selling bundles like that but it's not likely unless it's like ebay or something.
To answer the configuration question. If you wanted say 3x fans and 6x strips that's 9 pieces so all would fit on a single controller and the controller would use one SATA power to the PSU and then plug directly into the ARGB 3-PIN on the motherboard and that's it. You would use the ASUS AURA or whatever RGB handler software your motherboard uses to control the RGB affects. Here's another picture to show the different lighting for each component I have which are all controlled by AURA. Please excuse the messy cable management. 

As previously stated I have 12x fans and 6x strips, so I'm actually using 1 of the 9 port controllers and 1 of the 5 port USB controllers that is TT software driven.

Also just to show you the LED strips alone give off a good amount of light on their own, not sure how much RGB is too much for your liking. 

[ProPigeon]

1 hour ago, lightblind said:

Also just to show you the LED strips alone give off a good amount of light on their own, not sure how much RGB is too much for your liking. 

I decided that the best for my build is probably to just get the pack with 3 strips and 1 controller, but then, how long is a strip (pacific lumi plus, cant find the deails on their web for some reason), and does it have magnetic back or do you haveto use tape or adhesive?

[lightblind]

1 hour ago, ProPigeon said:

I decided that the best for my build is probably to just get the pack with 3 strips and 1 controller, but then, how long is a strip (pacific lumi plus, cant find the deails on their web for some reason), and does it have magnetic back or do you haveto use tape or adhesive?

I bought mine on eBay but you can also order direct from TT

ThermalTake: https://www.ttpremium.com/product/pacific-lumi-plus-led-strip-3-pack/

eBay search link: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Pacific+Lumi+Plus+LED+Strip&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=lumia&_osacat=0 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Pacific-Accessories-xx1432-CL-23-o014/dp/B07B4F3BF8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Pacific+Lumi+Plus+LED+Strip&qid=1574539329&refinements=p_89%3AThermaltake&rnid=2528832011&sr=8-3

The strips are both magnetic and self adhesive if the case or whatever isn't metal you can peel the backing. 
LED Strip Dimension:  30cm – 12 LEDs

When you buy the fans and/or strips they include a 5-port controller that you can chain one to another. If you do it this way you save the extra $30 by not buying the 9-port controller however this configuration requires you to use one of the 9-PIN USB headers on you board, a molex connector, and the TT software for controlling the LEDs instead of using the ARGB and AURA software. Take a look at the TT link above you'll get all the info you need from there on that. I know it's all rather expensive but for me it was a no-brainer after having chained all the 5-port controllers and having to manage putting all that in the back of the case. When I moved to the new board and picked up the 9-port I now have 2 controllers not 4. Each 5-port controller is about 1 1/2 x 3 x 1/2 inches in size. So if you only plan to get the strips and do something else for fans that's cool but if you want an all-in-one package it's worth considering.