Help with addressable LED lighting for tower and desk

SteveKaboom · May 18, 2020

Budget (including currency): Not important

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Web browsing/HD streaming, possibly some gaming.

Other details: I currently have an Asus X-470 F Gaming motherboard, AMD Ryzen 2700X CPU, 32 GB G-Skill ram, Asus Vega 56 OC GPU, Corsair 850W PSU, and NZXT H510 Elite case.

I'm looking for some help setting up my lighting scheme for my PC/desk. I'd like everything to be addressable LED's and controlled through the ASUS Aura Sync software. What I want to do is set up 4 fans (not sure which yet but I don't believe I can use the AER 2 fans that came with the case), 1 LED strip inside the case (30cm, 8-12 LEDS), 1 or 2 LED strips under the case (30cm, 8-12 LEDS each), 8 LED strips inside my desk drawers to be seen through the handle cutouts (20cm, 5-8 LEDS each), and lighting under the desktop and along the back of the desk (its a long desk so maybe 5 meters worth). Ultimately I would like to be able control all this lighting through the addressable LED header on the motherboard and through the ASUS aura sync software, but I'm afraid my project may be too ambitious. And I'm pretty sure I'll need an LED control box to run everything through so there is sufficient power.

So here's where I'm lost......HOW?!?! I have some questions to get the conversation started but if anyone has a similar setup or has done something equally as elaborate with Asus Aura Sync or another lighting enviroment, I'd love to hear how you did it and see some pics if you have them.

Supplies, where can I find them? I can easily find addressable led fans with control boxes (sometimes with one or two LED strips but they're usually too long for the case). But how or where do I find Addressable LED strips that I can cut and solder on new connectors. Where do I find the right connectors? Can/should I connect the desk lighting to a USB header instead and will that work with Aura Sync? If so, what are the limitations (i.e. wattage output or number of LED)s? If anyone has any experience connecting desk lighting to a mobo ecosystem I could use some help/advice.

Thanks in advance.