ARGB lighting for case and desk

[SteveKaboom]

Tried posting this in the new builds forum and got no replies. Hoping someone here can help. 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 and 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 (haven't decided on a brand/model yet), 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. However if this is absolutely just not possible, my fallback idea will be to use regular RGB LED's around my desk.

 

So 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 environment, I'd love to hear how you did it and see some pics if you have them.

 

1. 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.

2. Where do I find the right connectors?

3. 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?

4. I understand its going to be a lot of LED's so my fallback idea will be to use regular RGB LED's for my desk. If that's the case, can anyone recommend a good brand that has some cool options to control the lights? Maybe even an app based controller.

 

If anyone has any experience connecting desk lighting to a mobo ecosystem I could use some help/advice.

 

Thanks in advance.

[thrasher_565]

hmm well ill try and help....here i go....

 

so aquacomputer sell an internal controller and an external controller (aka one uses that internal 10pin connector other uses usb) but form my understanding you can get adapters to make internal external and vice versa and may work with other non aqua computer controllers. (keep in mind that usb is 5v only and has little amps don't no what that is you can look it up) but you will also have to use the aquacomputer software.

 

i don't like coolermaster but they do have both rgb and argb internal and external usb controllers and can use the adapters i said above. agan ahve to use coolermaster software.

 

asus dose have its own usb controller. i dont no much more on it to expensive imo

 

you have 2 rgb heads and 1 argb header on you mb. you can only do up to 3amps per header.

 

depending on how you what to contoll the look of the leds weill depend on how many headers or led ports you got.

 

you only have 1 argb header so to control many argb devices you have to get an powerd argb hub (so is not pulling power form the mb but your psu or make your own but pulling data and maybe ground from the mb and get the 5v from your psu. doing this will cone all argb devices all leds will light up the same you cant control each device.

 

but what if you do what to control each device with different colors or w/e well each port will have its own set of colors so only way to get more ports is to buy an usb controller.

 

now for out side your desk you going to need to get the data from mb or usb controller and out side your case well may was of ding that ill leave that up to you.

and your going yo need power outside your pc as well and if the strip is too long you have to cut it and add more power.

 

also to keep in mind when buying strips is that there connectors or compatible with each other or you going to have to buy adapters or make your own.

 

i don't no what connector asus uses on there usb controller.

 

buying in to one ecosystem will guaranty that the software can control that many leds across there stuff and can be set up in there software. if you have an led anamation for say 20 leds and you got a strip that is say 8 leds the animation can look funny on the strip that is all.

 

also there might be a hard limit on how many leds the software will allow.

 

if i were you ied do it in steps and buy a strip and see how that software works with it and go from there. another thing is i dont no what fans works with asus controller i dont think asus has there own rgb fans i dont think?

 

its a bit hard finding adapters off ebay and amazon and alilexspres. i have links to rgb in my sing and some youtube videos. there one about strips.

 

 

[SteveKaboom]

Sorry that it took me so long to come back to this thread, I never received a notification about a reply. And thank you very much for taking the time to give such good advice. I do appreciate the help and will keep some of that in consideration if I add more to my current build.

 

Ultimately I went with some DarkFlash ARGB fans that are Aura Sync compatible and decided to go with a separate stand-alone system for my desk lighting. I chose a Govee Dream Color 10m set and cut strips from that. I found some great LED to wire quick connectors on Amazon and made my own connections to run it all. Govee actually has some great products for the price, I was very happy with them. All in all the desk turned out pretty well. My only complaint being that sometimes the colors bleed together into more of a white if I have too many colors moving through the strips at once. But that's a symptom of my design and not the Govee products. It seems ARGB lighting looks best if seen at a direct angle or reflecting from a surface within 3" of the lights, any further and the colors bleed together.

 

But I may look into adding accent lighting to my monitor(s) once I buy a new one, so I'll likely refer back to your post at that time.