How does RGB RAM work and is it compatible with my system?

[Matttis]

Hey everyone!
I couldn't really find anything about this so I'll just ask here because I don't want to get the wrong RAM.

 

I am planning to get some RGB RAM for my system. Right now I am using a 16gb 2133 kit from Crucial. It's boring, it's green, it's relatively slow.
Upgrading to faster RAM won't be *that* much of an upgrade, but to get some bling in there at the same time makes it worth it. Especially because RAM isn't that expensive right now.

 

So I am looking at a 16GB kit of Crucial Ballistix 3200. The RAM itself appears to be compatible.
But how do I tame the rainbow vomit?

 

My board is an ASRock B150 PRO4/3.1. The description of the RAM mentions Aura Sync.
But I assume the RGB is controlled entirely through software? The LEDs aren't actually plugged directly into the board and controlled that way, right?
If that is the case it should still work with my board, or do I see that wrong?

 

Also, would it make more sense to replace the current RAM or to keep the old RAM alongside the new RAM?

It would downclock itself to 2133 but I am not sure if I would have a bigger advantage with capacity or with speed.

 

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it

[Zenedge]

since your motherboard is asrock. the software you should be using is the asrock polychrome sync. 

find ram that is compatible with polychrome sync. but i assume that crucial ballistix is compatible.

also. i wouldnt keep the old ram. you are losing so much by dropping from 3200 to 2133

[WhitetailAni]

You could get dummy RAM.

Yes, it exists - you can get 0 GB kits of RGB RAM.

[Lsmiles]

Crucial has software for controlling the RGB.  You can download it from their website.  It works and gives me more control of the RGB vs The Dragon Center software for my motherboard.  

[Matttis]

12 minutes ago, Zenedge said:

since your motherboard is asrock. the software you should be using is the asrock polychrome sync. 

find ram that is compatible with polychrome sync. but i assume that crucial ballistix is compatible.

also. i wouldnt keep the old ram. you are losing so much by dropping from 3200 to 2133

I don't think I need that software because Crucial have their own software for it
My question is also if the lights on the RAM are controlled via software or if I have to plug it into an additional port for the lights to be controllable.

 

I figured that keeping the old RAM wouldn't make sense. I just hate throwing things out that work

8 minutes ago, ragnarok0273 said:

You could get dummy RAM.

Yes, it exists - you can get 0 GB kits of RGB RAM.

Yeah that would go a little too far for me XD

3 minutes ago, Lsmiles said:

Crucial has software for controlling the RGB.  You can download it from their website.  It works and gives me more control of the RGB vs The Dragon Center software for my motherboard.  

Is that software all I need? And does it run on any board?
My guess is that this software writes the desired colors to the RAM itself and then the RAM takes that information for the LEDs?

[Zenedge]

2 minutes ago, Matttis said:

I don't think I need that software because Crucial have their own software for it
My question is also if the lights on the RAM are controlled via software or if I have to plug it into an additional port for the lights to be controllable.

fair enough, but in the future if ever you have a motherboard with rgb headers. its just nicer to control everything in one single software. rather than having spearate software for your rgb headers,, ram , and graphics card.

 

also, no. the rams dont need to be connected to anything. the leds are powered and controlled directly from the dimm slot

[GorujoCY]

6 minutes ago, Matttis said:

11 minutes ago, Lsmiles said:

Expand  

Is that software all I need? And does it run on any board?
My guess is that this software writes the desired colors to the RAM itself and then the RAM takes that information for the LEDs?

No, I assume the software does like any other RGB Software would.

It detects if you have an rgb crucial ram, then if there is, it will start up it's own service for the RGB to synchronize as you change it

[Lsmiles]

5 minutes ago, Matttis said:

I don't think I need that software because Crucial have their own software for it
My question is also if the lights on the RAM are controlled via software or if I have to plug it into an additional port for the lights to be controllable.

 

I figured that keeping the old RAM wouldn't make sense. I just hate throwing things out that work

Yeah that would go a little too far for me XD

Is that software all I need? And does it run on any board?
My guess is that this software writes the desired colors to the RAM itself and then the RAM takes that information for the LEDs?

I used Crucial MOD on my Gigabyte and MSI boards. The Gigabyte didn't offer any control for the RGB and the MSI Dragon center had limited effect for my liking.   I do have to open  the software upon system start up to turn on the RGB.  

[Matttis]

Thanks guys! Now I know that I can't eff this up

For now it'll just be some LED strips connected to my soundcard and the RAM. When I upgrade in the future I'll just get something to get more into one of those systems with an RGB header.