Add tasteful RGB to anything (very easily!)

[da na]

Are your PC's RGB CPU cooler, fans, motherboard, GPU, power supply, and LED strips not enough for you? Do you desire also an RGB power button or hard drive indicator? Well, it's quite easy to do for anyone with basic electronics experience. All you need are these LEDs - they are 5mm so they fit in place of preexisting indicator lights easily, and they are a single component solution to RGB, eliminating any extra controllers, multiple LEDs, any of that.

Diffused 5mm Slow Fade Flashing RGB LED - 10 pack [Slow fade] : ID 679 : $4.95 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits

After that, all you'll need to do is swap this LED for your HDD or power button LED. Quite easy to figure out - every case is different, but on many you don't even need to solder.

 

The results always look quite good in my opinion, the diffused LEDs offer a nice soft glow. I've put these in cases, DVD drives, floppy drives, and a few other things.

[Levent]

I should also recommend buying a pack of resistors as well. I dont think I have a single LED in my room that is not dimmed because how bright they get when used with 5v. You can also sand down LEDs gently to achieve the diffusion effect, be gentle though.

[da na]

4 minutes ago, Levent said:

I should also recommend buying a pack of resistors as well. I dont think I have a single LED in my room that is not dimmed because how bright they get when used with 5v. You can also sand down LEDs gently to achieve the diffusion effect, be gentle though.

The diffused ones are quite soft, not blindingly bright like some. That's a good recommendation though, if your indicator LEDs are not already dimmed (some cases have resistors on the lights already)

[thrasher_565]

some crap leds have dead spots in them...