Questions about RGB.

[PackYourBaggins]

So I'm gonna build a new PC, and I have a strong desire to go with RGB, but I've never owned an RGB product before, so I have a couple questions. I'll try to make them as clear as I can.

 

I'm aware that you have to use software to operate the lights, but what if I have components from different brands? For example; the CPU cooler I've chosen is from Cooler Master, the RAM is G.Skill, & the motherboard is ASUS. Can I use one piece of software to control all these components, or do I have to have a separate piece of software for all of them??

 

I also kinda have a separate question for the fans themselves; I'm pretty sure I heard not to mix & match RGB fans from different brands, but do they have to be the EXACT same fans across your whole system? Example: The stock fans that come with my Cooler Master CPU cooler are RGB. I'd prefer to use those. Can I buy slightly different Cooler Master RGB fans for the rest of my case, and still operate them all without issue?

 

EDIT: Here's my build that I'm gonna hopefully build within the next couple months: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/GunsmokeTX/saved/6gGf7P

 

It should be noted that I'm reusing a couple parts from my current build, and using them in the new one. Those parts are: The graphics card, the power supply & the hard drive.

[Airdragonz]

Question 1: In this case, yes. You should be able to connect the RGB cooler from to your motherboard header, so long as the RGB connector is not a proprietary one. Everything you have can be controlled via the Asus Aura windows 10 application

Question 2: Fans will all work, no matter the brand as long as you are powering them. The RGB, however, might not. Some fan RGB have proprietary connectors that need special hubs (see Corsair LL series or NZXT Hue+ for examples). Other fans might use the standard 4-pin RGB header that can be found on most motherboards. From experience, most Cooler Master fans are the latter: you should be able to plug them into your motherboard without any issue.

Have fun and good luck with the build!

[TheEvanFactor]

 

 

[PackYourBaggins]

1 minute ago, Airdragonz said:

Question 1: In this case, yes. You should be able to connect the RGB cooler from to your motherboard header, so long as the RGB connector is not a proprietary one. Everything you have can be controlled via the Asus Aura windows 10 application

Question 2: Fans will all work, no matter the brand as long as you are powering them. The RGB, however, might not. Some fan RGB have proprietary connectors that need special hubs (see Corsair LL series or NZXT Hue+ for examples). Other fans might use the standard 4-pin RGB header that can be found on most motherboards. From experience, most Cooler Master fans are the latter: you should be able to plug them into your motherboard without any issue.

Have fun and good luck with the build!

Thanks for the information! I have watched a couple videos that demonstrate some RGB fans that require you to plug in all the fans to said hub for the RGB to work, and I'm glad I won't have to do that with Cooler Master, cause using a hub like the one from Corsair or NZXT just seems like a pain, and would be a nightmare for cable management from the looks of it.

[PackYourBaggins]

4 minutes ago, TheEvanFactor said:

 

 

Very insightful. Thank you.

[TheEvanFactor]

Always happy to help =)

[PackYourBaggins]

3 minutes ago, TheEvanFactor said:

Always happy to help =)

Did you actually type something? Cause on my end, it shows a blank reply. Look here: http://prntscr.com/joatsk

 

I was just joking around cause I thought you intentionally made it blank lol

[TheEvanFactor]

No I didnt sorry... 

Though since we are talking may I ask what cooler you are using?

[PackYourBaggins]

3 minutes ago, TheEvanFactor said:

No I didnt sorry... 

Though since we are talking may I ask what cooler you are using?

I was gonna go with the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterLiquid-Addressable-MLX-D24M-A20PC-R1/dp/B079K244KZ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=paulshardware-20&linkId=554440cedddba583d58949c9c1589604#customerReviews

 

Though after reading some of the reviews on Amazon, it's making me a bit nervous to go with it now, but it's very nice looking.

[Agonizel]

If you want complete info on the best fan speed & rgb control methods for different brands, then be sure to check out my guide in the signature below!
It should answer all your questions, if not don't hesitate to ask for clarifications
 

I personnally recommend the Enermax Fans with the Enermax Liqfusion AIO

[PackYourBaggins]

59 minutes ago, Airdragonz said:

Question 1: In this case, yes. You should be able to connect the RGB cooler from to your motherboard header, so long as the RGB connector is not a proprietary one. Everything you have can be controlled via the Asus Aura windows 10 application

Question 2: Fans will all work, no matter the brand as long as you are powering them. The RGB, however, might not. Some fan RGB have proprietary connectors that need special hubs (see Corsair LL series or NZXT Hue+ for examples). Other fans might use the standard 4-pin RGB header that can be found on most motherboards. From experience, most Cooler Master fans are the latter: you should be able to plug them into your motherboard without any issue.

Have fun and good luck with the build!

So I've kinda done a 180 here. After doing some research on the Cooler Master CPU cooler I was gonna use, apparently there were some issues involving poor instructions, lack of software and the LEDs would tend to stay lit when the PC was turned off. I've now decided to go with a similar cooler, but from Enermax with better reviews. But this does kinda pose a problem. This means I would need to get Enermax branded fans for the RGB to work on all fans, correct? I could do this, but I then did research on Enermax's RGB case fans, and reviews say they're effective, but that these fans are noisy, even on the lowest speed setting, which ridiculously is 2000rpm! It is an option. I would just have to deal with the noise. 

 

Let's say I did get different branded case fans. Ones from Enermax on my cooler, and the rest were from Corsair or NZXT. Would I have to use multiple pieces of software in this case? Or multiple hubs? I still find myself a bit confused on the intricacies of RGB  

[Airdragonz]

57 minutes ago, RelentlessN7 said:

So I've kinda done a 180 here. After doing some research on the Cooler Master CPU cooler I was gonna use, apparently there were some issues involving poor instructions, lack of software and the LEDs would tend to stay lit when the PC was turned off. I've now decided to go with a similar cooler, but from Enermax with better reviews. But this does kinda pose a problem. This means I would need to get Enermax branded fans for the RGB to work on all fans, correct? I could do this, but I then did research on Enermax's RGB case fans, and reviews say they're effective, but that these fans are noisy, even on the lowest speed setting, which ridiculously is 2000rpm! It is an option. I would just have to deal with the noise. 

 

Let's say I did get different branded case fans. Ones from Enermax on my cooler, and the rest were from Corsair or NZXT. Would I have to use multiple pieces of software in this case? Or multiple hubs? I still find myself a bit confused on the intricacies of RGB  

Well, Enermax fans don't require a hub I believe so those can be controlled via Asus Aura still, but going with fans from NZXT or Corsair will require a rat's nest of cables and hubs and their own software. Can I suggest looking into the InWin Polaris RGB fans? They are pretty nice and can also be connected to a motherboard for control via Asus Aura. 

[PackYourBaggins]

6 minutes ago, Airdragonz said:

Well, Enermax fans don't require a hub I believe so those can be controlled via Asus Aura still, but going with fans from NZXT or Corsair will require a rat's nest of cables and hubs and their own software. Can I suggest looking into the InWin Polaris RGB fans? They are pretty nice and can also be connected to a motherboard for control via Asus Aura. 

So these InWin fans connect to my board? As in they go into the chassis fan connectors and I can still control the RGB? Or they connect to the specified 4-pin RGB connector?

[Airdragonz]

Just now, RelentlessN7 said:

So these InWin fans connect to my board? As in they go into the chassis fan connectors and I can still control the RGB? Or they connect to the specified 4-pin RGB connector?

To power the fans, they need to go to the chassis fan connectors. For the RGB, they need to go to the RGB connector

[PackYourBaggins]

2 minutes ago, Airdragonz said:

To power the fans, they need to go to the chassis fan connectors. For the RGB, they need to go to the RGB connector

Hmm. I see. This is another option for sure, but on pretty much every board I've looked at with these RGB connectors (including the one I've chosen for my new build), there's almost always only 2 of them. So that means I could only connect 2 fans to each of them?

[Airdragonz]

Just now, RelentlessN7 said:

Hmm. I see. This is another option for sure, but on pretty much every board I've looked at with these RGB connectors (including the one I've chosen for my new build), there's almost always only 2 of them. So that means I could only connect 2 fans to each of them?

That's where daisy chains come into play. What some fans do is have an input and output RGB.  For instance, one fan is connected to the motherboard's RGB header, then a second fan connects to an RGB port on the first fan, same with third fan and so on and so forth. The typical limit for daisy chaining is around 4 to 5 fans however due to the power limitation of the motherboard RGB header.

[PackYourBaggins]

1 minute ago, Airdragonz said:

That's where daisy chains come into play. What some fans do is have an input and output RGB.  For instance, one fan is connected to the motherboard's RGB header, then a second fan connects to an RGB port on the first fan, same with third fan and so on and so forth. The typical limit for daisy chaining is around 4 to 5 fans however due to the power limitation of the motherboard RGB header.

Wow. They truly thought of everything when it came to RGB it seems. I got options at least. I don't know if I would mind dealing with the extra cables if I went the Corsair route, cause a part of my new build will most likely be the Corsair 750D [Airflow Edition]. Despite not being the 800D or 900D, the 750D is still an enormous case in its own right, so maybe I could still manage the cables with ease if I chose the Corsair fans.

[Airdragonz]

31 minutes ago, RelentlessN7 said:

Wow. They truly thought of everything when it came to RGB it seems. I got options at least. I don't know if I would mind dealing with the extra cables if I went the Corsair route, cause a part of my new build will most likely be the Corsair 750D [Airflow Edition]. Despite not being the 800D or 900D, the 750D is still an enormous case in its own right, so maybe I could still manage the cables with ease if I chose the Corsair fans.

That is true, but it does become a costly mess. Corsair LL or ML RGB fans require 2 hubs technically making them a huge pain. 

[PackYourBaggins]

2 minutes ago, Airdragonz said:

That is true, but it does become a costly mess. Corsair LL or ML RGB fans require 2 hubs technically making them a huge pain. 

Yeah. I suppose I'll think on it, and keep doing research.

[PackYourBaggins]

2 hours ago, Airdragonz said:

That is true, but it does become a costly mess. Corsair LL or ML RGB fans require 2 hubs technically making them a huge pain. 

After doing my research I think I've decided on at least getting a 3-pack of the Corsair LL120s. I can handle installation. I've also discovered that the LL fans come with a Lighting Node PRO, so I'll have full control of my fans' lighting in Corsair LINK. Not to mention I think they're the best looking RGB fans I've seen in my opinion. Thanks for helping me out. You certainly helped educate me!