RGB Guide

Written By Zeug

Welcome to the PCMR guide to better understanding RGB.

With pretty much everything having lighting now, it can be a little overwhelming trying to figure things out. My hope here is to give you the information you need to get things figured out.

Disclaimer:

With each version of this guide there are developments with lighting, so please take the time to do your due diligence in better understanding a product before making a purchasing decision. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions, not doing so may result in damage to components. Post in our subreddit with any question you may have! Or use any of our other communities (links above)!

You are not alone in your PC journey!

Definitions:

Before we start, here are some definitions you may run into:

12V - 12 volts
5V - 5 volts
LED - Light emitting diode, the tiny 'light bulbs'
RGB - red, green, blue; the primary colors for additive color model
RGBW - red, green, blue, and white - same as above, but with an additional channel for white LEDs
VDG - digital RGB header, pins are Voltage, Data, and Ground
dRGB - see VDG
aRGB - addressable RGB, offers more advanced control over the lighting

History:

In the olden times, lighting was fairly limited, typically between single LEDs, LED fans, and cold cathodes.

A simple option to change your PC style was to swap out an LED, like the power or HDD activity light with one of a different color or brightness. In those times, LEDs were typically only one color.

LED fans, as it sounds, are PC fans that included a particular color of LED. As long as the fan was powered, the lights were on. These typically came in red, green, or blue.

There are some current iterations of LED fans which feature static, multi-colored lighting. One example would be the MSI auto-RGB fans that have the new rainbow look, but the lighting doesn't change.

The other common lighting option back then was cold cathode lighting, which are similar to fluorescent or neon lighting. These came in single colors (including UV, for a black-light effect), various lengths, and could be sound-sensitive.

More recently, we got RGB lighting which then developed into aRGB.

Distinctions and features:

RGB is 12V and uses a 4-pin connector that is 12V G R B.. RGB lighting allows you to change the colors of the LEDs, but all of the LEDs on the device will do that same thing at the same time, meaning that you will only have a single, solid color at any time. RGB has fallen out of favor; devices are harder to find and newer motherboards do not include RGB headers.

aRGB is 5V and uses a 3-pin connector that is 5V D _ G. aRGB allows for the individual control of the LEDs, so each LED on a device can do something different, resulting in rainbow and advanced patterns.

Newer aRGB Gen2 allows for multiple devices to be connected together but remain distinct for lighting control. This means that fans that are connected through splitter or daisy-chain (think Lian Li Uni Fan which are a direct daisy-chain) can have different lighting per fan.

Headers, connectors, and pins:

While aRGB and RGB have different connectors which should make it difficult to connect these two, they do run at different voltages, so mixing the up can result in damage. Always check the documentation.

RGB header and RGB connector with removable pins. RGB is 12V and uses a 4-pin connector that is 12V G R B.

RGBW header is the same as RGB, but with an additional channel for white LEDs - pins: 12V G R B W.

RGB and RGBW light strips often included a separate white LED. Some strips featured different LEDs for cool white and warm white lighting with the RGB LEDs providing a color accent.

VDG header. Some dRGB headers have an adjacent voltage selection jumper to change between 5V and 12V. A header that can be plugged in the wrong orientation and has multiple voltages? Nothing can possi-blye go wrong. Pins: V D G

aRGB header is 5V and has pins V D (blank) G. For a while MSI labeled this as JRainbow.

JST-SM is a common 'middle' connector for lighting systems, usually plugs into an included splitter with an aRGB end.

There are also a number of proprietary connectors out there that follow their own rules, from cheap no-name device to pricey lighting ecosystems.

You may have noticed that aRGB and dRGB are similar, with the former adding a gap. A lot of VDG devices can be adapted to aRGB, but be sure to double check things like the voltage.

dRGB to aRGB Adapter cable: ModDIY example.

Pins: sometimes the pins at the end of a cable are a sort of coupling and might be removable. Example of aRGB pins.

Daisy-Chain connectors offer a built-in splitter or pass-through so you can connect several devices before connecting to a header or controller port. When using a daisy-chain, be sure to stay within power limits.

Control depends on connection

If the motherboard lighting is integrated or if the lighting is connected to a motherboard lighting header, you would use the motherboard's lighting software.

If the lights are part of a device, such as RAM or a GPU, those are most likely controlled via the software for those particular devices or passed through to the motherboard lighting software. Some GPUs have a wired connections, so it would follow the rules for those.

Fans typically have two (2) connections, one for the fan and another for the lights. If the lighting connector goes to a motherboard lighting header, use motherboard lighting software. If it goes to a lighting hub, that hub should connect to a motherboard lighting header, again, motherboard lighting software.

If that fan light connects to a lighting controller, it will depend on the controller;

  • if the controller has a motherboard sync connection to a motherboard lighting header, you guessed it, motherboard lighting software. This may be a proprietary connector to aRGB adapter cable.

  • if the controller has a USB connection, then it will use the controller's software

  • if the controller has no motherboard sync or USB connection, then you'll probably be relegated to the buttons or remote of the controller. Sometimes this is via a case front panel LED or reset button (especially if the controller came with the case).

Note: some controllers need to be manually put into a motherboard sync mode to use motherboard lighting software for control. Some are automatic, so check the manual or product page where it shows the different lighting presets. Often it's done by holding the control button a few seconds.

Some fans have a proprietary single connection, combining the fan and the lights, which typically requires it to go to a proprietary controller, which should then follow the above controller schema.

The beginning of motherboard manuals will typically describe what the various connection on a motherboard are. If you don't have a copy of the manual on hand, then you can usually find it on the support section of the manufacturer's product page.

This description usually includes info about the number of LEDs and a power limit, such as 3A.

When you buy a multi-pack of lighting items, such as fans, they may come with a splitter or hub. Use of splitters is fine, as long as the power requirements for all of the devices is less than what the header provides. Similar for hubs or controllers, but these tend to have higher limits than a motherboard header.

Some devices aren't very clear about how much power their lights, for those, try to make a (conservative) estimate.

Once you have things connected to the motherboard you’ll need control software. You’ll be able to get this from your motherboard manufacturer’s or controller maker's websites.

Converters

What do you do if you don’t have the right kind of headers, or not enough, or even none at all? That’s where converters, hubs, splitters, and/or controllers come in to play

There are some converters on the market that will change your motherboard’s 12V RGB header into a 5V aRGB signal. The downside here is that RGB isn't very smart, so you won’t have rainbow or some advanced lighting patterns.

These are just examples and there may be other options available.

Hubs and Controllers

A hub will allow you to add more devices than you have headers for. A lot of controllers also act as hubs.

There are now a lot of these available online, but what you’re looking for here is a control input from a motherboard aRGB header and a power connection (typically SATA power) to make sure there’s enough power for everything connected. Please note that items connected via a hub or splitter will all behave the same. You need to still be mindful of power limits and requirements.

Basic hubs:

Combined PWM fan and aRGB hubs (and some controllers) include ports for both fans and lights:

Basic controllers:

Splitters

It's fine to connect multiple devices to a single header, just be mindful of the power limit of the header versus the power requirement of all the lights. There are plenty of 'generic' options, but here are some examples.

And yes, you can use a splitter with a hub or a controller, you just have to be sure to stay within the power limits.

Controllers

Independent controller. Powered by the PC, preset or remote options for control. Most controllers can act as a hub too.

USB-based controllers for software control:

  • Cooler Master A1 LED Controller - uses Cooler Master MasterPlus+ software

  • Zalman Z-Sync - uses Zalman or Razer lighting software

  • Razer Chroma Controller - one of the first of these, worked well, but seems discontinued now

  • Nollie - Available in 1, 8, 16, and 32 port versions. Use Signal RGB, Open RGB, or their own software.

Corsair, Lian Li, NZXT, ThermalTake, Silverstone, Phanteks, the brands mentioned above, and other also offer a variety of similar products, but some may utilize proprietary connections.

Software:

Motherboard software:

If controlling your lighting through your motherboard you'll need their software. Please see the support page for your particular make/model of motherboard as some hardware may be relegated to an older version (different name) program for lighting control

If controlling your RGB with a USB-based controller you'll need that software:

Other software:

These 3rd party programs are expanding their compatibility. Be sure to check if your hardware is currently supported.

Images are the rights of their respective owners. Links provided for informational purposes.

Zeug
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