RGB GUIDE

Written By Zeug

Welcome to the PCMR guide to better understanding RGB!

With more and more stuff coming with lighting, it can be hard to figure out what might or might not work. My hope here is to give you the information that helps clear things up a bit.

Disclaimer:

Since the last iteration of this guide there has been some development 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!

RGB vs aRGB:

Some definitions before we start:

12V - 12 volts
5V - 5 volts
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

There are two main flavors of lighting: RGB and aRGB, here are a couple of distinctions between them:

  • Voltage: RGB typically runs at 12V whereas aRGB is usually 5V

  • Pins: RGB has 4-pins that are 12VGRB pins, aRGB has 3-pins with a 5VD_G pinout

  • Features: RGB will be a single solid color, aRGB can also be rainbow or have more advanced lighting patterns

While the different pins can make it harder to mix up, since they run at different voltages mixing these two up may result in damage, so be sure to always double-check the documentation.

Headers, connectors, and pins:

  • 12V RGB - The regular, basic RGB header - pins: 12V G R B

  • 12V RGBW - the basic RGB header with additional channel for white LEDs - pins: 12V G R B W

  • 12V or 5V VDG - digital RGB, some of these headers can change voltage between 5V and 12V by moving a jumper on the adjacent header - Pins: V D G

  • 5V aRGB - addressable RGB - - Pins: V D (blank) G. This header is sometimes called “JRainbow”.

NOTE: Please be aware that there are some proprietary connectors out there that follow their own rules, so you get stuck using more of that manufacturer's products.

As you may notice, digital RGB and addressable RGB are quite similar, just the latter has a blank pin. With an adapter, you may be able to use a VDG header for aRGB (with compatible voltage, of course). 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

Connecting and control:

How do you know what you have? Read the manual. Towards the start of a motherboard manual it will describe what the various connections on the motherboard are. Don’t have a manual or are doing research? Check out the “support” section of a motherboard product page and they’ll have a digital copy of the manual.

Follow the directions of your motherboard and the RGB component(s).

Sometimes these directions aren’t as clear as they could be so check out YouTube installation videos for more information. Typically, you will need two connections for something like an RGB fan: power for the fan and power/control for the lighting. Something like an AIO can get a little trickier, with portions of the power or lighting being routed through internal connections or USB..

Sometimes, when you buy a pack of several items that have lighting, they will come with a splitter or hub. My wisdom on this matter is to limit yourself to a single splitter (no splitters on splitters) which should limit you to maybe three (3) sets of lights per header/hub connection until you learn a little more about what you have.

You might be able to do more as long as the draw of the lighting doesn’t exceed what the header or hub can provide that connection. You’ll need to review the manuals for the motherboard or hub and the item(s) with RGB.

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 website.

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.

Converters

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

Hubs

A hub will allow you to add more devices than you have headers. 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.

Combined PWM fan and aRGB hubs, include ports for both fans and lights:

Splitters

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

Controllers

Independent controller. Powered by the PC, preset options for control:

USB-based controllers for software control:

Corsair, ThermalTake, Silverstone, and Phanteks also offer a variety of products, but they sometimes utilize proprietary stuff that I haven’t taken the time to sort out.

Software:

Motherboard software:

If controlling your RGB through your motherboard you'll need their software.

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

Other software:

Zeug
Next

RGB - The Final frontier (in every component)