@Ice Tea - you've posted this in GD, 90%+ will have no idea what you're talking about. maybe ask a mod to move it to General Hardware instead.
It's in GD on OcUK. Son, I am disappoint.
OP, (1) yes. It's a waste of money - a pittance to add and a garish upsell. Instead of plastic covers full of flashing lights I want big finned heatsinks and heatpipes. Proper boards. As Wendell says, if I want to see inside my PC I'll take the side off.
As it happens I do have a tempered glass windowed case with some mild RGB on the mobo and gfx, but that was more by coincidence than design.