aRGB help

[Mike_J_Smith]

I’m building a new gaming PC, first one in 15 years! Ultimately it’s going to be water cooled as I’ve always wanted to try that. I’m trying to buy components now to spread the cost over a few months.

Back when I used to build computers it would have been UV based, now there’s all this aRGB and I want to use that in my build. Maybe subtlety and maybe not!

I’ve got a lian-li case on back order and need to order some fans.

For aRGB can I mix and match components? Eg Corsair fans, lian li case lighting, ekb waterblocks and then expect them to all work together? If not, how do you know what works together?

or is it easy to use multiple software?

Basically, I’m confused about how to buy aRGB components any advice welcome.

cheers

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

argb, problem is when you get different pieces from different maufacturers and they all require a piece of propriety software to control. Or in the case of cheap fans you get the ones that come with their own connectors to a little box that you can control with remote control, like a budget dvd player.

Best way to do it is have a look and see if they explain that they are compatible with whatever ARGB control systems are out there, like Msi's Mystic Dragon, or Asus Aura Sync, Corsair has Icue, Razer has their chroma.

I can tell you that Corsair ram will not allow any other software to control the lighting unless ICue is running in the background, you turn that off, lighting goes off.

I use an Asus mobo with Asus Aura/Armoury Crate software and it controls the lighting for my mobo, gpu, cheap case fans, case led and custom WC loop and I link it to Razer Chroma. tbh I am using Razer to do the lighting as they have more options and a much nicer set of controls, with Asus Aura, the options are kinda meh.

Ok thanks for the reply. so you can mix software. Does it have any downside other than being a pain? I guess syncing and not being able to do the same effects would be the most likely?

So something like these https://www.overclockers.co.uk/alpe...ddressable-rgb-fan-triple-pack-fg-02d-al.html
Would work with a number of software options?

what do you mean by link it to the fazer chroma? Is that a control box? Does it work with different components?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Yep the fans will work with all those motherboard manufacturer's own rgb control software.
Razer Synapse is like a hub software for all Razer products, mice keyboards, rgb peripherals. Some guy made a program called Aura Connect that allows the Razer software to take control of everything you have "connected" with Asus Aura Sync.
And gives you more options in regards to rgb choices/selections/effects.

Gotcha, thanks.

Does anyone know if the lian li aRGB components only work with their own software? It can they be used with eg MSI? Can’t see anything to make me think they are anything other than proprietary only.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Cheers guys.

I don't have the motherboard yet. I did get some Corsair RAM delivered yesterday so have been playing with the iCUE app; the effects you can get are pretty cool but I can see that the whole aRGB thing is crying out for standardisation and some really thorough software that works across platforms.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

hmm, OK then. Maybe need to up my budget for fans then! Any thoughts on the Corsair RGB fans? £100 for 3! or 3 for a bargain 90!

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

I'd planned for these https://www.overclockers.co.uk/alpe...ddressable-rgb-fan-triple-pack-fg-02d-al.html which are £55 for 3. I'll probably have 6+ fans, so not a cheap investment. It looks like the Corsair fans don't work with other software either, which is a bit frustrating.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Those fans say they are compatible with Msi/Asus/gigabyte rgb controllers. even if you get corsair ram, you just need to install iCue, set the ram to software control, and your motherboard software will link it, you just have to have iCue running in the background though.

I didn't realise you can do that! It worked but the MSI software is rubbish compared to the iCue

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

There are a few projects about working on creating a unified control system for all manufacturers, one of those is Jacknet - https://rgbsync.com/

Not all manufacturers have an SDK available for developers to play with unfortunately, so support is not universal.

Fingers crossed they get it together, there can't be much benefit to them to keeping in proprietary surely.

Well instead of us having to guess and give suggestions that you sound like you don't have the budget for, hopw about telling us what motherboard you are after so we can make sure you do get something that is compatible?

Maybe and I applaud their efforts, but no one seeems to of made ARGB controllable - therefore my point still stands. Excuse the rant, but:

Whats the point of only controlling it with that kind of software when I have 7 items (6 fans and my PSU also has ARGB LEDs) that are on my ARGB header which no one can control except Asus Aura Sync (and even then only one colour, really Asus, REALLY?! The ARGB controller I receieved with my first ARGB fan is capable of doing a rainbow effect or show a couple of LEDs on a fan so why can't we controll that better with Aura, or is this why they want us to go to Amroury Crate?)

Sorry for the rant: it is not aimed at you (it's aimed at all the ARGB board manfacturers but especially Asus ie don't be so locked down)

FYI that software still looks like it needs motherboard software installed if it wants to control everything though so again what is the point of that? Lucky for me I can control my RGB on my motherboard (headers and LEDs on IO panel) and my GPU though iCue. It is just disappointing that Asus didn't open up the ARGB for them when they have clearly worked with Corsair to allow iCue to controll the other RGB stuff (and even then you need Aura - no mention of Armoury Crate! Though Armoury Crate uses newer versions of the stuff in c:\programdata\package cache which if you don't clear out before reinstalling Aura will cause you merry hell as Aura will just say it is installed but won't work)

Ha, not worries, I can hear your frustration!

I don't have a strict budget, just annoys me to have to spend £90 on 3 fans, but if that's what it takes it's not too much of an issue. For motherboard I as looking at the MSI Tomahawk X570, but I don't really have any preferences.

The biggest problem for aRGB fans and some other kit is the proprietary connectors used by the likes of Corsair, Phanteks, etc.

Aquacomputer do fan controllers, RGB hubs and the like which can interface with Corsair, NZXT and a couple of others.
Their RGB suite is one of the best out there, and it's part of their system monitoring software that is also excellent.
They have their own RGBpx kit with proprietary connectors, but they also do adapters (male and female) that interface with standard 3-pin aRGB connectors, so you can use any other such kit freely.

The only thing they can't control is motherboard stuff though, which is down to whichever motherboard and RAM you choose.
Happily, though, Aquacomputer stuff runs off a USB header, so you don't even need a mobo with RGB headers.

I read something about the aquacomputer stuff, but then got confused when I went on their website - seemed to imply that it only worked with their own fans or something. I probably read it wrong.

So I could get something like that and run the fans, but it wouldnt do the RAM or motherboards?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Thanks for all your replies, although I think I'm not much less confused then when I started

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

https://shop.aquacomputer.de/product_info.php?products_id=3766
Using a standard motherboard fan header, ^this one does standard 3 or 4-pin fans, or you can connect various aRGB fans from either Corsair* or NZXT** (but not both brands at the same time).
It also has a standard 3-pin aRGB connector so you can control it directly from a motherboard, as well as an output connector for their own proprietary RGBpx kit (strips, lighting rings, etc), and an input which allows you to control the lighting from some of their own modules.

So using this, your motherboard (and thus your iCUE) should be able to control four Corsair fans, plus Corsair RAM. It's then a matter of whether your mobo of choice lets iCUE control any lighting it may (or may not) have on the board itself.
You can always add more splitters for more fans. Case lighting and any other lit elements, such as CPU blocks, will depend on whether they have (or can be adapted to fit) standard 3-pin aRGB connectors.



*Four separate headers, one for each fan.
**One header, as the fans daisy-chain together (up to 5 amps).

OK cool thanks. If i got the 3 packs of Corsair fans, then they come with a Commander Core so I guess that would do a similar job?

I think I'm beginning to get my head around it now and probably getting the Corsair fans is probably the best plan, possibly with an Asus motherboard in the future.
I don't want it to be the primary reason for choosing components, but there is so much decent choice on things like motherboards (excluding them actually bein available to buy!) that I should be able to get something decent.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

I believe the Commander Core runs 6 Corsair aRGB fans... But that's all it does and I believe it is proprietary, so won't run any other brand of fans either.
If you have any other RGB on your case, in strips, or on anything else, it may not be compatible with either iCUE or teh connectors on other Corsair controllers, such as the Commander Pro.

Depends if you're happy having separate software for each different brand of RGB component or not.

Does the aquacomputer stuff do other fans too? Ones that just run off standard 3pin rgb?

is it wrong that I’m thinking more about this than anything else? Ha. Definitely overthinking it!

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

It may seem like it but Corsair do not use propriety connectors. It is possible to use fans from different manufacturers if they happen to use that same connector, or you can use an adapter (which is how my SSD cooler is working)

Would it be possible to use non-Corsair fans through a Corsair controller and use iCue, using adapters?

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

The Aquaworks stuff looks interesting; in particular the quadro / octo control boxes but they are out of stock for a while.

That video is interesting.

I think I'm just going to buy the fans I linked originally and then use the control system they come with for now, then I can decide on the rest later. My head will explode otherwise!

Thanks all for your help.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

AquaComputer's shop will often state 30-60 days, or 60-90 days, but that's just the absolute maximum worst case scenario overestimate until they get more made. Usually far quicker than that.
OCUK stock is a bit up and down. I haven't noticed any of the Quadro/Octo stuff come back in stock at all thsi year, I don't think.
Of course you're free to look in certain other shops, but I can't name them.


It makes sense. If you later decide on a different system, there are probably ways you can still integrate most of your existing kit.

iCUE can sometimes be a bit finicky with some systems, but is still a very capable piece of software with a lot of detailed RGB options, though it can be quite time consuming to make your own. But there are places to download ready-made schemes and patterns that other people have made. It was going to be my second choice.

cheers bud. I might order a controller from them then and see when it turns up.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Yikes, the shipping costs direct from them is high! OC have the Octo in stock now so that's great, but not the cables & adapters, without those it's not worthwhile buying the system.

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

Yes possibly. They’re still saying weeks for delivery so I might get the octo from oc and then get the cable etc from them.

normally I’m a sucker for buying more to get free postage!

 

[Mike_J_Smith]

It won't be free from Germany, but I did find you could get quite a lot of stuff before hitting the next weight rate up.

yes, I’ll probably order a load of stuff in the end; need to have a browse. Will get the octo from oc