De-RGBing - Worth it?

[iaind]

Hey... so I've been building PCs since the Windows 98 days, although the most recent build I did from scratch was a 2nd gen i5 and my last "enthusiast" build was in a Lian Li V1000 and had a 6800GT to play HL2. So.. yeah... been out of this game for some time!

Anyway, I recently picked up a second hand PC mainly to run X-Plane. Seems to be a pretty decent, if not bang up to date spec - Ryzen 7 3700x, Gigabyte Aorus motherboard, Gigabyte 3070 8GB GPU, 16GB Corsair RAM. Does what I need to do just fine but at the risk of sounding like an old man - when did PCs start looking so tacky? Its in a reasonable quality case (A Lian Li Lancool 2 mesh) with a pair of RGB fans in the front, one exhaust and an NZXT AIO. It's probably one of the subtler looking PCs but it still looks like a fairground when you turn it on. I'd have loved this stuff a few decades ago, but now I'm a bit older I care more about it looking nice in the room and being quiet. And yes I could just turn off all the RGB, although anecdotally it seems a bit of a PITA to get it to do what I want and actually stay that way. The fans in there aren't terribly quiet too so worth swapping those anyway.

So is there a good benchmark for quality/classiness over blingy RGB stuff? Most of the brands and stuff I was familiar with have changed/vanished and new ones appeared. My thinking at the moment is

- Swap the RAM for a 32Gb kit without any lighting. The RAM seems to be the most belligerent when trying to tell it to tone itself down, I wouldn't mind going to 32Gb anyway and I can always sell the knight rider RAM to a teenager
- Change the case for a Fractal Design North (black/mesh)
- Change the fans to RGB-less Noctua ones

Would I be onto a decent path with that? It would leave the AIO, motherboard and GPU lighting but those are quite dim and not too intrusive, with the mesh case it should be fairly toned down?

Are there other "classy" cases worth looking at? The Asus ProArt ones look nice but pretty pricey for what they are

Posted in general as its a bit broader than just the case but mods feel free to move to the case section if you prefer!

 

[Tetras]

I often suggest the black versions of these cases for non-RGB builds: Phanteks P600S & Lian Li 216. I don't think it is worth replacing the lancool 2 though, tbh.

Not a huge fan of the Fractal North, the main reason being the GPU length restriction, though realistically most builds won't have an issue with it.

I think you can turn the RGB on RAM off using the software.

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Just turn the rgb off
If you try signal rgb (free version)
It will most likely pick up everything that has
Rgb on it
Then either turn it off
Or choose a more subtle rgb scheme or a single colour
Instead of rainbow puke

 

[mickyflinn]

Fractal meshify c with side panel to hide all the RGB should do the job..

Fractal Design Meshify C Mid-Tower Case - Black

Order Fractal Design Meshify C Mid-Tower Case - Black now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[iaind]

Thanks for the feedback all. I'll check out the specific case suggestions -ta!

To cover the "just turn off the RGB" point - like I say, I've tried. Seems to last a few reboots until it decides to do something different, the RAM being the worst culprit. I think part of the problem is that the different software doesnt speak to other components reliably - the RAM seems to require Corsair's own iCUE software but that can apparently Sync to Gigabyte's software - but only when it feels like it. I've tried setting the RAM in "memory mode", setting it off then removing the software - works but not for long. I tried OpenRGB but that just crashed/hung a lot, will check out signal RGB. Seems like a lot of hassle to turn off some lights though!

Fans - I'd like to replace those anyway as whats in there are a bit noisy, are the Noctuas worth the money? They seem to be highly rated

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

Signal rgb is way way more polished
Than open rgb is
If it finds a conflicting software like icue etc
It will tell you and ask if you want it
To attempt to close conflicting software
It picks up my motherboard leds, ram,gpu,fans,led strips,
Distro leds and forgot what else lol
But leds from 7 different manufacturers it's controlling all of them

 

[D-Ranged]

Signal rgb is way way more polished
Than open rgb is
If it finds a conflicting software like icue etc
It will tell you and ask if you want it
To attempt to close conflicting software
It picks up my motherboard leds, ram,gpu,fans,led strips,
Distro leds and forgot what else lol
But leds from 7 different manufacturers it's controlling all of them

Dont want to derail the thread, but thanks for this. I have a lot of different branded RGB bits and bobs, so will be great to have them all working in sync

 

[tamzzy]

you should be able to disconnect the rgb cable independently from the power on the case fans (as long as it uses standard connectors)

 

[Gray2233]

Thanks for the feedback all. I'll check out the specific case suggestions -ta!

To cover the "just turn off the RGB" point - like I say, I've tried. Seems to last a few reboots until it decides to do something different, the RAM being the worst culprit. I think part of the problem is that the different software doesnt speak to other components reliably - the RAM seems to require Corsair's own iCUE software but that can apparently Sync to Gigabyte's software - but only when it feels like it. I've tried setting the RAM in "memory mode", setting it off then removing the software - works but not for long. I tried OpenRGB but that just crashed/hung a lot, will check out signal RGB. Seems like a lot of hassle to turn off some lights though!

Fans - I'd like to replace those anyway as whats in there are a bit noisy, are the Noctuas worth the money? They seem to be highly rated

Signal or OpenRGB can control everything with one piece of sofrtware, Corsair ICUE is notoriously poor, as is most of the vendor software for the likes of Gigabyte/Asrock etc.

Make sure you set them to run as Admin.

 

[iaind]

you should be able to disconnect the rgb cable independently from the power on the case fans (as long as it uses standard connectors)

For the fans, sure - but I want to replace those for something quieter anyway

 

[LePhuronn]

To combine different thoughts into a single post: replace the fans for non-RGB because the fans themselves aren't up to your requirements, and SignalRGB software exclusively to turn everything else off.

 

[freddie64]

Unplug the RGB cable on the fans and lower the speed in bios.

Use software to disable RGB or set a static colour on the GPU.

32GB none RGB RAM.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Team Group Vulcan Z T-Force 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Grey (SKU: MY-0AJ-TG) = £59.99

Total: £63.98 (includes delivery: £3.99)​

 

[Mcnumpty2323]

I wouldn't spend money unnecessarily
Yes by all means replace fans
If there's a performance or noise level improvement

Wouldn't buy new ram
Wouldn't buy a new case
First thing I would do uninstall icue,gigabyte rgb fusion etc
Then see if signal rgb can control the leds,ram etc
Costs nothing
No hassle of swapping cases

Next low cost option
Grab a sheet of vinyl and wrap the side panel/window
No more visible rgb
No need to take everything out and put it
In another case

 

[Delta3D]

I hate RGB on PC's. I find it an unnecessary distraction

Love the fractal north cases, but wish they had an opaque side to them!

 

[adrichardson81]

Corsair 4000d with a wooden front can look pretty good and gives you a bit more gpu clearance.

Also look at BeQuiet fans - I prefer them to Noctuas at lower rpms.