New struggling to get fans working correctly

jamie172 · Saturday at 11:39

Hi guys - as the title suggests, I'm a newb so be kind

Just finished my first build and for the most part it went surprisingly well, the one niggle I haven't been able to work out is how to change the fan lighting.

The fans are preinstalled to the MSI case via a little hub at the back of the case, the hub has a sata connection which I've connected to the PSU but they have no other connection? I'm assuming they need some other connection to allow me to change the lighting? All I'm able to do is switch the lights on and off via a button on my case front panel.

My motherboard software (gigabyte) can detect the fans, I'm able to change speeds and curves but I can't do anything at all with the lighting. I'm sure there's a simple explanation but what am I missing?

VaderDSL · Saturday at 11:45

What case and MLB do you have? It’s possible it’s just basic LED function via the button only?

jamie172 · Saturday at 11:56

Its a Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX V2 motherboard and an MSI MAG FORGE 120A AIRFLOW case

LePhuronn · Saturday at 12:59

They're not controllable fans. Auto-RGB fans are fixed rainbow effect.

https://www.msi.com/faq/7525

jamie172 · Saturday at 14:53

Well that would be why I've been banging my head up the wall

With these being pre installed, how easy or difficult would it help to remove them and replace with controllable ones?

Tetras · Saturday at 15:02

jamie172 said:
With these being pre installed, how easy or difficult would it help to remove them and replace with controllable ones?

In theory, installing fans is one of the simplest things you can do, but in reality: it can be very tricky (or even impossible) when the parts are already installed in the case (due to limited access).

hornetstinger · Saturday at 15:05

Don't bother changing for RGB lighting nonsense, you'll soon grow out of shiny little lights.

Zeebedy · Saturday at 15:22

If your not looking to spend a lot and look to change your fans out, look at ThermalRight ARGB fans, very good value for money.

LePhuronn · Saturday at 15:37

hornetstinger said:
Don't bother changing for RGB lighting nonsense, you'll soon grow out of shiny little lights.

Or maybe light up your case with a colour scheme of your own choosing because some of us want to showcase the many thousands of pounds we've spent, even if it's for an audience of one.

I will never understand the mentality of people being so miserable over a couple of twinkly lights than can just be turned off.

LePhuronn · Saturday at 15:40

jamie172 said:
Well that would be why I've been banging my head up the wall

With these being pre installed, how easy or difficult would it help to remove them and replace with controllable ones?

The fans will probably be easy to just unscrew or unhook. What will be more difficult will be the control box you're going to have in there. Hopefully that's also just a case of unscrewing it from the case frame and the fans can just be unplugged. If MSI have done some nonsense by routing the fan wires through the case and then just soldered the wires into the control box then you may have to resort to cutting wires to get them out.

Zeebedy · Saturday at 15:40

LePhuronn said:
Or maybe light up your case with a colour scheme of your own choosing because some of us want to showcase the many thousands of pounds we've spent, even if it's for an audience of one.

I will never understand the mentality of people being so miserable over a couple of twinkly lights than can just be turned off.

This. I went from a stealth black build to a BTF full RGB build and glad I changed back to RGB..

hornetstinger · Saturday at 15:43

LePhuronn said:
Or maybe light up your case with a colour scheme of your own choosing because some of us want to showcase the many thousands of pounds we've spent, even if it's for an audience of one.

I will never understand the mentality of people being so miserable over a couple of twinkly lights than can just be turned off.

Only one thing about RGB lighting

Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-15-42-20-Picard-DESTROYS-Vulcan-with-FACTS-AND-LOGIC-Star-Trek-TNG-You-Tube hosted at ImgBB

Image Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-15-42-20-Picard-DESTROYS-Vulcan-with-FACTS-AND-LOGIC-Star-Trek-TNG-You-Tube hosted on ImgBB

ibb.co

LePhuronn · Saturday at 15:48

You've posted a screenshot of a scene where a tired and rapidly aging old man blindly lashes out with his insane ramblings, and is tempered by the calmness of a man revered for his compassion to the universe in which he lives.

Now, I'm not saying I'm Picard, but I'm pretty sure I know who Sarek is in this context...

Stop yucking other people's yums.