RGB Fan Controllers

[Andrew Cockayne]

Hello,

I recently bought a new computer system (excluding a graphics card, because, you know...). I decided to go with an ITX build but everything went in and connected up smoothly.

Except for the fans.

I bought a MSI montherboard "MSI MEG Z590I UNIFY mITX" (not available on overclockers) and a "MSI MAG CORELIQUID 240R" CPU liquid cooler. For the case fans I bought three "In-Win Polaris Aluminium RGB Fan".

The montherboard has a JRAINBOW connection and the CPU cooler connects to that and works correctly, but it turns out that the fans use the other type of RGB and I cannot get their lights working

From what I understand I have two options:
1) Buy a RGB controller board
2) Buy new JRAINBOW compatible fans

I'd prefer option 1 as it would be a little cheaper, but I am not sure what I am supposed to get. Equally I am unsure if things will be compatibile and I am guessing I'd get a better RGB experiance if everything was running off the motherboard RAINBOW connection.

Therefore I would really appreasiate some insite from others.
* What controller should I get
* Or, can you recommend a fan with the right RGB so I don't make the same mistake again

Thank you for the help.

 

[ttaskmaster]

If you want those fans to work, CableMod do 12v controllers for 4-pin RGB.

If you want it run off the motherboard, that does mean changing fans. Any fan with a standard 3-pin RGB connector should work. You want to look for '3-pin', '5v' or 'ARGB', 'DRGB', 'Addressable RGB', or some other term like that. It's all basically the same. JRAINBOW is just MSI's marketing term for it.
Lian Li have some pretty decent ARGB fans.

There are a few fans with proprietary connectors, though, such as Corsair, NZXT and some Phanteks. Those manufacturers will usually offer some kind of control box to go with their kit, but then you're stuck using only stuff compatible with that, so if you want LED strips or something else later on, you're limited in options.

There are some others that either have standard ARGB connectors, or that offer adapters for ARGB as well as their own proprietary ones. The new version Farbwerk360 from Aquacomputer has four standard ARGB channels as well as four of their own.

 

[Andrew Cockayne]

Thank you.

Finding these RGB controllers isn't as easy as it should be, but I think I found it. I think I would get a better result with some compatible RGB fans rather then the ones I have with a separate controller though, so I am going to go in that direction instead.