The ultimate gaming battle station is incomplete without some stunning RGB lighting splashing some colour into your setup.
To unlock the secrets of RGB, different types of lighting, software, and some top product recommendations, our team of experts at Overclockers UK has compiled this handy guide.
Different Types of RGB Lighting
There are three different types of RGB lighting that you can find:
- RGB
- aRGB
- dRGB
RGB
RGB stands for red, green, and blue, and any product that features RGB lighting combines these three colours to create over 16 million different variants of colour.
Standard RGB lighting, however, isn’t addressable. This means you can’t utilise different lighting effects in your setup.
aRGB
aRGB is addressable RGB lighting.
If you use aRGB, you can customisable all of the individual LEDs to display a veritable rainbow of different colours simultaneously. You can utilise a dedicated control software or a separate RGB LED controller to create unique, intricate displays with different lighting effects, such as starry night or breathing.
dRGB
dRGB is digitally addressable RGB and, just like aRGB, allows you to customise each individual LED with different colours and lighting effects.
This can be achieved via your motherboard’s dedicated software or even a separate RGB controller with which you can synchronise all your compatible devices to create stunningly beautiful RGB light shows.
To utilise these different types of RGB lighting and control it via your motherboard, you need to ensure that you have the correct compatible pin header.
12V 4-pin header
Also known as a non-addressable RGB connector, a 12V 4-pin header features four pins that are used for red, green, blue, and ground. There is no data stream across these pins, which means you won’t be able to edit the individual LEDs. Every LED is on the same circuit and shows the same colour and lighting effect.
5V 3-pin header
A 5V 3-pin header is what allows you to utilise aRGB and dRGB lighting. 3-pin connectors feature individual separate pins for power, data, and ground, which means there is a data stream across all of the pins in the circuit. This data stream is what you need to be able to individually control and customise each LED. Colour, brightness, lighting effect, and much more is available for you to manipulate with a 5V 3-pin header.
RGB Lighting Software
In order to showcase your true creativity and unlock all of the customisation options available, most motherboards come equipped with dedicated control software, as well as the necessary headers.
This software is used to customise and control your aRGB or dRGB hardware. You can even synchronise all compatible devices together.
Some of the most common ones include;
If you need help trying to find which software is compatible with your motherboard, the user manual and motherboard manufacturer website will detail all the information you need.
Our Top RGB Products
To show you just some of the RGB compatible products that you can use to splash some colour and style into your gaming setup, we’ve included some of our top RGB product recommendations. Take a look at them below!
Corsair iCUE SP120 RGB Elite Premium PWM Triple Fan Pack
- Triple pack of fans
- 120mm
- PWM
- Addressable RGB lighting
Lian Li Strimer Plus V2 24-pin aRGB Motherboard Extension Cable
- 200mm motherboard extension cable
- Integrated aRGB lighting
- 24-pin header
- 9 pre-set lighting effects
- Includes L-Connect 3 controller
Corsair Lighting Node Pro RGB Light Controller with Individual aRGB LED Strips
- Includes aRGB LED controller
- Compatible with Corsair iCUE and Link software
- Includes four aRGB LED strips
- Support for up to four RGB LED strips and six RGB fans simultaneously
Kolink Observatory RGB Black Mid Tower PC Case
- Mid tower PC case
- Black
- Tempered glass side panel
- Support for up to E-ATX motherboards
- Comes with 4 x 120mm RGB fans
Glorious Model D Optical RGB USB Gaming Mouse
- Optical gaming mouse
- PixArt PMW 3360 sensor
- Up to 12,000 DPI
- Integrated RGB lighting
Ducky One3 Aura RGB USB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- TKL form factor
- Quack mechanics
- Hot-swappable PCB
- Double-shot keycaps
- Integrated RGB lighting
Want to learn more about how you can utilise RGB lighting in your set-up? Check out the article in our ‘PC Modding’ series where we go into more detail about RGB and highlight a few extra products.
Show Off Your RGB Creations
What is your favourite RGB product? Have you got a stunning RGB packed gaming battle station you want to show off? Whatever the case, let us know in the comment section below or share over to @OverclockersUK on Twitter.
- 4 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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