Are RGB controllers standard?

Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
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350
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These days there are two common systems used in computer case sfor RGB lighting. They are technically quite different and hence incompatible; you cannot mix them in a system. (SLIGHT exception below.) I'll talk about RGB lighting "strips", but that applies also to groups of LED's mounted in the frame of a fan, and to other similar lighting devices.

The simpler type is often called just plain RGB, and it uses a connector with FOUR pins (and matching holes) in a straight line. These are a common +12 VDC power supply and three separate Ground lines. Along a strip are LED's of three colours - Red, Green, Blue. All the Reds are connected together to a common Red Ground line, all the Greens similarly, etc. The controller output header (or the header included in some mobos) manipulates those Ground lines in varuous mixtures to create many colours. But at any one moment the entire strip wil be one colour, which can be changed later. There is a less common sub-variant of this that adds White LED's to the strip, so it has FIVE pins and uses one for the additional White Ground line. In either of these plain RGB systems, the connectors have a marker on the +12 VDC pin (or hole), and you MUST match these up when making connections.

The more complex type is called Addressable RGB or ADDR RGB or ARGB. It uses a connector with THREE pins that looks a lot like the 4-pin one of a plain RGB system, with Pin #3 missing. It supplies common +5 VDC and Ground lines, and a Control Line. Along the strip, all the LED's are grouped into Nodes. Each Node contains one LED of each of those three colours, plus a small controller chip. All the controller chips in the strip listen to the Control Line. The header sends out on that line a series of data packets containing addresses and instructions. Each controller chip uses only the packets addressed to it and controls only its Node of three LED's. So every Node can be a different colour at any one moment, and this system can generate much more complex displays such as rainbow bands chasing each other along the strip. With the missing Pin #3 on this system's connectors you can not turn them the wrong way when making connections; nor can you plug them into a 4-pin system.

Note that both the power supply Voltage and the method of control of the LED's is quite different, so you cannot mix devices of one type with a Controller of the other type.

OP, your mobo has BOTH types of RGB headers built in. See your mobo manual, p. 7-8 and p. 31. It has one plain RGB LED Header (p.7, item 23 near mobo bottom rear labelled RGB_HEADER1. It also has a second header, item 6 at top front, called the AMD Fan LED Header, which is really the same type. Then it has one ADDR RGB header at bottom rear, item 24 labelled ADDR_LED1. So, no matter which type of RGB system is built into your RGB fan, your mobo CAN be used to power and control it from one of these. Once you have it connected up, you will need to install the ASRock Polychrome RGB Utilitiy (manual p.53, probably found on the CD that comes with your mobo. Use this to control those lights.

IF you buy more than one RGB fan, make sure you get all of them with the same type of RGB hardware - either plain RGB or ADDR RGB. That will make things much easier to control. If you do that, you may also need a RGB Splitter cable that can convert one mobo header into three output connectors. Most of these are made for the 4-pin plain RGB system, but you CAN use one of those with a 3-pin system IF you make sure to plug together the correct pins and holes. Becasue your mobo has both types of header, it is possible to use both types of RGB device if they are each connected to the correct header, but that may be tricky to control.

RGB fans really are units that contain TWO devices in one. Each has a fan motor, of course, and that has its own cable ending in either a 3-pin or 4-pin standard fan female (with holes) connector that you normally plug into a mobo CHA_FAN connector (manual p. 7, items 16, 17 and 26). Then the RGB lighting devices in the frame have their own cable ending in a different female connector you plug into the appropriate mobo plain RGB or ADDR RGB header.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
22,047
877
126
I have to use 3 apps for my system. I use one for my MSI mobo that has an RGB strip built into the mobo, one for my 6 corsair RGB fans and one for my 1080 video card. Its a PITA but once you have it all programmed you can just leave it be. The corsair was the real bitch with its 2 proprietary usb and power connectors and wiring. Its a cabling nightmare but once set up you can do some really cool lighting tricks.