STOP! Bling Time! (Looking for inexpensive, yet decent, RGB fans and/or controller for builds for teens.) (Installed, pics!)

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,548
10,171
126
Was working on a build, R5 1600 CPU, 16GB DDR4-2667 @ 3000 1.35V, currently an R7 260X 2GB, but that's just basically a place-holder card for now, 256GB M.2 NVMe, Win10 64-bit 1903.

Case is a fairly plain-looking but decent ATX DIYPC case, with a tempered-glass side panel. (Only $30 shipped! Was cheap, and in places, it shows, but for $30 I'll take a couple.)

PSU is a Corsair CX450 80Plus Bronze.

Was looking at the various dual-ring RGB fan bundles on Newegg and Amazon. They've got some with just a standard 3-pin / molex (no RGB control?), and ones that come as a kit, either 3 or 5 fans, and an RGB controller, and even a remote control(!). I think that the ones I was looking at were from DeepCool. I was a little put off by a couple of reviews that said that the RGB controller actually SMOKED/melted, once powered up. (Does that happen often?) Also some reviews said RGB effects/LEDs died in 2-6 months after owning them.

Want something nice, but I can get the entire DeepCool RGB fan kit / fans / controller / remote, for the same price as just 1-2 of the, say, Corsair RGB fans alone.

Was planning on possibly gifting this build to one of my friend's teen-aged offspring. They already have a gaming laptop that's decent, but my friend mentioned at one point, possibly wanting a gaming desktop that was even MORE powerful.

Edit: Here's the case, it has one rear exhaust fan, two top fan mounts (with magnetic dust filter), and I think two, maybe three, front 120mm intake fan slots (or a 240mm AIO rad, which might be useful if I/they upgrade to a 3000-series Ryzen CPU, like a 3700X).

11-353-170-V01.jpg

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811353170
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CU
Feb 4, 2009
35,227
16,687
136
To my understanding and be forewarned I am not a glass side panel or lights or bling guy, CORSAIR anything is a good choice simply because they make a broad variety of lights/bling and everything mouse, keyboard, fans, memory, cooler all can be synced & controlled in one “app”
 

ao_ika_red

Golden Member
Aug 11, 2016
1,679
715
136
I've used DeepCool's lowest end XFan12 as my chassis fans and they held up quite well (they're entering 2nd year of DC service) and they're not noisy if you got controller right. They even came with 3-pin connector, pretty rare for $3 a pop.

But, after I installed additional dust filter at the front panel, I decided to order pressure optimised fan in the form of BitFenix Spectre Pro. I'll do quick review on other thread once they arrive.
 

gk1951

Member
Jul 7, 2019
170
150
116
Virtual Larry: I am not a "bling" guy but OMG those three fans ought to put on quite a show!:cool::eek:
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
20,894
3,246
126
they do.. i have a pair i installed on my cousins pc for lulz... cuz he thought i was joking when i told him i could make his pc inside a rave party.
So i did just that.

They are quite good and quiet as well. I mostly bought them because they share Aigo with me, to try to them out.
My cousin also thought i bought customized stickers and put them on as i am known as Aigomorla... which in korean terms means "OMG haven't the slight clue".
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,548
10,171
126
Thanks to a wonderful and generous soul, I was able to order some of those kits before they went off sale pricing. So, in few days (hopefully), I can post some pics of the build with them installed.
 

ao_ika_red

Golden Member
Aug 11, 2016
1,679
715
136
Here's a kit, for $19.99 FS (today only?) @ Newegg. Looks like what I need, the price is right, hopefully it won't suck too bad. Only problem is, I'm broke until the end of the month, unless someone buys something from my FS thread.
Less than $20 for all of that? Even if their performance were less than average (already debunked by our watercooling god) you still get awesome controller which I think will work with other fan as well.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,548
10,171
126
Well, I got the two kits today, and got one installed into the build.

Looks pretty nifty, overall. But the fans barely move any air. I didn't wire the reset switch up to the controller; I'm using the remote control.

I had a scare, though. One of the fans stopped spinning altogether. I plugged it into several ports to test, still didn't spin. Then another one stopped. Then they both started again.

The controller also started getting a little bit warm.20190825_021308.jpg20190825_020800.jpg20190825_020843.jpg

This last pic, you can see the fan blade through the grate, STOPPED. That's the "problem" fan in the kit. Sometimes it doesn't start. Repeatedly hitting the "Fan" button on the remote causes it to twitch, and sometimes after that, if you manually give it a push it starts.

I tried loosening the screws, and tightening them again, in case something wasn't squared up, but it didn't really help. I think it's either the fan bearings, or the wiring. These are really, really CHEAP fans, but the RGB certainly LOOKS nice, even if the fans don't run full speed, or AT ALL. :p
 
Last edited:

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
64,137
12,456
136
IMO, some things just aren't worth cheaping out on. You don't always have to buy the best of the best, but NEVER buy the cheapest of the cheap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CU

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
20,894
3,246
126
RMA it... if its giving you problems, don't sit on it larry.

The Aigo fans i have are still going strong, and i havent had any issues with them yet.