Question 120mm ARGB Fan Recommendations?

[i_Dabble]

Hi,
The case I bought for a pc that I'm building for my aunt came with 6 pre installed RGB fans which have a Molex connector, the problem is they look nice but they can't be turned off, so they are not ideal,

The case has a button next to the reset button which says it is for lights and that has a 2pin connector which is the same as the reset button connector,

Ideally, I would like to make use of that button, but there isn't a 2 pin connector on the motherboard, I've seen a few ARGB fans that come with a separate little control box, can they be used with a 2 pin button?

Alternatively, can anyone recommend any decent ARGB 120mm fans? that can be turned off using software?
I've come across some that say ARGB and others that say DRGB etc but in the photos it looked like the connectors were the same.

 

[Lutfij]

What is the make and model of the case you're working with? Make and model of your motherboard? Where are you located? What is your budget for the fans? What is your preferred site for purchase?

 

[Paperdoc]

A few background bits of info to help understand.

ARGB stands for Addressable Red / Green / Blue lighting, aka Addressable RGB or ADDR RGB. DRGB stands for Digital RGB lighting, and that is the SAME thing. The second name just takes note of the fact the the ARGB system uses one line for DIGITAL control signal packets (with node addresses) sent to each node in the lights.

That extra front panel button for "Lights" may or may NOT be the same as the Reset button. The Reset button is a simple momentary-contact switch. That is, when you push it the contacts close, but when you take your finger off the spring inside opens the contacts again. The extra button MIGHT be the same. But also it is possible that it is a more common "latching" switch. In that type when you push it and release, the contacts close and STAY closed to keep current flowing to the load. The NEXT time you push and release, the contacts open and STAY open. And repeat.

There are many third-party lighting controllers that use a momentary-contact type of pushbutton as the manual means to step through a sequence of display patterns of the lights. Since all cases have a Reset button of this type, typically you connect the wires from that Reset button to the controller box for this, BUT that means that you no longer have any real Reset button to use. The case you have apparently adds an extra front button for this purpose so you CAN connect that to a third-party controller, and still have the real Reset button for its intended use. So I ASSUME that button is the momentary-contact type, but that could be wrong! Since it appears that extra button's wires are not connected to anything, you could test it yourself with any means of checking electrical continuity - for example, an electrical meter set to Ohms resistance. Connect the meter to the two contacts from that button and push, observe, and release. If the meter says the switch contacts stay closed ONLY when you are pushing, then you have a momentary-contact switch just like a normal Reset switch, and you could use that with some third-party ARGB lighting controller box. If the meter says, instead, that it is a latching type, that normally could NOT be used with a common third-party controller.

There is a fundamentally different type of third-party ARGB lighting controller, but not a lot of makers on the market. In this type the lights are connected to the box, of course, and the box also has a power input from the PSU. But then there is a third connection cable that goes to a motherboard USB2 header, and NOT to a front panel button. This controller type comes with a free software tool you install and use to configure all details of the lighting display, The software uses that USB2 connection to communicate its instructions to the controller box.

You have not told us what MOTHERBOARD you plan to use. MANY mobos come with ARGB controllers built in and one or more headers to plug in your lighting cables. Then you use a software tool supplied with the mobo for control of the lights. So, does YOUR mobo already have that feature? If so, you do NOT need any added controller box and will NOT need to use that case extra front panel button.

 

[i_Dabble]

What is the make and model of the case you're working with? Make and model of your motherboard? Where are you located? What is your budget for the fans? What is your preferred site for purchase?

My case is a Trooper -SX81 by Jedel, it's cheap but the only one I could find that had a completely flat top and front glass that is screwed on to match the side.

My motherboard is a MSi B850 Gaming Plus WIFI

I'm in the UK, I don't really have a preferred site, whoever has the best value I guess, in terms of budget I'm not really sure, I'm expecting each fan to cost at least £10

 

[i_Dabble]

A few background bits of info to help understand.

ARGB stands for Addressable Red / Green / Blue lighting, aka Addressable RGB or ADDR RGB. DRGB stands for Digital RGB lighting, and that is the SAME thing. The second name just takes note of the fact the the ARGB system uses one line for DIGITAL control signal packets (with node addresses) sent to each node in the lights.

That extra front panel button for "Lights" may or may NOT be the same as the Reset button. The Reset button is a simple momentary-contact switch. That is, when you push it the contacts close, but when you take your finger off the spring inside opens the contacts again. The extra button MIGHT be the same. But also it is possible that it is a more common "latching" switch. In that type when you push it and release, the contacts close and STAY closed to keep current flowing to the load. The NEXT time you push and release, the contacts open and STAY open. And repeat.

There are many third-party lighting controllers that use a momentary-contact type of pushbutton as the manual means to step through a sequence of display patterns of the lights. Since all cases have a Reset button of this type, typically you connect the wires from that Reset button to the controller box for this, BUT that means that you no longer have any real Reset button to use. The case you have apparently adds an extra front button for this purpose so you CAN connect that to a third-party controller, and still have the real Reset button for its intended use. So I ASSUME that button is the momentary-contact type, but that could be wrong! Since it appears that extra button's wires are not connected to anything, you could test it yourself with any means of checking electrical continuity - for example, an electrical meter set to Ohms resistance. Connect the meter to the two contacts from that button and push, observe, and release. If the meter says the switch contacts stay closed ONLY when you are pushing, then you have a momentary-contact switch just like a normal Reset switch, and you could use that with some third-party ARGB lighting controller box. If the meter says, instead, that it is a latching type, that normally could NOT be used with a common third-party controller.

There is a fundamentally different type of third-party ARGB lighting controller, but not a lot of makers on the market. In this type the lights are connected to the box, of course, and the box also has a power input from the PSU. But then there is a third connection cable that goes to a motherboard USB2 header, and NOT to a front panel button. This controller type comes with a free software tool you install and use to configure all details of the lighting display, The software uses that USB2 connection to communicate its instructions to the controller box.

You have not told us what MOTHERBOARD you plan to use. MANY mobos come with ARGB controllers built in and one or more headers to plug in your lighting cables. Then you use a software tool supplied with the mobo for control of the lights. So, does YOUR mobo already have that feature? If so, you do NOT need any added controller box and will NOT need to use that case extra front panel button.

Wow, thank you for all this info, the last time I built a PC, fans made from clear plastic with a single 3mm LED at each corner had just become a thing so I'm very much behind with all this but it's great to see so many options

My Motherboard is a MSi B850 Gaming Plus WIFI

I have a multimeter so will test the switch tonight,


You seem like the ideal person to ask about software for the ARGB, the ram I have is Corsair vengeance, is there any software that can be used to adjust the fans and the ram lighting? from looking at screenshots online, it seems like I need MSi Mystic Light for fans and stuff connected to the motherboard but Corsair iCue for the ram? the PC is for my aunty so I'm trying to keep things simple

P.S thank you to both for taking the time

 

[Lutfij]

My case is a Trooper -SX81 by Jedel, it's cheap but the only one I could find that had a completely flat top and front glass that is screwed on to match the side.

My motherboard is a MSi B850 Gaming Plus WIFI

I'm in the UK, I don't really have a preferred site, whoever has the best value I guess, in terms of budget I'm not really sure, I'm expecting each fan to cost at least £10

I have some bad news for you. The fans at the front of the case are purely for aesthetic purposes and aren't doing anything to draw in air to cool your components. You would be best served by removing the front panel glass fascia to help with airflow or return the case with the crappy fans in favor of a case that has better ventilation and perhaps better fans.

 

[Paperdoc]

Just to ensure you know this, modern lighted fans are really two devices in one unit - a fan motor, and the lights in the frame. Each has its own separate cable to connect to different mobo headers. The LIGHTS can come in two types; plain RGB that uses a 4-pin connector and a 12 VDC power line, and more complex ARGB that uses a 3-pin connector (looks like it had 4 but one is missing) and a 5 VDC power line. You are planning the ARGB type of lighted fans.

Many RAM modules come with lights in them, too. But the lights in those units are NOT controlled in the same way, and the Ram units do not have any lighting cables. Instead, the lights are powered and controlled by the mobo through contacts in the RAM module edge connectors. That means that control of these lights must be done with software supplied by the RAM maker. In your case, since the RAM is by Corsair, they supply with those units their own proprietary software tool called iCUE. It can deal with lots of Corsair products. It is not likely to work with devices (such as lighted fans) made by other manufacturers. But you WILL need to use that tool for the RAM lights, and a different software tool for the fan lights.

That mobo has two "standard" headers for connecting ARGB lighting cables called JARGB_V2n (see mobo manual p. 48). That is where you can connect the lighting cables from your fans. To connect six fans' cables to only two headers you will need a couple of ARGB Splitters (unless the fans have their own built-in "daisy chain" lighting connectors). Here is an example

https://www.amazon.com/MEIRIYFA-Addressable-Extension-MasterLiquid-Protective/dp/B09V9YYFD3/ref=sr_1_13?crid=AGHOK1OIPD5R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6_GrhWM5r9-CgAYixMyZeKllq5Scw8qoWY4UMTquIrrbYnDe883DXCYlSSv66SXXZiZ929l9Z3NPL7UeRU2yAfOvIUnWbFuL9-LmRE9zzg8SC7z-zYtWfS6HVU6a2Kmzwp8Tx4fzKvDhELuuv3R9vZG0s0mVtS8gYEuHNRzs5BR_-MxABhtKSEDQwgqy7txbaNr2Y53oWtsfZY0ZERupI3vJQgNeZVqqrOOt6r9dIho.qoO5BcoTALr8qzjCXTg287dUDh-c2KbY5iX6w190RbM&dib_tag=se&keywords=ARGB+Splitter&qid=1749663511&sprefix=argb+splitter,aps,120&sr=8-13#customerReviews

That is a 2-pack of Splitters, each with 4 outputs and little end caps for unused outputs.

MSI supplies their Mystic Light software tool for use with their mobos. One small item to alert you to. ARGB lights now come in two versions, the Original and a new V2. (Some now call the Original V1.) Each requires slightly different control signals so you cannot mix the two types on one header. Each mobo ARGB header can be configured for either one light type or the other, and often the mobo arrives pre-set to the V2 option. So IF the lights in your fans are the Original (V1) type and they do not seem to work, go into Mystic Light for the headers and look for the option to change to V1 version.

 

[Paperdoc]

Lutfij has posted an important note for you above. Having the front fans behind a solid cover plate makes then useless for their MAIN function cooling! You would have to remove that cover and THEN arrange to mount in front of them instead a porous dust filter. ANY intake fan should have a dust filter (often a thin urethane foam sheet or perhaps a fine screen) to trap dust in the incoming air and prevent its accumulation inside your case. That filter needs cleaning from time to time, so access and easy removal is important. It can interfere slightly with visibility of the fan lights, but not badly. There are SOME cases with front panels that appear to be solid, but they are spaced out from the case body with side slots for air to flow in.