AMD Wraith Spire LED Cooler Confusion.

[ManOfArc]

I want to try to find a Ryzen cooler with the red LED ring. I see there are 2 types.
The Wraith Max and the Wraith Spire: http://
1. Do they both fit the AM4 retention bracket?
2. Is the Max RGB or just always red?
3. Is the Spire still lit red if you don't connect the separate RGB cable to a RGB header, or is it off?
4. Which of those coolers has the best cooling?

 

[Bo Lee]

Both the Wraith Spire and Wraith Max are designed for Ryzen CPUS, so they should fit without any problems. The RGB can be programmed to change change colors with a compatible motherboard. If the motherboard isn't compatible, it will likely just stay red. But yes, it should be able to change colors. That is what RGB means. If it was stuck on red always, it would just say R or Red. Under a load, the Max seems to cool a little better. Oddly enough, at idle the Spire cools better, but the differences is negligible and not really noticeable. Both performed better than the Evo 212, so either one is a good cooling option. http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/amd/wraith-max-and-wraith-spire-cooler/2

 

[ManOfArc]

It's hard to believe that the Max beats the 212 EVO at load! The Max simply looks like every other old 125W AMD 4-heat pipe cooler but with a better fan. But results don't lie.

Anyway...
You say that either cooler will light up red with simply plugging in the 4-pin PWM cable that all normal coolers have, right? I'd hate to get one and find out the ring only lights when the RGB cable is connected.

 

[Bo Lee]

It's hard to believe that the Max beats the 212 EVO at load! The Max simply looks like every other old 125W AMD 4-heat pipe cooler but with a better fan. But results don't lie.

Anyway...
You say that either cooler will light up red with simply plugging in the 4-pin PWM cable that all normal coolers have, right? I'd hate to get one and find out the ring only lights when the RGB cable is connected.

After doing some digging, to get it to light up, you apparently have to have the RGB cable connected. Now, the way RGB works is that you have 4 pins. One is your 12 volt positive. You have 3 other pens, one for red, blue and green. These 3 pins are grounds. Bascially the RGB header and software actives which ground pin is active, that makes that color illuminate. If it is capable, it can even combine multiple grounds so you can mix colors, say blue and red to get purple. I do not know if the software suite for the controller can do that or not. Relardless, you only need 12 volts to activate a color. The pin with the arrow is your 12 volt positive, so long as you get a ground to one of the others, it will light up. Depending on which one of those pins you choose, it will be green, blue or red. I believe you could even connect the RGB cable to an extra fan slot you might have available and it will light up, though I couldn't guess as to which color it would light up.

All that being said, if your motherboard doesn't have a RGB header, you can get a general RGB controller with four pins that the RGB cable can plug into. It will even give you a remote control to control the colors. Just put the IR sensor to where it is visible by the remote.
https://www.amazon.com/B2ocled-Controller-Wireless-Connector-Flexible/dp/B01KJMINLQ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517774466&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=4+pin+rgb+controller&psc=1

That should work for you and if fairly inexpensive and will allow you to have different colors. Even allow you to have it change colors in a pattern if you choose.