Help with Cold Cathode Lighting

[Dougx1317]

I've never really had a lit case. What should I look for when buying cold cathode lights? How's this look?
http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-12-COMPUTER-CASE-NEON-COLD-CATHODE-LIGHT-BLUE_W0QQitemZ120425477612QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09eaf5ec

I'd also like opinions on what colors look best. I like blue, but I'm afraid it will look too whitish. I've got white LED's on my CPU fan.

 

[welshmousepk]

they look pretty good.

its hard to go wrong really. i have some ultra cheap blue cold cathodes and they look as good as the expendive ones my friends have. its jsut a light afterall.

i have blue in my rig, though minly because it came with blue LED fans, rather than cause i like the colour.
it looks good though.

and lol at the disclaimer on the ebay auction- '**These lights were not made for cars.'
fail.

 

[Dougx1317]

Thanks for the input.

Would one set of dual 12" be enough for a normal mid tower case? I assume they're not connected, right? I think I'll be stuck with blue, because I don't think the white LED's on my CPU fan will look good with green or red.

I'll have to cancel the cathodes I ordered for my car.

 

[welshmousepk]

the ones i have are 300mm. i dont know what that is in inches, but they aren't big. they light the case fine.

mine ARE connected though. so i was a little limted on positioning. but i only ever intended to put them on the bottom-front, and side-front where the window is. and i had plenty of room to do so.

cold cathodes aren't as intense as neons or LEDs mind-you. i prefer that, but dont expect your rig to glow as such. it just gives it a nice ambient colour to it. plus they are cold. always good.

 

[Dougx1317]

I couldn't find any neon or LED case lights. Are they called something special for computers?

 

[welshmousepk]

TBH, i dont think many companies make neon lights for computers anymore. they are more expensive than cathode and run much hotter. not good for a case.

LEDs are fairly easy found though. generally they come as littel strips of LED lights.
something like this: http://www.modster-pc.co.nz/shop/product_info.php?products_id=3785

thats my local PC store, so i didnt need to look far for those.

 

[Dougx1317]

I found some LED and Neon lights at a local microcenter. Do you think that they would be worth the extra money? Do neon's get dangerously hot?

http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0309566
http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0310896

Also, the neon light says that it has a cold cathode bulb. Is that neon or cold cathode?

 

[welshmousepk]

the second one looks just like a cold cathode to me. i think they just call them neons since thats what people are used to.

neons don't get dangerously hot no, but they are a fair few degrees hotter than cold cathodes. hence why you dont really see them anymore. you dont really want warm running lights inside a pc.

the leds look good though. the main difference between LED and Cathode lights is mainly the intensity. LEDs are brighter, directional, and much more full on. whereas cathodes fill the case with an even glow.

it depends what you want. if you really like bright glowing lights then go for the LEDs, sicne they will be noticeably brighter.

 

[Dougx1317]

I think I'll go for the cold cathodes. They're cheaper and sound like what I want: a nice even blue glow.

 

[welshmousepk]

sounds good.

GL with it