[SOLVED] How to connect DRGB case fans to the motherboard ?

Dec 19, 2021
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I am currently building my first pc and I am having a small problem. I am using the strix 270f gaming mobo in a P500A Digital case. I am trying to connect 6 rgb fans to the motherboard. They are from Phanteks, 3 are 120mm and 3 are the 140mm supplied with the case. The d-rgb cable that came with the 3 fans in the case do not connect to the rgb header on the motherboard. Do I need an adapter/ splitter, or what do I do? If I need to order new fans, what fans should I order?
 
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Solution
Your MoBo has two +12V 4-pin RGB headers, while what your fans need, is +5V 3-pin ARGB header.
Sadly, the technologies are different between the two and you can't combine them.

On the regular +12V RGB header (4-pin), all LEDs of a primary color (R, G, B) are chained together and act simultaneously depending on the input signal. This makes individual LED addressing impossible.

Pinout:
pin #1 - +12V
pin #2 - G (green color)
pin #3 - R (red color)
pin #4 - B (blue color)

On the +5V RGB header (3-pin), there is LED driver control for each RGB LED package that translates the serial information coming in through the data pin into a specific output for that LED package it is attached to. That method makes single LED addressing possible...

Aeacus

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Your MoBo has two +12V 4-pin RGB headers, while what your fans need, is +5V 3-pin ARGB header.
Sadly, the technologies are different between the two and you can't combine them.

On the regular +12V RGB header (4-pin), all LEDs of a primary color (R, G, B) are chained together and act simultaneously depending on the input signal. This makes individual LED addressing impossible.

Pinout:
pin #1 - +12V
pin #2 - G (green color)
pin #3 - R (red color)
pin #4 - B (blue color)

On the +5V RGB header (3-pin), there is LED driver control for each RGB LED package that translates the serial information coming in through the data pin into a specific output for that LED package it is attached to. That method makes single LED addressing possible.

Pinout:
pin #1 - +5V
pin #2 - data
pin #3 - empty (no pin)
pin #4 - ground

Plugging the 3-pin RGB connector to the 4-pin RGB header fries the LEDs since you'd be feeding more than twice the voltage to them (12V vs 5V). And even if the addressable LEDs somehow survive the initial power up, there's no data pin in the 4-pin RGB header to control the LEDs.

However, there are hardware out there that enables you to control ARGB fans (aka DRGB, both are the same thing), where Cooler Master has one of such addressable ARGB controllers,
specs: https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/coolers/rgb-accessories/argb-led-controller/

Cooler Master ARGB hub gives you more control than the built-in controller your PC case has.
 
Solution