If you're not a gamer, your computer is probably a soul-crushing, utterly characterless slab of metal.
If you are a gamer, your computer almost certainly looks like a David Guetta concert, and nobody around you has any idea what's going on.
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So here I am to explain a few things you didn't know about RGB (Red, Green, Blue) lighting — in computers and beyond.
Classic RGB lighting uses a 4-pin connector. One pin supplies power at 12V, and the other three carry signals for each of the three LED color channels.
A standard RGB LED has no built-in controller; instead, it receives instructions on which color to display directly from the motherboard via the cable.
This means all the LEDs light up in the same color at once — there's no way to control each individual LED independently.
More advanced components make use of aRGB, where the "A" stands for "Addressable."
aRGB uses a 3-pin connector. One pin supplies power at 5V, a second transmits data from the motherboard, and the third serves as the return path to close the electrical circuit.
aRGB includes a built-in electronic controller that receives instructions from the motherboard and is capable of changing the color and timing of each individual LED independently.
The addition of the controller enables a spectacular, richly colorful light show, as well as dynamic color adaptation to the surrounding environment.
For example — you can configure the LEDs to display different colors based on CPU temperature, in sync with music playing on the computer, matching the colors of a video playing on screen, and countless other options. If you wanted, you could set your computer to light up in the colors of the Israeli flag on Independence Day.
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Designing an aRGB-based build is a far more complex task than it first appears, because different hardware manufacturers use different protocols to control the lighting controller.
This means that components from one manufacturer won't necessarily be able to interface with a motherboard from another.
A deep familiarity with the subject and with the hardware ecosystem, combined with careful and thorough planning, can yield truly impressive results.
*Pictured: an aRGB-based build assembled at White Tiger.*
*In the third photo, the rear of a particularly complex build is visible, featuring three large (and expensive) aRGB hubs used to control an array of Corsair fans.*