What’s the RGB Header on My Motherboard for?

In the event you’re like me, you will need to examine each millimeter of each new gadget you purchase. Motherboards, with all these completely different connectors and headers, are sensory overload heaven. Whereas connecting your followers to the motherboard, you may come throughout a peculiar-looking header labeled “RGB” or “LED.”

The RGB header in your motherboard is used to energy and management the colourful LEDs on pc elements. It seems lots like a 4-pin pc fan header at first, however do not be fooled; RGB connectors are barely bigger and haven’t got the small plastic alignment tab current on all fan connectors. As a facet observe, do not ever attempt to join a PC fan to the RGB header. You will not have the ability to do it, and even for those who bent the pins to attach the fan, it would not work.

Here is an instance of what an RGB header seems like:

This one is labeled as “LED_CPU,” however you will come throughout every kind of names relying on the make and mannequin. They’re all variations of “RGB” or “LED,” so that they’re simple to distinguish from fan headers. Larger-end motherboards usually have a number of headers separated into completely different channels, so you will see one thing like “LED_C1” for channel 1. You could find them under the CPU, on the very backside, or on the correct facet of the entrance of the motherboard.

Because the title signifies, this one is designed for the RGB lights on the CPU fan, totally on inventory AMD and aftermarket coolers. Nevertheless it does not matter what the label says—so long as the pins are appropriate, you may join any RGB element to it, which incorporates issues like case followers, LED strips, GPU backplates, and RGB controllers.

RGB headers on motherboards have largely been standardized, however you will nonetheless come throughout two completely different variations: 3-pin 5V addressable RGB (ARGB) and 12V RGB. These are incompatible with each other, as they use the connectors in fully alternative ways.

3-pin ARGB headers appear to be they’ve 4 pins, however the “third” one is definitely lacking. The primary pin is for the 5V voltage widespread collector (VCC) pin, the second is labeled “D” for knowledge, and the final one is for a floor connection, both labeled with “GND” or a ⏚ (floor image). You may additionally come throughout “VDG” headers that solely have 3 pins on older Gigabyte motherboards. Since they operate identically to common ARGB headers, you need to use them with any ARGB gadget by connecting them by an adapter.

The rationale they’re referred to as “addressable” is as a result of you may management every particular person LED, because of the information pin. That is what permits for flowing and dancing mild reveals that the older 12V RGB headers cannot do.

As for 12V RGB headers, you in all probability already know that “RGB” stands for “crimson, inexperienced, and blue.” However on computer systems, they’re truly in a barely completely different order: 12VGRB. Once more, the primary pin is to energy the lights, and the opposite three pins management the respectable colours. These aren’t individually addressable, which implies all lights in your LED strip or fan work in unison and alter colours concurrently.

Are your RGB goodies incompatible along with your motherboard? I hear you. When you’ve got ARGB parts, your cash is greatest spent on an addressable RGB controller. Make your life simpler by shopping for one which’s from a model you already use, resembling Corsair or Razer.

However don’t be concerned for those who’re nonetheless caught on 12V RGB elements like me. You will get a appropriate controller that plugs into an old school USB port in your PC or a Molex/SATA connector out of your energy provide. You will not get fancy Christmas light-like results, however you need to use a battery-powered distant or perhaps a smartphone app for a contemporary strategy to management the lights.