RGB Case fans and RGB AIO

[camwhite17]

I'm looking into buying a new tempered glass case that either has rgb case fans or has room for rgb case fans. I am also going to buy an RGB AIO cpu cooler. I want to be able to control the fans on the radiator and the case fans simultaneously with only one software. I was wondering if i need the same brand AIO as my case fans or if there is a controller that would work with both. I am open to suggestions for both which case to buy and which AIO to buy and how to control the RGB in the most cost efficient and convenient way. Thanks

 

[Paperdoc]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from camwhite17 : "RGB AIO and Case Fan RGB"

Hi. I am looking into buying a new case as well as an AIO RGB cpu cooler. my question is about how to control the rgb for these two things together. My motherboard has only 1 12rgb insert. I was wondering if I would need to have the same brand case fan as the AIO or if there's a universal controller with software to control different brand fans. I am open to suggestions for both case/case fan and AIO. I just want it all to be rgb and i want to be able to control all of them at the same time with one software. Thanks

I'm not sure what you mean by "My motherboard has only 1 12rgb insert." But here are some general guidelines.

Many of the early fans that included LED's merely connected the LED's to the fan input voltage, and there was no control over them. This design had only one cable and connector feeding the fan unit.

Today most fans that include LED's provide separate wiring and connectors for the fan motor and the LED's. For the fan motor the connector may be either 3-pin or 4-pin, depending on the motor design. Separately there is a second cable ending in a larger connector with 3 - or more commonly 4 - holes, and many mobos come with at least one RGB header that these cables plug into. The mobo can control many lighting effects using those LED's under mobo control. BUT there are TWO major types of LED control systems and connection schemes, and you MUST match the type of mobo header to the type of LED system.

Both mobo headers look quite similar with spacing for 4 pins sticking up, but one of them is missing one of those pins. The full 4-pin header is common and called an RGB Header. The 3-pin version is different and called ARGB or Addressable RGB. Each of these uses a different method of controlling the LED's and hence works only with LED systems of that type. So, check what the fan you consider says about its needs (often in terms of what mobo maker it will work with) and compare that to what your mobo says it includes. SOME mobos actually include at least one of EACH of those two types of headers.

Of course, IF you plan on having LED's in more than one device (say, an AIO fan, some case fans and maybe LED strips), ensure that they ALL can be controlled by the same system so you can connect them all to the same mobo header. And to do that you may need a LED (not the same as a fan Splitter) and you may need to check the total LED current load against the mobo header's max current available.