What's new
Carbonite

South Africa's Top Online Tech Classifieds!
Register a free account today to become a member! (No Under 18's)
Home of C.U.D.

Rgb 3pin and 4pin connector nightmare!

Naqeeb

Epic Member
Rating - 100%
26   0   0
Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
142
Reaction score
27
Points
3,085
Age
28
So I'm still quite fresh when it comes to building PC's, this is my first RGB one. I have the deepcool mattrex 55 pc case and a msi h81m-p33 motherboard. I've got an LED strip on the case which I assume connects through a 4pin 12v (I'm not entirely sure) and I've got a coolermaster fan with a 3pin rgb connector. How do I make it all work?
 
There is no way to convert a 4pin 12v to a 3pin 5v directly. You would need a controller to translate between these.
 
Can you suggest any cheap-ish controllers that'll allow me to use both pin types? (4 and 3) I can't seem to find any
 
I can't find stock anywhere. Are there any other solutions or have I messed up?
 
I can't find stock anywhere. Are there any other solutions or have I messed up?
According to your case's site, it has a button on the front that controls the built-in RGB strip. Also, that strip is expandable, so you can add other 4-pin strips or fans in the chain and they will all be controlled by that button.

If you want software control of your RGB, you will need an RGB controller (e.g. NZXT Hue, or that Deepcool thing @ScuBaLlama linked) or a new mobo with an RGB header (in this case, a 4-pin header).

Some motherboards have 3-pin headers, and some RGB controllers work with 3-pin connectors, but then you won't be able to sync the RGB on your 3-pin devices with the RGB on your 4-pin devices. This seems to be a common issue people have, and that Deepcool adapter seems to be the only straightforward solution.

All in all, right now, if you really want an RGB fan, your easiest option is probably to get a new fan that has a 4-pin RGB connector and connect that to your case's RGB strip. Keep the 3-pin one and stick it somewhere less visible. Then you can make a more coherent plan for future purchases (e.g. getting a motherboard with a 4-pin header, or an NZXT Hue and all NZXT fans/strips).
 
So this is where I embarrass myself... I can't get my led strip to light up. I'll send a pic of the cable. At the very least I want that to work. The rgb fan can be used when I upgrade cpu, mobo, ram later this year.
 
Is that the RGB strip? There should be a connector on the case. Maybe in the same bundle as the power button and USB headers, etc. It may also have a molex or SATA power connector that needs to be plugged into the PSU. Did the case come with a manual? If not, try the website.

EDIT: Found this on the website. That cable labelled "MAIN" from your pic should be plugged into the case, and it looks like it needs molex power too:

16.jpg
 
Thank you to all who posted. Really happy getting such helpful feedback. I've got the led strip working. Now just need a converter or wait for uograde
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom