LED strip is becoming a common element in the design of an apartment, public or commercial space. Many ways have been invented to obtain interesting and original effects that can change the usual appearance of a room. Apart from this, there are other, more practical possibilities. These include PC backlighting, which allows you to relieve the human visual organs and reduce fatigue. Let's take a closer look at this issue.

The computer is becoming an increasingly necessary tool for business, communication and leisure. People spend a lot of time in front of the monitor screen, which negatively affects their vision.

The most harmful effects occur when working in a dark room. The sudden transition from a brightly lit screen to a dark background tires the eyes and can cause headaches with prolonged exposure. You can reduce the harmful effects by installing additional lighting in the monitor area.

The best option for a soft transition is to install an LED strip around the perimeter of the back side of the monitor. The light is directed towards the wall, creating an illuminated spot around the screen. This option allows you to smooth out the sharp boundary between light and darkness, does not distract the eye from the main object of attention and reduces the harmful effects of prolonged contemplation of the screen.

Materials and tools required for work

Connecting LED backlighting is not fundamentally difficult and can be done with your own hands. To do this, you need to have some skills in working with a soldering iron and minimal knowledge. Tools you will need:

• LED strip for computer;
• 12V power supply;
• soldering iron and solder;
• scissors;
• connecting wires;
• nippers or side cutters.

The most necessary tools are listed, but other equipment may be needed.

Connection diagram for a regular tape

The easiest way to connect the backlight is to the computer itself using a 4 pin Molex connector. It has 4 contacts, of which you will need yellow (+12 V) and black (ground, minus). In a bundle of computer wires connecting motherboard with component devices, you need to find a free connector and connect it to it on the fly.

Read also Selecting and connecting a 12 V power supply for the LED strip with your own hands

Important! The connector consists of two parts - a plug and a socket. It is best to solder the backlight contacts to one of the parts so that you can disconnect the tape if necessary without performing complex work with a soldering iron. The main task is to connect the contacts correctly so as not to confuse the polarity. This lighting method is good for system unit with a transparent side wall, although it is also suitable for decorating a monitor.

RGB strip connection diagram

Multicolor RGB tape allows you to get different lighting effects and diversify the monochromatic backlight mode. To connect, you will need a controller that controls the operation of the LEDs. There is no fundamental difference in connecting multi-color backlighting, only 12 V power must be supplied to the controller input, and the backlight must be connected to its output. RGB strips have 4 power contacts:

• R, red;
• G, green;
• B, blue;
• +12 V.

At the output of the controller there are corresponding contacts that simply need to be connected to the corresponding pads on a piece of tape. The process is simple, but requires attention and accuracy. Multicolor lighting can be controlled remotely using the remote control.

Connection

If connecting to a computer is difficult for some reason, they are usually connected to other power sources. There are several options, all of them are quite affordable. Let's take a closer look at them:

Via power supply

The LED backlight power supply converts AC mains voltage 220 V DC 12 V. Different types of power supply can be used:

• from a laptop;
• from telephone charging;
• from personal computer(located in the system unit).

Ready-made devices that are sold in stores can be used. The main condition for selection is to ensure sufficient power. It is necessary to examine the power supply, find on the case data on the current strength supplied by the device.

Important! You should only use devices that produce more current than the rated current consumed by the backlight. If 1 m of a lamp usually consumes 0.4 A, then all 5 m require 2 A. When connecting, polarity must be observed.

Without power supply

It is possible to connect the backlight to a 220 V network without a power supply. However, it cannot be turned on directly - in any case, a rectifier (diode bridge) and a smoothing capacitor are required. To connect you will have to perform several operations:

• the tape is cut into pieces - for example, a 5-meter tape should be cut into pieces of 25 cm. It is necessary to cut only along the marked lines, otherwise the tape will not be able to be connected;
• The resulting segments must be connected sequentially according to the “plus to minus” principle. The beginning and end are connected to a diode bridge;
• A smoothing capacitor is soldered parallel to the output of the diode bridge, which eliminates the flickering of the tape with a frequency of 50 Hz. The capacitor rating is 5-10 µF 300 V.

LED light sources are gaining more and more popularity, and there is no doubt that they will soon almost completely replace their “competitors” - incandescent and gas-discharge lamps. LED strips are especially convenient - they are compact, flexible, provide a sufficient amount of light, and are easy to place discreetly by pointing them at the illuminated surface.

To connect most LED strips low voltage power required direct current. Under normal conditions, special power supplies are used for this, which are purchased separately, taking into account the power of the backlight being created. But LED strips are very often used to arrange a work (or play) place equipped with a computer. Is it possible in this case to do without purchasing a power supply, since there seems to be a DC source with the required output voltage at hand? Yes, it's quite possible. In this article we will look at how to connect an LED strip to a computer.

What is an LED strip and why is it connected to a computer?

For those who are going to deal with LED strips for the first time, just a few words about their design, purpose, and connection principle.

So, the LED itself is a compact semiconductor device. The concept of “diode” already implies that it is capable of passing current only in one direction. But the structure of the semiconductor crystal is such that when current is passed, light energy is released in the form of photon radiation. In a word, the LED begins to emit a luminous flux. In this case, thermal energy is partially generated, that is, it is necessary to take certain measures for adequate heat removal.

• The widespread use of these elements began with DIP-type LEDs. They can still be often found, for example, in the display systems of many household appliances, in garlands, in low-power lamps of old designs.

SMD LEDs of various sizes - they are widely used for the production of LED strips

• The development of LED lighting was literally revolutionized by the appearance of SMD-type LEDs. Such devices are already equipped with their own heat removal system (this role is played by a housing made of a special material). The emitted luminous flux has become higher, and this is against the backdrop of a significant reduction in the dimensions of the LED itself. The elements may have a lens or simply be coated with a layer of phosphor, which sets the light temperature of the glow and eliminates the ultraviolet component. It is SMD LEDs that are currently the most in demand, and most tapes are produced using them.

LEDs, depending on the crystals and phosphor coating used, come with a single-color white glow of various shades, and with a colored one (RGB).

Modern LEDs such as COB (left) and COG (right) can boast smooth and powerful radiation.

• A new stage in the development of LED technology was the emergence of COB (chip-on-board) COG (chip-on-glass) devices. Essentially, these are dozens of unarmed crystals placed on an aluminum (through a dielectric layer, of course) base board or glass rod, which are then covered with a continuous layer of phosphor. The result is a powerful light source with a large emitting surface. The luminous flux is emitted evenly from the entire area of ​​such a matrix or rod.

So, for the production of most modern ones, SMD elements of one size or another are used. The tape itself is, in fact, a flexible narrow circuit board on which, in addition to LEDs, other elements necessary for normal operation are soldered. LEDs are arranged on the strip in one or two rows with a certain pitch, which determines the density of their placement - from 30 to 240 pieces per linear meter. The tape is sold by the meter - it can be cut into pieces of the required length, but only according to the applied marks located at a certain pitch (usually from 100 to 300 mm).

The back side of the LED strip is most often equipped with a self-adhesive layer, which simplifies its installation at the location where the backlight is installed. This adhesive layer in the “stowed” position is covered with a protective backing, which is removed immediately before installation.

We will not dwell in detail on the structure of LED strips and their classification - there is already enough information about this on our portal.

LED strips are an excellent “tool” for creating decorative or local lighting

With a creative approach, these lighting fixtures can almost completely transform the design of a room. Read about classification, order and schemes in a special publication on our portal.

Why might you need to connect an LED strip to a computer? Here we can divide the question into pragmatic and decorative components.

Let's start with pragmatics.

• For most users, the computer workplace is a kind of individual zone in an apartment or house in which most of their free time is spent. And for many, as they say in government circles, “self-employed citizens” - this is the main thing workplace. The working day for such people often imperceptibly flows into the night hours. And partly in order not to disturb the rest of the family, but also not to lose a comfortable environment, you have to think through the equipment of such a zone. This is a dim background illumination of the monitor area, since its operation in complete darkness inevitably causes rapid eye fatigue and can generally negatively affect the user’s vision.

Apparently, sufficient illumination of the desktop area is necessary if you have to make certain handwritten notes or use printed literature. An excellent addition is the LED strip located under the tabletop above the retractable keyboard shelf.

• If we talk about decorative lighting, then everything depends on the preferences of the owner. Thus, a fashionable trend (in the author’s personal opinion, quite senseless) is the internal illumination of the system unit, the installation of moldings or other luminous elements on it (inside it). Contour finishing (often with a light-music effect) with LED strips across the entire worktop, monitor, speakers, etc. is practiced. - everything that comes to mind for the “manager” of this area of ​​the room.

No matter what you plan, LED fixtures require connection to a power source. And if, as they say, there is a computer nearby, then it is quite possible to use the existing capacity.

1 – computer power supply;

2 – Molex connector;

3 – dimmer, which allows you to smoothly adjust the brightness of the tape;

4 – LED strip.

In fact, the dimmer is connected to the 12 volt power line, that is, nothing particularly complicated is expected.

Prices for LED strip DEEPCOOL

LED strip DEEPCOOL

The situation is somewhat different with connecting an RGB strip, which, in principle, cannot work normally without a special controller unit. But also, the scheme is not particularly complicated.

The difference is obvious. An RGB controller (pos. 3.1) is connected to the computer's power supply via the same Molex connector. And from it to the RGB LED strip (item 4.1) there are four wires - common +12 volts and a separate wire for each of their color channels.

Video: Option for connecting the LED backlight of a computer system unit using a connectorMolex

Connecting several tapes to one source is also quite acceptable if certain rules on the length of the tapes and the size of the total load are followed. This is described in more detail in the article that was already recommended above with the corresponding link attached.

By the way, if the reader has a power supply from an old computer at home and it’s lying around idle, it can be easily adapted for LED backlighting. Moreover, as we have seen, each such block has several outputs with Molex connectors.

Jumper to start standard block powering the computer without connecting to the motherboard

The only thing that will need to be provided for. This power supply itself will not start until it is connected to the motherboard. But this can be solved very simply - by installing a jumper on the MV connector. The contacts between which such a jumper must be placed are shown in the diagram above. And in words - between the PS ON contact (most often the green wire goes to it) and ground (black wire, GND).

Find out which one in a special article on our portal.

Connecting the LED strip to the connectorUSB

This method can be used by those who, for one reason or another, do not risk climbing inside the system unit case on their own. desktop computer. In addition, this is the only option for connecting LED backlighting if the workplace only requires a laptop.

Let's make a reservation right away - the method is not very convenient, if only because USB connector There is only 5 volt voltage.

Soldering a USB connector yourself for subsequent use in a lighting system is not such a difficult task. To do this, it is best to purchase a collapsible plug - they are presented in considerable variety in radio parts stores. And its pinout is clearly shown in the diagram above.

But for normal operation of the LED strip, five volts is not enough. This means that it is necessary to install some kind of converter that increases the voltage. In addition, there is also a limitation on the current load - no more than 500 mA. And this, in turn, means that if we raise the voltage from 5 to 12 volts, that is, almost 2.5 times, the permissible current will decrease by the same amount. And it will be possible to seriously consider the possibility of connecting a tape with a maximum current load of only 150÷200 mA. As can be seen from the table above, no more than one meter of the lowest-power LED strip is obtained - SMD 3528 with an LED density of 30 pieces per linear meter. For other types of tapes, generally very short lengths are allowed. However, to illuminate a small area of ​​the table, this is often quite enough.

The converter block can be purchased ready-made. Anyone who has at least a little knowledge of electronics can be advised to assemble such a device themselves, guided by the diagram attached below.

The main element of the circuit in this case is a microcircuit - PWM controller LM2577. The general list of remaining elements, as you can see, is small, and the circuit itself is not very branchy or highly complex.

The scheme, in principle, is highly universal. And fine tuning of the output voltage is done by selecting the values ​​of resistors R1 and R2. You can use the following formula:

Uout = 1.23 × (1 + R1 / R2)

Electrolytic capacitors at the input and output are responsible for smoothing out possible voltage fluctuations (ripples). Their capacity may be slightly higher than the specified rating - this is not critical. Their operating voltage is at least 20 volts.

The capacitor and resistor in output circuit No. 1 of the microcircuit set the operating frequency, and varying the indicated values ​​is not allowed. Equally stringent requirements for the rating of the inductive coil between terminals No. 4 and No. 5.

Only a high-frequency Schottky diode of the specified rating should be used as a diode.

Complete circuit mounted on a self-made printed circuit board, will not take up much space. As an option, a converter of this type is shown in a ready-made form.

A ready-made voltage converter that just needs to come up with some kind of protective housing

Well, then everything is simple. A piece of cable with a soldered USB plug is connected to the input terminals of the converter. And at the output, where 12 volts are removed, wires connected to the LED strip are connected.

All that remains is to insert the plug into the USB socket of the computer (laptop, desktop hub) - and the backlight will light up.

* * * * * * *

So, the most convenient ways to connect an LED strip to a computer’s power system were considered.

And one more important tip! When using any of the circuits, before performing a test run, do not be lazy to once again carefully check the quality of installation, the absence of short circuits and the correct polarity of the connection. A mistake can lead to dire consequences. It's not particularly scary to lose a piece of burnt tape. It will be much worse if negligence leads to failure of the power supply or other computer devices.

Some users believe that investing in LED lighting is an absolutely unnecessary luxury, which still does not carry any practical value. Other users, on the contrary, cannot live without an LED “disco” in the system unit of their home PC. For them, we have selected several of the best sets of LED strips that will allow you to organize a “party” in your computer case.

Lighting the inside of a PC is nothing new and has never been seen before. Light tubes and LED coolers have been used to decorate cases for decades. And now even motherboards are equipped with special controllers for connecting additional LED strips. You no longer need to play Kulibin if you want to add some “spark” to your corps.

Best Basic LED Kit

At a price of 1,200 rubles, it is one of the most affordable multi-color lighting kits. It includes two LED strips, 30 cm long and with 18 diodes each. This decision more suitable for use in Midi-Tower cases, which allow one tape on the top and one tape on the bottom inside the case. The tapes are attached with magnets, which is very convenient, and the plug is connected to the corresponding connector on the motherboard.

To control the backlight, a wireless remote control is used, which allows you to control the backlight. Note that only the entire strip can be illuminated, and not each LED individually. This way, each LED on the strip will glow the same color at the same time. The remote control allows you to control the brightness and set the speed of changing shades on the LED strip, creating a “breathing” effect, for example. You can choose 15 colors for static lighting or RGB lighting mode.

Price: about 1200 rubles

Best Digital LED Light Kit

Unlike the previous set, the kit has ten LEDs on each strip, and each of them can glow in an individual color. In total, you will receive 40 LEDs, to which you can purchase 4 more strips with the same 40 diodes. In addition, the set comes with a huge number of different cables for connecting both the strips themselves and the fans (they are also included in the set).

The backlight on the controller itself, which is shaped like a small box, is not adjustable. If you don't like it, you can simply turn it off. The NZXT Hue+ controller is two-channel, which allows you to supplement the lighting system with 4 more strips (4 for each channel). In addition, this allows you to run two different lighting effects on each channel.

All control occurs through proprietary software, which already has eight preset operating modes, but does not prevent you from creating your own. For example, smart lighting modes allow the NZXT Hue+ to automatically change colors based on CPU or GPU temperature. Audio mode activates an equalizer-style glow: the light will respond to any sound coming from the PC.

Installation of the kit is quite simple. The controller is screwed in place of the 2.5-inch drive in the HDD cage. A four-pin plug for power and a data cable from the motherboard to the controller are connected from it to the motherboard.

Price: about 5000 rubles

The Best LED Lighting Kit for Customization Lovers

There are many pixel addressable LED strips on the backlighting market today, but they are the most convenient and effective solution when it comes to backlighting a gaming PC case. This huge 500cm long LED strip reel contains 300 LEDs, allowing you to cut LED strips to fit your housing. But, in addition to the LED coil itself, you will have to purchase a power supply and controller separately.

On sale you can find ready-made controllers with hundreds of programmed types of lighting, and this will be the easiest option to purchase. More advanced users can use Arduino boards or Raspberry Pi to program your own lighting effects. In our case, we decided to limit ourselves to a ready-made solution with remote control. We did not cut the tape, but simply laid it along the inside of the PC case.

Those who decide to cut out individual LED strips will have to do further independent soldering to connect the strips. We recommend using 3-pin JST connectors so you can easily disconnect the strips without having to cut and re-solder.

Price: about 1600 rubles

A gaming PC is a reflection of the gamer's personality and preferences, and therefore wouldn't be complete without a bit of color. Yes, we know that not everyone likes backlighting, but most users really prefer it. On the other hand, the difference between truly luxurious and overly pretentious lighting is very subtle. It is not enough to simply install the appropriate components and LED strips and then turn it all on.

In this article, we will introduce you to the various components and accessories that are used to add new colors to your gaming system. At the same time, all its components will work as a single ensemble, giving it a magnificent appearance.

MSI Mystic Light Sync app

To get started you will need software, flexible and functional, with which you can customize and synchronize the lighting of each component of your system.

This is exactly the kind of control that the MSI Mystic Light app puts in your hands. With its help, all lighting can be adjusted, from the motherboard to LED strips, while the intuitive interface allows you to configure even very complex visual effects without the slightest effort.

*The Mystic Light 3 app can be downloaded from the following link:

Addressable RGB and non-addressable ARGB headers

When purchasing backlit components, you will sooner or later come across these terms. Moreover, behind them lies not only different functionality, but also very different appearance. This is why it is very important to understand the differences between the two types of connectors to which LED strips and other backlit devices are connected.

A non-addressable connector (usually a 4-pin 12V connector) significantly limits your color management capabilities. For example, it is impossible to make different sections of an LED strip connected to such a connector glow in different shades.

In contrast, addressable connectors (usually 3-pin with a current of 5 V) are equipped with a control circuit (microchip), thanks to which they offer much more flexible adjustment.
As a result, you can, for example, make an LED strip glow in several colors simultaneously, including synchronously with other similar strips connected to addressable connectors.

Next: selecting the main components

Before you start choosing accessories, you need to choose the right main parts of your PC. Without a solid foundation, backlit components won't work in harmony, so the motherboard and case are just as important to a backlit configuration as they are to any other PC.

Motherboard:

As the foundation for our PC, we chose the MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON motherboard, which not only has dedicated gaming features that enhance the gaming experience, but also allows you to connect accessories and backlit components. In addition to its built-in lighting, the board offers a JRAINBOW header (addressable) and two non-addressable 4-pin RGB headers. It also supports Corsair Addressable Controller, allowing you to control the lighting of Corsair components via the MSI Mystic Light app.

*Note: Devices with addressable backlighting must be connected to the JRAINBOW connectors, otherwise they will act as non-addressable (light one color).

Housing: MPG GUNGNIR 100

If you want to build a gaming PC with backlighting, then you should pay special attention to the case. It should not only look good itself, but also provide easy access to adjust the backlight. This is exactly what the MSI MPG GUNGNIR 100 model is.

There is a button on its front panel that allows you to instantly change the visual effect of the backlight, as well as control its brightness. A pre-installed fan with addressable lighting is already connected to it and ready to obey your commands.

In addition, the package includes a special hub to which you can connect up to eight addressable LED strips. Thus, you get ample opportunities to illuminate your computer at your discretion, both right now and in the future.

5 Best Backlit PC Components and Accessories!

So, with the basics out of the way, we can now move on to the additional elements for our build.

Memory modules: RAM

Nowadays, there are many backlit memory modules that support various visual effects. That's why they are an essential element of any colorful computer.

▼HYPERX PREDATOR DDR4 RGB

Case fans and CPU cooler

Case fans and the CPU cooler are one of the most visible elements of a computer, especially if the case has a panel made of tempered glass, like the MSI MPG Gungnir 100 model.

The illumination of these components will immediately catch the eye. Therefore, a modern processor cooler with full-color backlighting is an integral part of any gaming computer.

When choosing case fans, in pursuit of beauty, do not forget about the actual cooling. For our build, we recommend a fan with addressable lighting. It will be an excellent addition to a similar fan already pre-installed in the case we have chosen. In addition, it will be able to work in sync with other components, creating unified visual effects.

▼COOLER MASTER MASTERLIQUID ML240R RGB

Graphics Card Bracket: ATLAS MYSTIC ARGB

The ATLAS MYSTIC ARGB bracket is a great way to protect your graphics card while adding even more color to your gaming PC. Without such support, a massive device will sag, which sooner or later can lead to damage to the graphics slot. The bracket is equipped with addressable lighting, which will be an excellent addition to common system illumination.

So, this accessory– this is protection of components plus additional colors in the appearance of your computer.

RGB LED strips

To disperse the darkness, use LED strips! Place them in areas of the case that are not illuminated by the main components and accessories to achieve harmonious illumination of the entire computer system.

There are many ways to place ribbons, and it all depends on your personal preferences. To create atmospheric lighting, make sure they are not directly visible. Place the strips facing different surfaces to diffuse the light from them.

If the LED strips are visible directly through the transparent side panel of the case, it looks too pretentious, so this option will not be ideal.

RGB peripherals

When it comes to peripherals, you have the widest choice of backlit devices. However, since we strive for convenience and consistency, we will only review gaming mice, keyboards and headsets whose lighting can be adjusted using the MSI Mystic Light app. Get acquainted with full list you can, and below are our recommendations:

• Gaming Headset: The headset features full-color lighting that can be controlled via the MSI Mystic Light app and is Hi-Res Audio certified for fantastic sound quality. In addition, it can create a mesmerizing surround sound effect in 7.1 format.
• Gaming Mouse: Using the PMW-3330 optical sensor, the mouse has excellent positioning accuracy of up to 7200 dpi, making it an ideal choice for fast-paced games where every action needs to be precise. It has an ergonomic shape, perfect for displays high resolution and is equipped with colorful lighting.
• Gaming Keyboard: - This is a durable mechanical keyboard with Cherry switches that features faster response times and reduced keystroke force. It is equipped with full-color backlighting, which perfectly complements the colorful computer controlled by the MSI Mystic Light Sync application.

All is ready! It's time to let your imagination run wild!

Below are our recommendations for building a PC with full-color backlighting:

If you need ideas about choosing the color and visual effects of lighting, just look for pictures on the Internet. If you need something more inspiration, then go to our website, dedicated to all those who like to personalize their PC with the help of colorful illumination. There you can find ideas for PC design, recommendations for selecting components and much more. Filters on the left side of the page will help you quickly find the information you need.

Don't forget about us when you finish building your most beautiful PC yet. Tell us about it on Twitter using the hashtag #MysticLight and show everyone your favorite visual effect!