Do you want to upgrade your PC’s lighting system and don’t know how to connect the LED strip to the motherboard? Adding LED lights To PC is a great way to give it a unique and cool look. Most people don’t know how to connect LED strips to motherboards. In this post, we will show you how to do it in easy steps.
Different Methods To Connect LED Strips To Motherboard:
What Tools and Supplies You’ll Need?
- Motherboard with 4-pin RGB header
- RGB LED light strip
- One 4-pin RGB extension cable (optional)
- Molex to 4-pin RGB adapter (optional)
Method 1 – Connect With 2-Pin Connectors:
This is the most common method to connect LED strips with the motherboard. In this method, you will need to use 2-pin connectors. These connectors are usually available with LED strips. Most of the motherboards come with these connectors as well.
To connect the LED strip with the motherboard, you will need to find the +12V and GND connector on the motherboard. These are usually labeled as PWR_LED and GND. Once you have found these connectors, connect the LED strip’s +12V wire to the PWR_LED connector and the GND wire to the GND connector.
Method 2 – 3-pin JST SM Connector:
This is the most common method to connect LED strips to motherboards. Most of the LED strips come with this connector. This method is very easy to do and doesn’t require any soldering.
1) First of all, you need to find the 3-pin header on your motherboard. It is usually located near the CPU socket.
2) Then take the LED strip and connect it to the header. Make sure that the connection is secure.
3) Now you need to find an unused 4-pin Molex connector on your power supply.
4) Connect the 4-pin Molex connector to the LED strip.
Method 2 – 4-pin JST SM Connector:
This method is similar to the first one but uses a 4-pin header instead of a 3-pin header.
1) First of all, you need to find the 4-pin header on your motherboard. It is usually located near the CPU socket.
2) Then take the LED strip and connect it to the header. Make sure that the connection is secure.
3) Now you need to find an unused 4-pin Molex connector on your power supply.
4) Connect the 4-pin Molex connector to the LED strip.
Method 3 – Soldering:
This method is a bit more difficult than the first two but it is the most reliable. You will need some basic soldering skills for this.
1) First of all, you need to find the +12V and ground pins on your motherboard. These are usually located near the CPU socket.
2) Then take the LED strip and solder the +12V wire to the +12V pin on the motherboard.
3) Next, solder the ground wire to the ground pin on the motherboard.
4) Now you need to find an unused 4-pin Molex connector on your power supply.
5) Connect the 4-pin Molex connector to the LED strip.
Method 5 – Connect With Data Cable:
You’ll need a data cable with a USB connector on its end for this method. Data cables usually have three wires inside them, but you only need to use two of them.
1) To start, find an unused data cable and cut off the USB connector.
2) Then strip about 1 cm of insulation from the wires inside the data cable.
3) Now take the LED strip and solder the +12V wire to the +12V pin on the LED strip.
4) Next, solder the ground wire to the ground pin on the LED strip.
Method 6 – Connect Connect Led Strip To Motherboard With Power Switch:
This is the most common method to connect LED strips to motherboards. Most of the LED strips come with this connector. This method is very easy to do and doesn’t require any soldering.
1) Find the 3-pin header on your motherboard. It is usually located near the CPU socket.
2) Take the LED strip and connect it to the header. Make sure that the connection is secure.
3) Now you need to find an unused 4-pin Molex connector on your power supply.
4) Connect the 4-pin Molex connector to the LED strip.
Factors To Consider For Connecting LED Strip To Motherboard:
There are a few factors that you need to consider before connecting the LED strip to the motherboard.
1) Make sure that the voltage of the LED strip is compatible with the motherboard. Most of the LED strips operate at 12V but there are some that operate at 5V or 3.3V.
2) The current rating of the LED strip should be higher than the current rating of the motherboard. If the current rating of the LED strip is lower than the current rating of the motherboard, then it might damage the LED strip.
3) Make sure that the connector on the LED strip is compatible with the header on the motherboard. There are many different types of connectors used by LED strips. The most common are 4-pin and 3-pin headers.
4) Make sure that the length of the LED strip is compatible with the header on the motherboard. Some motherboards have headers that are only meant for short LED strips while others have headers that are meant for long LED strips.
5) Make sure that the LED strip is compatible with the power supply. Most of the LED strips require a 4-pin Molex connector from the power supply. But there are some that require a 3-pin header.
In The End:
Connecting the LED strip to the motherboard is a very easy task. You just need to be careful about the compatibility of the components. If you are not sure about anything, then you can always consult the user manual of the motherboard or the LED strip.
