Upgrade sons custom PC

5ZFamily

Hi, I’m looking to upgrade my sons PC. He seems to have burnt out his SSD at least once and definitely has had some glitching issues. He has been teaching himself to play around with Linux coding. He’s been asking for a Lighting upgrade for his bday and I’m wondering if I should get him a water cooling kit. Or if anyone recommends any other sort of colourful lighting upgrades. We built his PC last year for his birthday and now looking to add upgrades for his birthday this year (Thursday).
Current PC build:
 -Crucial 240GB BX500 2.5 SSD
-AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor
 -Vega 56 Red Dragon graphics card
-SEAGATE 2TB BARRACUDA 3.5" HD
-COOLMAST MASTERLIQUID ML120R RGB Fans
-CORSAIR CXM 650W 80+B SM PSU
 -GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI motherboard
 -COOLMAST MASTERBOX LITE5 case

TSPhillipT

Hello @5ZFamily, welcome to the Micro Center Community!

There are definitely different ways to add lighting to your build!  You can do internal LED Strips like Corsair's Lightning Node Pro.  I use these ones personally since my entire build is all Corsair so everything is synced.. but it was also super easy to install and set up.  Each strip uses magnets and attaches straight to the case itself.  Another option would be external LED strips like Kingwin's Flexible LED strips.  Adding these around the desk or on the back of your monitor and it makes for some great ambiance.  I would advise against the Corsair external strips here, as I use them and although they look great, getting them setup and mounted was pretty frustrating.. and they still sorta fall.  

I would be careful with picking up a watercooling kit, you need to make sure the kit you have supports the gear and socket.  It will also require maintenance compared to an AIO like your current setup.   

5ZFamily

Thank you!  Looking into the lights now.
We are updating our wifi from 100/100 to 950/950, so we are hopeful that it’ll help with the glitching.  I’m not sure if the computer is overheating, because of the way he uses it, because the SSD had to be replaced.  Is there anything to add to help keep it on the cooler side?

TSPhillipT

I would double check if the computer is overheating first by running a program that can monitor CPU temps.  Something like Open Hardware Monitor will work.  If you are seeing high temps, something like 85-90 degrees Celcius, I would consider doing a reapplication of thermal paste before upgrading the cooler completely.  What kind of games or activities are being done that causes the glitchiness?  Cause a 120mm AIO should be fine for the 2600 assuming it's running non-overclocked.  

5ZFamily

What’s the difference between the Corsair Commander Pro and the Lighting node pro?

5ZFamily

And then the corsair iCue LS100 Smart lighting Strip?

TSPhillipT

I am the Corsair expert on our staff, I can definitely help you out.  

The main difference between the Commander Pro and the Lightning Node Pro is that the Commander Pro has added features.  It's actually the Lightning Node Pro and a Fan Hub and a Thermal Sensor all in one device.  It then plugs via USB into your motherboard and can all be controlled/monitored via Corsair's iCUE. 

The Lightning Node Pro will only power RGB and make RGB controllable.  It just won't control fan speeds or monitor temperatures.  The Lightning Node Pro however, will come with 4 LED magnetized strips, the Commander Pro just comes with the Commander Pro.  

The LS100 are the new external LED lights that are made mainly to be placed on the back of a monitor.  They illuminate great and work with the iCUE software however I found using the magnetic stickers to mount it difficult and frustrating to set up.  


If you want to control any Corsair RGB Fans or LEDs and getting them synced with other Corsair products, you will need to use either a Commander Pro or Lightning Node Pro.

5ZFamily

I bought the commander pro, which looks like it’s mainly the controller, but I think I need to go back and buy the lightning node as well, for the additional lights?

TSPhillipT

@5ZFamily

Did you purchase Corsair RGB Fans to pair with your Commander Pro?  If not, it doesn't really do much by itself since it is also a Lightning Node Pro and a Fan Hub built in one.  If you only plan on doing the LED Strips, you only really need the Lightning Node Pro as it will come with everything you need to get it the LED Strips to be controlled by software. 

The Commander Pro shines when you are running Corsair RGB Fans as it provides 6 Fan Headers and can control the Fan speeds.  

Both the Commander Pro and the Lightning Node Pro allow you to control the RGB Fans/LED Strips, the Commander Pro just lets you add more Fans and control their speeds through the iCUE Software.  

5ZFamily

Are the Corsair rgb fans better/nicer looking than what I currently have (coolermaster)?

TSPhillipT

They offer a lot more control and the nicer ones have a lot more RGBs inside.  A lot of people will say the LL120s are some of the best RGB fans out there since it has two rings of RGB, 12 individual lights on the outer ring, and 4 lights in the middle section for a total of 16.  Each can be adjusted in iCUE as well. 

TSPhillipT

I made this and I hope this helps with wiring concerns if you have any.  

Black Lines = Connections for the LED Strips
Red Lines = RGB Connections for the RGB for the Fans
Green Lines = Fan Connections for the Fans

The LED Strips will plug directly into either the Lightning Node Pro or Commander Pro
The RGB Fans NEED to plug into Corsairs RGB Fan Hub (Which comes with any multi pack of Corsair Fans) and then that can also either go into the Lightning Node Pro or the Commander Pro.  

The Fans can also directly plug into the Commander Pro for powering the actual Fan and controlling the speed.  

If you only want the LED Strips and to make them controllable, I would recommend returning the Commander Pro and just getting the Lightning Node Pro kit.  If you plan on getting Corsair Fans, depending on how many Fan Headers are on your motherboard, you may want to keep your Commander Pro.  Keep in mind, the Triple Packs for Corsair Fans will also come with a Lightning Node Pro to control the RGB, you just want to make sure you have enough Fan Headers on the motherboard if you do not have the Commander Pro.