Lian Li Lancool 216 RGB Controller White

Easy install behind the front frame on the case (which simply pops off). Nice mesh that should really help keep a good bit of dust from pulling into the case. Doesn't get in the way of any cable management, and the color is as shown in the pictures. Functionality wise, I am happy with this purchase! Will dim the brightness of your case fans as you see them through it of course.

First and foremost I got this to replace the empty piece of plastic that is there on this case and to provide me with an extra set of USB ports. At first I did not care about the RGB control not being done by the system but now it makes it makes it much nicer as I don't have to rely on a piece of software that may or may not work for the motherboard and operating system your using. Now granted the option for lighting control is not as nice as the software version but you still can have it be done by the controller or software, all you have to do is hit the right sequence to tell the controller on this that the software on the PC is in controll. The nice thing is by default it is already set up that way, so you don't have to change anything if you don't want too after installing this. The install was pretty easy, but you may need to get an adapter for the 19 pin USB plug to USB 2.0 port if the one on your motherboard is already being used by the one with the power and reset button or get a adapter for that one to the new USB 3.2 gen2 instead and plug this into the 19 pin port. I'm using it as USB 2.0 ports as it's only going to be for keyboard and mouse so fast enough for that.

The Lian Li ARGB control is not compatible with Asus Aura Sync. The fan speed controls can not assigning fans to specific temperature sensors. It fits perfectly and the extra USB ports are why I buy it. It would be nice if 1 port was a type "C" port.

Firstly, I couldn’t find the answer hardly anywhere online but this WILL control the RGB for the rest of your fans, given they are down line of this controller. Also to answer a few common questions; 1. As stated above, this will control other RGB fans in your case, whether they’re lian li or not. But they need to be run down line of the controller. The diagrams can be a bit confusing so here’s how I did it. First connect the female ended cable to your mobo’s 3-pin RGB header. This controller needs to be the first thing connected to control the fans. Next run the male end to the fan hub’s (the one preinstalled on the back of the case) female connector. This will allow the fan controller to change the RGB lighting of all the case fans given they’re connected to the hub. You can also daisy chain them from the controller itself. If the bottom two buttons aren’t working, check these connections. 2. I saw some people say they can’t change the color of the ring around the front case fans. The controller comes out of the box with them synced to the fans. To un-sync them you will need to press key 1&2 together for 3 seconds. This will un-sync and sync the fan and rim color and make the top two buttons work. Be careful which keys you press since I believe pressing keys 3&4 together for 3 seconds will pass control to your mobo’s software, just press them again to undo that. 3. For the USB cable, you can get a splitter that will have two female ends that you can plug both the cables from this and the cables from the top up panel into, I haven’t tried it myself as I don’t need the usb inputs, but it’s an option. Though I’d recommend doing some research on your mobo and the cable itself. 4. As far as the usb cables go they are stiff and a bit difficult to route, but it just takes a little work to get them there. The directions are a little vague with how to route them, it took some trial and error but I learned you need to route them on the outside of the cage that holds the fans, and they will curve down and sort of under the lower fan in between the two mounts where the screws would go, on the side of the fan, then going through the gap at the bottom. It is a little worrisome getting them to bend at that angle but the cables are sturdy. 5. To my knowledge it will not work with software such as L-connect or open-RGB. As for my thoughts overall, I think it’s built well, and works well. I wish the RGB cables were just a couple inch or two longer though. It’s worked well for me and has some nice patterns it can display. I do think this should have come with the case, even if you had to pay a bit extra. There isn’t a lot of info on this controller so I hope this helps!

Fits perfect, unobtrusive, easy to install and works well. It should have come with the case though, the fine mesh holes in the case really don't do a very good job of filtering dust, no matter how in style they are right now.

Item was easy to install in the computer case.

Wish I'd read other reviews first. Besides the light control buttons, this item has two USB-A ports. More USB is always nice. .....but many motherboards only have one 19 pin USB header, and mine is one of them. In having a Lian Li 216 case, the power button panel also has two USB ports and their plug occupies the single 19 pin header on my board. This item should have come with two usb 2.0 plugs for the USB ports. The USB 2.0 to 19 pin 3.0 cable adapter on Amazon is out of the question, as bad reviews of pins falling out prove lack of the quality control and therefore quality. This means it's dealer's choice of a couple useless USB ports, buy a PCIE card with 19 pin connection, or go through the trouble of clipping off the 19 pin and installing two USB 2.0 connectors. As for the LED controller portion, there is no dimming. Besides that, it does well enough to change from the default Pride parade to some range of colors and effects on the fans and rings. I was lucky enough to have some RGB fans that took on the desired blade color, except for one LED that was the color of the ring. I don't know whether blame lies with the 216 RGB controller or the fan manufacturer. I have three models of Thermalright fans, two of which exhibited this.....undesirable trait. <******************edit below******************> Got 140mm ARGB fans from Phanteks ---> 3 LEDs take on the color/effect assigned to the halo of the Lian Li 160mm front case fan. Ergo, the 'undesirable' effect is a function of the controller assigning color/effect values for different zones in a single array. Think of an ARGB fan as having an array of LEDs numbered as follows: LED 1, LED 2, LED 3,..., LED Last. The left side of the LAN216-1 handles colors/effects for those. Directly afterward and in the same array are the 216's front halo LEDs assigned as: LED Last +1, LED Last +2, LED Last +3,..., etc. The right side of the controller handles color/effects for that end of the array. On ARGB fans, any 'off' count will always be near where the power wire goes in. If your ARGB fan/accessory has more LEDs than a Lian Li fan, the extras will exhibit the color characteristic assigned by the right side of the controller. If it has less LEDs than a Lian Li fan, effects that 'chase' (ie: around the fan) will exhibit a 'pause' while nonexistent LEDs are signaled. If it has an array of LEDs totaling more than <total Lian Li fan leds> + <total Lian Li halo LEDs>, most likely none of the 'overage' LEDs will even light up. Lian Li is certainly not the only manufacturer to utilize 'proprietizing shenanigans' to justify inflated prices in the name of compatibility. (ie: the model of Phanteks I chose push WAY more air, have a much longer warranty, and were significantly cheaper than similar offerings from Lian Li.) Darn shame this shenanigan backfired a bit, as the effect of this lazy engineering on off-brand fans has grown on me. I love how the LAN216-1 panel fits in the case. I love that it is a 100% hardware solution, allowing the same color pallet in both Windows and Linux without any bloated software running in the background. I love that there is no remote to lose. If this thing had dimming and did not require a 19 pin header, I would definitely bump it up to 5 stars. .....thus, the review sticks at 3 stars.

Well packaged to mitigate any issues while delivering. Snaps on easily as its magnetic and is perfectly made to fit the Lancool 216 case. Its been almost a week, no real dust has built up. I suppose its doing a good job, just wish it was cheaper, bit pricey.