I've recently switched from a laptop running Fedora to a prebuilt desktop, and I've hit a snag with the RGB lighting on my devices. Generally, I used OpenRazer and Polychromatic for my previous setup, but now I can't even turn off the RGB on my desktop components through the BIOS, and I've been facing issues with Linux RGB software. OpenRGB isn't great for me, as it has a clunky UI and doesn't detect some devices like my RAM and GPU. I've heard about SignalRGB making strides in Linux support but haven't seen any updates recently.
Right now, I'm looking for better RGB software options or any methods I could try to control the lighting without needing to dual boot into Windows, especially since I have an ASUS motherboard (Prime B850-PLUS WIFI). While my keyboard and mouse work fine, I really want to deal with the RGB issues for the rest of my desktop components. If anyone has some insights or suggestions, I'd really appreciate it! I know RGB can be a minor issue, but it's something I'd like to get sorted out without reverting to Windows.
6 Answers
Yeah, I think most of the charm of RGB wears off pretty quickly! But if you really want to customize, it's frustrating when you can't even turn off the lights. There are times I feel like the RGB craze has overshadowed more practical improvements in hardware.
RGB components might be overpriced for what they offer. I mean, I get it’s all about aesthetics, but I feel like the substantial price hike isn’t justified. Just my two cents!
That’s totally fair! Although I find some RGB keyboards aren’t too pricey and can look really nice.
True, I got a good deal on this prebuilt system, but removing RAM lighting isn't exactly straightforward!
Honestly, if your biggest concern with Linux is just the RGB lighting, I'd say that’s not a bad problem to have!
I usually just cut the wires to the RGB on my PC parts if I don't want them! Spending too much on glittery lights feels unnecessary to me. But to each their own!
You might want to check out this article on controlling RGB lighting on Linux: https://www.maketecheasier.com/control-rgb-lighting-on-linux/. It might have some methods that work for your setup. If all else fails, you could open your case and unplug the RGB components directly if you're feeling adventurous!
I've had good luck with OpenRGB, and I also have DDR5 RAM. One thing that might help is setting an ACPI flag when you run it; that could improve functionality. It’s worth a shot!
I tried an ACPI flag already, but it hit a snag, saying "[i2c_smbus_linux] Failed to read i2c device PCI device ID" when I launched it. Any other ideas?
I agree, RGB can be fun for customization, but it can also be distracting. For me, I just want to get the lights off or set to something simple, but I can't seem to change my GPU or RAM's settings from their default cycling mode.