I can finally sync all my RGB components, using one piece of software
JackNet RGB Sync simplifies RGB customisation, and it's free.
RGB may not be for everyone, but for those who care about it, it's easy to spend a lot of time tweaking your setup. After upgrading my PC last year, I decided it was time to give my new rig pride of place on my desk so that I could appreciate all the additional cash I'd spent on rows of tiny LEDs.
Discovering Wallpaper Engine's animated wallpapers helped to spruce up my desktop, and its support for Corsair iCUE and Razer Chroma software is a good start for trying to get everything to match. However, if you're like me and have components produced by different companies, there are always a few parts that are trickier to customise. While I use the Corsair Commander Pro to control my fans and cooler, trying to synchronise the RGB on my ASUS motherboard and EVGA GPU has been less straightforward.
Adjusting your settings across three different apps is far from ideal, particularly if you like to freshen things up on a regular basis. After recently installing JackNet RGB Sync, this no longer feels anywhere near as convoluted.
JackNet RGB Sync is a free piece of software that detects all of your RGB components and peripherals, letting you manage them in one place. It's compatible with most existing RGB software and its really easy to set up. Upon launching the programme, you're presented with two columns: a long list of available LEDs, and synchronised LEDs. By creating a new LED group, you can then choose a master LED, e.g. a fan, and drag all the other LEDs that you want to match that component into the synchronised column. This works for both the colour you've selected, as well as any lighting effects you've previously set using other software.
Having used Corsair iCUE as my main interface, I'm really happy that the colours and lighting effects I've spent far too long tweaking can now be applied to my non-Corsair components. I'd be lying if I said that having my motherboard and GPU pulsing just a few shades of blue lighter than everything else didn't bug me. As I mentioned earlier, you can also sync your peripherals with JackNet RGB Sync, so if you have a compatible RGB mouse, keyboard, or even a headset, you can fine-tune your entire desk to glow in colour-coordinated harmony. The free version of the app offers unlimited sync groups and profiles so you can create as many of these combinations as you like. Just remember to run the programme on startup to ensure it launches straight away.
JackNet RGB Sync solves an issue that I've been struggling with ever since I bought my RGB components. I'm relieved that I no longer have to waste time juggling multiple interfaces and their individual quirks just to achieve a uniform look. The software is simple and easy to use for quickly adjusting your preferences, but also offers more granular control by allowing you to alter individual LED settings.
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As PC Gamer's guides writer, Emma is usually juggling several games at once. She loves competitive first-person shooters like CS:GO and Call of Duty, but she always has time for a few rounds of Hearthstone. She's happiest when she's rescuing pugs in Spelunky 2.