RGB lighting is a big part of gaming PCs and culture, lighting up our rigs like a dazzling rainbow Christmas tree all year-round. But is all that glitz really helping your gaming experience or could it be detracting from it?
Minimalism Is King
RGB lighting can transform a dull desk into a vibrant workspace, but there’s a fine line between stylish and overwhelming. Simplifying your setup by ditching RGB lighting can bring a sense of calm and order to your gaming environment, reducing visual clutter and enhancing focus.
If the point of your gaming environment is to look good in social media posts or when you have your friends over, that’s one thing. However, if you want an optimal, comfortable gaming experience, slathering it in RGB lighting isn’t the best choice.
It Could Enhance Your Gameplay Focus
Nothing beats an intense gaming session where you’re fully engrossed in the digital realm. With its ever-changing colors, RGB lighting can sometimes steal your attention away from where it really matters: the game. For improved focus and performance, consider switching off those lights!
Many people have taken a cue from gaming streamers who often have extreme RGB setups in photos and while live on stream. However, in real life, that much discordant light in your gaming environment can ruin your concentration and make the image on your monitor look worse.
Personally, we’d be willing to bet those gaming celebrities turn it all off when the cameras aren’t rolling. Sometimes you just want to focus on the game and not feel like you’re bathing in the glow of the Las Vegas Strip.
You Might Sleep Better
We all know the importance of a good night’s sleep, but did you know that your RGB lights might sabotage your rest? Bright, late-night lights can mess with your internal body clock, making falling asleep harder. Ditching RGB from your bedroom setup could significantly improve your sleep quality especially if some parts of your RGB setup can’t be completely turned off.
Even before RGB became a thing, I had to put tape over the front LED lights of my PC when I was a student, because those tiny LEDs lit up the entire room after dark. (If you’re looking for a great way to tame bright LEDs, by the way, you can’t beat LightDims.)
You’ll Save (A Bit) on Electricity
While not exactly a power guzzler, RGB lighting uses some extra electricity. If you’re conscious about your energy consumption, turning off those dancing lights can help reduce your power usage, albeit slightly.
The only exception here is keyboard backlighting, which totally justifies its energy cost. This is a genuinely useful feature for those of you who can’t work a keyboard in complete darkness. I’ll give up all the lighting bells and whistles in the world, but not the convenience of a backlit keyboard.
You Can Increase Your Components’ Lifespan
Every component of your gaming rig has a finite lifespan, including those RGB LEDs. Constant usage can eventually lead to the LEDs burning out before the rest of your gear. And more often than not they don’t burn out entirely, but become unpredictable with poor brightness or color reproduction.
Of course, if the LEDs burn out and your graphics card or water cooler still works, it might not matter to you, but it’s worth keeping in mind that RGB lights are just another component that can fail. If you’re a perfectionist about everything matching, sometimes it’s just easier to leave the lights off your build.
It’ll Project a Professional Look
In the age of remote work and study, many gamers use their rigs for more than just gaming. Consider removing or disabling your RGB lighting to maintain a professional appearance during video calls. You’ll be surprised how this small change can transform your gaming station into a more office-appropriate setup.
Alternatively, you could perhaps use a virtual background if your conferencing app of choice supports it. However, your RGB lights can still cast a potentially inappropriate rainbow on your face even then!
There Are Cost Savings
Last but not least, consider the cost factor. High-quality RGB components often carry a premium price tag. By opting for non-RGB versions of components, you can save some money that could be invested in other areas of your setup. This might allow for an upgrade on a key component like your GPU or CPU, which could significantly enhance your gaming experience.
And don’t think this is a modest premium, you’ll frequently find the non-RGB version of a case, for example, is 30-50% cheaper than the RGB-packed version of the same case. Cut out the rainbow fans and the custom RGB controller board, and you have shave a chunk off the purchase price.
Whenever I look at a computer filled with shiny lights, I think it could have been a better-performing system if the money that went into the bling had gone into component specs instead.
Don’t get me wrong. RGB lighting is not inherently bad. It can be a fun way to personalize your setup. However, it’s worth considering these points when you next build a computer. Your gaming environment should ultimately serve your comfort, efficiency, and immersion in the gaming world. If RGB lighting doesn’t contribute to these aspects positively, perhaps it’s time to hit the ‘off’ switch and even leave them out of your next build.