Corsair iCUE LS100 Smart Lighting
We have had the privilege of reviewing several Corsair products, but we have something different than anything we’ve reviewed before. If you have ever built or bought a gaming PC, it seems as though the more colorful it is and the more bells and whistles the PC has, the better.
Corsair has a new lighting system that allows you to put lighting anywhere on your PC, whether it’s the monitor or some other area. This system is the iCUE Smart Lighting system.
This lighting system comes in a starter set, an expansion set, and additional strips are sold separately.
Let’s first take a look at the starter set…
What comes in the box?
The box contains the following items:
CORSAIR LS100 Smart Lighting Controller
AC Power Supply
Micro USB to USB A Cable
2x Short RGB LED Strips (250mm) – The short strips have 15 LEDs.
2x Long RGB LED Strips (450mm) – The long strips have 27 LEDs.
RGB Extension Cable
Metal Plate with Adhesive Tape
Cable Management Clips
Instruction Manual
Lighting
The lighting strips are set up in a way that the different RGB color lights blend together into more of a gradient than individual colored lights.
One of the more common ways to use this light kit is on the back of the monitor, but the clips and metal plates are provided to help you place them in various areas.
The Corsair’s iCUE software allows you to customize the look and automation of your lights. If you want to make them animated, you can If you want them to be solid with no animation, that is an option as well.
Corsair has an array of products such as keyboards and mice that are already lit up and can be synchronized with this lighting kit as well. So, the more of the products you have, the more customization options you’ll have available to you.
Expansion Packs and Accessories
In addition to the Starter Kit, Corsair sells these lights in an expansion pack.
The 250mm expansion pack includes:
2x 250mm strips Extension cables 9x metal plate mounts 2x cable management clips 2 years warranty
The 450mm expansion pack includes:
2x 450mm strips Extension cables 9x metal plate mounts 2x cable management clips 2 years warranty
More Information:
These light kits are not just for gamers. If you like the ambient lighting just for a mood booster or you just think it looks cool, this lighting kit would be a good fit for you.
The iCUE software controls most everything, including the brightness, customization, and synchronization. The software didn’t seem to very difficult for me, but I could see someone with little or no experience having some challenges. Even so, it is fairly user-friendly and something most people would be able to figure out by playing around with it until it works for you.
Pricing:
The Corsair iCUE lighting kit comes in a starter kit, and two different expansion packs (250mm or 450mm). The starter kit can be purchased for around $119.99. The 250mm expansion pack is approximately $29.99, and the 450mm expansion pack is around $39.99.
Some might find the starter kit to be a little expensive. Still, overall, it is comparable to any other accessories provided for this type of effect, and Corsair is a quality brand.
Verdict:
If you want to spruce up your PC and add some ambiance or cool lighting effects to your computer area, the Corsair iCUE LS100 lighting kit is a good choice. Corsair does an amazing job of offering different accessories that all work together for the maximum effect.
The effects in this lighting kit can be synchronized with lighting on other Corsair products through the iCUE software to make it all work together. The price is a little high, but it isn’t completely unreasonable for the quality of the product.
Overall, this is a nice product that gives you all the customization options you need to make it what you want it to be.
Website: https://www.corsair.com
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Corsair iCUE LS100 Smart Lighting - Review
Ability to customize and synchronize with other Corsair product lighting.
Flexible and easy to mount
Quality product
iCUE Software to help with customization
Nice Ambient lighting
Price could be lower but still not terribly unreasonable
Lighting power is not controlled by PC power. It has to be turned off separately.
