NZXT, better known for its cases and other PC accessories, announced HUE 2 — the second generation of the company's family of RGB lighting. Taking full advantage of CAM, its software offering that provides real-time system data and component management, HUE 2 consists of 10 new smart RGB products.
Here's everything you need to know about them.
NZXT is switching up how RGB accessories are configured, installing a controller within each product. Instead of your RGB fans being hooked up to a hub of sorts for instructions to be sent out and managed from the centralized location, each individual HUE 2 product will be able to fly its own colors on the same channel. The patent-pending feature will change how system builders and modders approach lighting.
Not only is it easier to hook everything up using a single channel, allowing for even more convenient installation, it also allows each individual part to be connected to the CAM software suite.
NZXT HUE 2 Lighting kits
There are four kits that will be available to get you started. The HUE 2 RGB Lighting Kit, HUE 2 Ambient Lighting Kit, Aer RGB 2 Starter Kit (120mm), and Aer RGB 2 Starter Kit (140mm). Each bundle includes everything to add some color and illumination to your PC. The HUE 2 RGB controller is able to handle up to 40 RGB LED accessories per channel, and there's four of them in total.
Four HUE 2 RGB strips are also included with the lighting kit, and it's worth pointing out here that the new stuff works with older HUE LED strips and Aer RGB fans — so you can plug them all in to the new controller hub and not have to move things around. The starter kits for 120mm and 140mm fans are exactly that, packages for adding some color and airflow to a desktop PC.
Lastly, we have the HUE 2 RGB ambient lighting kit. This is different from other kits available as it's not meant to be installed inside your PC, but rather on the rear of your monitors. This allows you to project some light from the back of your displays onto the wall and brighten up the surroundings, making it easier on the eyes when gazing at the screen. This kit is available in two variants, one for 21 to 26-inch monitors, and another for 27 to 35-inch displays.
The fans included in the two starter kits are the new Aer RGB 2 fans, which are essentially refreshed Aer fans with its own microcontroller and support for HUE 2 goodness. And if all that wasn't enough, there are even RGB-enabled cable combs, because why not? These combs support ATX, CPU, and GPU power cables.
When it comes to cost, it's a little pricey but not as bad as you'd imagine.
- HUE 2 RGB lighting kit - $74.99.
- HUE 2 RGB ambient lighting kits - $99.99.
- HUE 2 RGB fan kit (2x 120mm) - $99.99.
- HUE 2 RGB fan kit (3x 120mm) - $129.99.
- HUE 2 RGB fan kit (2x 140mm) - $109.99.
- HUE 2 RGB strip - $24.99.
- HUE 2 RGB case underglow (mATX) - $29.99.
- HUE 2 RGB case underglow (ATX) - $34.99.
- HUE 2 RGB fan (120mm) - $29.99.
- HUE 2 RGB fan (140mm) - $32.99.
All HUE 2 products and kits will be launching in major markets sometime this month. We'll be taking a look at the new kits so be sure to stay tuned for our review on these new RGB PC accessories.
Rich Edmonds is a word conjurer at Windows Central, covering everything related to Windows, gaming, and hardware. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a device chassis. You can follow him over on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.
