They aren't the same thing.Ī fan is a fan, that's all it is, plugs into any regular fan header on the mobo, any splitter, any hub (as long as they are the same type, as in pwm or analog). You configure your mobo fan header for use with PWM 4-pin fans, and you install and run the software tool for your Controller to manage the lights.

Then you connect from each fan or light strip the fan motor cable and lighting cable to the appropriate Hub output port. With either of the combo (fan + lights) Hubs you connect to it a power supply (a SATA power output from the PSU), a cable from one mobo SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN header to bring in the PWM signal, and a cable from the output of one of those ARGB lighting controllers to bring in the ARGB control signals. Another very similar alternative is the Razer Chroma Addressable RGB Controller using their Synapse 3 software. It is designed from the start for just what you want - power and control of ARGB lights only, using a USB2 connection for communication with their free software utility Masterplus+. However, Cooler Master has a new model, their LED Controller A1 That's an older model for which I have seen conflicting claims about use with software. Then you also need a third-party ARGB lighting controller and Lutfij has listed one with a few extra features. I note also that OMNI sells another of this type on their website. You need the Hub for both functions, and Lutfij has pointed you to one by CoolerMaster, also available here for example What that means, then, is that you need two devices. Also, you have no lighting headers on your mobo. You recognize already that you need power and control for two things - PWM fans and ARGB lights - and want to centralize all that in one Hub.

Lutfij points you in the right direction, but I'll add a couple details.

Best argb controller