Hey guys, This must be something a few people have attempted and completed on this forum. I want to replace the LED's on my Bitfenix Prodigy. I am looking at buying some, some LEDs for this of course, but i am unsure if there would be any difference between 3mm and 5mm apart from the size of the LED?
I've replaced all the power, hdd activity, dvd drive, and usb card read leds on all of our cases here. One thing I will point out is to look at the brightness of any led you buy as some are ludicrously bright. I have had to add resistors to most of them to bring this under control.
That is one of my concerns. The blue LEDs right now are way to bright, but what should I be looking at? Luminous intensity? If this is correct, what numbers should I stick below? (mcd)
MCD is what I went by if I recall correctly, I will have to check my ebay receipt emails to confirm what I bought in the end. Even using resistors I still get a flying saucer size led light ring on my ceiling when the lights are off with my pc
I found some 350-500 mcd, but they were only 3.6v, and I am sure they would be 5volt normally. Using a 3.6v in with 5v would just blow it or make it much brighter?
Yeah LEDs produce a really focused light beam. Hence this is going to be an issue almost all the time. To avoid this DO NOT buy standard LEDs for cases you want ones designed for case lights/ function lights. i.e the old fashion LEDs. You would need to find a circuit board parts supplier or such place. Hope that clears up some of the confusion
You can get flat top round LEDs in 3mm amd 5mm package. The light from these is wide angle and won't seem as bright. You can also add a resistor in series with the LED to reduce the current it receives, which will reduce the light it emits. If they are super bright LEDs you may need as much as 1k or 2k ohms. If you go to a different colour you may find that the intensity of the light is less apparent anyway.
Do we have any comments are far as 3.6v leds? I am pretty sure they would normally be 5v in a pc system?
The forward voltage of the LED will vary depending on which colour you want. Typically they are 1.8v for Red on up to 3-3.5v for White or Blue. LEDs must be current controlled, otherwise the magic smoke gets released and they no longer work. We can either throw a resistor in series with the LED or provide it with a controlled current source. Its likely that it'll be the former as it is a lot cheaper and easier. Going back to what I said earlier in the thread. Put a 1k or 2k resistor, or both (cost 1p ea) in series with the LED and the brightness will reduce. Changing colour will also need the same sort of thing.
I just dont understand why a resister would be needed, when I am replacing one LED with a different colour?
A blue LED is 3.4v and a red LED is 1.8v. The extra 1.6v has to go somewhere and in this case it'll go to the LED and over drive it. Of course you might be going white, green, orange or one of the many other colours possible. You haven't said. If you had an idea of what you want it'd be helpful. You also want it dimmer, so it needs a resistor, or you have to filter the light emitted somehow.
Just to follow up on this. I ordered some white LEDs, they came today, and I went right ahead and started replacing them. I soon found I had made a huge error. The LEDs int he Bitfenix Prodigy are 5x2mm leds. I have replaced them anyway, and works great. (I was just tired of the blue) I have ordered 5x2mm white leds now. That should solve all problems.
Just to end off this thread. I got my rectangular leds today, and looks great, no where close to as much light as the blue leds.
