How do those neon lights actually work?

TorqueTorque
edited July 2003 in Hardware
HI!
First off, its good to be back!

ok, im planning on buying this case :

buyxg_1736_1446998


So how do those neon lights actually work? Do they plug into the mobo or what?

Can you control when they are on and off, or are they always on when the pc is on, or what?

I just have no clue, but i really want this case so i would like to know before hand...

Plus, does anyone else have this case... if so, is it any good?

thanks...
(first post on the new icrontic)

Comments

  • dydxdydx Cymru, UK
    edited June 2003
    First off, neons and cold cathodes connect to the power supply.

    You can have it work either way, when the pc is on, the light is on, or you can simply have a switch anywhere on the case to turn the light off, for example if you want to sleep or something.

    mD
  • CoasterCoaster
    edited June 2003
    as dydx says it depends, but yes, they plug into connections from your PSU

    But you can mod it to allow switches, or that case may do it as standard.

    Nice case BTW and welcome back :D
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Some neon lights are sound activated, so when they pick up sound, they turn on, the louder, the brighter. Its like your own mini disco in your PC.......

    I have a hybrid of that case btw, its nice, good drive space too.

    NS
  • TorqueTorque
    edited June 2003
    thanks for all your answers...

    i was gonna buy this one...
    buyxg_1735_6910109
    but its just too dang tall u know... so i decided to go with the first one...

    i rather have a switch, so id have to see how it comes...

    and sound activated.. hmmm... can that come on when the pc is shutdown? Like if the pc is off and i turn the TV on, or laugh or sneeze, will that just come on? I would not want it to come on everytime the phone rings and the pc is off...

    im getting that from buyxtremegear.com ... so ill have to email him and see how it goes

    thanks again guys
  • CoasterCoaster
    edited June 2003
    I prefer the 2nd one Torque, and tall=good (for heat anyway)
  • TorqueTorque
    edited June 2003
    yeah, i kinda prefer the second one too...

    but tall = bad for my desk... because it cant fit :( ...
    and i dont think im gonna be buying a new desk

    so... its one of those things
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited June 2003
    Neon lights work by sending a high current high voltge supply to the anode and diode to produce an arc between the two exiting the meduim in them such as neon
  • KilJaedenKilJaeden USA
    edited June 2003
    The glow that you see when you turn on a neon light is electrons in the neon gas expell energy in the form of light to return to their natural orbits. When electricity is applied to the gas, the electrons raise, but they strive to return to their normaly ground state by releaseing the energy that they receave from electricity in theform of light. Typicaly neon lights have an orange or redish glow. Normaly the other color lights that you see are not actualy neon, but different gases, to obtain the desired color.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited June 2003
    That's what I meant, just in a simpler form
  • KilJaedenKilJaeden USA
    edited June 2003
    You should always lengthen stuff like that. It makes you sound smarter.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited June 2003
    Originally posted by KilJaeden
    You should always lengthen stuff like that. It makes you sound smarter.

    Ok, whatever
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    Tall case PC's arnt always better than Midi cases, my full tower case ended up just being hotter than my Midi case, and pointlessly louder too. There really isnt any point buying a full tower case unless you are actually going to have 6 CD-Drives and 5 Hard drives realistically.

    NS
  • dydxdydx Cymru, UK
    edited June 2003
    What are the Antec/Cheiftec cases classed as?

    4 5.25" bays so is it a full tower, or a midi tower?


    mD
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    I dont think it is classed by the amount of bays, its just by looking at it, Big tall tower = Full basically.

    The second one Torq posted wasnt full though, it was just a slightly larger Midi case (if you look there is only a few inches extra space above the PSU).

    NS
  • dydxdydx Cymru, UK
    edited June 2003
    I know several people with that particular case.

    Its strange. Puut it up against other cases, full and midi, and that one seems to be in no mans land..

    :D

    mD
  • TorqueTorque
    edited June 2003
    yeah... i was classed as a midi... but you know... when its about 21 inches tall.. compared to the other 17-18 inch midis... i kinda see that as being a full.... even though both of them have ten bays and like 7 potential fan places...

    btw... can anyone elaborate on those sound activated neon lights... do they often go on when the phone rings..... can they even go on when the pc is shutdown?

    THANKS
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited June 2003
    "can they even go on when the pc is shutdown?"

    No, as the PSU isnt turned on. Otherwise if the molex connectors always provided power your CD-ROM drives and Fans would always be turned on, so, only active when your PC is turned on.

    NS
  • TorqueTorque
    edited June 2003
    good to know... thanks for all the help NS
  • MrBillMrBill Missouri Member
    edited July 2003
    The Enermax case I bought came with a blue cathode. It has a switch to be always on or sound activated. The cathode itself has a knob on it to adjust sensitivity when in the "sound" mode.

    I set it to sound and turned the sensitivity all the way down so it is actually off when in sound mode. That way I can basically turn it off and on using the switch. :)

    Oh yeah, and it has bubbly looking rainbow lights on each side of the front...

    11-124-043-07.JPG
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