045_lanocWhen it comes to PC gaming, owning your competition in-game just isn't enough anymore. When you arrive to a LAN and first power on your rig, they should know that you mean business. Whether your looking to complete a theme, light your PC up like a Christmas tree, or just trying to spruce up an old build, nothing gets the job done like cold cathodes. VIZO has a long line of lighting options, including UV reactant cables and binding kits (which we've already had the pleasure of testing). Today, they've sent us a more simple option, a set of cold cathode lights, to see how they perform.

Product Name: Cold Cathode Light (Red)

Review Sample Provided by: VIZO

Review and Pictures by: Adam

Packaging
VIZO has packaged the cathodes in a simple, elongated plastic rectangle most of which being clear to allow a view of the actual product. There are a view graphics on the front name, model, or color, plus company logo, and on the back some important details. Inside the container, these bulbs rest in another, more flimsy, bay that can sometimes fail in its job to keep lights in place during travel. Because of this, and the lack of any sort of cushion, you'll need to be very careful when handling the product; otherwise, the fragile filament inside is at risk of snapping. There isn't a lot more to cathode lights; just them, a controller, some double-sided tape for mounting, and a small instruction sheet.

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Installation
As usual, cords are going to be your biggest restriction here. The cathodes connect to a small electrical box which acts as a medium between the bulbs and the PCI slots switch that's included. With both sides having a generous length, the majority of case area is open to install on. Since it does require a 4-pin molex power that stems off that switch, you may find yourself somewhat limited in larger cases, required to be near enough to both an available power source and an expansion slot.

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The included double-sided tape generally works well, especially if you're skilled enough to position the cathodes where you want them the first time. If you have to remove them and try again, however, the quality of the adhesive is severely reduced. With the fragility of these bulbs, you may just want to invest in your own higher-quality material to secure them and avoid falling, especially if they're mounted on the ceiling of the case fighting gravity.

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Performance
While the cathodes are very brilliant and do a great job of lighting the entire case, they do fall victim to a common ailment. The hue of the bulbs has more of a pinkish glow than actual red. They still look impressive, but those looking for a darker, more 'firetruck' red will be disappointed.

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Overall
The cathodes themselves are exemplary in quality, and the addition of an expansion slot switch is a nice touch. However, the actual color simply can't match the red that many users will be looking for. If you're just looking for a hue near that on the color spectrum, you won't find many others that can match VIZO's quality-to-price ratio. Having been a patron of the company in the past, I can also speak to the accuracy of other colors, including green and blue, that do hit dead on. The red, however, just falls short.

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Author Bio
Lersar
Author: Lersar
Contributing Editor / Event Staff
Adam is a big proponent of LAN parties, esports and speed-running, and helps organize our semi-annual LAN events. He has covered hardware and software reviews of a wide variety, but most content these days come from event coverage, such as other LAN parties.

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