Overall and Final Verdict
RGB lighting in PCs has always been a polarizing subject, some people don’t want any at all and others would put RGB on their RGB if they could. I myself have always felt there are times for both. I love a crazy build filled with lighting just as much as a murdered-out build. Thankfully there are options for both and for RGB lovers Lian Li’s Strimer cable extensions have always been a must have. The changes with the newer Strimer Plus V2s just add to that and simplify how things work. Considering that a lot of the crazy lighting builds also have a newer higher-end GPU, adding options for the new 12VHPWR connection just makes sense. I was surprised that Lian Li ended up making three different variations though. They have an option that uses three 8-pin connections for anyone with an older power supply and then two that are 12VHPWR to 12VHPWR. One of those has 8 light bars and the second is larger with 12 light bars. Personally, the 8-bar model would be more than enough, but when it comes to crazy lighting people haven’t exactly been known to be reasonable so the option is there at least.
As far as performance goes I like the new side light bars that the V2 lineup brings and the more compact lightbars allow them to fit a little more lighting in the same space. You do however have to invest in the entire extension set to get the full effect. That goes two ways because without the 24-pin you don’t have the L Connect controller which helps get a wider variety of lighting. It would also look a little weird with just the video card extension without the others. The new 12VHPWR connector that they went with isn’t exactly small, but I suspect that Lian Li was being extra careful after the initial launch issues. I wouldn’t mind also seeing the lightbars start closer to that plug as well.
For pricing, the two 8-light guide models have an MSRP of 49.99 and the 12-light guide model is $10 more at $59.99. That isn’t exactly cheap and that is before you have to pick up the 24-pin for $75.99 to complete the set. But I do think that you are getting more lighting and more lighting where it is visible than with a lot of other RGB options so if that is what you are aiming for then this is still going to be the option for you.
Live Pricing: HERE
