If your PC features a lot of RGB lighting, chances are you've got software to manage it. While proprietary RGB software will give you complete control over your lighting, most RGB control software consumes hardware resources to run on a consistent basis. This is especially true of most OEMs' proprietary RGB management software, like Asus Armoury Crate, MSI Center, or Razer Synapse.

But you don't need your PC tied up in RGB management all day, every day. That's eventually going to interrupt your PC's performance and cause slowdowns for no good reason. In fact, RGB management software can come with numerous extras and cause significant issues with PC performance, making it essentially bloatware.

RGB is bloatware

Specifically, most RGB software

Gamers like colorful lights on their gaming PCs. These are just facts. Although some have opted for more minimalist RGB designs, gamer maximalism remains the most popular choice. Because who doesn't want customized rainbow lights all over their game den?

Unfortunately, many RGB control software suites are constantly running in the background, which means your RGB controls are eating away at your CPU and RAM resources. It may be a tiny amount, but a few different suites can add up, potentially contributing to FPS drops and other problems. These can undoubtedly be annoying, particularly if you're using a more budget or mid-range PC build, which will have less overhead on your processor and memory kit.

You can also end up with conflicting RGB control software between your motherboard, RAM kit, PC case, monitor, and other accessories, sometimes each coming with a different software suite. This not only makes it clunky to coordinate your RGB, but it also adds additional software load for each and every piece of proprietary software, especially if they conflict.

While RGB software doesn't feel like it's the definition of "bloatware," when you factor in the complication of multiple RGB control platforms and the performance hit you can take just by customizing some LED lighting, it may as well be the textbook example.

You have alternatives

Free source options may be less fancy, but they take up less power

But just because a lot of RGB control software can cause you to get less power from your PC, that doesn't mean you should start yanking those extra LED light strips out of your PC case just yet. You do have some alternatives when it comes to RGB management software, assuming you're willing to use free source options rather than your motherboard or PC case manufacturer's proprietary management tools.

Third-party management systems, such as OpenRGB or SignalRGB, allow you to control your RGB lighting with a simple software interface and can have relatively low lift in terms of RGB management, without the worrying of conflict. OpenRGB is the most lightweight option, but that means it gives you fewer control options than the heftier SignalRGB suite, which comes with more customization options and a paid Pro tier for even more features. But you have more options than software.

If you want to keep your Windows installation as clean and hardened as possible, you'll want to keep your software suite trimmed down. This leaves us with BIOS controls for your RGB setup. Modern motherboards are more likely to offer RGB controls from the BIOS. BIOS RGB controls should let you control the RGB connected to your motherboard, including your RAM kit and any case lights you route to the motherboard itself. However, if your PC case uses a hub to control the case lights or extra RGB lightstrips, BIOS settings will likely leave you hanging. You may need to rewire your rig to use only BIOS settings to control your lighting. Alternatively, you can accept that using BIOS for RGB controls comes with a few trade-offs.

Sacrificing a few extra lights for extra performance isn't a terrible bargain, and using BIOS controls to configure your lighting means you don't need to worry about software hangups getting in the way of your next gaming or streaming session.

It shouldn't be like this

I get the desire to have custom management software, but this is not the way

Running the RGB lighting on your gaming rig shouldn't impact your performance. You shouldn't have to uninstall the proprietary hardware management software that comes with your PC or that helps you configure your components. And you absolutely shouldn't have to dim your RGB by using only BIOS-level controls. Of course, you can also uninstall the bloated, proprietary RGB software and replace it with a lightweight, open-source version, but this will also limit your customization options.

Unfortunately, without a high-powered CPU and additional RAM, running all the custom RGB management software can sometimes have an impact on your gaming performance, almost certainly more than the litany of background services people often remove on a new Windows install. And gaming is the reason you have a gaming PC after all.

Thankfully, there is some hope.

Some manufacturers, such as Corsair, are developing web-based control solutions that enable you to customize your accessories without requiring software installation. This isn't a complete fix, as these web-based solutions are still being set up and don't control every aspect of your PC, but it is another way to sync some of your accessories without installing additional software.

These web-based controls are in development with slow rollout on newer accessories, but it's definitely worth keeping your eye on as you go about upgrading your gaming rig or buying new accessories.