Razer Chroma Addressable RGB Controller Review
Final Thoughts and Scoring
The Razer Chroma Addressable RGB Controller’s price is offset by some suboptimal product design choices which need to be addressed in order to better position it against the Corsair ecosystem. With the disadvantage of standard uniformity for cables which may be plugged into the controller, Razer would benefit from modifying the controller to have a squid-like design that moves the connections between channels and internal components to the outside of the controller. These small, cabled arms would then be covered in a manner that’s identical to a 1-to-X ARGB splitter. This would easily work around the disparity in connector sizes while simultaneously reducing the potential number of RMAs involved due to bent pins.
The Synapse 3 software (and possibly the controller firmware) will require further iteration to better enhance the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of detecting connected channels along with applicable lighting counts. Furthermore, the simple change for LED Strips to utilize a number entry -> Press Enter -> Apply modification workflow would make the customization process less jarring. The same holds true for using the up and down buttons to increment or decrement the light count total.
Support for up to 80 LEDs per channel is sufficient for many use cases. Placing the challenging SF240P on its own dedicated channel did solve the problems which manifested when it shared a connection with other devices using an ARGB splitter. There may be extreme configurations where 80 LEDs per channel is not enough. The user base for the controller will need to grow for Razer to make the determination as to whether this needs to be increased in a future revision of the product.
The Razer Chroma Addressable RGB Controller is a decent, albeit slightly flawed, first attempt for enabling tighter integration between various ARGB components and the Synapse 3 software. Existing bugs (as of this writing) cannot be overlooked, even at the $39.99 USD price point. With further iteration, this may eventually become as indispensable as the Corsair Commander Pro is for customers within that ecosystem.
Unpacking and Content Analysis: 4.5/10
Installation Experience: 6/10
Operational Experience: 7/10
Price: 6.5/10
The solid construction of the exterior packaging will reduce damage-related risks for the controller and accessories in the worst-case shipping scenario. While inconvenient from the potential cable clutter perspective, the use of a Molex power connection from the power supply is acceptable due to potential power draw of a heavily loaded configuration. Subpar space within channel openings on the controller for connecting ARGB devices introduces the potential to bend pins within the controller. Finally, there is a gap between the sleeving and the USB 2.0 header. It does not take exceptional brute force for said connection to tear completely from the cable, thereby rendering the controller unusable.
Use of Synapse 3 provides a consistent UI for those familiar with the Razer ecosystem. Noted caveats related to detection of connection and accuracy of LEDs in each chain present an opportunity for improvement. Partial lighting troubleshooting efforts compounded by slowness and re-scan for manual number entry when LED Strip is selected for the channel. The $39.99 USD price point is consistent across retailers. When accounting for the caveats and challenges noted during installation and operation, the price is still fair.