Corsair icue ls100 + expansion review in Spanish (full analysis)

Today we have another one of those different reviews in which we will test the new Corsair iCUE LS100 lighting system. RGB is in fashion and cannot be missed in gaming configurations, and we know that Corsair is one of the manufacturers that best does it with its systems. In this case, it has launched a kit of smart LED strips with microcontroller and 4 LED strips in two sizes that add up to no less than 84 addressable LEDs that we can customize one by one if we want.

These strips are also flexible and provide us with powerful lighting wherever we put them, monitors or tables thanks to a magnetic and adhesive fixing system. In addition, we have expansion kits for the system. It's all about getting creative, so let's start with this review.

And how not to thank Corsair for always trusting us to give us this lighting kit for analysis.

Corsair iCUE LS100 technical characteristics

Unboxing

Extension kits

We will analyze the Starter Kit since it is the one that we will have to buy to obtain the necessary components for its operation. This comes to us in a very good quality hard cardboard box and a good size for what a priori we have inside. All of it is decorated with the brand's colors and topes representative of the system and its different specifications.

We open the box and we have a central area occupied by two black boxes and a cardboard mold around it, in whose lower hole we will find the corresponding LED strips. These will come in plastic bags for your protection.

So the purchase bundle contains the following components:

Corsair LS100 Smart Lighting Controller 2x 450mm LED Strips 2x 250mm LED Strips Micro USB Cable for connecting to PC 5V Power Adapter 4x Extension Cords 16x Metal Adhesive Plates 8x Adhesive Cable Grips Instruction Manual

As we see, the kit is not bad, having 4 strips that add 84 LEDs and enough elements to install them and even cables to extend the coverage of them, in case we have to make complicated curves.

Strip design

This Corsair iCUE LS100 has, as we have already said several times, with 4 lighting strips, the longest are 450 mm and contain 27 one-to-one addressable LEDs inside, while each of the short strips have 15 of them. In total we would have a system that could occupy 1.4 meters in length, which is not bad for example to mount it on desk tables or on the back of monitors. For example, in a 32-inch one these strips will come fantastic.

As for their design, we can say that they are different from anything we have seen before in other manufacturers. They are completely flexible and have a design that reminds us of the old glass neons that were bought for the chassis of yesteryear. They have a high quality rubber body with magnetic sliding brackets for direct placement.

The upper part, where the LEDs are located, consists of a round silicone diffuser that extends the illumination throughout practically the entire range of the strip, something very interesting to provide even more illumination. This silicone diffuser has a small drawback, and is that it is a complete magnet for dirt, during handling we have seen that dust and even hair sticks to it very easily.

Each of the strips has a connection at its end, one male and one female to connect it to the other strips or directly connect it to the channels of the controller. The system is addressed by 3 cables and consequently 3-pin headers instead of 4. In addition, we have 20 cm extension cables in the bundle that allow us to separate one strip from another to have greater versatility in installation.

For this Corsair iCUE LS100 we have two expansion kits available, one with two 450mm LED strips and the other with two 250mm strips, which seems ideal for dual monitor or monitor + desktop configurations.

Controller

To manage these Corsair iCUE LS100 strips we have a new LS100 Smart Lighting microcontroller that is specially built for this function, not being compatible with fan lighting as it has 3-pin connectors instead of 4.

This controller has two channels for strip management. Each channel supports a total of 138 LEDs, which would be something like 5 450mm LED strips. But keep in mind that the maximum capacity between the two channels is 192 LEDs, so we must manage it as we see fit.

As you can already assume, the Corsair iCUE LS100 is an external system to the chassis, so this controller will be located outdoors and will also have its own power supply in the form of an 230VAC-5VDC adapter. Also we will have to occupy a USB port to get the interaction with the Corsair iCUE software that we will see next.

Installation

The installation of the Corsair iCUE LS100 does not present too many problems, since it is only a matter of seeing the available space and how to cover it with our strips. Each of them has 4 legs with magnets to fix them directly to metal surfaces such as chassis (obviously it does not stick to aluminum). If we have a different surface, we will have to use the metal legs that come in the purchase pack. These legs will be glued to the surface in question so that, by means of the magnetized surface of the strip, they will be glued to it.

This gives us quite interesting versatility, although of course, we cannot be sticking and peeling these legs because in the end they will end up not holding due to the wear of the adhesive.

ICUE software

And a fundamental component that cannot be missed is the Corsair iCUE software that will be in charge of customizing all the lighting of the Corsair iCUE LS100. For a perfect compatibility we will need version 3.21 or higher.

The controller configuration will begin by selecting how we have our lighting connected. In our case we have connected the 4 strips to channel 1, so we must select in the first tab the number of short strips and in the second tab the number of long strips.

But in addition, we have several types of configuration, such as those of one or two monitors with the strips on the back. Let's take into account that a simple longitudinal configuration is not the same as a square one, so we will select the one that best suits what we want to mount.

The next section will be where we will be most of the time, which will be the lighting customization. One of the great advantages that Corsair gives us with its systems is that we can not only apply predefined animations, but we will be able to create our own through layers and custom modes, which are the key. Another of these advantages is the fact of being able to personalize one by one each of the LEDs that make up the system creating incredible effects, only limited by our imagination.

It goes without saying that the Corsair iCUE LS100 can be synchronized with other Corsair devices that we have in our equipment, such as cooling systems, peripherals or whatever. As if that were not enough, iCUE has an option that allows games to manage the lighting in order to achieve an improved immersion.

Final words and conclusion about Corsair iCUE LS100

Have you been wanting one of these for your setup? This system that Corsair launches is one of the best we have available today. At first glance it may look like a set of strips like any other, but the real power lies in being able to customize the LEDs one by one with iCUE, something that can only be done on the LS100.

iCUE is one of the best lighting programs, being more than proven with its perfect integration with all the manufacturer's components and being compatible with current games. In addition, the management is very complete and allows us practically any possible configuration of the controller.

And speaking of the controller, the truth is that it allows us to mount a fairly large system with a total of 138 LEDs on a single channel or 192 LEDs on its two channels. Only the Corsair Commander Pro allows us greater power, being ideal if we want to mount a very large system.

We recommend our guide to the best monitors on the market

Regarding the strips, the starter kit has a total of 4 units, two 450 mm and two 250 mm. Its construction is of very good quality, fully flexible and with an integrated magnetic system for installation. Its neon type design is very striking and allows a very wide lighting radius, with LEDs of enough power as we have seen in the photos. In this case they are not strips that can be inserted into almost any chassis, since they are quite large.

Finally we must talk about prices, and this will be the main choice that we must face. The starter kit will be available for an official price of € 99.99 in Europe, while the expansion kits will be found for € 39.99 for two 450 mm strips and for € 29.99 for two 250-strip mm. Obviously they are products for enthusiastic users with high a priori budgets, in any case for them what Corsair offers is practically the best on the market today.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN AND POWER OF LIGHTING	- SILICONE ENCAPSULATED ABSORBS ENOUGH DIRT
+ FLEXIBLE AND MAGNETIC STRIPS	- HIGH PRICE
+ SCALABLE SYSTEM UP TO 192 LEDs PER CONTROLLER
+ ADDRESSABLE LIGHTING WITH ICUE
+ POSSIBLY THE BEST ON THE MARKET