New Build Itch Is Here - Lian PC-C3000 Design Thread

[MattMan657]

Update! With Intel's official announcement of the 9th Gen i9 9900k AND EVGA's announcement of the Z390 Dark mobo, those will be my choices for the build.

Need to confirm ram compatibility with the mobo. Assumption is that it will be compatible with the same memory kits as the Z370 Classified K. Emailed EVGA to ask a few questions to clear some Q's up.

With the Dark mobo, the CPU is rotated 90 degrees. I'm assuming it's best to rotate my block as well to keep the same orientation with the CPU.

 

[Blaylock]

With the Dark mobo, the CPU is rotated 90 degrees. I'm assuming it's best to rotate my block as well to keep the same orientation with the CPU.

Yes. You'll want the same orientation between the block and the die.

 

[MattMan657]

Figured so, thanks!

Case and EK gear are here! I get everything mailed to my office so a nice little treat in the workday. Safe to say that our shipping and receiving folks do NOT like me right now haha, I put a tissue box next to the case box for size reference.

Took a quick look at the EK gear. Opened everything up and the packaging on all of the components look really good. I only looked at the res up close and it looks REALLY nice, perfect height. The internal tube is longer than the online pics suggest so I don't think I'll even need the longer internal tube I bought to be safe.

Will post more pics later today.

 

[gsrcrxsi]

i'm sure you're aware, but just to remind you.

the Z390 dark only has 2 memory DIMM slots. i know you were more or less going all out with this, so i wasn't sure if you were planning on running 4 memory sticks.

 

[MattMan657]

i'm sure you're aware, but just to remind you.

the Z390 dark only has 2 memory DIMM slots. i know you were more or less going all out with this, so i wasn't sure if you were planning on running 4 memory sticks.

Yep! Most likely going to go with G.Skill's 32gb (16gb x 2) @ 4000Mhz. Just need to confirm with EVGA that the board supports it. They've told me that the Z390 boards will support the same kits as their Z370s, but I think they have a couple of product number typos on their supported memory page that I'd like them to confirm.

 

[gsrcrxsi]

I wouldnt worry too much. Most of the time, the QVL only contains memory kits that the manufacturer has had the chance to test themselves. They cant possibly check every single kit, so just because it's not on the list, doesnt mean it wont work.

I run memory not on the QVL for my EVGA z370 board, but it works just fine. 99% of the time, if you match up the supported specs (DDR generation, speeds, voltages) your kit should work no problem.

 

[MattMan657]

I think you're right. Pretty sure they meant to list the RAM kit I'm planning on getting regardless. Looks like there's a typo in their supported list.

Today I unboxed the case and damn am I happy I went with this. I haven't had a ton of exposure to a wide variety of cases, but this thing is NICE. What I like the most about it, aside from the sheer build quality, is that the layout just makes sense. I haven't looked at the bottom rad mount too much yet, but you can tell a good amount of thought went into how this case is assembled, parts removed, glass door and back door removed.

The HDD caddys in the front came off with ease, no tools needed. One thing I noticed is that there is a very small rubber gasket between the screw and the case. Sometimes the gasket stuck to the case as opposed to coming off with the screw so just needed to be careful to grab them. The HDD cage in the bottom compartment is so well thought of. One locking screw that can be loosened by hand and the entire cage slides out. Despite it being so simple, felt very sturdy when still in place.

Still need to play around with the bottom rad mount, but other than that the case is very self explanatory.

Here are some pics of the unboxing and some before/after shots of striping down the stuff that'll never go back in. Also put in the res/pump just to see how it fits. I put a bic lighter next to it for size reference. The ONLY consideration for placement I'll need to make is that there is enough room for it between the front radiator and the GPUs. I "think" it'll be ok, but I'll be able to get a better idea once I get the mobo and rad in.

 

[Blaylock]

You have yourself a very good, quality case there.

 

[Alaric]

The difference between building in a really good case and everything else is huge the first time. That looks like a really good case. Nice!

 

[MattMan657]

The difference between building in a really good case and everything else is huge the first time. That looks like a really good case. Nice!

I'm really excited to get going with it. As successful as my HAF932 build was, I can tell working in the Lian is going to be MUCH easier and just so much more robust.

Since the Z390 Dark mobo isn't going to be released for probably a few more weeks, as well as the i9 9900k, I've decided to order the rest of the cooling products from Frozencpu, and the rest of the components from Newegg to get ahead. Since the Lian is pretty big, I'll be able to begin fitting the front and bottom radiators before mounting the mobo. This will let me get ahead of figuring out the placement of the EK dual pump/res, as well as determining if I need any extra fittings.

Stay tuned!

 

[maxfly]

that is a beautiful case!

 

[MattMan657]

Alrighty, FrozenCPU order has been placed. Should be in early next week. Once in, I plan on setting up the front and bottom radiators temporarily just to finish measuring and planning the loop. I made a few observations last night when busting out the measuring tape...

The bottom compartment can fit radiators with a thickness of up to 60mm with a 25mm thick fan. Because the radiator is mounted to an inner rail system, and not mounted to the bottom of the case's side, there isn't going to be a ton of clearance for fittings and tubing. Luckily, the radiator's ports are exposed through the holes in the rail mount and can be accessed via the back side of the case. This should let me still move forward with my drainage solution, and I'm considering running my tubing through the back of the case to the top port of the front rad. I THINK this will work, will be able to verify once the FrozenCPU order comes in.

Still waiting on a release date for the EVGA Z390 Dark. I think the 9900k is going to be fully released next week, so just playing the waiting game now.

 

[MattMan657]

Bit of an update. The FrozenCPU order has arrived and I've begun temporarily mounting the radiators to test sizing and finalize my tubing routes. Here are the updates in a nice line item fashion...


-There is not enough clearance in the bottom compartment to allow both fittings on the radiator to face the front of the case. Although they might "fit", there wont be enough room to run tubing from the bottom fitting over the top. The solution for this will be to connect the fitting on the other side of the radiator, facing the back, and have the tubing run through the back of the case, connecting to the back fitting on the front radiator.

-The challenge with the above is that the Lian's bottom radiator mount cage, and the actual inside wall of the case, cover the back fitting ports of the radiator. I'll need to make a few small cuts to make room here. Once cut I should have no trouble fitting the drainage solution as originally designed, but with the caveat that the tubing will run through the back of the case to the front radiator's back fitting. This is the one real flaw of the case I've found.

-Additional challenge with the above is that I may need to cut a hole to allow the tubing to pass through the back of the case to meet the front radiator. I'll either run the tubing through it or some fittings to reduce bending on the tubing.

-Unfortunately the top 420mm radiator is too long to allow comfortable placement for the fittings on the left side of the case. I tried reversing the radiator so the ports were towards the right of the casee, but even with that there could be some clearance issues with the IO cover on the mobo. Could "maybe" get really creative but I'd rather play it safe and trade it in for a 360mm radiator which is 3 inches shorter in length so should be fine. Not as much surface space as 420, but I can sacrifice it with all of the rad that's going into this. Will exchange the Noctura 140mm fans for 120mm fans as well.
-Taking a store credit for sending the rad and fans back. Placing another order with them for some extra fittings based on the above so works out fine.

-Something that could have been documented better by Lian (unless I missed it) are not just what size radiators can fit, but what "combinations" of radiators could fit, and what thickness. For example, although a 60mm thick 420mm radiator does fit in the top, it will not fit comfortably with a 60mm 360mm radiator in the front. Another example, the bottom compartment does fit a 60mm 480mm radiator, BUT there will not be enough room for both fittings to fit on the front right side of the case, and that there is no clearance (out of the box) to allow fittings to run on the back of the radiator to the rear of the case.

-Despite the clearance issue described above, the rail mount for the bottom radiator is a great design. I'm a little surprised that Lian did not implement this for the top and front radiator mounts. It easily could have been for the front as there would be more than enough clearance for the mounting screws to stick out of the front of the case and not touch the removable front cover. Not sure I'd call this a "flaw" though.


Next steps! I'll be sending back the top radiator and fans this week, and once they confirm it's been returned I'll be placing a 2nd order for the rest of the stuff based on the above observations and findings. I'll wait to make the cuts until that order comes in.

Rumor has it that the EVGA Z390 Dark mobo will be available towards the end of November, and who knows the scoop with the 9900k. Just need to play the waiting game.

Oh, and most importantly, I've decided on a theme for the build

 

[MattMan657]

Alrighty! Bunch of updates for y'all.

-The i9 9900k came in the mail on Monday, went out to Silicon Lottery for delidding and binning. Should have it back next week but doesn't really matter as the odds are low that the EVGA Z390 Dark will be released in the next week. My plan for the 9900k is that if it's a super low bin, I'm gonna sell it on ebay, make my money back, and get one direct from Silicon Lottery. If it gets to 5.0ghz across all 8 cores, than I'm happy.

-I've made all necessary cuts to the case except for the holes to mount the dual pump which won't take long. Just haven't gotten to it. The cuts I had to make were to the bottom chamber to expose the bottom radiators rear ports, and a circular hole at the top to allow tubing to pass through the rear of the case to the front radiator's rear fitting. The bottom chamber cut came out "ok". It was my first time using a dremmel so I guess it's alright. I used a grinding/sanding bit after the cut so it's actually pretty smooth, gonna clean it up a bit more and probably use a sharpie to black it out. Used your typical dremmel bits, nothing special.

-Top hole was actually really easy to cut using this step drill bit. Something I strongly recommend is when laying the case on it's side, to place something underneath the case on either side of the hole so when you push down with the drill, you're not putting a ton of downward force on the case wall. I used a couple of hockey pucks with a role of electrical tape in the middle, drill bit passed right into the electrical tape's roll. Worked perfectly.

-Not pictured here, but I did put in the top radiator to make sure it fit ok with the front radiator's slightly long rotary fittings. I tried using Bitspowers non rotary 90 degree fittings but I wasn't thrilled with how they screwed into the radiator's ports. The rotary fittings pictured below seem MUCH more secure. Long story short, the top rad should fit just fine.

-After a few more orders from FrozenCPU, I finally may have everything I need. I've setup the bottom and front radiators to test out the cut outs and the fittings and I think it's looking pretty good. Things are fitting as expected, drainage solution looking solid.

-Part of my last FrozenCPU order included some heatshrink, cable sleeving, and connector pin removal tools. Going to sleeve the pump's wires at some point over the next few days.

-As I'm perpetually blocked from finishing this build due to the Z390 Dark, I'm planning on performing a "mock go live" to get ahead of leak testing. This way I'll be able to identify any pre-existing leaks before I even setup the mobo. Next steps for this are...
1. Drill holes for the motor mount
2. Clean the radiators aka the rad dance
3. Mount the radiators, pump & reservoir, and all fittings
4. Run tubing
5. Fill loop via res
6. Observe and hope for the best

PICS! Note, I know the compression fittings aren't tightened all the way. The below is just me verifying that my plan will work, which I think it will!

 

[MattMan657]

Had a nice Sunday afternoon watching football and decided to multitask by sleeving and heat shrinking the cables on my EK Dual Pump. Definitely a lot better than stock. I made a thread here with some specific questions regarding heat shrinking and sleeving, copying and pasting some of the stuff from that thread.

https://www.overclockers.com/forums...t-Shrink-Recommendations-for-EK-D5-Pump-Wires

Bitspower Cable Sleeve
1/4 Inch Heatshrink
Fan Connector Pin Removal Tool
Molex Pin Rembal Tool


BEFORE


AFTER

 

[MattMan657]

Couple of updates for y'all.

5.0ghz binned and delidded 9900k from Silicon Lottery is now here. Still waiting on the EVGA Z390 Dark

Drilled the holes to mount the motor, one left to go to mount the radiator bracket holder. Once that's done... ALL case mods will be DONE... for now

After running some tubing to test the routes, I think I'm going to abandon my drainage solution for the rear of the bottom radiator. It's too many fittings, too much going on, too prone to error. Was just not digging it. SO the alternative, I think I'm going to get a pair of Koolance QD3 Quick Disconnects to replace that entire assembly. Mount a G1/4 threaded Male QD3 directly to the rear port of the bottom radiator, and a QD3 Female Compression on the tubing end. I'd also pickup a second QD3 Female so I can take a spare run of tubing, attach it to that, and use that for the drainage. Way simpler overall.

Here are the QD3s I'm thinking about...
https://koolance.com/qd3-msg4-quick-disconnect-no-spill-coupling-male-threaded-g-1-4
https://koolance.com/qd3-fs13x19-qu...coupling-female-for-13mm-x-19mm-1-2in-x-3-4in

Thoughts?

 

[GTXJackBauer]

I think that is another great drainage idea.

 

[MattMan657]

I think that is another great drainage idea.

Much appreciated. I've decided to go this route as it's a much simpler and elegant solution. No concerns over any flow restrictions as I'll be deprecating 6 fittings (from the original drainage assembly solution) to 2 QD3s, not to mention the Dual EK pumps. Definitely more comfortable with this approach, and now I'll have some extra fittings around if ever needed.

Ordered the QD3 Male with G1/4 threads to go right on the radiator, and two QD3 Females with Compression for the tubing. Second female will go on a spare run of tubing so when I want to drain, simply run it into a bucket, plug it in, and boom.

Pro tip, those QD3s are available on Amazon. Slightly marked up, but not enough to dissuade me from losing the peace of mind you get from Amazon.

 

[GTXJackBauer]

Funny thing is, I used to use the QDC's (VL4N) a lot when I first got my feet wet but realized it wasn't worth the added risk of leaking which one eventually did but it wasn't over hardware or anything. I would also use them as drainage as well, exactly as you described in your plans. I eventually moved on from all of that but do like seeing builds with the use of them for those with a external setup like a MORA rad/pump/res and for mobility purposes.

 

[MattMan657]

Funny thing is, I used to use the QDC's (VL4N) a lot when I first got my feet wet but realized it wasn't worth the added risk of leaking which one eventually did but it wasn't over hardware or anything. I would also use them as drainage as well, exactly as you described in your plans. I eventually moved on from all of that but do like seeing builds with the use of them for those with a external setup like a MORA rad/pump/res and for mobility purposes.

Will keep an eye out for this. Fingers crossed!

The big update, as I'm sure some folks have seen, is that the EVGA Z390 Dark is FINALLY on its way! Ordered it literally within seconds of it going live. Also decided to spring for a new PSU, went all out with the super duper overkill EVGA 1600w Titanium. Reason being, I was planning on buying a new set of PSU cables for my current 1000w P2 which is about $100, and I really liked the idea of keeping my current build running if I ever wanna use it. Combination of putting that $100 I was prepared to spend into a new PSU, plus the added benefit of keeping the current rig up and running, I said why not. Now I know that no matter what GPU setup I end up getting (probably SLI this year at some point), and whatever the Dark + 9900k use up, I'll be good to go. Everything will be here Monday.

Also decided to get a Samsung 970 Pro 512tb for boot, drivers, and critical programs. My Samsung 970 Evo 500gb will be used for games and general programs and the Samsung 850 Evo 1TB will be for general storage.

My goal is to have everything up and running by end of day Tuesday. Going to move forward with the following steps.

WEEKEND: Radiator dance, drill final hole for reservoir bracket

MONDAY: Get the core components up and running. Install Win10 Pro 1809 and all needed critical programs. NOTE, I plan on installing Windows with the Samsung NVME drivers via a usb drive. I'm also going to only setup the 970 Pro and monitor to mobo for boot first, just to keep the hardware simple for the initial installation. Once Windows is installed, will shut down and setup the 970 Evo, boot up and verify, then shut down and setup 850 Evo.

TUESDAY: Taking the day off work to get the cooling setup. Also to setup RGB controller and LED strips. Goal is to be DONE by EOD.

Based on the above, and how there are no more open questions (at least right now), I think I am considering this thread as complete. Going to open a new one specific for the build log.

Thanks to everyone for the words of wisdom, looking forward to sharing the build with you all once done. Wish me luck and for no leaks!