Lian-Li PC011 Dynamic vs PC011 Dynamic XL ROG build

[bassnut]

OK so I am running a little behind in my cleaning and rebuild today. I came across a good deal on a Lian-Li PC 011 Dynamic XL just got back from picking it up. Silver isn't my first choice of color but now that I have seen it up close I actually don't mind it. I'll add to this thread as I go along tonight and tomorrow as I transition my stuff over. Those that haven't seen my original build ......

https://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/795146-Lian-Li-PC-o11-Dynamic-MAXX-WC-Build

If anyone ever wondered how the 2 cases compare side by side ...

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First order of the day though is dinner .... Chicken Wings gotta start defrosting the wings.

EDIT ---- Update.

OK a bit of an update. Lian-Li has done a good job with the changes it has made from the original PC 011 Dynamic you're still water cooled limited in some ways but for the majority of users these limitations are non issues.

I like these drive cages there have been some reviews online stating airflow issues with these enclosures. I can see this if the drives you put in here are heavily used and will be something I will keep an eye on. You have room for 4 3.5" hot swappable drives constructed all of aluminum no plastic trays to break. When you look closer there is a little lock preventing the drive from coming out.

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I also Like the the rad Carriage for the bottom rad it just clips in 2 screws to hold it secure if you choose. As far as fit goes I was able to put the Alphacool UT 60 + fans on the bottom and still access all plugs on the bottom of the motherboard. Gong with a thicker rad is possible but you will have issues accessing the different plugs on the motherboard as well as the DR MOS LED and associated motherboard buttons.

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One problem with rad fitting I ran into the UT 60 will fit up top, just and I do mean just. It was tight enough that I could not put in the 4th fan screw in the fan but was bumping right up tight on the chipset cooler for the motherboard. It was tight enough that I moved the UT 60 to the bottom and brought the BlackIce GTX Extreme up top which I believe is 4 mm thinner, problem solved. While we are talking rad fitting the middle rad location will easily fit eh Blackice GTX Extreme in the rear section easily with fans out front. For now I have a slim BlackIce GTS with the fans out front.

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So where I'm at now is with everything fitted, probably will stay with this layout though I would have liked to have the long vertical tube un on the inside and if I make any changes in tubing this will be the only one.

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[tRidiot]

Nice case! I just got done with my build and tore into it again today to install a vertical GPU mount. Mine's the black one.

I need some more RGBs for more MHz, though...

 

[Janus67]

Nice! I got a silver one as well, saved $50 on it from microcenter as open box (was effectively brand new).

Excellent to work with.

 

[Woomack]

My first was O11 Air, with plastic front and top for additional ariflow and I had an idea to install 360 rad in front (which I later changed to top/bottom). It cost me about 30% less than the regular version. Later it went to my brother and some months ago I got white O11 Dynamic which (as I haven't noticed at first) has silver front. I have no idea why Lian-Li thinks that white and silver look good together. It somehow looks good with black but not white.
Anyway, yesterday I switched some hardware in my brother's PC and I got back O11 Air with some older parts. Now I have to clean all and figure out what to do with that.

 

[dejo]

seems a shame we cant bench cases!

 

[SPL Tech]

Full size towers are so 2010. Mid tower is what's hot. I want to find a mid tower that will allow 2x 360mm rads, 1x 120 and 1x 240 or 280. I think the O11D mini might be the only case that will permit that. The only thing stopping me from getting the O11D is the mini PSU requirement which sucks.

 

[bassnut]

The PC 011 XL is so much nicer to work with .... gotta admit I have been obsessing about this today. Some parts are on the way but it is together just some wiring and clean up and leak test. I don't know what work will bring this week my parts may be in before I get a chance to get back at this ..... we'll see.

Still a work in progress .....

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[Woomack]

Full size towers are so 2010. Mid tower is what's hot. I want to find a mid tower that will allow 2x 360mm rads, 1x 120 and 1x 240 or 280. I think the O11D mini might be the only case that will permit that. The only thing stopping me from getting the O11D is the mini PSU requirement which sucks.

Hard to say what do you really mean as nowadays there are no real sizes and standards. There are too many various versions to call them "full size" or "mid-tower" or anything else. Lian-Li O11 is actually marked on the manufacturer's website as a mid-tower case. Full, large, XL, whatever ... what does it really mean? Does it mean it will support ATX motherboard, EATX, XL-ATX (or however is called that larger than EATX)? A long time ago when there were 3 standard sizes you could call it mini, midi and full tower. But it was like 20 years ago. Saying "full size towers" sounds so 1995.
But really, mid-tower is still ATX so you expect to see a mid-tower that supports 2x 360 rads and still ATX size PSU. Then O11 is exactly what you mean. It supports 2-4x 360 rads (depends on version and hardware setup). The only difference is that this case is wider than popular mid-towers but that gives a lot of space to hide all cables or install additional storage on the back.
O11 Mini is ~6cm smaller. It doesn't really matter since it's still not a SFF case.

The PC 011 XL is so much nicer to work with .... gotta admit I have been obsessing about this today. Some parts are on the way but it is together just some wiring and clean up and leak test. I don't know what work will bring this week my parts may be in before I get a chance to get back at this ..... we'll see.

Still a work in progress .....

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Looks nice
I used to have 2x slim 360 rads installed the same way in O11 Air. I guess after cleaning all stuff I will leave it the same way but I have to think about other components. The only reason why XL seems better for me is when you want to install thick rads as it gives more space above and below the motherboard. For me it wasn't changing much as with slim rads, temps were perfect. Not to mention that when I got my first O11 then there was no XL. There were literally 2 models only, the one with a glass front and a plastic one for more airflow and additional space for fans/360 rad.

 

[bassnut]

Currently in the build Hardware Labs Black Ice GTX 360, GTS Nemisis 360 and Alfacool UT60 360 which was not possible with the PC 011 Dynamic. Truthfully you can max out this case with 3 UT 60 360 but the fi at the top would be real tight, pics to follow. Although I am over radded a little it gives me the opportunity to cut my fans way down to ultra silent which is what I wanted but still keep the ability to crank my cooling when I need to when encoding or the little bit of benching I do.

Yes dejo it would be nice to bench a case but then I have never claimed to be a bencher. I have other uses for my system that have different needs.

SPL_tech to each their own.

 

[tRidiot]

I'm just trying to decipher that pic... it looks like the water flow goes from the pump to the GPU and from there to the CPU and then to the rads??? Is that right? That's not what I would have expected or designed myself... I would think that would keep you from optimally cooling your CPU.

I don't know much about water systems, so if this is the way it is normally done, ok, I just don't get it. I would think you would want each heat-generating component to dump its heat into a rad before circulating it to another heat-generating component.

 

[bassnut]

Nope .... from the pump it drops to the middle rad then bottom rad to top rad down to cpu and the gpu. When I'm encoding my cpu can be fully loaded compressing BD video for anywhere from 50 min to 8 hours or more thats where I concentrate my cooling. I don't really need to cool my gpu but I have the available cooling so I did. Should I change software to utilize the gpu more in the future then its already done. In the end loop order is irrelevant other then res to pump first, once the loop is normalized. Using this big loop allows me to keep my OC even on the hottest sumer days where Temps in the office will top out around 25*C or slightly more, I don't use AC. This is a specific need for me and probably doesn't reflect to the majority.

 

[tRidiot]

Nope .... from the pump it drops to the middle rad then bottom rad to top rad down to cpu and the gpu. When I'm encoding my cpu can be fully loaded compressing BD video for anywhere from 50 min to 8 hours or more thats where I concentrate my cooling. I don't really need to cool my gpu but I have the available cooling so I did. Should I change software to utilize the gpu more in the future then its already done. In the end loop order is irrelevant other then res to pump first, once the loop is normalized. Using this big loop allows me to keep my OC even on the hottest sumer days where Temps in the office will top out around 25*C or slightly more, I don't use AC. This is a specific need for me and probably doesn't reflect to the majority.

I understand that, and for your situation I can see the reason. Although the GPU is getting liquid that has been heated by the CPU first, so you would be potentially sacrificing some cooling on the GPU unit, I would assume.

So do people who want absolutely the best cooling for each heat-generating component typically have a rad immediately downstream from them?

Here's what I would envision:

CPU ===> RAD ===> PUMP ===> GPU ===> RAD ===> RES or something along those lines? Maybe a 3rd rad would be stuck in there somewhere in the loop.

Is there ever a need to run a 2nd pump?

I'm trying to learn, as I'm contemplating going this route.

 

[EarthDog]

I understand that, and for your situation I can see the reason. Although the GPU is getting liquid that has been heated by the CPU first, so you would be potentially sacrificing some cooling on the GPU unit, I would assume.

So do people who want absolutely the best cooling for each heat-generating component typically have a rad immediately downstream from them?

Here's what I would envision:

CPU ===> RAD ===> PUMP ===> GPU ===> RAD ===> RES or something along those lines? Maybe a 3rd rad would be stuck in there somewhere in the loop.

Is there ever a need to run a 2nd pump?

I'm trying to learn, as I'm contemplating going this route.

Check out the sticky threads for watercooling. Loop order is largely irrelevant in performance. The general rule of thumb is to have the res before the pump to prevent the pump from running dry. Now, I've seen some clowns put the res after the pump and it still works (it's a closed loop so pressure is all the same inside)... but would never recommend such a thing.

Water is only over the heated elements for a VERY short time so it doesn't have a lot of time to heat up in each individual block. Think about it... typical loops have ~1 quart of water (maybe more if you're multiple rads and blocks, etc). If the goal is 1-1.5 GPM+. That means that quart of water would cycle through your loop once every 10 seconds (@ 1.5 GPM).

I would only use a second pump if there was a lot more than 2 rads and 2 blocks (or a weak arse pump) or for redundancy (though things these days shut off before they die so... there is little point unless your loop and single pump can't reach that optimal level.

 

[bassnut]

I understand that, and for your situation I can see the reason. Although the GPU is getting liquid that has been heated by the CPU first, so you would be potentially sacrificing some cooling on the GPU unit, I would assume.

So do people who want absolutely the best cooling for each heat-generating component typically have a rad immediately downstream from them?

Here's what I would envision:

CPU ===> RAD ===> PUMP ===> GPU ===> RAD ===> RES or something along those lines? Maybe a 3rd rad would be stuck in there somewhere in the loop.

Is there ever a need to run a 2nd pump?

I'm trying to learn, as I'm contemplating going this route.

Some guys will use a dual loop .... one loop for the CPU and 1 loop for the GPU or whatever they are trying to cool. The drawback to this is complexity and cost of a second pump and res or a bigger res. Not all that hard to do but besides the extra bling, we've seen plenty of dual res pics, they look cool I've personally never seen the need for spending an extra $200 for possibly 2 or 3*C temp difference.

There are plenty of users here that have different opinions, again to each there own and I don't mean any offence with that term just everyone has right to an opinion and are free to do their set up as they think it is best. On some of these topics you will get different opinions do some research and pic the opinion that suits you best. In the end you will either say Yup I made the right choice or hmmmm why did I do that like that. I know I have in the past said both.

Been a long day and the deer have eaten so it is safe for me to go bring in some wood before super is ready, 4 drivers off today and 2 full routes that never made it out I hope tomorrow is better or we will alll be in late.

 

[bassnut]

OK so I got off my lazy but this AM and updated the main thread. Over the week a couple boxes of goodies. I'm not really a big fav of RGB but lets face it unless you're into benching there really is less opportunity or at least need to Overclock anymore. This case screams for hardline tube and calls for at least some bling. Here's some bling. I went down te hardline road once not sure is I am willing to go there again, time will tell.

Some RGB fans from Lian-Li and an RGB Hub have shown up. I am not sure the bling is worth the performance penalty here's hopefully they perform as good as they look.

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[bassnut]

OK all the parts are in the case it's filled, bleed and leak tested. The case has gained some weight. I have jt finished now and am off to bed I'll try to get everything put together this week, get my office cleaned as it has computer part scattered everywhere and get it all plugged in for a test. I never figured it would take this long to do a simple case swap work and way to many other things have dragged me away and taken up my time. I hope I didn't miss any plug ins though my wiring job wasn't great I have no interest in having to re do it right now.

I did manage to plug in my power center for my fans and LED's was mildly surprised on how quiet the Lian-Li BR Digital fans were considering there were 10 of them running. They are PWM fans and had almost bought a fan hub to control them, though after running them for a couple minutes full tilt I don't think i'll bother, we'll see. They move a fair bit of air through the fans as well. Hopefully this week isn't to crazy at work.

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