Nice case, great futures. I mean where could you find for this price panels at the sides with Glas and magnetic holder? Btw. I buyed one week ago LianLi Dynamic and Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer II 360... I think it will be great combo....and I do not like RGB stuff. PC is an Maschine not a Christmas fair/market.
Great review, as per usual! May i request a slightly bigger focus on standardized fan setup? While it is amazing that you added it to the testing (seriously,... i can't stress this enough!), I would like to see more charts with those 3 noctuas. Like Noise standardized charts, should also include the noctua setup. After all, that is what makes the final buying decition for most people that change fans, right?` If I could only pick a SINGLE chart, I would pick a chart showing EITHER "With a 36dB limit and 3 Noctua fans, how hot do the components get?" OR "with a 55degree CPU limit and 3 noctuas, how silent can the case get?". I would really love to see either of these two charts getting added, or even both. When shopping for a new case i kind of have to guess, going from the other charts... but as you can imagine: It does not work that way most of the time. ;-) Thanks for your amazing work.
There is always a "best" of something. It doesn't mean it's perfect, it means it out classes the competition. The Lian Li Lancool II is not perfect, it is however one of the best options out there on all merits. Sure there are $200+ cases that might be on par, sure there are cheaper cases but all around?! Lancool II kills it. Don't be ignorant to that.
I just built my PC with this case and I have to say this is the best case I have built in for a while. The case is beautiful and incredible finish and for only $94 that’s crazy. It’s well thought out and it’s not like every other case out there. It has also good air flow.
I really like some aspects of the design of this case. I love the door arrangement and cable management covers, it looks very tidy overall. I'm always willing to throw a bit more money into case fans/better cooling management if the case can be made to adequately perform while still providing the features I want with solid build quality and good form factor. One thing I might suggest is including case weight in your reviews, as this was always a selling point for me for Lian Li cases in the past.
@@GamersNexus I totally get that. I really like what Lian Li's trying to do here. I have a 011 Dynamic and absolutely love it. For me it's a case of the best case ever. LOL
I have a feeling the "best case ever" would be nothing short of a case that puts your hardware into a pocket dimension thats has cold ambient tempature. And an exterior that can change shape and size as easily as RGB LEDs change color.
I know I’m beating a dead dog here,but I wanted to thank all you guys again,for siding with the consumer side of things,your integrity & sacrifice is noted & appreciated. Happy holidays to all & the glory of life,good bad or indifferent in the new year to all!
I just received my white version, and it seems they took notes from these videos... Theres padding on the magnets of the psu shroud and little caps on the glass panels so they don't just swing open if you move the case... All in all, a great case... Those thumb screws are still tiny and very annoying
I really appreciate all of the effort and work you put into your videos. Thank you so much. It really helps people new to this world, like me, know where to spend our money in the right place. Don't ever give that up.
Super impressed with this case. Eventually bought the mesh panels separately and got much improved temps but a lot more dust. The airflow issues with the OG rgb panel can be overcome with 3 decent intake fans up front (I run 2 140mm and 1 120mm Noctuas) if you rotate the rack and place the fans on the backside of the fan rack moving the fans as far back from the front panel as possible. Only increased my cpu temp at idle by about 2 degrees C but I have the protection of the front dust filters again.
I would like to request that you guys do a test where you fill all the fan slots with aftermarket coolers to check "best case scenario" for the cases. It can be that you put in the fans from your older case or maybe will upgrade with more fans later and just want to know how far this case can go.
Great review. I bought this case. I added 2 magnets to each door to ensure they continue to close completely. Also replaced the 3 stock fans with 8 120 Argb mm fans. Satisfied with it so far. Also just ordered the Mesh package from Lian Li to address the thermal concerns. I will report on them after they are received. Amazon had the white version for $124 instead of $95.
You have 8 fans? How s the performance? Was it worth? In my opinion its kinda overkill only if you are using water cooling. Plz can you share your benchmarks on thermal plz (also your specs plz)
I helped build a pc for my friend in the white edition of this case and i was extremely suprised at how many little features and different pieces make up this case. It was exteremely easy to work with and I kept thinking about how they managed to manufacture these at a ~$100 price mark. Everything fit together so well and there wasnt any of that jank you get from cheaper cases.
Thanks for your detailed reviews and especially the temperature and noise tests. I compared many cases the last days. Define C, Meshify C, Phanteks P400A, Silentium AR7 and I will go with this one. Nice features, good quality and I have enough fans at home to get this one cool and quiet (5x P12 PWM PST, 1x P14 PWM PST and 1x Noiseblocker B12PS, Macho HR-02). I have an old high airflow case (HAF 922) at home and i don't wanna make such big compromises only for airflow again.
Shit, I started watching this channel at like 20k subs or something, haven’t really noticed but over 700k now. That’s impressive, this channel is everything I ever wanted in a channel, information, format, amount of time and effort in the vids. Astonishing what you and your team have became since the old days!
I bought this case because I wanted the largest mid atx case I could find because my old case was tiny and hard to work on. I 100% recommend this case, it was everything I wanted and more for like $100 which is crazy
I have one of these and I would say this case is one of the best in it's price range. The fit and finish is amazing I don't think is fair to criticize it because they cut some cost when adding features that would normally only be on more a expensive cases. I had to look long and hard tell I found this one, the three things I wanted were a good looking design, hinged plate class panels and good cable management.
Old cases have the side fan for the GPU. This new glass cases eliminated that feature. This case allowed me to set two fans under my GPU. And that's is a win for me.
@@ThunderingTosspot Well it fits the NH-U14S. I believe that's the same height as the D15. I'm running water cooling though but I had the NH-U14S on my 3900x prior to today. You shouldn't have any clearance issues with the Tempered glass window and your NH-D15.
6:15 I installed a hotswap bay into this for my brother who lives a few hours away for in case he wants to add another drive to his system without having to either deal with wiring he knows little about or driving 5-6 hours round trip just to add a hdd, this way he can just insert the drive and call me to get instructions for initializing
To anyone considering the CM H500 over this case due to thermals: Please consider your storage options. The case is pretty limited with storage slots, two 3.5/2.5" tray slots as well as two 2.5" slots... behind the motherboard. So you can have a maximum of two 3.5" hard drives and two 2.5" SSDs at one time, or if you use multi-slot adapters you could have six 2.5" SSDs (or hard drives but.. why?). TL;DR If you want the H500, either go for 2.5" SSDs and/or NVMe storage. The case isn't exactly HDD friendly.
I must admit I was considering buying this over the Phanteks P400A but after this review I've changed my mind. You guys do great work, I really appreciate all of your content.
I have this case, and it's nice. I upgraded from an older Aluminum Lian Li ATX case that was about 15 years old, so admittedly I impress easily. But, for 90 bucks, I have no complaints whatsoever.
Another fun thing I did with the case RGB is connect it to the Gigabyte Aorus Z590 motherboard RGD header, and I was then able to ship WMI CPU temp to OpenRGB so that the case and motherboard RGB changes color with CPU temperature.
i was terrified to take the front of my case off to clean the fans of my water cooler and this video was super helpful. didn't realize how easy it was to remove and was so scared i was going to snap something off. thank you!!! :D
I really want other case manufacturers to look at this case and try to make their own. Cheap plastic hard drive bay for example is an excellent cost saving measure, and honestly, I don't mind using that. Basically, make it feature rich, made out of steel rather than aluminum, put some neat little details every here and there without going over the top, price it very competitively, and you'll have a shot at making a success like this case.
The plus point for me is accessibility. What other case has a hinged door.... Being physically limited... unscrewing side panels is always an issue, so being able to open a door to get access to the inside is a massive Plus. 3 fans included is also a plus. Yes I will add more. Thanks to the warning in your review I might add more than I had expected... But at this price point... what else could match ease of access?
For one reason and another with "a new look" being at the top of those reasons, I keep trying to convince myself to buy a new case. My Antec 900 (slightly updated over the original, which came out in '07 I think, this has actual cable management) is getting old but it sure does keep my system nice n cool. I start looking at new cases and see the restrictive air flow, in comparison to my case, and just change my mind. I've been doing this for about 6 years now and I've had the 900 since it came out. Reason #2 seems to be lack of USB 3.0 or better, but I added a 5.25" full slot card reader to this case a while ago and that has a 3.0 port on it. I then remind myself that I use USB 3.0 like once every couple of months and convince myself yet again not to waste money on a new case. New high end build with just the plain ole softly glowing blue LEDs on the fans and it still serves me very well, I could care less about the lighting and I dislike RGB. Looks like I'll be waiting even longer to replace this case, nothing new is catching my eye at all...
Ian Ide agreed, I built a monster PC this year (2019) and I went out of my way to buy and lite-mod a Thermaltake Core X9 which came out in 2014. I bought a five year old case, on purpose with lots of other selection available. What does that say about the case market? Rockin my twin alphacool 420x140x60 radiators and ugly Noctua fans in a 5 year old case. Yeah.
I'm on a GN marathon with these videos. I love them. The info and entertainment (you're a funny dude Steve) beats anything on cable. I'm looking at you Fios. Stop showing repeats and reruns. Step your game up. On a side note, I really miss the G4 network. Anyway, thanks for all the work you guys at Gamers Nexus put in. I hope you'll be around for many years to come. I'm trying to figure out how to configure a custom prebuilt and am watching as many reviews for as many parts as I can find. Couldn't do it without ya'll. Stay healthy.
Great review of this case. I'm surprised you didn't mention that this case also has an optional secondary front panel that is mesh that can be purchased. I know this isn't stock, but would likely improve the thermal situation overall.
I think the hot swap could be good to plug in a backup drive that you remove after the backup completes. Lets you firebox the backup. I would use that for that reason.
Quick tip you don't need to put front fans on inside of frame you can move the whole frame backwards by using the adjustment screws on either side. That will move the fan assembly away from the front panel
I really like that Lian Li has moved to making more affordable cases in the last few years, as well as improving functionality. They always seemed like a company with some unique ideas, but either priced things out of reach for most people or messed up on some fundamental part of the functionality. I don't know what changed, but they're doing great in both respects lately, and my favourite case company now. I wouldn't buy this case myself (I'd get the O11 D-XL if I was buying today, unless I was building a NAS where I'd buy... nothing as there are no good NAS cases now, sigh), but it looks great for the money.
So I bought this case and just added a 120mm to the front (2 front, 1 rear, 1 top config). I have a R5 3600 (stock cooler) and a 5700 RedDragon and have yet to see temps above 50 degrees.
I needed to see this. I purchased this case because of a rave review of the quality of manufacturing of the case by JayzTwoCents and then I just saw watched this vid. I immediately started wondering if I needed to purchase a new case. Thanks for easing my mind. FYI, I went with the white version of this case because I am trying to go with a white/black color scheme for my new gaming rig and loved how easy it would be for hiding wires on this case. I am still ordering a few more parts, but I already am in love with the design.
dude that brings back so many memories... lol. I watched Space Jam back in 1996 and wanted some Air Jordans. I got a pair for Christmas but just never really liked how they felt.
In lock down I've done a deep dive of your channel ... you're definitely going to be my go to channel when it comes to cases (well not just cases). You do such a complete and great job with these reviews ... and I like how you appropriately value THERMALS, job 1 in my mind for a case.
I really like this case, might buy one just because. Still don't think there is a better case than the 011D though. I really just wish they would make an updated mini-itx version. I would buy that instantly.
Even that. But I think literally shrinking the 011D by a third would be perfect. 240 side rad comparable and 240 on the top. Would be the absolute best mini water-cooling case ever.
Buy a Silverstone RVZ03, if you want a good itx case. It fits large GPUs for it's size and good CPU coolers, like the Noctua NH-L12S. GN did a review on it as well. Imo tower itx cases are stupid, defeats the point of sff boards entirely. The only two good mini tower itx cases are the Lian li tu-150 or the Ncase M1.
@@The2808erik I can see what you mean. I do like some of the bigger sff cases though because for some people, even the average ATX mid tower is kind of a big thing to have on the top of your desk. Something that still has great watercooling potential or room for a sizable tower cooler, but doesn't take up one whole end of your desk is very appealing. I feel like cases go straight from mid tower atx to "all you can fit is a stock cooler or maybe a 120mm AIO".
Steve, you do a great job reviewing cases. Very in-dept. Kudos for that! An extra remark I may add, is that case fan setup / temperature variables also depends on what hardware is used. Ex. for a Blower-cooled GPU, you may want this case with all 3 front intake, but with the Axial (Open) cooler GPU, the back fan do benefit as you show.. I will also add, that I like the "back to front" airflow in THIS particular setup shown, because sometimes a fan in the top, you get a bit turbulence with the Vertical (upright) mounted CPU-towercooler fan . With Blower cards, I would actually consider the Towercooler mounted horizontally(lying down) with one top case fan (whitch work in conjunction with the CPU fan in the bottom of the towercooler. That setup also help to "suck" a bit heat of the top PCB/components on the graphics card - that little extra never hurts :) And with the two fans (or preferably one extra) in front. That way we should maximize warm air away from the CPU(works in conjunction with physics heat rise), and also having good intake for the GPU / CPU / Mainboard. Always for best pressure control (if you have a good airflow!) shut all ventilation holes that does not have a fan. Blower GPUs love possitive case pressure, the Axial fan(open cooler) GPU's prefer negative pressure - or even better... neutral pressure with good airflow (as long as we get the hot air out).
Sorry to bring you back to this months later but I'd like you to clarify this if you could. I have a blower GPU and I'd be using a stock Ryzen 5 cooler (horizontal). Were I to buy this case I have two additional fans I can take from my old system to add to it (so 5 fans total to work with). Would you recommend I go for either: three front fans (inputs), one top and one back (outputs) - OR - two front fans and one on the power supply shroud pointing directly up at GPU blower (inputs), one top and one back (outputs)?
I managed to pre-order one before they stopped taking pre-orders. with the room for the extra fans i'm not that worried about it not having the absolute best airflow, I wanted it mainly for the cable management and the doors. I've always wondered why no one was making cases with doors like this. compared to other cases at that price it seemed, and still seems, like a steal.
I did the same thing. Pre-ordred a white one. It seems like the cooling can be brought up to par with some additional fans, and noise could be mitigated with PWM fans. As you said, I don't think there is another case with so many features / design features for the price. I wish that they had tested the case with two fans on the bottom instead of just the one. I have a feeling the GPU temps would be much better.
@@atomicfrost8624 and in my experience more fans equals less noise. seems counter intuitive but with more fans they run at lower rpm and high rpm is really where fans are noisy. so my rule of thumb is to fill the case with as many fans as it will hold and the motherboard will support. i'll be installing a radiator in the top so that will take up some slots.
I guess my requirements are rare lol I bought a Dynamic XL just for the 4x 3.5" bays and multiple SSD install points I don't even like rgb nor do I have rgb fans. I have 10x Corsair ML120 fans powered by 2x Deepcool sata powered hubs, ML fans are cheap but push allot of air and are relatively quiet. I use a DRP4 with one fan on my 8700k, waiting for the dust to settle then I'm picking up a 3950x:) The Dynamic XL is THE best case currently available imo, best case I've owned in over 20 years! Great video as always mate.
If they had just made the mesh a little less air restrictive, and maybe add another "mesh" hole in the middle of that front panel, this would be an amazing case.
case is perfect, just set it up correctly. I put in a 360 rad and added two bottom intake. One top and one rear exaust. Yet to see 60 degrees with a 4.33 oc on a ryzen 3900x
Steve, I was wrong. A few weeks & multiple views made me realize your review is better & more objective than I originally thought. However, Snowflake not being in the video is inexcusable 😸 While the standardized fans test is a step in the right direction, replacing that with a test with all intake fan slots occupied would be better IMO. This would give viewers a far better idea of thermals they could expect if they spend the money for additional fans. I think you could figure out a way do this without spending even more time & effort on each review than you already do.
Great review of an interesting and new case. i wonder about the results when brute forcing with more fans and fan controllers, but that is part of the fun in building your own pc. excellent info on this and certainly enough to help make an informed decision on a purchase. also great in giving good feedback to the manufacturer. good job
Very honest, im torn between building itx on tu150 and this with atx, since both will need to add fans to function but you're right, there's a way to make it work but it wont be the best. Good job as always
Please do the case reviews with optimal number of case fans, not just one fan. Have you seen anyone building a new PC with just one fan or whatever comes with the case? Almost all use atleast 4-5 fans.
@@AmitKolay Some people build quiet multimedia pcs using integrated graphics, low spec office pcs often have only one fan that serves as both the intake and cpu fan and the psu serves as the exhaust fan, some people live in colder climates where one fan is more than enough. My pc has run with only 2 intake fans for years, a large cpu fan exhausts air, the psu exhausts air and the vents at the top take care of the rest. Runs perfectly cool. Apparently you don't know as much as you think you do.
Regarding the HDD backplane and USB-C options, I see this as a plus as at that point you have options on a case. I am one of the few that would want both those features but those that don't want that can take advantage of a lower price. Also the manufacturer can have fewer SKU's and worry less about inventory and risk of sale. I don't think I would see this as a negative point.
I’d like to switch to this case from Phanteks P600S for the hot swappable HDD bays. I’m doing quite an amount of works on HDD/2.5 inch SSD and this design saves me a lot of time. However, I’ll wait when the backplate, front panel USB-C cable and the PSU shroud RGB strip are on stock. Currently all of these optional parts require a pre-order.
Great review as usual. Lian Li is overall doing well lately, TU 150, 011D both great. Wish they'd done a bit better with the airflow on this one, i bet the white looks nice.
This or the Phanteks 600s case? I have a Cooler Master 360mm AIO which can top mount on the Phanteks, but this one has RGB and looks better aesthetically.
Just wanted to say I have purchased this case and LOVE IT. Regarding Thermals... I am running a ryzen 3900x with 4.33 OC with a 360 AIO, two bottom intake fans, two exhaust to and rear. Rarely see 60-degree celsius. Great build quality, love the wire management, etc. Best case I have ever used in a build.
Thanks! I've been waiting for your review. I wish they've spent the money of those cable covers and second glass side elsewhere. It's gonna be the CM NR600/400 for me.
Another good usecase for the hotswap (aside from just plugging in new drives): Mirrored RAID, where you swap one drive and take it off-site for safety.
Amazing review as usual Steve. Utterly disappointed in the thermal performance of this case when all else seems so good. Was hoping this would be my systems new home since its debut in Computex 2019. Not too sure anymore.
Good review, but now im paranoid if I made a huge mistake. I recently ordered the none-mesh version for $90 on newegg, and the cheapest I can find the MESH version is on Ebay with RGB but at $160 and almost $20 for shipping. Is the Mesh version really worth the extra $100?
I've got this case and my only complaints are the stock fans. They sucked (pun intended). Put in two bequiet 140mm intake and two 120mm RGB outtake fans and things are fine now.
9:36 "Buyers should be aware that the LEDs are integrated into the front panel, not the fans. RGB fans installed in the front of the case would be a waste as they'd be hidden" But Steve, you can put RGB fans at the front facing the *interior* of the case, possibly on the inner facing side of a radiator, and additional interior lighting is clearly encouraged as the case has a side window. And before anyone says "RGB is always a waste" the case itself has the feature so whether you want it or not you're already buying RGB when you buy this case.
Unless you install TT Trio fans, which are ridiculously expensive for their performance, you will still get little lighting because RGB fans don't usually have LEDs at the backside
i can think of more uses for the hot-swap drive bays : -you use the computer to check or clone HDDs -you buy a cheap case because you're low on cash and then your RAID (or snapRAID etc) is made of salvaged drives.. that you may have to swap kinda often
If the hotswap was 6 drives, and the case had a 5.25" I would buy one. Nearly all case makers act like their target audience is running a 24 bay data server or something...
@@mattevans1643 Issue is, I am currently running 4 HDDs and 2 SSDs in 2.5" and 1 M.2 The case is too small! Yes, the average PC users only has a boot SSD and one HDD for everything else. However DIY cases are not bought by average gamers.
So it's probably one of the better cases for watercooling in this price point, especially for 360 rads. Easy to work on and maintain with the fan panel, configurable (removable) drive cage, good cable management... Looks good to me in theory.
I don’t really understand why include some fans but not enough to populate all fan slots. This isn’t a Lian Li thing, everyone is doing it. I’d rather just no fans and let me choose my own matching set. Same color and/or lighting
Best & Worst PC Cases of 2019 here: th-cam.com/video/2u8rGgYrRZY/w-d-xo.html
RX 5700 XT Waifu review here: th-cam.com/video/OVY5CjEC3W4/w-d-xo.html
Article: www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3540-lian-li-lancool-ii-case-review-benchmark
I like cases that almost all glass look.... Why don't u review these type..????... Like glass from top front and side ... They look so cool ..
@@sonicbatfoxs9376 We do review them when they are relevant.
Nice case, great futures. I mean where could you find for this price panels at the sides with Glas and magnetic holder?
Btw. I buyed one week ago LianLi Dynamic and Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer II 360... I think it will be great combo....and I do not like RGB stuff. PC is an Maschine not a Christmas fair/market.
Great review, as per usual! May i request a slightly bigger focus on standardized fan setup? While it is amazing that you added it to the testing (seriously,... i can't stress this enough!), I would like to see more charts with those 3 noctuas. Like Noise standardized charts, should also include the noctua setup. After all, that is what makes the final buying decition for most people that change fans, right?` If I could only pick a SINGLE chart, I would pick a chart showing EITHER "With a 36dB limit and 3 Noctua fans, how hot do the components get?" OR "with a 55degree CPU limit and 3 noctuas, how silent can the case get?". I would really love to see either of these two charts getting added, or even both.
When shopping for a new case i kind of have to guess, going from the other charts... but as you can imagine: It does not work that way most of the time. ;-)
Thanks for your amazing work.
I took a drink everytime you opened that door....I'm dead now.
There is always a "best" of something. It doesn't mean it's perfect, it means it out classes the competition. The Lian Li Lancool II is not perfect, it is however one of the best options out there on all merits. Sure there are $200+ cases that might be on par, sure there are cheaper cases but all around?! Lancool II kills it. Don't be ignorant to that.
when he rewievs cases he compares them to same price point cases.
@@Rahkesh357 the other options he listed in the description are different price points tho
year 2120: case made of nanobots that can reconfigure into any shape, and serve any function, finally, best case ever!
2121: New nanobots now each with their own rgb led and tempered glass side panel
@Franco Firewall stupid
U are My submissive toy LOL
And Gamers Nexus will still find issues with the design and airflow
There will be no pc they'll have a chip fitted in our brain 😂
I just built my PC with this case and I have to say this is the best case I have built in for a while. The case is beautiful and incredible finish and for only $94 that’s crazy.
It’s well thought out and it’s not like every other case out there. It has also good air flow.
I really like some aspects of the design of this case. I love the door arrangement and cable management covers, it looks very tidy overall. I'm always willing to throw a bit more money into case fans/better cooling management if the case can be made to adequately perform while still providing the features I want with solid build quality and good form factor.
One thing I might suggest is including case weight in your reviews, as this was always a selling point for me for Lian Li cases in the past.
17:20
“55 degrees is still on the warm side” My Gpu - “pls let me have this case so I’m not at 87 degrees anymore”
Is 55 good? I’m new to pc gaming. All these red bars make it look like danger, your pc might melt in about a year of usage 🤣
Yes 55 degrees is good
FYI this is typically the delta over ambient temperature. So ambient of 30c would result in total temp of 85 degrees C.
@@itscoolthough419 Anything above 69 C is when things start to get very hot.
That GPU must have an incredible cooler on it considering the Walmart case, with absolutely no airflow, ran the GPU at 62 degrees.
Re: ~1:50-~2:30: So what you’re saying is, there’s no “best case scenario?”
You wanna see yourself out?
I think there's a best case, for your personal situation and liking.
@@OlettaLiano It was a pun.
@@GamersNexus I totally get that. I really like what Lian Li's trying to do here. I have a 011 Dynamic and absolutely love it. For me it's a case of the best case ever. LOL
This case of bad punniss should get you into prison
I love how the Silverstone Raven RV02 is still killing it in reviews after all these years.
I appreciate any manufacturer that makes a case with new tooling and innovative features.
But the human eye can't even see more than 24 degrees per second.
Shit you are right.
The fact that your name says you are a Verge representative makes even more sense hahaha
That is why i bought a 4k hdr tc with 24hz cuz thats all people can see anyways. Why spend money on 60hz when you can only see 24? Its a no brainer!!
@@riseoftheflutes1739 Yeah it's a no brainer.... Like literelly no brainer, in the literal sense, like no brainer! haha
@@teaser6089 im glad you understand my point of view as much as i do! I AM NOT ALONE!!
I have a feeling the "best case ever" would be nothing short of a case that puts your hardware into a pocket dimension thats has cold ambient tempature.
And an exterior that can change shape and size as easily as RGB LEDs change color.
Sounds expensive. Therefore not the best option.
@@PinkBunnyCorporation best ≠ cheapest
I know I’m beating a dead dog here,but I wanted to thank all you guys again,for siding with the consumer side of things,your integrity & sacrifice is noted & appreciated. Happy holidays to all & the glory of life,good bad or indifferent in the new year to all!
Thank you! We very much appreciate it. Hope you also have a good year-end!
I just received my white version, and it seems they took notes from these videos... Theres padding on the magnets of the psu shroud and little caps on the glass panels so they don't just swing open if you move the case... All in all, a great case... Those thumb screws are still tiny and very annoying
I got a Lian Li LANCOOL ii before viewing this video. This video really helped me learn more about the case. Thanks!
I really appreciate all of the effort and work you put into your videos. Thank you so much.
It really helps people new to this world, like me, know where to spend our money in the right place. Don't ever give that up.
I fell in love with the Phanteks P400S so that's all that I use in all of my builds.
Super impressed with this case. Eventually bought the mesh panels separately and got much improved temps but a lot more dust. The airflow issues with the OG rgb panel can be overcome with 3 decent intake fans up front (I run 2 140mm and 1 120mm Noctuas) if you rotate the rack and place the fans on the backside of the fan rack moving the fans as far back from the front panel as possible. Only increased my cpu temp at idle by about 2 degrees C but I have the protection of the front dust filters again.
I would like to request that you guys do a test where you fill all the fan slots with aftermarket coolers to check "best case scenario" for the cases.
It can be that you put in the fans from your older case or maybe will upgrade with more fans later and just want to know how far this case can go.
or stock fans+ the 3 fans of the standard test that they do
Great review. I bought this case. I added 2 magnets to each door to ensure they continue to close completely. Also replaced the 3 stock fans with 8 120 Argb mm fans. Satisfied with it so far. Also just ordered the Mesh package from Lian Li to address the thermal concerns. I will report on them after they are received. Amazon had the white version for $124 instead of $95.
You have 8 fans? How s the performance? Was it worth? In my opinion its kinda overkill only if you are using water cooling. Plz can you share your benchmarks on thermal plz (also your specs plz)
Mesh package? I assume that's a replacement for the front panel you swap out?
@@papayer Yes, the mesh package comes with the front panel, a new right side bottom vent panel and 4 vreplacement case footings from Newegg.
@@stephenquarles1547 Neat. I'll look into it then. Thanks.
I helped build a pc for my friend in the white edition of this case and i was extremely suprised at how many little features and different pieces make up this case. It was exteremely easy to work with and I kept thinking about how they managed to manufacture these at a ~$100 price mark. Everything fit together so well and there wasnt any of that jank you get from cheaper cases.
I've been waiting for this video, I've already ordered one but keen to see what GN thinks for sure.
Same here. Despite having seen a couple of other reviews and having it pre-ordered I'm curious to see what their take on it is.
Going from past case reviews... i'm expecting a lot of bad comments.
This case is awesome for its price. There is no other case that matches it price vs features.
Looking forward to installing a double rad build in mine.
Where did you order from ? Cant find it nowhere
I bought it for being the only case in my price range that included 3 fans, flexible water cooling options, and had hinged glass doors.
I'm still using a Lancool Dragonlord from 2008, best case EVER!
Best thing is that you really can install EVERYTHING without a screwdriver
Thanks for your detailed reviews and especially the temperature and noise tests. I compared many cases the last days. Define C, Meshify C, Phanteks P400A, Silentium AR7 and I will go with this one. Nice features, good quality and I have enough fans at home to get this one cool and quiet (5x P12 PWM PST, 1x P14 PWM PST and 1x Noiseblocker B12PS, Macho HR-02). I have an old high airflow case (HAF 922) at home and i don't wanna make such big compromises only for airflow again.
Shit, I started watching this channel at like 20k subs or something, haven’t really noticed but over 700k now. That’s impressive, this channel is everything I ever wanted in a channel, information, format, amount of time and effort in the vids. Astonishing what you and your team have became since the old days!
I was so close to buying this case. Great air flow and cool temps are very important to me, thank you for saving me from making a mistake.
For me too... I had shortened the list to just this case XD
Hoping the Mesh version in 2020 has better flow.
Another review worth the watch, thanks for your keen eye and rigorous testing!
I bought this case because I wanted the largest mid atx case I could find because my old case was tiny and hard to work on. I 100% recommend this case, it was everything I wanted and more for like $100 which is crazy
I have one of these and I would say this case is one of the best in it's price range. The fit and finish is amazing I don't think is fair to criticize it because they cut some cost when adding features that would normally only be on more a expensive cases. I had to look long and hard tell I found this one, the three things I wanted were a good looking design, hinged plate class panels and good cable management.
How did you hook up the monitor? Just because I don't see an HDMI or display port.
Old cases have the side fan for the GPU. This new glass cases eliminated that feature. This case allowed me to set two fans under my GPU. And that's is a win for me.
Love my Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL. I hadn't had a Lian Li case since the PC05 (Early 2000s). Glad to see they still make quality cases.
@@ThunderingTosspot The case should support CPU coolers up to a maximum height of 167mm. Since the D15 is 165mm, it should technically work.
@@ThunderingTosspot Well it fits the NH-U14S. I believe that's the same height as the D15. I'm running water cooling though but I had the NH-U14S on my 3900x prior to today.
You shouldn't have any clearance issues with the Tempered glass window and your NH-D15.
6:15 I installed a hotswap bay into this for my brother who lives a few hours away for in case he wants to add another drive to his system without having to either deal with wiring he knows little about or driving 5-6 hours round trip just to add a hdd, this way he can just insert the drive and call me to get instructions for initializing
To anyone considering the CM H500 over this case due to thermals: Please consider your storage options. The case is pretty limited with storage slots, two 3.5/2.5" tray slots as well as two 2.5" slots... behind the motherboard. So you can have a maximum of two 3.5" hard drives and two 2.5" SSDs at one time, or if you use multi-slot adapters you could have six 2.5" SSDs (or hard drives but.. why?).
TL;DR If you want the H500, either go for 2.5" SSDs and/or NVMe storage. The case isn't exactly HDD friendly.
These reviews are always full of useful information. It just difficult to wade through the angst and whining.
I must admit I was considering buying this over the Phanteks P400A but after this review I've changed my mind. You guys do great work, I really appreciate all of your content.
I have this case, and it's nice. I upgraded from an older Aluminum Lian Li ATX case that was about 15 years old, so admittedly I impress easily. But, for 90 bucks, I have no complaints whatsoever.
Another fun thing I did with the case RGB is connect it to the Gigabyte Aorus Z590 motherboard RGD header, and I was then able to ship WMI CPU temp to OpenRGB so that the case and motherboard RGB changes color with CPU temperature.
I have this case and I love it!!
i was terrified to take the front of my case off to clean the fans of my water cooler and this video was super helpful. didn't realize how easy it was to remove and was so scared i was going to snap something off. thank you!!! :D
Appearantly it's demand drove it price up more like $100-120 in some places and sometimes black version isn't available
I really want other case manufacturers to look at this case and try to make their own. Cheap plastic hard drive bay for example is an excellent cost saving measure, and honestly, I don't mind using that. Basically, make it feature rich, made out of steel rather than aluminum, put some neat little details every here and there without going over the top, price it very competitively, and you'll have a shot at making a success like this case.
Basically. Cheap drive bays are a non issue lol
I love this case and glad I got it!
i was commissioned to build a few computers in this case, and it was amazing to build in. loved it
Hot swaps, perfect for hiding the pr0n drive.
pRopaaNS ✋
I couldnt come up with a name so i used this ✋🏼
You mean drive(s)
12x14TB
Now thats a wank tank...
Never had this issue :P
128G Thumb drive on key chain haha
The plus point for me is accessibility. What other case has a hinged door.... Being physically limited... unscrewing side panels is always an issue, so being able to open a door to get access to the inside is a massive Plus. 3 fans included is also a plus. Yes I will add more. Thanks to the warning in your review I might add more than I had expected...
But at this price point... what else could match ease of access?
Nothing at this price can get close to the quality of this case
For one reason and another with "a new look" being at the top of those reasons, I keep trying to convince myself to buy a new case. My Antec 900 (slightly updated over the original, which came out in '07 I think, this has actual cable management) is getting old but it sure does keep my system nice n cool. I start looking at new cases and see the restrictive air flow, in comparison to my case, and just change my mind. I've been doing this for about 6 years now and I've had the 900 since it came out.
Reason #2 seems to be lack of USB 3.0 or better, but I added a 5.25" full slot card reader to this case a while ago and that has a 3.0 port on it. I then remind myself that I use USB 3.0 like once every couple of months and convince myself yet again not to waste money on a new case. New high end build with just the plain ole softly glowing blue LEDs on the fans and it still serves me very well, I could care less about the lighting and I dislike RGB. Looks like I'll be waiting even longer to replace this case, nothing new is catching my eye at all...
Ian Ide agreed, I built a monster PC this year (2019) and I went out of my way to buy and lite-mod a Thermaltake Core X9 which came out in 2014. I bought a five year old case, on purpose with lots of other selection available. What does that say about the case market? Rockin my twin alphacool 420x140x60 radiators and ugly Noctua fans in a 5 year old case. Yeah.
maybe not best case ever but definitely one of best tech reviewers ever
When are you going to review the Phanteks Eclipse P600s, already voted by many tech sites as the best case of 2019?
I'm on a GN marathon with these videos. I love them. The info and entertainment (you're a funny dude Steve) beats anything on cable. I'm looking at you Fios. Stop showing repeats and reruns. Step your game up. On a side note, I really miss the G4 network. Anyway, thanks for all the work you guys at Gamers Nexus put in. I hope you'll be around for many years to come. I'm trying to figure out how to configure a custom prebuilt and am watching as many reviews for as many parts as I can find. Couldn't do it without ya'll. Stay healthy.
Great review of this case. I'm surprised you didn't mention that this case also has an optional secondary front panel that is mesh that can be purchased. I know this isn't stock, but would likely improve the thermal situation overall.
I think the hot swap could be good to plug in a backup drive that you remove after the backup completes. Lets you firebox the backup. I would use that for that reason.
Quick tip you don't need to put front fans on inside of frame you can move the whole frame backwards by using the adjustment screws on either side.
That will move the fan assembly away from the front panel
I really like that Lian Li has moved to making more affordable cases in the last few years, as well as improving functionality. They always seemed like a company with some unique ideas, but either priced things out of reach for most people or messed up on some fundamental part of the functionality. I don't know what changed, but they're doing great in both respects lately, and my favourite case company now. I wouldn't buy this case myself (I'd get the O11 D-XL if I was buying today, unless I was building a NAS where I'd buy... nothing as there are no good NAS cases now, sigh), but it looks great for the money.
I got a DG-75 case and took off the front panel as that is the only way to keep my PC cool on a budget
So I bought this case and just added a 120mm to the front (2 front, 1 rear, 1 top config). I have a R5 3600 (stock cooler) and a 5700 RedDragon and have yet to see temps above 50 degrees.
i dont know why he says stock cooling its not good on that case wtf that 2 fans does better than my case with 4 fans
I needed to see this. I purchased this case because of a rave review of the quality of manufacturing of the case by JayzTwoCents and then I just saw watched this vid. I immediately started wondering if I needed to purchase a new case. Thanks for easing my mind. FYI, I went with the white version of this case because I am trying to go with a white/black color scheme for my new gaming rig and loved how easy it would be for hiding wires on this case. I am still ordering a few more parts, but I already am in love with the design.
dragonlordblaze Also, if you’re not completely happy with your temps, you can get the new mesh front panel by itself and just switch them out.
@@Buckdalorian where do you get the mesh panel? I just ordered this so just thinking ahead
Nathan Pickering I was looking the other day and a lot of places are sold out. Here’s the link on Newegg www.newegg.com/p/2AM-000Z-00064
I got the 011 dynamic a few months ago. Super happy with it. I bought it strictly for the looks. Everything else was just a bonus.😊
This case is like when I was a kid and really wanted this pair of nice looking Nike Air, but it wasn't comfortable at all.
dude that brings back so many memories... lol. I watched Space Jam back in 1996 and wanted some Air Jordans. I got a pair for Christmas but just never really liked how they felt.
In lock down I've done a deep dive of your channel ... you're definitely going to be my go to channel when it comes to cases (well not just cases). You do such a complete and great job with these reviews ... and I like how you appropriately value THERMALS, job 1 in my mind for a case.
I really like this case, might buy one just because. Still don't think there is a better case than the 011D though. I really just wish they would make an updated mini-itx version. I would buy that instantly.
Nick Moseley an o11 that fits ATX and is less wide would be a godsend.
Even that. But I think literally shrinking the 011D by a third would be perfect. 240 side rad comparable and 240 on the top. Would be the absolute best mini water-cooling case ever.
Buy a Silverstone RVZ03, if you want a good itx case. It fits large GPUs for it's size and good CPU coolers, like the Noctua NH-L12S. GN did a review on it as well. Imo tower itx cases are stupid, defeats the point of sff boards entirely. The only two good mini tower itx cases are the Lian li tu-150 or the Ncase M1.
@@TTks124 GN's review was positive.
@@The2808erik I can see what you mean. I do like some of the bigger sff cases though because for some people, even the average ATX mid tower is kind of a big thing to have on the top of your desk. Something that still has great watercooling potential or room for a sizable tower cooler, but doesn't take up one whole end of your desk is very appealing. I feel like cases go straight from mid tower atx to "all you can fit is a stock cooler or maybe a 120mm AIO".
Steve, you do a great job reviewing cases. Very in-dept. Kudos for that!
An extra remark I may add, is that case fan setup / temperature variables also depends on what hardware is used. Ex. for a Blower-cooled GPU, you may want this case with all 3 front intake, but with the Axial (Open) cooler GPU, the back fan do benefit as you show.. I will also add, that I like the "back to front" airflow in THIS particular setup shown, because sometimes a fan in the top, you get a bit turbulence with the Vertical (upright) mounted CPU-towercooler fan . With Blower cards, I would actually consider the Towercooler mounted horizontally(lying down) with one top case fan (whitch work in conjunction with the CPU fan in the bottom of the towercooler. That setup also help to "suck" a bit heat of the top PCB/components on the graphics card - that little extra never hurts :)
And with the two fans (or preferably one extra) in front. That way we should maximize warm air away from the CPU(works in conjunction with physics heat rise), and also having good intake for the GPU / CPU / Mainboard. Always for best pressure control (if you have a good airflow!) shut all ventilation holes that does not have a fan. Blower GPUs love possitive case pressure, the Axial fan(open cooler) GPU's prefer negative pressure - or even better... neutral pressure with good airflow (as long as we get the hot air out).
Sorry to bring you back to this months later but I'd like you to clarify this if you could. I have a blower GPU and I'd be using a stock Ryzen 5 cooler (horizontal). Were I to buy this case I have two additional fans I can take from my old system to add to it (so 5 fans total to work with). Would you recommend I go for either: three front fans (inputs), one top and one back (outputs) - OR - two front fans and one on the power supply shroud pointing directly up at GPU blower (inputs), one top and one back (outputs)?
Would you say this case or the Cooler Master H500 case is better for cooling? Thank you.
I managed to pre-order one before they stopped taking pre-orders. with the room for the extra fans i'm not that worried about it not having the absolute best airflow, I wanted it mainly for the cable management and the doors. I've always wondered why no one was making cases with doors like this. compared to other cases at that price it seemed, and still seems, like a steal.
I did the same thing. Pre-ordred a white one. It seems like the cooling can be brought up to par with some additional fans, and noise could be mitigated with PWM fans. As you said, I don't think there is another case with so many features / design features for the price.
I wish that they had tested the case with two fans on the bottom instead of just the one. I have a feeling the GPU temps would be much better.
@@atomicfrost8624 and in my experience more fans equals less noise. seems counter intuitive but with more fans they run at lower rpm and high rpm is really where fans are noisy. so my rule of thumb is to fill the case with as many fans as it will hold and the motherboard will support. i'll be installing a radiator in the top so that will take up some slots.
I guess my requirements are rare lol I bought a Dynamic XL just for the 4x 3.5" bays and multiple SSD install points I don't even like rgb nor do I have rgb fans. I have 10x Corsair ML120 fans powered by 2x Deepcool sata powered hubs, ML fans are cheap but push allot of air and are relatively quiet. I use a DRP4 with one fan on my 8700k, waiting for the dust to settle then I'm picking up a 3950x:) The Dynamic XL is THE best case currently available imo, best case I've owned in over 20 years! Great video as always mate.
If they had just made the mesh a little less air restrictive, and maybe add another "mesh" hole in the middle of that front panel, this would be an amazing case.
case is perfect, just set it up correctly. I put in a 360 rad and added two bottom intake. One top and one rear exaust. Yet to see 60 degrees with a 4.33 oc on a ryzen 3900x
@@MatthewMcDowell1 so would you reccomend this case??
Steve, I was wrong. A few weeks & multiple views made me realize your review is better & more objective than I originally thought. However, Snowflake not being in the video is inexcusable 😸 While the standardized fans test is a step in the right direction, replacing that with a test with all intake fan slots occupied would be better IMO. This would give viewers a far better idea of thermals they could expect if they spend the money for additional fans. I think you could figure out a way do this without spending even more time & effort on each review than you already do.
Great review of an interesting and new case. i wonder about the results when brute forcing with more fans and fan controllers, but that is part of the fun in building your own pc. excellent info on this and certainly enough to help make an informed decision on a purchase. also great in giving good feedback to the manufacturer. good job
Very honest, im torn between building itx on tu150 and this with atx, since both will need to add fans to function but you're right, there's a way to make it work but it wont be the best. Good job as always
What’s the case like when it comes to using an AIO for the cpu? And are the fans any good or should I just replace them when I get the case?
is this case still a good case with it being 4 years old? found one with 7 fans for about 100 bucks
Wow great work Steve! Appreciate the hard work.
Please do the case reviews with optimal number of case fans, not just one fan. Have you seen anyone building a new PC with just one fan or whatever comes with the case? Almost all use atleast 4-5 fans.
Almost all use whatever comes with the case
@@AmitKolay Some people build quiet multimedia pcs using integrated graphics, low spec office pcs often have only one fan that serves as both the intake and cpu fan and the psu serves as the exhaust fan, some people live in colder climates where one fan is more than enough. My pc has run with only 2 intake fans for years, a large cpu fan exhausts air, the psu exhausts air and the vents at the top take care of the rest. Runs perfectly cool. Apparently you don't know as much as you think you do.
Looking for a new case for myself. Love the design of this one. Thanks for the vid as always Steve & team!
Would like to see pure base 500 review.
Agreed. Based on aesthetics and (what we can see from pictures re.) build quality it's one of the very few cases I care about.
Riotoro cases review too
I am curious to see if they are good
I would love a refresh of the Corsair air 540
Been waiting on this review. Thank you!
Regarding the HDD backplane and USB-C options, I see this as a plus as at that point you have options on a case. I am one of the few that would want both those features but those that don't want that can take advantage of a lower price. Also the manufacturer can have fewer SKU's and worry less about inventory and risk of sale. I don't think I would see this as a negative point.
It also allows you to buy your own solution for usb-c and the rgb lighting
I’d like to switch to this case from Phanteks P600S for the hot swappable HDD bays. I’m doing quite an amount of works on HDD/2.5 inch SSD and this design saves me a lot of time.
However, I’ll wait when the backplate, front panel USB-C cable and the PSU shroud RGB strip are on stock. Currently all of these optional parts require a pre-order.
Just get an external hot swapping thingy. Ideally a usb-c one if you have the port.
Great review as usual. Lian Li is overall doing well lately, TU 150, 011D both great. Wish they'd done a bit better with the airflow on this one, i bet the white looks nice.
This or the Phanteks 600s case?
I have a Cooler Master 360mm AIO which can top mount on the Phanteks, but this one has RGB and looks better aesthetically.
Just wanted to say I have purchased this case and LOVE IT. Regarding Thermals... I am running a ryzen 3900x with 4.33 OC with a 360 AIO, two bottom intake fans, two exhaust to and rear. Rarely see 60-degree celsius. Great build quality, love the wire management, etc. Best case I have ever used in a build.
Idle I am running around 35 degrees.
Matthew McDowell WHERE DID YOU FIND IT!
Can you tell us what are your GPU temps ,thank you
@@marchev1982 I am running 32-36 with light work load (i.e. web browser and streaming tv) and have yet to see it climb above 55 under stress.
@@maxignatius4355 I had pre-ordered through newegg.
Thanks! I've been waiting for your review. I wish they've spent the money of those cable covers and second glass side elsewhere. It's gonna be the CM NR600/400 for me.
Gamers Nexus again, I first like then I watch cause their contents are always informative and awesome :)
Another good usecase for the hotswap (aside from just plugging in new drives): Mirrored RAID, where you swap one drive and take it off-site for safety.
Amazing review as usual Steve. Utterly disappointed in the thermal performance of this case when all else seems so good. Was hoping this would be my systems new home since its debut in Computex 2019. Not too sure anymore.
The thermals are actually good so you know, he’s torturing the case to its limits on purpose.
Thank you guys for the awesome content!
Good review, but now im paranoid if I made a huge mistake. I recently ordered the none-mesh version for $90 on newegg, and the cheapest I can find the MESH version is on Ebay with RGB but at $160 and almost $20 for shipping. Is the Mesh version really worth the extra $100?
It's midnight and I have my snack and GN.
Same tho
The Verge wants a best case ever. Helps future proof their PC build videos.
I've got this case and my only complaints are the stock fans. They sucked (pun intended). Put in two bequiet 140mm intake and two 120mm RGB outtake fans and things are fine now.
Yep the fans are cack....I put some Corsair in and it was far better on temps
Just woke up and instantly started this video
I just picked up this case so was checking out reviews. Now I have been in IT for 20 years and this is even too nerdy for me LOL
9:36 "Buyers should be aware that the LEDs are integrated into the front panel, not the fans. RGB fans installed in the front of the case would be a waste as they'd be hidden"
But Steve, you can put RGB fans at the front facing the *interior* of the case, possibly on the inner facing side of a radiator, and additional interior lighting is clearly encouraged as the case has a side window.
And before anyone says "RGB is always a waste" the case itself has the feature so whether you want it or not you're already buying RGB when you buy this case.
Unless you install TT Trio fans, which are ridiculously expensive for their performance, you will still get little lighting because RGB fans don't usually have LEDs at the backside
I have this case. Im looking at your side panels, looking at mine. Did I put my side panels on the wrong sides? ooops
It is a nice case for the price.
LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black was my case back in 2011
I’ve preordered this..should I cancel and get Meshify C? Since thermals are bad at stock.
What the best case money can buy? Also, air flow of this case will be better with 3 fans in the front and a dual fan cpu cooler?
i can think of more uses for the hot-swap drive bays :
-you use the computer to check or clone HDDs
-you buy a cheap case because you're low on cash and then your RAID (or snapRAID etc) is made of salvaged drives.. that you may have to swap kinda often
If the hotswap was 6 drives, and the case had a 5.25" I would buy one.
Nearly all case makers act like their target audience is running a 24 bay data server or something...
And this one has 3, and 4ssd spots. Don't see the issue. Who needs more than that? That's alot.
@@mattevans1643 Issue is, I am currently running 4 HDDs and 2 SSDs in 2.5" and 1 M.2
The case is too small!
Yes, the average PC users only has a boot SSD and one HDD for everything else.
However DIY cases are not bought by average gamers.
So it's probably one of the better cases for watercooling in this price point, especially for 360 rads. Easy to work on and maintain with the fan panel, configurable (removable) drive cage, good cable management... Looks good to me in theory.
I don’t really understand why include some fans but not enough to populate all fan slots. This isn’t a Lian Li thing, everyone is doing it. I’d rather just no fans and let me choose my own matching set. Same color and/or lighting
Sell fans at extra premium price.... It makes sense for them :p
A very nice case. It will be my next case; and I have been using the Fractal Define R5 up until now. I am one of the users that needs hot swap HDDs