Thank you very much for your experienced and honest perspective, Alessandro! I like how you explain the difficulties and cost comparisons rather than giving the impression like everything is easy. It's true, at first look, this parallel build looks like it might be easier than a traditional custom loop build, but you explained clearly how it represented it's own unique challenges and also how to use the offset fittings. This is one of my favorite youtube channels!
Have this case, done a custom loop but without the distroplate - in order to be able to fit there 3x 360mm rads without issues. Pump+res combo mounted on the side rad. Config like this can easily cool high end components and still be almost completely silent under load and even without the distro plate is looking awesome. I choose this case because I had the smaller one before (O-11D without XL) and it did not felt big enough - I like to have space to make the build easier to assemble and maintain. Besides that the smaller one does not have so easily reachable the bottom air filter, which is a must for me (cat owner).
I'm getting the XL ROG version. In place of a third radiator in the side I'm considering the EK-Quantum Volume FLT 360 D-RGB (distro reservoir) .. mostly for aesthetics to cover those side blank eyesore cutouts. Instead of acrylic I'm thinking about Barrow copper chromed tubing. I wish that other side distro had a D5 pump! Otherwise the typical: EK-Quantum Reflection PC-O11D XL D5 PWM D-RGB EK-CoolStream XE 360 60mm EK-CoolStream PE 360 40mm My thoughts are 2 radiators should be plenty enough at least for an Alder Lake i9 and FTW3 RTX 3090 build.
I built my loop in the original O11D. I originally used a regular tube reservoir. However, I switched to a custom front distro. I wasn’t happy with my water temperatures with the rads that I had. I was recycling air by using the side rad as an intake and the top rad as exhaust. The fan configuration doesn’t allow positive pressure in the case otherwise. Some people don’t care about that, but I do. I finally broke down and removed the side rad, and drilled some passthroughs in the back of the case in order to add a thick 560 mm external rad in in push/pull. The temperatures are much better with the higher rad surface area and fresh air to both the top case rad and the external rad. I’m actually planning an open air custom loop for my next full build.
This video was perfect, i wanted to use this distro with the case, but alter some of the runs to not be so parallel. I'm so glad you made this, I held off a few months ago because of not enough information, but you expressed everything the others missed.
I used the D5 Convection cover for my build and the sharpness of the interior cable passthrough ended up cutting into wires that resulted in a short and I blew my dark hero. Everything was RMAd. Got a new pump, returned the convection (which sucks b/c i absolutely love it), and got a new mobo. This is a great build.
You covered everything well, only thing I wanna correct you on is that you can fit a massive rad on the bottom. I have this setup and I've pushed it to the max. I got 45mm rad up top and 60mm on bottom with a chipset block as well. You just have to ditch the rad bracket and Dremel cut a tiny bit of the vert GPU holder. You can even do a 27mm rad with fans in the side compartment there... Case is amazing
Thanks for your feedback! As I think I mentioned in the video, it really depends on the type of vertical mounting bracket and size of graphics card you're using, plus I was solely talking about a scenario with no dremeling involved, just the bare compatibility offered by the case. In my specific case, with a 3090 Extreme and and EKWB vertical bracket, I don't think even a 45mm radiator would've fit because there wouldn't have been room for the tubing and the radiator couldn't be mounted with the ports on the front, but I actually didn't consider ditching the rad bracket so good call on that!
@@ExploreModding you're right. I did 45 mm and 14 mm MF. Unfortunately, I have a problem with the fans. They barely fit. Now I am buying a 30mm heatsink and a 28mm MF. I have to change it.
I did my build in a regular 011 D when they where fresh on the market. I just love the 2 compartments with the PSU in the back and the glass panels in the front and how it looks. I also enjoy modding videos but i don't have access or experience with a CNC router so this was a great opportunity to do a build with a distro plate. This case was pretty unique in it's look and build quality so i went for it and i guess a ton of other people felt the same way. I'd prefer to have something less common but Lian Li in it's crazy capitalist scheme sold more than a couple of these, so it is what it is ;) I like to think i made it a little more special by having a 50 mm thick radiator on top and bottom though.
This is actually a case I have as a spare as I'm going full custom loop only difference is I have a pump resivour combi instead of a distro plate just not sure if it will look right as the distro plate does give the front of the case a nice look... the reason I'm going for a custom loop is for the temps as using a 5950X and RTX 3090 and use it for CAD and rendering..... great channel just subscribed!
I'm currently in a build very similar to yours. I have the XL rog certified Lian Li Case in white. But I actually opted for the EK-Quantum Reflection² PC-O11D Distro plate. It has the Matrix7 tech. Also adding an additional 3rd radiator behind the 3 side fans. I went with the Mat black fittings although the silver fittings look very good in your case. Also debating which color coolant, between blue or clear like yours. Very nice build
Hello, i got the O11D non XL. I built a loop with 3x360mm Radiator and Distro Plate but only because I make my own Plate. Maintenance ist like sh*** but it looks so Cool 😎 and all only because Alex Thank you!!!
Have this case - 3x360mm rads, I use lian li sl fans, ZMT tubing, ek fittings and some quick disconnects, and a pump/res combo. Easy as pie to build compared to my other acrylic builds. Maintenance is so much easier as well.
I chose to bridge one of the ports and run the bottom rad after the GPU and then into the CPU. You don't have to use every port and just like any loop out there, you can put the order however you like. I chose to get the distro plate because I wanted all that stuff using the least amount of space possible. You also can fit an SE and 3 15mm 120 fans on the side for a 3rd radiator.
Very informative, thanks. For a beginner like myself, why pay twice as much for a system that is more difficult to build. So I think I will go for a more custom loop. Thank you for using a white case. When viewing the video on a phone it is so much easier to see the detail inside compared to a black case.
I built my first watercooled system in the regular O-11D using the side mounted distro plate after seeing several builds with that setup and liking how clean they looked. I'd also assumed that the distro plate would make everything easier for the first time going custom loop. I'm fairly happy with it but I do need to change cases as I didn't realize just how tall the Gigabyte 3080 was with the waterblock on it and the side window can't be put on the case as a result (can't mount it vertical the bottom radiator and fans would interfere. I've thought about just moving up to the XL but now that I've lived with this setup for a bit I find myself wanting to go with something a little more unique (and easier to drain hopefully, the current loop is quite difficult to drain (I put the drain valve in the lower back port on the distro plate). I know they're working on the EVO version and that may address some of my pain points (have also heard rumors of Antec working on a full ATX version of the Striker) but I'm leaning towards the Enthoo 719 currently.
Ordering this case today for an Alder Lake i9 / FTW3 RTX 3090 build, but I haven't done water cooling in quite a while. This isn't brain surgery. The most annoying part is probably RGB / controllers; EK uses D-RGB 3-pin while MOBO headers are 12V 4-pin. The reason is pretty universal the case looks pretty damn good. The case design allows for freedom and cleanliness in the front while your power supply and wiring is separated in the back along with hot swappable bays. It's a fishbowl. BTW .. you absolutely don't need to use a distro, it just looks better and with that cost more, and probably your need for offsets is because you're putting your GPU vertical.
I remember clearly the mistake i made buying the regular PC-O11D instead of PC-O11D XL, funny enough listening to seller's advice :( Definitely buy the XL version for better radiator support especially at the bottom
i have a normal 011D too and while thick radiators where not officially supported it wasn't hard to install a 360 50mm plus fans on top and bottom each. The GPU is still vertical but the tubing is at a diagonal angle, a bit like a motorcycle exhaust. I like that the case looks more full this way.
Very good video! I AGREE with you COMPLETELY! It does look great and it will get many more people trying to get themselves into trying water cooling custom loops. In 3 - 4 yrs everyone will be looking to upgrade and they will all want something different so in about 4 years the payoff from everyone wanting to build the same PC will be great for the custom loop community I think. Maybe there will be some more innovation in the PC case area because the custom loop componets have matured completely I think. Maybe there will be a new thing or two pop up in the next few years but the Cases is where the variety will have to come from in my opinion. Keep up the great videos brother!
My first build was a 011 XL with front distro, went this route because I liked the look, and actually though it would be easier, i only have 2 bends in my system for the gpu. have now built 5 more custom loops since then, including the "old school" onesin a corsair 4000 and 5000 case. I must admit that the last to builds in the corsair cases without a distro was easier.
Great video. I loved hearing your perspective on this case as I was planning on buying it for my next build. That's been delayed due to component prices, but I'm still committed to doing a custom loop without a distro plate
Nice video. I think It´s popular because everyone loves the clean and ordered look like this. The next step in my pc building will be a similar (or equal) waterloop ... Greetings!!
Nice build. Im going with the lian li o11 d xl all white case with asus rog strix 3090 with quantum 2 vector 2 gpu full cover front & active back plate plexi cover with velocity 2 cpu water block for my 5950x with two new gen 2 x360 surface radiators from ek but im gonna have my radiators facing the reflection 2 distro plate so i dont have to worry about the tubes having to rub my vertical mounted gpu water block & im gonna be used extenders & 90 degree torque fittings from EK to reach & install into reflection 2 distro plate so i dont have to worry about bends & ill only need 4 tubes of petg since im gonna use 90 degree torque fittings & extenders for the top radiator as well & use 64 gb of ram & 4 tb of ssd & 6 tb of hdd. Im having microcenter do build for me in late August. It will be my first gaming pc. Cant wait 😊
i orginally got the non xl version, but my 5700xt liquid devil did not fit. I love the xl after getting it though. Easy to work in. Beautiful case. I have a Dynamic Uno from distro plate in mine. I went soft tubing since i have a small fortune in connectors. I have 3x360 rads and a 120 rad in the rear. Max temps i have seen in my loop is 40c and that is with hours of gaming with liquid devil and 5950x in the same loop with EK monoblock. I actually like the soft tubing look still..
thats the problem with going with the distro; you're loop is kinda 'set.' only real thing you could do to mod it is colour changing, like replacing the o-rings in the distro with white ones, making panels to hide cable management and vent holes. making saw all the white matches. off the shelf distros stifle creativity
@@F41LZZz Don't use the mass produced distro then. I would love to see what can be done with an O11D, if one isn't limited. Make your own distro if needed. I'm sure Alessandro can come up with new ideas. For example, I would design a distro to go where the top rad normally sits. The tubing runs would be much shorter and neater.
Been there done that. Also mention distro plates crack over time. I had 3 crack before going back to real glass XSPC tube reservoirs exclusively. As for the Dynamic XL I do not think there is a better case on the market.
i have the same case and did the side distro.. and yeah its a pain at the end of the day, I wish I would have gone with the traditional pump res setup.
I have this kit with a 3080 FTW3, I think I'll return it from everything I've seen about it. Seems I'm more in need of a 3090, running outta VRAM on a 3080 FE already.
after migrating my setup from o11d to 5000D airflow... i have some regrets 5000D has limited rad thickness, so far i can only fit 1 30mm 280 on top & 40mm 360 in the front (sides can only fit intake fans now) i can say is its cable management for 5000d is good
nice workmanship, I wish you would list the products you used. I am getting ready to start my first water cooling PC but I cant find the fittings you used.
It’s popular because it’s easy to get, and so are all the custom watercooling parts made for it. Other cases that have parts like those made for them are either ugly, over priced, have bad performance, or the parts are hard to find. If someone is going to put all that stuff into a hardline custom loop they want to be able to see all of its insides, while maintaining good performance. I’ll tell you this much, if they made more custom parts for sff builds that would be very popular. Especially if they didn’t cost more than the larger stuff.
Is this desktop very loud? I have heard that custom loop desktops are more quiet and I am really curious before building myself. I currently own a desktop with 6 fans that is completely air cooled and I hate how loud it is.
Great video, thaks for sharing such a beauty, just one question what is the name of the fitting that rotate attached to waterblock in order to make the tubbing fit perfectly? thank you
Yeah, your experiences mirror my own with this kind of build. I just don't like the flow penalty of a parallel distroplate either. Combine that with the high cost of distroplates and I try to avoid them both for myself and for clients. My philosophy is the tube runs need to be planned around the cooling, not the cooling be planned around the tube runs as is the case here. It's a bit different if I am designing and machining it myself as I can cut down on necessary fittings and guarantee that high quality cast acrylic is used, but it's still something I do sparingly for customer systems as performance and ease of maintenance are hugely important. Most of my loops are built with obvious and precise patterns to the tube runs so just doing parallel runs to a distro isn't really any better looking, it's just a different aesthetic.
I think one would get a bit bored of their distro block after a while, I'm making a custom reservoir where I can watch the water move around (maybe a small waterfall)
@@colinjava8447 Just be aware that will likely create some noise. I have a horizontal reservoir in one of my builds that I intentionally didn't fill all the way for that reason and there is a fine line between how much coolant you can leave out before it starts reminding you to go use the bathroom constantly.
@@TheJjjoj That's true, but the top of the reservoir comes off, so I can adjust things, I haven't decided exactly what I'm gonna do, I could just have a tube going below the surface, or maybe spread the flow out, like the Niagara falls but on a smaller scale.
This is the 3rd build video I've seen using this ek distro plate and ek parts. All 3 videos cite basically the same concerns and difficulties. That it is more difficult than other custom loops. That its a tight fit in this case. Airflow concerns, etc. I'd love to try a custom loop but it is very intimidating. Do you have any suggestions for ek and lian li about how they could team up and design a case and system that could be more user/builder friendly.
Thanks a ton for this video! I'm actually going to build a high-end system soon with very similar hardware! The custom water loop design is my main hurdle so all the advice and thoughts are helpful. Thanks again :) What do you recommend for designing a loop in a case?
Creativity and some imagination! Just make sure in advance if you want to cool just your cpu or the gpu too. Then think if you want a single loop or more. The rest is pretty much up to your imagination. Have fun!
I'm looking at swapping a setup to this. 3090 msi spread x with ek watercooling front and active back plate and 5950x I run this case with my own full custom loop but the amount of heat off the gpu is cooking the cpu in the loop over a few hours. I'm hoping by changing to the distro plate and adding a 3rd radiator that it will help balance the flow out. As the cpu current feads into the gpu and it doesn't seem to work well with temp.
Thanks for the video ( a lot), I'm about to do a build in this case, and now I am wondering if I want to skip the distro plate. For sure going to skip Vertical mount, and use a 60mm in the bottom, so need to find a place to mount the Rez. Been enjoying the builds, thanks again!
Mine is in the same configuration but using different fittings, radiators, fans and the GPU is the EK 3090 Special Editon so ports were mounted at the rear. Why are the top & bottom radiator loops different? You have extenders on the top and bends on the bottom. it Looks odd. I found my build exactly how you described it being not so easy with offsets etc. I enjoyed building it and the fact there are 100's of similar builds is OK as those aren't in my bedroom.
What is the cooling like in this? As I have a friend who said the distro plates aren't great at cooling due to the pump? I have a 3080ti and a 5950x. Looking at getting rid of my pump res for this distro and wonder about the viability
Is it possible to mount the Ek Gpu Mount one thumbscrew lower than you did? Trying to figure out if this mount will work for my build, I am using the G1 distro plate rather than the quantum reflection.
Hello there, thanks for the video. I wanted to use this distroplate for my lian li xl and change my lian li g1 to this. But then i saw that there are many custom distro platefor the lian li xl and also with dual loop capabilities. I am also using your tutorials on fusion so that i can design my own distro. The question i have. Can i make the distro fully out of acrylic and replace the front glas of this case with it? Also how would i mount the distro on the front ( do i need to use the same metal parts from the front glas in my custom distro or can i make these parts with acrylic without fearing it breaking? Thanks again for your videos
I despise cases that are windowed because you light it up like a Christmas tree and it looks really cool until you want to go to sleep with it on doing work. Too much where even the ram, the fans, the case, the motherboard, the water loop, etc... are all LED. Reminds me of Amsterdam and the red-light district, which is not bad, but ffs in a bedroom it is too much. The lights in the fans (not sure about the ram) you can't turn off.
Interesting, I always assumed lighting would be able to be easily turned off. That changes my opinion. On another note I lement the loss of turbo buttons on PCs. Imagine being able to tie all your fan speeds, processor cores, video card speed,, etc, etc, by hitting a button. Back when I had one I never used it because there was no real benefit to running a 80286 at 6 MHz instead of 12. But now you could save 100s of watts. But of course it's even more optimal to have a self tuning system with good idle profiles, but I still want a turbo button.
@@ExploreModding Hardware labs makes the radiators for Corsair. It's called Black ice Nemesis. I bought my bottom rad from them. It's identical to the corsair rad up top but without the logo.
@@repton_3 yeah I know, but putting ports on both sides is the only way to be able to have the logo upright in every single orientation, unless they make the logo rotatable or something hahah
VERY NICE BUILD. I PREFERR FUNCTION OVER LOOKS. THE ONLY THING I DON'T LIKE IS THE DISTRO PLATE RESERVOIR COMBO. DISTRO PLATES ARE PURE LOOKS . BUT WORK YOUR PUMP WAY TO HARD , A PROPER SYSTEM. KEEPS THE TUBING RUNS AS SHORT AS POSSIABLE . COPPER TUBING IS MUCH MORE FUNCTIONAL THAN PLASTIC. AND HELPS IN COOLING . NOW YOUR SET UP IS NICE FOR A PC. AND REALLY DOESN'T CHANGE TEMPS MUCH . BUT RUNNING AN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM WITH 50HP PUMPS AND MULTIPOL WORK MACHINES A DISTRO PLATE WOULD NEVER EVER BE USED IT JUST OVER WORKS THE PUMPS. I WILL POST MY GRANDSONS O11 / IT USES THE FLAT EK PUMP RES. D5 NEXT. i HAVE SEEN ALOT OF BEUTIFUL O11 BUILDS BUT WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE 1 I BUILT FOR THE GRANDSON. iTS AS SHARP AS ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN BUT IS 100% FUNCTION OVER FORM. wHEN YOU SEE IT YOY WILL UNDERSTAND . IT IS A 1 OFF CASE AS i WANTED TO PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT LOTS OF AIR FLOW IS PURE bs. i SEALED THE CASE OTHER THAN SIDE AND TOP RAD MOUNTS . fANS CREATE A PREASURE RISE INSIDE THE CASE POSITIVE PRESSURE = LESS DUST. HIS TEMPS AS FAR AS pc GOES IS = TO OR BETTER THAN ANY O11 OUT THERE. I AM BUILDING NOW FOR OTHER GRANDSON THATS IN A O11 XL THIS PC WILL HAVE 2 PUMPS IN THE SIDE MOUNT . RADS ARE TOP AND BOTTOM. AGAIN i USED ek FLAT PUMP RES. PUMP COMBO . 1 IS 240 THE OTHER IS A 120 AGAIN VERY SHORT TUBING RUNS AS I USED XFLOW RADS , AND BOTH SYSTEMS ARE AS GOOD AS IT GETS. tHE PRESENT BUILD IS FOR THE LAST GENERATION OF THE 1700 PIN LAYOUT. FOLLOWING RAPTOR LAKE. I DON'T HAVE ALOT OF MONEY SO IT TAKES ME A LONG TIME. FUNCTION WILL ALWAYS TRUMP FORM. EVEN IF ITS ONLY A COUPLE DEGREES C. A WELL BUILT fUNCTION OVER fORM SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS LOOK BETTER/IT MAYBE HARDER BUT LOOKS TAKE TIME.
I thought they were much easier to do... some 90° bends, measure, and done. It does require 2-3x the tubing and some additional offsets, but it only cost me about $80 US more in fittings and tubing than a "classic" build. The distro addred about $200 US to the price of the build, but that's a total of less than $300 difference, so I'm not sure why yours was ballooned to TWICE the cost. At any rate, while I love the o11 series cases for their flexibility, I don't like the use of distro plates and the wall of horizontal tubes that creates strictly from an aethetics point. They just look like "cookie cutter" builds. I do have an o11 build, but without a distro, using the "classic tubing" runs, giving it a bit of variety over most of the o11 builds.
yea it's why on my 011 D (non XL) i went for the less popular top rad with fittings at the front and side rad with fittings at the bottom, tying it together with as many 135 degree bends over 90 degree bends as i can get away with, still have 2, not much flex at the bottom of the gpu / the final bend to the side rad. my config is also shockingly efficient in tubing (which is good cause i tend to not get it right the first try >.> but all combined i think maybe if i'm generous 90cm absolute max) with the radiators in this config there is no back and forth it's more of just a circle (tube wise pump>down/in to radiator>left/out/up to gpu>up to cpu>up/right to radiator>right to reservoir which is attached to the pump). just makes it a little different from the populair super strait with tight 90's all over the place which granted a distro plate will kinda steer you towards (i've wanted one but i've not found one that replaces the front glass, has a D5 built in in a good place so i don't need to leave out fan's) but there was recently a sale on singularity reservoir combo's and i picked up a frosted one of those, swapped my tubes for frosted tubes and had the RGB tint it all cycling 3 colors....turned out quite nice. other then that i just love the chassis, is the case perfect, no some panels could use some optimizing and a cm here or there would work wonders but the internal layout (if you don't have many 3.5" HDD's in use is just amazing for cleanly and conveniently working away....well things, i got a usb hub, a 12 fan splitter, a 8 fan controller, and 2 more 4 fan/rgb splitters stuck behind my mobo that i can access by just taking the panel off no digging no clutter not cramped at all....it's really nice did have to make some custom power cables to get it this nice but details :P
Thank you very much for your experienced and honest perspective, Alessandro! I like how you explain the difficulties and cost comparisons rather than giving the impression like everything is easy. It's true, at first look, this parallel build looks like it might be easier than a traditional custom loop build, but you explained clearly how it represented it's own unique challenges and also how to use the offset fittings. This is one of my favorite youtube channels!
Have this case, done a custom loop but without the distroplate - in order to be able to fit there 3x 360mm rads without issues. Pump+res combo mounted on the side rad. Config like this can easily cool high end components and still be almost completely silent under load and even without the distro plate is looking awesome. I choose this case because I had the smaller one before (O-11D without XL) and it did not felt big enough - I like to have space to make the build easier to assemble and maintain. Besides that the smaller one does not have so easily reachable the bottom air filter, which is a must for me (cat owner).
i had 3 360mm rad in the first/old version with soft tubing :-)
I'm getting the XL ROG version. In place of a third radiator in the side I'm considering the EK-Quantum Volume FLT 360 D-RGB (distro reservoir) .. mostly for aesthetics to cover those side blank eyesore cutouts. Instead of acrylic I'm thinking about Barrow copper chromed tubing.
I wish that other side distro had a D5 pump!
Otherwise the typical:
EK-Quantum Reflection PC-O11D XL D5 PWM D-RGB
EK-CoolStream XE 360 60mm
EK-CoolStream PE 360 40mm
My thoughts are 2 radiators should be plenty enough at least for an Alder Lake i9 and FTW3 RTX 3090 build.
I built my loop in the original O11D. I originally used a regular tube reservoir. However, I switched to a custom front distro. I wasn’t happy with my water temperatures with the rads that I had. I was recycling air by using the side rad as an intake and the top rad as exhaust. The fan configuration doesn’t allow positive pressure in the case otherwise. Some people don’t care about that, but I do. I finally broke down and removed the side rad, and drilled some passthroughs in the back of the case in order to add a thick 560 mm external rad in in push/pull. The temperatures are much better with the higher rad surface area and fresh air to both the top case rad and the external rad. I’m actually planning an open air custom loop for my next full build.
This video was perfect, i wanted to use this distro with the case, but alter some of the runs to not be so parallel. I'm so glad you made this, I held off a few months ago because of not enough information, but you expressed everything the others missed.
I used the D5 Convection cover for my build and the sharpness of the interior cable passthrough ended up cutting into wires that resulted in a short and I blew my dark hero. Everything was RMAd. Got a new pump, returned the convection (which sucks b/c i absolutely love it), and got a new mobo. This is a great build.
You covered everything well, only thing I wanna correct you on is that you can fit a massive rad on the bottom. I have this setup and I've pushed it to the max. I got 45mm rad up top and 60mm on bottom with a chipset block as well. You just have to ditch the rad bracket and Dremel cut a tiny bit of the vert GPU holder.
You can even do a 27mm rad with fans in the side compartment there... Case is amazing
Thanks for your feedback! As I think I mentioned in the video, it really depends on the type of vertical mounting bracket and size of graphics card you're using, plus I was solely talking about a scenario with no dremeling involved, just the bare compatibility offered by the case. In my specific case, with a 3090 Extreme and and EKWB vertical bracket, I don't think even a 45mm radiator would've fit because there wouldn't have been room for the tubing and the radiator couldn't be mounted with the ports on the front, but I actually didn't consider ditching the rad bracket so good call on that!
@@ExploreModding you're right. I did 45 mm and 14 mm MF. Unfortunately, I have a problem with the fans. They barely fit. Now I am buying a 30mm heatsink and a 28mm MF. I have to change it.
I did my build in a regular 011 D when they where fresh on the market. I just love the 2 compartments with the PSU in the back and the glass panels in the front and how it looks. I also enjoy modding videos but i don't have access or experience with a CNC router so this was a great opportunity to do a build with a distro plate. This case was pretty unique in it's look and build quality so i went for it and i guess a ton of other people felt the same way. I'd prefer to have something less common but Lian Li in it's crazy capitalist scheme sold more than a couple of these, so it is what it is ;) I like to think i made it a little more special by having a 50 mm thick radiator on top and bottom though.
This is actually a case I have as a spare as I'm going full custom loop only difference is I have a pump resivour combi instead of a distro plate just not sure if it will look right as the distro plate does give the front of the case a nice look... the reason I'm going for a custom loop is for the temps as using a 5950X and RTX 3090 and use it for CAD and rendering..... great channel just subscribed!
I agree with you. I just finished my first watercooled hardline build in this case. I have learned a lot and it´s very enjoyable to build.
I'm currently in a build very similar to yours. I have the XL rog certified Lian Li Case in white. But I actually opted for the EK-Quantum Reflection² PC-O11D Distro plate. It has the Matrix7 tech. Also adding an additional 3rd radiator behind the 3 side fans. I went with the Mat black fittings although the silver fittings look very good in your case. Also debating which color coolant, between blue or clear like yours. Very nice build
Hello, i got the O11D non XL. I built a loop with 3x360mm Radiator and Distro Plate but only because I make my own Plate. Maintenance ist like sh*** but it looks so Cool 😎 and all only because Alex Thank you!!!
Have this case - 3x360mm rads, I use lian li sl fans, ZMT tubing, ek fittings and some quick disconnects, and a pump/res combo. Easy as pie to build compared to my other acrylic builds. Maintenance is so much easier as well.
What radiator thicknesses did you go with? And what direction for your fans?
I chose to bridge one of the ports and run the bottom rad after the GPU and then into the CPU. You don't have to use every port and just like any loop out there, you can put the order however you like. I chose to get the distro plate because I wanted all that stuff using the least amount of space possible. You also can fit an SE and 3 15mm 120 fans on the side for a 3rd radiator.
Very informative, thanks. For a beginner like myself, why pay twice as much for a system that is more difficult to build. So I think I will go for a more custom loop.
Thank you for using a white case. When viewing the video on a phone it is so much easier to see the detail inside compared to a black case.
2 cuts per second must be a new youtube world record
I built my first watercooled system in the regular O-11D using the side mounted distro plate after seeing several builds with that setup and liking how clean they looked. I'd also assumed that the distro plate would make everything easier for the first time going custom loop. I'm fairly happy with it but I do need to change cases as I didn't realize just how tall the Gigabyte 3080 was with the waterblock on it and the side window can't be put on the case as a result (can't mount it vertical the bottom radiator and fans would interfere.
I've thought about just moving up to the XL but now that I've lived with this setup for a bit I find myself wanting to go with something a little more unique (and easier to drain hopefully, the current loop is quite difficult to drain (I put the drain valve in the lower back port on the distro plate). I know they're working on the EVO version and that may address some of my pain points (have also heard rumors of Antec working on a full ATX version of the Striker) but I'm leaning towards the Enthoo 719 currently.
Ordering this case today for an Alder Lake i9 / FTW3 RTX 3090 build, but I haven't done water cooling in quite a while. This isn't brain surgery. The most annoying part is probably RGB / controllers; EK uses D-RGB 3-pin while MOBO headers are 12V 4-pin. The reason is pretty universal the case looks pretty damn good. The case design allows for freedom and cleanliness in the front while your power supply and wiring is separated in the back along with hot swappable bays. It's a fishbowl.
BTW .. you absolutely don't need to use a distro, it just looks better and with that cost more, and probably your need for offsets is because you're putting your GPU vertical.
I remember clearly the mistake i made buying the regular PC-O11D instead of PC-O11D XL, funny enough listening to seller's advice :(
Definitely buy the XL version for better radiator support especially at the bottom
i have a normal 011D too and while thick radiators where not officially supported it wasn't hard to install a 360 50mm plus fans on top and bottom each. The GPU is still vertical but the tubing is at a diagonal angle, a bit like a motorcycle exhaust. I like that the case looks more full this way.
Very good video! I AGREE with you COMPLETELY! It does look great and it will get many more people trying to get themselves into trying water cooling custom loops. In 3 - 4 yrs everyone will be looking to upgrade and they will all want something different so in about 4 years the payoff from everyone wanting to build the same PC will be great for the custom loop community I think. Maybe there will be some more innovation in the PC case area because the custom loop componets have matured completely I think. Maybe there will be a new thing or two pop up in the next few years but the Cases is where the variety will have to come from in my opinion. Keep up the great videos brother!
My first build was a 011 XL with front distro, went this route because I liked the look, and actually though it would be easier, i only have 2 bends in my system for the gpu. have now built 5 more custom loops since then, including the "old school" onesin a corsair 4000 and 5000 case. I must admit that the last to builds in the corsair cases without a distro was easier.
Great video. I loved hearing your perspective on this case as I was planning on buying it for my next build. That's been delayed due to component prices, but I'm still committed to doing a custom loop without a distro plate
Nice video. I think It´s popular because everyone loves the clean and ordered look like this. The next step in my pc building will be a similar (or equal) waterloop ... Greetings!!
Nice build. Im going with the lian li o11 d xl all white case with asus rog strix 3090 with quantum 2 vector 2 gpu full cover front & active back plate plexi cover with velocity 2 cpu water block for my 5950x with two new gen 2 x360 surface radiators from ek but im gonna have my radiators facing the reflection 2 distro plate so i dont have to worry about the tubes having to rub my vertical mounted gpu water block & im gonna be used extenders & 90 degree torque fittings from EK to reach & install into reflection 2 distro plate so i dont have to worry about bends & ill only need 4 tubes of petg since im gonna use 90 degree torque fittings & extenders for the top radiator as well & use 64 gb of ram & 4 tb of ssd & 6 tb of hdd. Im having microcenter do build for me in late August. It will be my first gaming pc. Cant wait 😊
i orginally got the non xl version, but my 5700xt liquid devil did not fit. I love the xl after getting it though. Easy to work in. Beautiful case. I have a Dynamic Uno from distro plate in mine. I went soft tubing since i have a small fortune in connectors. I have 3x360 rads and a 120 rad in the rear. Max temps i have seen in my loop is 40c and that is with hours of gaming with liquid devil and 5950x in the same loop with EK monoblock. I actually like the soft tubing look still..
would you please be able to make a parts list for this build. would be greatly appreciated
Would love to see you make mods to the O11D XL to improve it, so anyone with the same case can try to "Mod-along".
thats the problem with going with the distro; you're loop is kinda 'set.' only real thing you could do to mod it is colour changing, like replacing the o-rings in the distro with white ones, making panels to hide cable management and vent holes. making saw all the white matches.
off the shelf distros stifle creativity
@@F41LZZz Don't use the mass produced distro then. I would love to see what can be done with an O11D, if one isn't limited. Make your own distro if needed. I'm sure Alessandro can come up with new ideas.
For example, I would design a distro to go where the top rad normally sits. The tubing runs would be much shorter and neater.
You're just awesome man !!!👌 Love your work.....💻♥️ from India
Been there done that. Also mention distro plates crack over time. I had 3 crack before going back to real glass XSPC tube reservoirs exclusively. As for the Dynamic XL I do not think there is a better case on the market.
i have the same case and did the side distro.. and yeah its a pain at the end of the day, I wish I would have gone with the traditional pump res setup.
I have this kit with a 3080 FTW3, I think I'll return it from everything I've seen about it. Seems I'm more in need of a 3090, running outta VRAM on a 3080 FE already.
after migrating my setup from o11d to 5000D airflow... i have some regrets
5000D has limited rad thickness, so far i can only fit 1 30mm 280 on top & 40mm 360 in the front (sides can only fit intake fans now)
i can say is its cable management for 5000d is good
I fit 3 rads w a distro plate, but had to mount the 54mm rad on top of the case lol
nice workmanship, I wish you would list the products you used. I am getting ready to start my first water cooling PC but I cant find the fittings you used.
It’s popular because it’s easy to get, and so are all the custom watercooling parts made for it. Other cases that have parts like those made for them are either ugly, over priced, have bad performance, or the parts are hard to find. If someone is going to put all that stuff into a hardline custom loop they want to be able to see all of its insides, while maintaining good performance. I’ll tell you this much, if they made more custom parts for sff builds that would be very popular. Especially if they didn’t cost more than the larger stuff.
nice build, please share the vertical GPU mount model number/name.
What are all the parts that were used in this build? I am mainly looking for the water cooling components used in this video.
I really want that pc.
Is this desktop very loud? I have heard that custom loop desktops are more quiet and I am really curious before building myself. I currently own a desktop with 6 fans that is completely air cooled and I hate how loud it is.
Great video, thaks for sharing such a beauty, just one question what is the name of the fitting that rotate attached to waterblock in order to make the tubbing fit perfectly? thank you
Yeah, your experiences mirror my own with this kind of build. I just don't like the flow penalty of a parallel distroplate either. Combine that with the high cost of distroplates and I try to avoid them both for myself and for clients. My philosophy is the tube runs need to be planned around the cooling, not the cooling be planned around the tube runs as is the case here. It's a bit different if I am designing and machining it myself as I can cut down on necessary fittings and guarantee that high quality cast acrylic is used, but it's still something I do sparingly for customer systems as performance and ease of maintenance are hugely important. Most of my loops are built with obvious and precise patterns to the tube runs so just doing parallel runs to a distro isn't really any better looking, it's just a different aesthetic.
I think one would get a bit bored of their distro block after a while, I'm making a custom reservoir where I can watch the water move around (maybe a small waterfall)
@@colinjava8447 Just be aware that will likely create some noise. I have a horizontal reservoir in one of my builds that I intentionally didn't fill all the way for that reason and there is a fine line between how much coolant you can leave out before it starts reminding you to go use the bathroom constantly.
@@TheJjjoj That's true, but the top of the reservoir comes off, so I can adjust things, I haven't decided exactly what I'm gonna do, I could just have a tube going below the surface, or maybe spread the flow out, like the Niagara falls but on a smaller scale.
@@colinjava8447 Put my vote in for the Niagara effect. That's one I've considered myself many times but just haven't ever done it.
@@colinjava8447 I will be impressed if you can turn off the waterfall like they can at Niagara.
This is the 3rd build video I've seen using this ek distro plate and ek parts. All 3 videos cite basically the same concerns and difficulties.
That it is more difficult than other custom loops. That its a tight fit in this case. Airflow concerns, etc.
I'd love to try a custom loop but it is very intimidating.
Do you have any suggestions for ek and lian li about how they could team up and design a case and system that could be more user/builder friendly.
Thanks a ton for this video! I'm actually going to build a high-end system soon with very similar hardware! The custom water loop design is my main hurdle so all the advice and thoughts are helpful. Thanks again :)
What do you recommend for designing a loop in a case?
Creativity and some imagination! Just make sure in advance if you want to cool just your cpu or the gpu too. Then think if you want a single loop or more. The rest is pretty much up to your imagination. Have fun!
Hello
I'm looking at swapping a setup to this.
3090 msi spread x with ek watercooling front and active back plate and 5950x
I run this case with my own full custom loop but the amount of heat off the gpu is cooking the cpu in the loop over a few hours.
I'm hoping by changing to the distro plate and adding a 3rd radiator that it will help balance the flow out. As the cpu current feads into the gpu and it doesn't seem to work well with temp.
Thanks for the video ( a lot), I'm about to do a build in this case, and now I am wondering if I want to skip the distro plate. For sure going to skip Vertical mount, and use a 60mm in the bottom, so need to find a place to mount the Rez. Been enjoying the builds, thanks again!
can we get a parts list I'm building one just like it
Mine is in the same configuration but using different fittings, radiators, fans and the GPU is the EK 3090 Special Editon so ports were mounted at the rear.
Why are the top & bottom radiator loops different? You have extenders on the top and bends on the bottom. it Looks odd.
I found my build exactly how you described it being not so easy with offsets etc.
I enjoyed building it and the fact there are 100's of similar builds is OK as those aren't in my bedroom.
I just would try to use GPU in horizontal mount, so I can have access to NVMe SSDs without touch the loop.
nice Video thanks man
Is there a KIT that is sold that has everything I need like this build in this video?
What is the cooling like in this? As I have a friend who said the distro plates aren't great at cooling due to the pump? I have a 3080ti and a 5950x. Looking at getting rid of my pump res for this distro and wonder about the viability
Is it possible to mount the Ek Gpu Mount one thumbscrew lower than you did? Trying to figure out if this mount will work for my build, I am using the G1 distro plate rather than the quantum reflection.
No more uploads? Hopefully all is well.
Hello there, thanks for the video. I wanted to use this distroplate for my lian li xl and change my lian li g1 to this. But then i saw that there are many custom distro platefor the lian li xl and also with dual loop capabilities. I am also using your tutorials on fusion so that i can design my own distro. The question i have. Can i make the distro fully out of acrylic and replace the front glas of this case with it? Also how would i mount the distro on the front ( do i need to use the same metal parts from the front glas in my custom distro or can i make these parts with acrylic without fearing it breaking? Thanks again for your videos
Did you use a 28mm extension fitting out of the rads or is that a different size?
hey man , may i know what is the model of that fitting? thanks man
what reservoir is that? ek list a few
good job
I did this config and honestly, i made a mistake. Should have gone with parallel flow instead with flat reservoir.
What offset fittings did you use?
Wich verticel gpu mount did you use
I despise cases that are windowed because you light it up like a Christmas tree and it looks really cool until you want to go to sleep with it on doing work. Too much where even the ram, the fans, the case, the motherboard, the water loop, etc... are all LED. Reminds me of Amsterdam and the red-light district, which is not bad, but ffs in a bedroom it is too much. The lights in the fans (not sure about the ram) you can't turn off.
Interesting, I always assumed lighting would be able to be easily turned off. That changes my opinion. On another note I lement the loss of turbo buttons on PCs. Imagine being able to tie all your fan speeds, processor cores, video card speed,, etc, etc, by hitting a button. Back when I had one I never used it because there was no real benefit to running a 80286 at 6 MHz instead of 12. But now you could save 100s of watts. But of course it's even more optimal to have a self tuning system with good idle profiles, but I still want a turbo button.
I believe your CPU flow is backwards. I don't think it matters that much at all, but just saying.
what vertical gpu mount did you use?
What vertical mount is this?
0:07 dang asus motherboards that ship with loose WIFI connectors
What to sell that build?
That upside down Corsair logo on the bottom rad just triggers me.
HAHA troo XD
Right? But there's no way to put it the right way when it's mounted at the bottom. They should put ports on both sides!
@@ExploreModding Hardware labs makes the radiators for Corsair. It's called Black ice Nemesis. I bought my bottom rad from them. It's identical to the corsair rad up top but without the logo.
@@repton_3 yeah I know, but putting ports on both sides is the only way to be able to have the logo upright in every single orientation, unless they make the logo rotatable or something hahah
@@ExploreModding Just put a sticker in the box! I got a "Powered by Corsair" sticker with my PSU :-)
VERY NICE BUILD. I PREFERR FUNCTION OVER LOOKS. THE ONLY THING I DON'T LIKE IS THE DISTRO PLATE RESERVOIR COMBO. DISTRO PLATES ARE PURE LOOKS . BUT WORK YOUR PUMP WAY TO HARD , A PROPER SYSTEM. KEEPS THE TUBING RUNS AS SHORT AS POSSIABLE . COPPER TUBING IS MUCH MORE FUNCTIONAL THAN PLASTIC. AND HELPS IN COOLING . NOW YOUR SET UP IS NICE FOR A PC. AND REALLY DOESN'T CHANGE TEMPS MUCH . BUT RUNNING AN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM WITH 50HP PUMPS AND MULTIPOL WORK MACHINES A DISTRO PLATE WOULD NEVER EVER BE USED IT JUST OVER WORKS THE PUMPS. I WILL POST MY GRANDSONS O11 / IT USES THE FLAT EK PUMP RES. D5 NEXT. i HAVE SEEN ALOT OF BEUTIFUL O11 BUILDS BUT WAIT TILL YOU SEE THE 1 I BUILT FOR THE GRANDSON. iTS AS SHARP AS ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN BUT IS 100% FUNCTION OVER FORM. wHEN YOU SEE IT YOY WILL UNDERSTAND . IT IS A 1 OFF CASE AS i WANTED TO PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT LOTS OF AIR FLOW IS PURE bs. i SEALED THE CASE OTHER THAN SIDE AND TOP RAD MOUNTS . fANS CREATE A PREASURE RISE INSIDE THE CASE POSITIVE PRESSURE = LESS DUST. HIS TEMPS AS FAR AS pc GOES IS = TO OR BETTER THAN ANY O11 OUT THERE. I AM BUILDING NOW FOR OTHER GRANDSON THATS IN A O11 XL THIS PC WILL HAVE 2 PUMPS IN THE SIDE MOUNT . RADS ARE TOP AND BOTTOM. AGAIN i USED ek FLAT PUMP RES. PUMP COMBO . 1 IS 240 THE OTHER IS A 120 AGAIN VERY SHORT TUBING RUNS AS I USED XFLOW RADS , AND BOTH SYSTEMS ARE AS GOOD AS IT GETS. tHE PRESENT BUILD IS FOR THE LAST GENERATION OF THE 1700 PIN LAYOUT. FOLLOWING RAPTOR LAKE. I DON'T HAVE ALOT OF MONEY SO IT TAKES ME A LONG TIME. FUNCTION WILL ALWAYS TRUMP FORM. EVEN IF ITS ONLY A COUPLE DEGREES C. A WELL BUILT fUNCTION OVER fORM SYSTEM WILL ALWAYS LOOK BETTER/IT MAYBE HARDER BUT LOOKS TAKE TIME.
hard tube just doesnt strike me as practical, ill be sticking with soft tube
Would never go that route because you got to tear it apart to change a fan.
Nice bro and love from India jharkhand. But where you live 🤔🤔🤔😔 and India is more important than you
I thought they were much easier to do... some 90° bends, measure, and done. It does require 2-3x the tubing and some additional offsets, but it only cost me about $80 US more in fittings and tubing than a "classic" build. The distro addred about $200 US to the price of the build, but that's a total of less than $300 difference, so I'm not sure why yours was ballooned to TWICE the cost.
At any rate, while I love the o11 series cases for their flexibility, I don't like the use of distro plates and the wall of horizontal tubes that creates strictly from an aethetics point. They just look like "cookie cutter" builds. I do have an o11 build, but without a distro, using the "classic tubing" runs, giving it a bit of variety over most of the o11 builds.
good
intresting
Craftsman!!
Woow
I don't like it because it's too popular and custom loop looks exactly the same on all builds.
yea it's why on my 011 D (non XL) i went for the less popular top rad with fittings at the front and side rad with fittings at the bottom, tying it together with as many 135 degree bends over 90 degree bends as i can get away with, still have 2, not much flex at the bottom of the gpu / the final bend to the side rad. my config is also shockingly efficient in tubing (which is good cause i tend to not get it right the first try >.> but all combined i think maybe if i'm generous 90cm absolute max) with the radiators in this config there is no back and forth it's more of just a circle (tube wise pump>down/in to radiator>left/out/up to gpu>up to cpu>up/right to radiator>right to reservoir which is attached to the pump).
just makes it a little different from the populair super strait with tight 90's all over the place which granted a distro plate will kinda steer you towards (i've wanted one but i've not found one that replaces the front glass, has a D5 built in in a good place so i don't need to leave out fan's) but there was recently a sale on singularity reservoir combo's and i picked up a frosted one of those, swapped my tubes for frosted tubes and had the RGB tint it all cycling 3 colors....turned out quite nice.
other then that i just love the chassis, is the case perfect, no some panels could use some optimizing and a cm here or there would work wonders but the internal layout (if you don't have many 3.5" HDD's in use is just amazing for cleanly and conveniently working away....well things, i got a usb hub, a 12 fan splitter, a 8 fan controller, and 2 more 4 fan/rgb splitters stuck behind my mobo that i can access by just taking the panel off no digging no clutter not cramped at all....it's really nice did have to make some custom power cables to get it this nice but details :P
@@anub1s15 Yes, it's a perfect case to be honest. And I want one :)
1800 € pour des records ? Alors qu'il y a rien de compliqué en soi c'est du vol
Trash cases! EVERYONE has one now cool! Again trash cases!
what vertical mount was that?