we are really lucky to have you here, not just for your analytic reviews, but because mainly because you a lot of companies are evolving in the right path.
In general, I agree with Steve "Tech Jesus" Burke in terms of case metrics: 1) Thermal Performance (First) 2) Construction Quality 3) Functionality 4) Aesthetics (DEAD LAST). I ONLY use the BEST Noctua Fans in my PC builds. I run them in 24/7/365 configuration/setup. I can attest to their 15 year MTBF through personal use, it's legit. And the cooling performance is amazing for it's CFM/dBA ratio + Long Hub Motor life. I literally throw away every stock case fan (into the junk bin) I encounter just to use Noctua. You can call me one of Noctua's "Fan Boys". I won't consider any other maker until I can see who the OEM/ODM is and due a small scale test with their fans to prove that their fans are just as good. Currently I'm testing one of the Corsair ML fans to see if their longevity is legit. So far it's good, but it's only been 2-3 years. It's going to be a while before I run it to it's expected MTBF. All cases need to be designed for "Thermal Performance" FIRST, everything else afterwards.
Can you please review the Cooler master MB311L. It's a budget case with a mATX case with complete fine mesh front panel 2 front fans included. GeerSeekers showed promising thermals in their recent video. I think it would be good to review some good mATX cases for those of us who want something slightly smaller than the p300/p400a.
If Manufacturers read this: Iam one of many people who buy cases based on Gamers Nexus tests.There is no better channel for that. So better listen to this man
Yeah i was watching that too, i was looking for some smal case like P400A ,Pure Base DX500, O11 Air and mini. But i dont like RGB and every case had disadvantages. The Lancool seems perfect. Also i like Beve Sturkes honesty
I remember last year I was at a loss of what case to get, then I saw the review for the P400A on this channel, got that for 70 Euros back when they were still in stock and proper price and couldn't be happier. Even with these latest, very competitive releases - I still feel super lucky to have been following this channel back then and still do even now.
@@Der_Oesterreicher I bought the p400a non-digital (which doesn't have RGB) and I love it. Edit: p400a has much better noise cancellation than lancool.
Around 2000 Lian Li was a highly regarded company in the enthusiast community and then slowly slumped into just making corporate boxes. This CEO has turned that around in just a few years, I'm impressed.
Lian Li might be offering the best case lineup at this moment with Phanteks not far behind. Look at their lineup. Impressive. This CEO is really doing a great job. Especially when taking feedback from the user community and content creators.
@U are My submissive toy I have the black Lancool 2. I populated it with extra fans and the cooling is excellent. I slapped 3 Be Quiet fans in the front and it is bringing in serious air.
@U are My submissive toy My temps are low at idle and been so for a few months. I applied my thermal paste in a "X" design. Look up Puget Systems as they did serious research on this. For intake, I have 3 Be Quiet intake fans in the front. For exhaust, I have two InWin fans on the top and one InWin fan in the back. All PWM fans. CPU cooling is an air cooler. System is quiet. Temps are low. You will be happy.
Thank you to GN for almost single handedly bringing an airflow focus back to case design. I just bought the Cooler Master H500 a couple weeks ago, and love it, and I honestly feel that case would not exist without the extensive testing you did on that product line.
I have the CM H500, too! I did replace the rear exhaust fan with their 120mm Halo, and threw 2 more in the top as exhaust. It was great to build in, and I love the look.
"After our review, the CEO phoned up to talk ideas to improve." You see, Thermaltake? This is how you should behave. You could do so much with your near misses and almost victories.
That is smart. It is free valuable feedback from someone who is a very experienced builder. The others who sulk/refuse to talk due to bad reviews are immature and can't even see past basic logic.
Got the case today. For those wondering, it would be very difficult for the side panel to open just by moving the case around. The magnets are super strong and you have to use significant force to open them.
@@oscara.7950 10700k, 3070, z40 A pro, 240mm AIO, 32gb 3600mhz. If i could do one step up with the gpu to a 3080 it would be more worth the price for performance/ Maybe the Cpu to an overclocked i9.
As I sit here planning my next build, I'm just stunned that I've narrowed it down to two cases, and both of them are by Lian Li. If you told me 5 years ago I'd be buying a Lian Li case, my response would have been "So I won the lottery and don't care about price OR performance anymore?" But here we are, with Lian Li making attractive, functional cases that aren't absurdly priced, and I can't help but feel like it's all thanks to der8auer and GN.
I’m planning to get my build in a few months was going to go with the o11 dynamic but seeing it’s lack of stock in cyberpower I was conflicted on what case to choose. Until this got announced. Now I’m trying too se if anything better comes before mid November, if not then lancool 2 mech it is.
I'm in the same boat. Half a decade ago, Lian Li was just churning minor variations of the exact same ancient case design every year and their only drawcard was "IT'S MADE OF ALUMINIUM". Strangely enough, the market didn't care and I was honestly expecting the company's demise as a result - instead they've bounced back, shown they can innovate once more while pricing competitively and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrated that they're willing to listen to criticism. I hope this trend from them (and other companies) continues and I salute the CEO for their willingness to engage with a community that can be very difficult at times. - a very happy PC-O11 owner
I have a Lancool II Mesh C and really like it. The C variant comes with the USB C port installed. I did use some corrugated plastic (like a garage sale sign, blacked out with self adhesive vinyl), electrical tape, and 1" insulating foam to seal up places where the air could recirculate inside and that has actually achieved positive pressure inside the case while fans are at idle (can feel air leaving the top vent). Moved the front fans to the top so I only had to fix the recirculation at the bottom. Didn't see the hole in the bottom but will seal that this weekend with some of that 1" foam. Definitely letting the mobo control the fans, not using the bridge they included. Have an EVGA RTX 3060 and it's fans rarely even turn on. That said, I don't really push the graphics all that much. I will also be adding the ThermalRight LGA1700 Contact frame this weekend so will be in there anyway. It is recommended by GN.
It's a nice case. Glad to see that someone high up in the company still takes an interest in their products, and strives for improvement... it doesn't seem that common.
After seeing this review I decided to get myself the Lian Li case and it dropped my GPU temps by 10 °C. My original case was a Phanteks P300 that had less airflow than the original Lancool II where I often saw my GPU hit Temps of 75 °C even with the fans running at 3000 RPM. This review was the sole reason I bought the case from Lian Li, I'm seriously thankful for you guys doing such in depth reviews and to Lian Li for listening to your criticisms of the original Lancool II.
Can I ask did you cover the bottom air hole and if you got the rgb or performance version? Performance version is significantly more here and I'm wondering if the rgb still holds up.
Lancool 2 mesh: the thinking man's mid tower. Great job on the review guys, and kudos to lian li for addressing criticisms so quickly. I'm pretty certain my next build will be in a lian li case, probably the 011D mini (depending on reviews and data), but the L2 mesh is also a strong contender.
I'd recommend taking an extra fan filter you might have lying around, or buying some mesh and cutting it to fit in the bottom of you get this case. Should help retain some of that improvement vs taped entirely, and still address the concern with dust.
It's so nice to have good cases again. Thanks for taking these case makers to tasks so we aren't stuck with stupid glass everywhere and a suffocated PC.
finally we round up all the "who needs airflow/cooler, i buy AIO" fools and pushed them off a cliff........i mean into the Next-gen console demo where they belong.
I bought this case when I built my most recent pc a couple years ago and I've totally loved it. It was easy to build in despite the fact that I had a kind of funky custom loop. It has kept things clean and cool, so no complaints from me about the thermals. Personally I don't care that much about aesthetics of a case and I generally avoid RGB wherever possible, so this case is right up my alley, just an all around clean design
This reveiw, specifically, got me to buy this case. Filled it with fans, and it has kept my computer extermely managed. I love it. Thanks Steve and team.
Thank you Gamers Nexus! There are so many cases to choose from. And who knows if any of them are any good. I pick components based on performance and function first before looks. I ended up going with the Lancool II Mesh Performance because of this review. Case moves air fantastically! And thanks Lian Li for listening to Steve and his team to make a good product great!
"We are fine with recommending it" - Now THAT is a huge badge right there. It is not just acceptable, but it would be ok to even recommend it? Holly balls, this is a winner!
GN is one of the only reviewers who doesn't judge a case by its look. Thank you gamers nexus for being the basis for my pc builds. You guys are amazing.
You guys should feel proud every time you see a new case come out and top the charts. I'm convinced without your constant focus on performance and being very vocal about it, these changes likely wouldn't be happening right now.
I have to thank you for this video. I bought the Lancool 2 Mesh RGB for my build and it's been a great case, but the hole in the bottom of the front panel has bugged me ever since I found out about it. After you confirmed that that hole makes it a lot easier for dust to get in, I took the front panel off and made a little cardboard shroud to seal off the opening while still keeping the handle accessible. Looking forward to less dust and more gaming!
There is also an RGB Edition of this mesh version of the case. Has the full front mesh, mesh side panel, and honeycomb ventilation changes. However, you get 3x 120mm RGB fans up front instead of 2x 140mm and 1x 120mm and the mode button is still on the front panel. The case in this review is apparently being called the Performance Edition, I assume due to the PWM fan hub and slider on the front panel. Both versions of the case seem to be the same price, at least on Newegg.
@@temporoyale6251 I thought maybe I missed this so I went back and watched the video again and I never heard him mention anything about an RGB Edition of the new Mesh style case. The only time he mentioned RGB was when talking about the original Non-Mesh version of the Lancool II. Can you give me a timestamp of when he specifically mentioned an RGB version of the new Mesh style case?
@@mgar2112 Just load up the rest of the case with top fans and rear exhaust fans and it won't matter how much it changes thermals. These videos are great for finding out thermals if using stock fans in case you cant afford more fans. For me personally, I always make sure I can buy extra fans for my builds so I can utilize all fan slots available in the case.
Yeah, I was kind of confused that the other two variants (or one other variant in two colours) were not mentioned at all, especially since the fan configuration is different.
My dad just did a new build and bought the OG Lancool 2. Can confirm from that the magnets have the foam pads and the sleds are properly hammered at the hinge! Except for the mesh they seemed to have made changes that they could make to make the OG Lancool 2 better based on GN's review.
Bought this last year, used, for $38. It was a local online bid and the pictures looked good. A ten minute drive for the pickup revealed a case in MINT condition, box and all. For the price, hard to beat this case!
just here to say that i have this case for a year now and its a beast. even in low rpm idle it has so much airflow that dust doesnt even has a chance to settle. seriously, im shocked that theres pretty much no dust in the case whatsoever, except in the dark rock pro 4 cooler and in the upper mesh filter where i added another 120mm fan to further improve airflow.
I went with the Phanteks P500A instead. I like that it can do 3 140mm fans in the front. I would of been okay with settling for 120mm, but the 120mm A-RGB fans are in short stock. I can't understand why Lian Li wouldn't of made space for a 3rd 140mm fan upfront. Not having a 3rd fan on the bottom virtually makes those vented side panels useless.
No way this was just uploaded today. I'm looking at a Lancool II (non-mesh) right now and I'm taking it home lol. Thanks for the video, looking forward to assembly. Seems super good.
@@MikehMike01 Having had it for some over 5 weeks now, hard disagree! The aiflow is quite good, cable management is superb, has a good material quality to it too and the included fans are surprisingly quality. No takeaways whatsoever.
@@MikehMike01 The non-mesh model is literally the exact same as this one lol. You can just buy the mesh kit separately (front and side panels) and a couple extra fans, and be fine for the rest of your life. You would be missing out on the fan control slider at the front but that's kind of fucking useless anyways.
i love these case reviews, they're fun to watch and seeing how pc case companies are focusing more on thermal/airflow performance is definitely good. I also wanted to say I built my first pc after years of wanting to build one. Largely based off of the information you report on this channel. More than happy to support, and picked up a gpu disappointment shirt and both posters. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks for the review. I bought and built in this case my first PC. One and only negative I had while building was the fitment of the USB Type A 3.0 (19-pin) cable into the motherboard. I used a x570 Aorus Elite which has the male connector all the way at the bottom of the MoBo. The USB 3 cable head from the front IO to the motherboard was too long for the cutout in the bottom of the case! The wire is uncomfortably pinched if you try to feed it downwards straight through the cutout. I'd recommend getting a 90 degree 19-pin adapter or feed the cable up and then down through the cutout. Not as aesthetically pleaseing, but it works. Otherwise a great, spacious and heavy case.
Clarification/follow up review after a few months of the Lancool Mesh II ownership: There is many versions of the Lancool series on the Lian Li official website. They still offer the Lancool II original as well as the Lancool II MESH. They also have different versions of the Lancool II Mesh, the Performance and RGB versions. The one shown in this video is the Lancool II mesh PERFORMANCE. I owned the Performance for a couple months before trading it for the RGB version. The key differences are the fans and controllers on both cases. The performance and RGB versions have basically the same I-O, however the performance has a fan speed controller while the RGB version has two buttons for RGB settings. Unfortunately you cannot control fan speed from the I-O panel like the performance model. I personally liked the fan controller over the RGB buttons. They both have 3 fans, however the performance model has two 140 mm fans on the front panel and one 120 mm fan on the rear. The RBG version has three 120mm fans but they are all on the front panel. Stock Performance vs stock RGB model cooling differences were minimal but noticeable. With the performance version, I found the CPU to be cooler by 3-5 degrees Celsius and the GPU to be cooler by around 1-2 degrees Celsius. I believe this is because the performance has (1) larger front fans and (2) a rear fan. Lian LI sells the RGB fans on their website, they are the basic ST120 fans, however I did not find the non-RGB fans found on the performance model. They claim the font panel on any Lancool can only fit two 140mm fans, but can fit three 120mm fans. When I bought extra ST120 fans and installed a single 120mm fan on the rear panel on the RGB version, I found the RGB model actually matched or beat the performance model by 1-2 degrees on the CPU and 0-1 degrees on the GPU. I also noticed my hard drives to be around 5 degrees cooler on the RGB model because there is a fan that covers the basement area. The performance model cannot cool the basement area because the fans are higher to cool the CPU and GPU, if you lowered the fans to the basement area, the GPU and CPU cooling performance will take a hit. The front fan mounting plate can be adjusted in 4 positions with the mount plate facing the rear or front of case and installed in two positions. I found if you install the plate facing FRONT in the first forward mounting position, the fans will be past the lower "Handle hole" and will be flush with the front panel. In fact the CPU and GPU INCREASED an additional 1-2 degrees vs stock position by blowing air OUT of that "Handle Hole". I installed the mount plate facing FRONT and on the second rear position, this will place the fans directly on top of the "Handle Hole" and DECREASE the CPU and GPU temps by 1 degree vs stock position. I Found this position the be the best for cooling, likely due to less turbulence from the air being sucked into the fans through the front mesh panel. As far as dust management, I rarely have to clean the case with fans in this position, and we have a cat. There is a plate just behind the front fans that can be removed to provide extra space for a thick radiator. With that plate removed, the CPU temperature remains mostly the same, but the GPU temps dropped an additional 1-2 degrees. I think this is because air from the lowest fan can blow more air toward the GPU. I also bought the optional RGB strip, USB type C connector and cable, hard drive hot swappable back panel, RGB cable accessory kit, and vertical GPU mounting kit. I absolutely love these extra accessories. I used the RGB cable kit to clean up wiring, it allows you to connect 3 fans to a single RGB or Fan header on the motherboard/fan hub included with the case. When I installed two fans below the GPU mounted horizontally, the GPU temps dropped by 1-2 degrees while increasing CPU temp by roughly 1 degree, similar to GN results. However with the GPU vertical mounting kit and two 120mm fans on the bottom of the case, the GPU temp INCREASED 1 degree while CPU dropped by roughly 1-2 degrees. I believe this is because the air from the bottom fans is blowing past the GPU and the GPU fans cannot "grab" air, being starved of air. When I removed the bottom fans, and installed them on top of case with the vertical mounting kit, the GPU decreased by 2-3 degrees. The CPU remained the same, loosing 1-2 degrees with fans on bottom or top of case with GPU vertical mounting kit. Note: The vertical GPU kit CAN be adjusted in two positions. Unfortunately the mounting kit is a solid metal piece and not mesh like other kits like the Phanteks universal GPU mounting kit. (PH-VGPUKT_02) If you have Lian Li's vertical kit installed on the lower position, this will allow the GPU and mounting kit to "Rest" on the case cassis. However you will not be able to fit the lower fans below the GPU. This will create a pocket of hot air produced by the GPU that cannot escape, increasing GPU and my VRM chipset temps. You can fit fans below the vertical GPU if you install the kit on the second, Higher position. If you install fans below the GPU, it will decrease the GPU temps as mentioned above. My suggestion is to install the vertical kit on the higher position. This will leave a gap for some air to escape IF you do not install bottom fans. Instead mount fans on top of the case. Also, in the kit, they give you a solid metal case slot cover when you install the vertical kit on the higher position. Use the mesh slot covers that were included with the case. With all of these vertical mount configurations, the GPU temps will decrease by 2-3 degrees as mentioned above. In conclusion, I wish I would've kept the performance version only for the fan controller. I like the ability to control fan speeds without relying on software if needed. For example the fan speeds are generally locked to CPU or System temps, if you have an older GPU that does not have the ability to control case fans, than this is a better option. You cant seem to buy the controller as a separate part from Lian LI and the actual case cut outs are different from the RGB version. Besides the controller, the Performance and RGB versions are identical. Anyways, I would've removed the 140mm fans for three 120mm fans and done the rest of the customization as described in this loooong "Review". This case is by far my favorite case and I plan on keeping it for a long time. I am currently looking into a way to case mod the front panel to house three 140mm fans. They will actually "fit" but the top of the mesh front panel is angled while the original Lancool panel is square. I would need to cut away small chunks of plastic to make it work with the Mesh version. It wont affect the front facial, it is only the plastic "ribs" that make it sturdy and not flex. I don't see it being an issue cutting away the plastic. I can also use Lian Li's AL140 fans that can link together to make a single solid unit. This will simplify wiring and they say it only needs to mount with 4 fan screws. This is important because the outer most holes for the upper and bottom fans will be slightly past the holes on the mounting bracket. The bracket will have to be facing FRONT on the second rear position, just like how I have it now. I will need a couple washers to make the fans flush with the case chassis, but should theoretically work. I'll keep this updated with the cooling results soon.
I managed to get 3 140 mm fan on the front. But it's junkly mounted on the front. Doubled sided tape and the mounting bracket wedged in place. I also have 2 bottom intake fans and 2 top exhaust fans, all 140 mm. but this was not enough to cool a 3090 to temps below 80c, for that i used a fan that's just sets on the gc exhausting.
I found removing the lower fans have inproved gpu thermals, also did you leave the front fan bracket? I removed the front fan bracket so it has complete air flow. Also my gpu is vertical mounted
This review aged nicely. I was about to get LianLi mesh 2... but they just announced LianLi Mesh 3 coming out this May 2022. Much improved mesh version! So, the wait begins! : )
Ideal high flow case: 1) no glass panel -> side mesh panel instead from both sides for extra passive cooling 2) no psu shroud 3) no 2.5 inch rack 4) space for 3 fans at bottom, from, top lian li lancool ii mesh is the closest case to my ideal, but still far away because of side panel, psu shroud
I'm currently building a new PC. I make my decisions on what to buy for it based of your reviews. Thank you for all the work you put into doing these test.
It seems Lian Li's boss and the company was/is open to constructive criticism , I hope they're reading the very positive comments on all these review channels.
Awesome review man!! Especially the noise bit, where you show max fans is 43.1 dba, and the noise normalisation idea (36 dba) is pure genius, great feature those fan controls.
If you're going to suggest that the hole in the bottom will cause dust ingestion, you should start smoke testing cases. It's a really cheap way to validate airflow, especially on camera.
I never thought I would be able to afford a Lian Li case. Turns out, now I can. I'm glad I saw this, it cinched my decision to purchase the mesh model (white, RGB...cause hello!) I am really looking forward to working in it.
I'd like to see temperature normalised comparisons of all cases, with as many fans as makes any significant improvement to the cooling to noise ratio, as well as taping where it's practical and helps direct airflow.
I am so glad that I purchased this case with my Christmas money! I do have the upgraded one where the magnets have foam padding. It was a breeze to transfer my system into it and I like the look. My mother likes it too, ROFL! Very sturdily built and I noticed the difference in thermals coming from a Thermaltake V31 with the filters removed.
I appreciate the methodical tests you guys run and all of the consistent (for the most part) unbias you bring to the table. It makes consumers like me able to stress less about making a tough decision. Thank you!
A couple of hours ago I saw your P500a review. I was sure that it would be the case for my upcoming Zen3 build. Well, Not so sure anymore. Thanks GN! I am surprised that this case is, pretty much, on the same level as the P500a, when it comes to GPU thermals. I predicted that the P500a would have this beat because of its 3x140mm in the front, but guess I was wrong.
Warning for those looking at getting the Lian Li Lancool II Performance. Brought this case 4 weeks ago and the fans make faint clinking bearing noise. There are posts from others experiencing the same. Lian Li sent replacement fans and they have the same problem.
He meant they come from the top of the radiator. They recommended a while ago that if you're gonna have an aio on the front of the case, you want the tubes to be on the bottom.
Honestly going from the normal Lancool 2 to the Mesh review is neat. It shows that the company listened to complaints and asked for input to improve their design.
Well... if you tape the front hole, as Steve recommends, the case will fall behind the P5OOA. Add 3 degrees to the CPU normalized and standardized charts. The hole was a silly decision by Lian Li. Well, maybe not... maybe they were looking for an easy win.The other reviews I have seen of this case doesn’t even mention the hole. With hole closed: Great cpu cooling performance With hole: Chart-topping cpu cooling performance (many consumers will just flip through the charts and forget about “the fine print”) I am a little bit annoyed at this design choice, but performance is still great, so it is not something that will push me away from a purchase. This case, or the P500A, will probably end up as the choice for my next build.
As @Jesper Christiansen said, the front hole probably makes a huge difference. The temperature penalty is probably not linear in all tests, which is the reason I would have liked to see results mixed in with a) taped hole b) DYI mesh cover for the hole. Either way I think the matter should have been emphasized more in performance section and/or the conclusion.
Wow. Great review! Love the new approach to the Power Supply area with tons of ventilation versus an enclosed sleave. Torn between this and the BeQuiet 500DX. One difference is this case supports three 3.5" hard drives versus two in the 500DX (for old timers still using 3.5" hard drives) but OTOH the Bequiet has 3 140mm fans versus 2 140mm and one 120mm. Tough choices but that's a good thing with so many nice options these days. Thanks for the great review. ....
they dont smash it at all. when you consider noise/temp on both GPU and CPU + price. do not confuse the conclusion of the all the charts. for example, if you take the standardized fan test you can see that the P400a P500a and Lancool II are all within margin of failure of each other - and if you wish to keep phanteks' fans that come with the case, noise levels would be favourable especially considering thermals. so what i am saying is that, considering both stock results and the noctua setup, both cases are within 1-2 Celsius of each other. on the other hand if you wish to keep it stock the noise level + thermals P400a "wins" in my eyes.
@sky173 I emailed Lian Li customer support a few weeks ago asking if they would be made available. The rep’s response was “Thanks for your inquiry. I am glad you like the new Mesh front panel, but at the stage we are not planning to sell the front panel individually. however I will let company to know there are people request for it.” So everyone who has a reg lancool II needs to send customer an email asking about mesh front panels!!
@@matmantis "Mesh front panel is available for those LANCOOL II users craving to upgrade their system by swapping to a mesh front panel" from their website.
I actually know somewhat, you can heat up steel to a point where it looses its magnetism, but when you do that in a magnetic field and it cools down the magnetic field actually gets trapped in the steel, so that is how you make new magnets :D
@@carcharoclesmegalodon6904 It's kinda funny when you think about it, yeah :D But somehow nature randomly made something out of nothing (like it often does) and we managed to utilise it
Great, thorough review again GN. How come nearly all reviews I see on renowned channels install the power supplies upside down (to how the manufacturers appear to have intended anyway!). Are the manufacturers inadvertently misleading people who don't know on the best way to install them!?
Thx Steve and the whole Gamers Nexus-staff! I finally found a replacement for my way too big Thermaltake The Tower 900! Sure it was a fun case and the sheer amount of space made custom watercooling totally sick in this case :) But still, my main system will be moved into another room and needs a shrink with silent waterless cooling and great airflow. The Lian Li LanCool II Mesh came just right for me! Thank you so much for reviewing it and than you so much at Lian Li for obviously listening to Games Nexus for optimizing the case in such great ways! :)
As a new pc enthusiast here, I’ve been sticking to the lian Li for their great reviews on this channel. I’m trying to get a o11d (for water cooling after warranty expires) but can’t find any on the cyberpower websites so now planning to get the lancool mesh. Planning to get my build by Black Friday this yr, but want to get a great case. Do you know if there are any better cases that are going to be launched in the new few months?
I really like the progress bars on each side of the screen when using data “slides”. Nice to see how long you have before the information changes/is removed.
Just built my new system with this case and it's pretty damn nice. It was a toss up between this or the fractal torrent. Figured I'd save a few bucks and go with this. Glad I did. My last big build was for BF4. I don't need the latest and greatest. Sadly my GN driver set that I've wanted for years didn't get here in time but I'm really excited to get them in. Thanks for your years of saving us dudes some money and putting in all the work to give us unbiased opinions.
Hey Steve I'm starting to think you don't like the standardized fan test. 😉. In all seriousness though, despite the fact that my current PC is an ancient Intel core I7 920 in an Antec case with about 6 fans on it, I love your videos and have immense respect for the work you guys do. Keep up the great work!
Just got some new 140mm fans an was putting two on the top and decided to futz with the front which I had already put 2X140 in and knew you cold put in another 120mm as well, BUT.. if you push the mount to it's furthest inset location you can actually fit a 3rd 140mm fan in there, as long as you don't mind only having 2 screws on the bottom 2 fans. Looks much better and pumps more fresh air to the basement.
Also After testing for 24 hours, Since I always had two 120mm fans above the basement grates pulling air up into the GPU my gpu temps have dropped measurably I'm assuming do to all the cooler fresh air being brought into the basement from the front.
Thank you so much for this review!! I am looking to upgrade from my Rosewill Gaming R5 tower to something I can have on my desk. So I am finally getting rid of my optical drive use of 25 years, and I have always liked good airflow in cases. This case review is something that helps a LOT in my decision! Again, thanks.
I got one of these cases and i recomended it to a friend of mine ...he got one allso .... and all due to this review. Lian li ...ya should thank GN for their reviews , awesome work.
What if I installed a custom mesh plate underneath to where the gapping hole is located at? Wouldn't that be a bit helps for dust filter w/ a minor loss of airflow?
I’m going to do the too, because it almost definitely will help. The tests show the additional airflow from the hole helps, so retaining some of that bonus airflow via a mesh has got to be better than just taping it over. Hell I might just stretch some cloth from a pair of tights over the hole.
"...magnets, even though nobody understands how they work" fucking LOL. I love all these sly little references you throw in. Some nice subtle editing as well, love these indepth reviews. Ya'll are awesome.
the good thing is, anyone can buy cheap screen meshing scraps and glue it to that bottom hole. I'm watching this in preparation to building my first pc. I really appreciate your reviews and the amount of time and work that goes into them.
Little late, but i can say, that a 360 rad (30mm thick) with push / pull Fans in the Front is absolutely no problem. Only had to remove the first Cover and move the drive cage 2 holes back.
I hope Lian-Li adopts the honeycomb mesh design on future 011’s as well. The pattern they’re currently using could be a lot better, especially on the XL model.
Watch our fresh Phanteks P500A review here: th-cam.com/video/G835LGHpeoI/w-d-xo.html
Original Lian Li Lancool II review (non-mesh) here: th-cam.com/video/2VC5ftEJwzs/w-d-xo.html
PC Case Review playlist: th-cam.com/video/G835LGHpeoI/w-d-xo.html&list=PLsuVSmND84QtrMP_niRTD2zIa3uUhxIvn
Article & methodology: www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3586-thermaltake-level-20-rs-case-review
Additional methodology (standardized / normalized tests): th-cam.com/video/eVkAXSJeKKM/w-d-xo.html
It’s like Christmas in July. Thanks again guys
we are really lucky to have you here, not just for your analytic reviews, but because mainly because you a lot of companies are evolving in the right path.
In general, I agree with Steve "Tech Jesus" Burke in terms of case metrics:
1) Thermal Performance (First)
2) Construction Quality
3) Functionality
4) Aesthetics (DEAD LAST).
I ONLY use the BEST Noctua Fans in my PC builds. I run them in 24/7/365 configuration/setup. I can attest to their 15 year MTBF through personal use, it's legit. And the cooling performance is amazing for it's CFM/dBA ratio + Long Hub Motor life. I literally throw away every stock case fan (into the junk bin) I encounter just to use Noctua. You can call me one of Noctua's "Fan Boys".
I won't consider any other maker until I can see who the OEM/ODM is and due a small scale test with their fans to prove that their fans are just as good. Currently I'm testing one of the Corsair ML fans to see if their longevity is legit. So far it's good, but it's only been 2-3 years. It's going to be a while before I run it to it's expected MTBF.
All cases need to be designed for "Thermal Performance" FIRST, everything else afterwards.
My old case has a handle hole too, just glued some window/door mesh I had laying around over it years ago.
Can you please review the Cooler master MB311L. It's a budget case with a mATX case with complete fine mesh front panel 2 front fans included. GeerSeekers showed promising thermals in their recent video. I think it would be good to review some good mATX cases for those of us who want something slightly smaller than the p300/p400a.
If Manufacturers read this: Iam one of many people who buy cases based on Gamers Nexus tests.There is no better channel for that. So better listen to this man
Bought a H500M after watching all the reviews, the review on Gamers Nexus is what pushed me to buy the H500M and no regrets.
Yeah i was watching that too, i was looking for some smal case like P400A ,Pure Base DX500, O11 Air and mini. But i dont like RGB and every case had disadvantages.
The Lancool seems perfect. Also i like Beve Sturkes honesty
Didn't buy the original Lancool II based on GN's review, waited and just pre-ordered this one. +1 to Manufacturers that listen, got my $'s
I remember last year I was at a loss of what case to get, then I saw the review for the P400A on this channel, got that for 70 Euros back when they were still in stock and proper price and couldn't be happier. Even with these latest, very competitive releases - I still feel super lucky to have been following this channel back then and still do even now.
@@Der_Oesterreicher I bought the p400a non-digital (which doesn't have RGB) and I love it. Edit: p400a has much better noise cancellation than lancool.
Lian Li's CEO reaching out is a really nice gesture, actions like that genuinely will influence my buying decisions.
Around 2000 Lian Li was a highly regarded company in the enthusiast community and then slowly slumped into just making corporate boxes. This CEO has turned that around in just a few years, I'm impressed.
Lian Li might be offering the best case lineup at this moment with Phanteks not far behind. Look at their lineup. Impressive. This CEO is really doing a great job. Especially when taking feedback from the user community and content creators.
@U are My submissive toy I have the black Lancool 2. I populated it with extra fans and the cooling is excellent. I slapped 3 Be Quiet fans in the front and it is bringing in serious air.
@U are My submissive toy My temps are low at idle and been so for a few months. I applied my thermal paste in a "X" design. Look up Puget Systems as they did serious research on this. For intake, I have 3 Be Quiet intake fans in the front. For exhaust, I have two InWin fans on the top and one InWin fan in the back. All PWM fans. CPU cooling is an air cooler. System is quiet. Temps are low. You will be happy.
@@chucklos391 what CPU cooler do you use? Hyper 212?
Thank you to GN for almost single handedly bringing an airflow focus back to case design. I just bought the Cooler Master H500 a couple weeks ago, and love it, and I honestly feel that case would not exist without the extensive testing you did on that product line.
I feel this 100% shows the importance of free and impartial press separate from the political space
Does your version come with a tesseract that teleports air?
I was literally about to leave a comment like this 😂😂😂
GN is the best, they now what we want. I want them to design a case :)
I have the CM H500, too! I did replace the rear exhaust fan with their 120mm Halo, and threw 2 more in the top as exhaust. It was great to build in, and I love the look.
How are the 200mm fans on that case? I have a HAF 922 and the fans get quite loud despite spinning at a max of 700 RPM :[
"After our review, the CEO phoned up to talk ideas to improve."
You see, Thermaltake? This is how you should behave. You could do so much with your near misses and almost victories.
That is smart. It is free valuable feedback from someone who is a very experienced builder. The others who sulk/refuse to talk due to bad reviews are immature and can't even see past basic logic.
True Capitalist welcome Criticism and competition.
@@CheekoLFreako Finally someone recognizes that Capitalism favors competition over profit.
Got the case today. For those wondering, it would be very difficult for the side panel to open just by moving the case around. The magnets are super strong and you have to use significant force to open them.
Also own this case, they do not open on their own. Magnets and the overall build of the case is really nice.
@@dm1972 would like to know your build. I’m building my first pc and trying to do the most research 😁
@@oscara.7950 10700k, 3070, z40 A pro, 240mm AIO, 32gb 3600mhz. If i could do one step up with the gpu to a 3080 it would be more worth the price for performance/ Maybe the Cpu to an overclocked i9.
@@oscara.7950 Buy a nice case and powersupply. The rest can be mid tier. Don't waste money on RGB
"we love magnets, even though nobody understands how they work" loved the reference lol
I hope he's a Juggalo
Its mesh case week at GN!
Who are we kidding, every week is mesh case week here.
NEED M O R E MESH ! We’re all wearing masks but our PCs can breathe ! 2020 BE GONE 😷
GN has said not every case needs a mesh front.. but.. realistically.. water cooling likes air flow too.
Heh I'm here for every week being mesh week, just to be clear I'm a huge fan
@@bradhaines3142 Bars? Steel Wire Cage? Chicken wire? None? I like mesh best though.
But this week, the manufactures are on the same page.
0:54 - I will never forget when Corsair was trying to market that as the "Qi Spot"
As I sit here planning my next build, I'm just stunned that I've narrowed it down to two cases, and both of them are by Lian Li.
If you told me 5 years ago I'd be buying a Lian Li case, my response would have been "So I won the lottery and don't care about price OR performance anymore?"
But here we are, with Lian Li making attractive, functional cases that aren't absurdly priced, and I can't help but feel like it's all thanks to der8auer and GN.
Ikr
I was thinking the same thing a couple months ago. Safe to say I don't regret buying my O11DXL one bit. Absolutely love it
I’m planning to get my build in a few months was going to go with the o11 dynamic but seeing it’s lack of stock in cyberpower I was conflicted on what case to choose. Until this got announced. Now I’m trying too se if anything better comes before mid November, if not then lancool 2 mech it is.
I'm in the same boat. Half a decade ago, Lian Li was just churning minor variations of the exact same ancient case design every year and their only drawcard was "IT'S MADE OF ALUMINIUM". Strangely enough, the market didn't care and I was honestly expecting the company's demise as a result - instead they've bounced back, shown they can innovate once more while pricing competitively and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrated that they're willing to listen to criticism. I hope this trend from them (and other companies) continues and I salute the CEO for their willingness to engage with a community that can be very difficult at times. - a very happy PC-O11 owner
@@dylanandersen9318 Same!
I have a Lancool II Mesh C and really like it. The C variant comes with the USB C port installed.
I did use some corrugated plastic (like a garage sale sign, blacked out with self adhesive vinyl), electrical tape, and 1" insulating foam to seal up places where the air could recirculate inside and that has actually achieved positive pressure inside the case while fans are at idle (can feel air leaving the top vent). Moved the front fans to the top so I only had to fix the recirculation at the bottom. Didn't see the hole in the bottom but will seal that this weekend with some of that 1" foam. Definitely letting the mobo control the fans, not using the bridge they included.
Have an EVGA RTX 3060 and it's fans rarely even turn on. That said, I don't really push the graphics all that much.
I will also be adding the ThermalRight LGA1700 Contact frame this weekend so will be in there anyway. It is recommended by GN.
Christmas in July, 2x GN videos in one day, aww you guys rock
Southern Hemisphere christmas! :D
Nnnni i i. O. O
Nnnni i i. O. O. O
Nnnni i i. O. O. O.
hhhhhhhhgregg
It's a nice case. Glad to see that someone high up in the company still takes an interest in their products, and strives for improvement... it doesn't seem that common.
We have finally entered the age of the mesh front mid-tower PC.
May it stay forevermore
Well re-entered as I glance over at my 2011 Fractal Arc Midi.
@@sonicbroom8522 I can't wait for the age of micro perforated diamond panels.
@@bothellkenmore I was going to say the same thing.... *glances* *over* *at* *my* *Corsair* *500r*
I have a Lian Li PC-V1000 from 16 years ago still in use. My sons wants this one for his pc :).
After seeing this review I decided to get myself the Lian Li case and it dropped my GPU temps by 10 °C. My original case was a Phanteks P300 that had less airflow than the original Lancool II where I often saw my GPU hit Temps of 75 °C even with the fans running at 3000 RPM.
This review was the sole reason I bought the case from Lian Li, I'm seriously thankful for you guys doing such in depth reviews and to Lian Li for listening to your criticisms of the original Lancool II.
Can I ask did you cover the bottom air hole and if you got the rgb or performance version? Performance version is significantly more here and I'm wondering if the rgb still holds up.
Lancool 2 mesh: the thinking man's mid tower.
Great job on the review guys, and kudos to lian li for addressing criticisms so quickly. I'm pretty certain my next build will be in a lian li case, probably the 011D mini (depending on reviews and data), but the L2 mesh is also a strong contender.
I'd recommend taking an extra fan filter you might have lying around, or buying some mesh and cutting it to fit in the bottom of you get this case. Should help retain some of that improvement vs taped entirely, and still address the concern with dust.
This is what I did with my, now old CM Storm Scout case, super glued some screen door mesh over the opening.
It's so nice to have good cases again. Thanks for taking these case makers to tasks so we aren't stuck with stupid glass everywhere and a suffocated PC.
Finally, cases are trending back towards mesh and airflow.
finally we round up all the "who needs airflow/cooler, i buy AIO" fools and pushed them off a cliff........i mean into the Next-gen console demo where they belong.
I bought this case when I built my most recent pc a couple years ago and I've totally loved it. It was easy to build in despite the fact that I had a kind of funky custom loop. It has kept things clean and cool, so no complaints from me about the thermals. Personally I don't care that much about aesthetics of a case and I generally avoid RGB wherever possible, so this case is right up my alley, just an all around clean design
This reveiw, specifically, got me to buy this case. Filled it with fans, and it has kept my computer extermely managed. I love it. Thanks Steve and team.
Thank you Gamers Nexus! There are so many cases to choose from. And who knows if any of them are any good. I pick components based on performance and function first before looks. I ended up going with the Lancool II Mesh Performance because of this review. Case moves air fantastically! And thanks Lian Li for listening to Steve and his team to make a good product great!
"We are fine with recommending it" - Now THAT is a huge badge right there. It is not just acceptable, but it would be ok to even recommend it? Holly balls, this is a winner!
GN is one of the only reviewers who doesn't judge a case by its look. Thank you gamers nexus for being the basis for my pc builds. You guys are amazing.
You guys should feel proud every time you see a new case come out and top the charts. I'm convinced without your constant focus on performance and being very vocal about it, these changes likely wouldn't be happening right now.
I have to thank you for this video. I bought the Lancool 2 Mesh RGB for my build and it's been a great case, but the hole in the bottom of the front panel has bugged me ever since I found out about it. After you confirmed that that hole makes it a lot easier for dust to get in, I took the front panel off and made a little cardboard shroud to seal off the opening while still keeping the handle accessible. Looking forward to less dust and more gaming!
There is also an RGB Edition of this mesh version of the case. Has the full front mesh, mesh side panel, and honeycomb ventilation changes. However, you get 3x 120mm RGB fans up front instead of 2x 140mm and 1x 120mm and the mode button is still on the front panel. The case in this review is apparently being called the Performance Edition, I assume due to the PWM fan hub and slider on the front panel. Both versions of the case seem to be the same price, at least on Newegg.
Thanks for pointing this out. I wonder how much difference those fans make in thermal and noise. I'm leaning towards the RGB one.
He suggested that in the begining of the video, but he said that we should not buy that one, just focus on the performance version
@@temporoyale6251 I thought maybe I missed this so I went back and watched the video again and I never heard him mention anything about an RGB Edition of the new Mesh style case. The only time he mentioned RGB was when talking about the original Non-Mesh version of the Lancool II. Can you give me a timestamp of when he specifically mentioned an RGB version of the new Mesh style case?
@@mgar2112 Just load up the rest of the case with top fans and rear exhaust fans and it won't matter how much it changes thermals. These videos are great for finding out thermals if using stock fans in case you cant afford more fans. For me personally, I always make sure I can buy extra fans for my builds so I can utilize all fan slots available in the case.
Yeah, I was kind of confused that the other two variants (or one other variant in two colours) were not mentioned at all, especially since the fan configuration is different.
My dad just did a new build and bought the OG Lancool 2. Can confirm from that the magnets have the foam pads and the sleds are properly hammered at the hinge!
Except for the mesh they seemed to have made changes that they could make to make the OG Lancool 2 better based on GN's review.
It looks like you can buy the front case separately if you want @newegg.
Thanks for single-handedly making PC cases great again, GN!
Bought this last year, used, for $38. It was a local online bid and the pictures looked good. A ten minute drive for the pickup revealed a case in MINT condition, box and all. For the price, hard to beat this case!
Steve, I bought a Lancool II several weeks ago. The magnets have the foam pads, so it's not unique to the Mesh.
It didn't at launch, so it's new. Thanks for letting us know.
Kinda hard to account for future changes when they aren't present at the time of review.
@@ShroudedWolf51 pretty sure they aren't criticizing, just informing of the change.
@@GamersNexus I actually have a white Lancool II that was preorderd and it has the foam on the magnets already. Shipped 12/16/2019
@@ShroudedWolf51 Hard, but not impossible
Another great, scientific, tech journalism review from an independent team. There not many left these days. Thanks for all that you and the team do.
2 case reviews on the same day, you guys know how to kill my boredom.
just here to say that i have this case for a year now and its a beast.
even in low rpm idle it has so much airflow that dust doesnt even has a chance to settle.
seriously, im shocked that theres pretty much no dust in the case whatsoever, except in the dark rock pro 4 cooler and in the upper mesh filter where i added another 120mm fan to further improve airflow.
My new favorite case. It's so close to perfect.
I went with the Phanteks P500A instead. I like that it can do 3 140mm fans in the front. I would of been okay with settling for 120mm, but the 120mm A-RGB fans are in short stock. I can't understand why Lian Li wouldn't of made space for a 3rd 140mm fan upfront. Not having a 3rd fan on the bottom virtually makes those vented side panels useless.
Upload more mesh case reviews, even if there are none to review.
just make up some, please I want more!!!!
No way this was just uploaded today. I'm looking at a Lancool II (non-mesh) right now and I'm taking it home lol. Thanks for the video, looking forward to assembly. Seems super good.
The non-mesh model stinks...
@@MikehMike01 Having had it for some over 5 weeks now, hard disagree! The aiflow is quite good, cable management is superb, has a good material quality to it too and the included fans are surprisingly quality. No takeaways whatsoever.
@@MikehMike01 The non-mesh model is literally the exact same as this one lol. You can just buy the mesh kit separately (front and side panels) and a couple extra fans, and be fine for the rest of your life. You would be missing out on the fan control slider at the front but that's kind of fucking useless anyways.
i love these case reviews, they're fun to watch and seeing how pc case companies are focusing more on thermal/airflow performance is definitely good. I also wanted to say I built my first pc after years of wanting to build one. Largely based off of the information you report on this channel. More than happy to support, and picked up a gpu disappointment shirt and both posters. Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks for the review. I bought and built in this case my first PC. One and only negative I had while building was the fitment of the USB Type A 3.0 (19-pin) cable into the motherboard. I used a x570 Aorus Elite which has the male connector all the way at the bottom of the MoBo. The USB 3 cable head from the front IO to the motherboard was too long for the cutout in the bottom of the case! The wire is uncomfortably pinched if you try to feed it downwards straight through the cutout. I'd recommend getting a 90 degree 19-pin adapter or feed the cable up and then down through the cutout. Not as aesthetically pleaseing, but it works. Otherwise a great, spacious and heavy case.
Clarification/follow up review after a few months of the Lancool Mesh II ownership: There is many versions of the Lancool series on the Lian Li official website. They still offer the Lancool II original as well as the Lancool II MESH. They also have different versions of the Lancool II Mesh, the Performance and RGB versions. The one shown in this video is the Lancool II mesh PERFORMANCE. I owned the Performance for a couple months before trading it for the RGB version.
The key differences are the fans and controllers on both cases. The performance and RGB versions have basically the same I-O, however the performance has a fan speed controller while the RGB version has two buttons for RGB settings. Unfortunately you cannot control fan speed from the I-O panel like the performance model. I personally liked the fan controller over the RGB buttons.
They both have 3 fans, however the performance model has two 140 mm fans on the front panel and one 120 mm fan on the rear. The RBG version has three 120mm fans but they are all on the front panel. Stock Performance vs stock RGB model cooling differences were minimal but noticeable. With the performance version, I found the CPU to be cooler by 3-5 degrees Celsius and the GPU to be cooler by around 1-2 degrees Celsius. I believe this is because the performance has (1) larger front fans and (2) a rear fan.
Lian LI sells the RGB fans on their website, they are the basic ST120 fans, however I did not find the non-RGB fans found on the performance model. They claim the font panel on any Lancool can only fit two 140mm fans, but can fit three 120mm fans. When I bought extra ST120 fans and installed a single 120mm fan on the rear panel on the RGB version, I found the RGB model actually matched or beat the performance model by 1-2 degrees on the CPU and 0-1 degrees on the GPU. I also noticed my hard drives to be around 5 degrees cooler on the RGB model because there is a fan that covers the basement area. The performance model cannot cool the basement area because the fans are higher to cool the CPU and GPU, if you lowered the fans to the basement area, the GPU and CPU cooling performance will take a hit.
The front fan mounting plate can be adjusted in 4 positions with the mount plate facing the rear or front of case and installed in two positions. I found if you install the plate facing FRONT in the first forward mounting position, the fans will be past the lower "Handle hole" and will be flush with the front panel. In fact the CPU and GPU INCREASED an additional 1-2 degrees vs stock position by blowing air OUT of that "Handle Hole". I installed the mount plate facing FRONT and on the second rear position, this will place the fans directly on top of the "Handle Hole" and DECREASE the CPU and GPU temps by 1 degree vs stock position. I Found this position the be the best for cooling, likely due to less turbulence from the air being sucked into the fans through the front mesh panel. As far as dust management, I rarely have to clean the case with fans in this position, and we have a cat.
There is a plate just behind the front fans that can be removed to provide extra space for a thick radiator. With that plate removed, the CPU temperature remains mostly the same, but the GPU temps dropped an additional 1-2 degrees. I think this is because air from the lowest fan can blow more air toward the GPU.
I also bought the optional RGB strip, USB type C connector and cable, hard drive hot swappable back panel, RGB cable accessory kit, and vertical GPU mounting kit. I absolutely love these extra accessories. I used the RGB cable kit to clean up wiring, it allows you to connect 3 fans to a single RGB or Fan header on the motherboard/fan hub included with the case.
When I installed two fans below the GPU mounted horizontally, the GPU temps dropped by 1-2 degrees while increasing CPU temp by roughly 1 degree, similar to GN results. However with the GPU vertical mounting kit and two 120mm fans on the bottom of the case, the GPU temp INCREASED 1 degree while CPU dropped by roughly 1-2 degrees. I believe this is because the air from the bottom fans is blowing past the GPU and the GPU fans cannot "grab" air, being starved of air. When I removed the bottom fans, and installed them on top of case with the vertical mounting kit, the GPU decreased by 2-3 degrees. The CPU remained the same, loosing 1-2 degrees with fans on bottom or top of case with GPU vertical mounting kit.
Note: The vertical GPU kit CAN be adjusted in two positions. Unfortunately the mounting kit is a solid metal piece and not mesh like other kits like the Phanteks universal GPU mounting kit. (PH-VGPUKT_02) If you have Lian Li's vertical kit installed on the lower position, this will allow the GPU and mounting kit to "Rest" on the case cassis. However you will not be able to fit the lower fans below the GPU. This will create a pocket of hot air produced by the GPU that cannot escape, increasing GPU and my VRM chipset temps. You can fit fans below the vertical GPU if you install the kit on the second, Higher position. If you install fans below the GPU, it will decrease the GPU temps as mentioned above.
My suggestion is to install the vertical kit on the higher position. This will leave a gap for some air to escape IF you do not install bottom fans. Instead mount fans on top of the case. Also, in the kit, they give you a solid metal case slot cover when you install the vertical kit on the higher position. Use the mesh slot covers that were included with the case. With all of these vertical mount configurations, the GPU temps will decrease by 2-3 degrees as mentioned above.
In conclusion, I wish I would've kept the performance version only for the fan controller. I like the ability to control fan speeds without relying on software if needed. For example the fan speeds are generally locked to CPU or System temps, if you have an older GPU that does not have the ability to control case fans, than this is a better option. You cant seem to buy the controller as a separate part from Lian LI and the actual case cut outs are different from the RGB version. Besides the controller, the Performance and RGB versions are identical. Anyways, I would've removed the 140mm fans for three 120mm fans and done the rest of the customization as described in this loooong "Review". This case is by far my favorite case and I plan on keeping it for a long time.
I am currently looking into a way to case mod the front panel to house three 140mm fans. They will actually "fit" but the top of the mesh front panel is angled while the original Lancool panel is square. I would need to cut away small chunks of plastic to make it work with the Mesh version. It wont affect the front facial, it is only the plastic "ribs" that make it sturdy and not flex. I don't see it being an issue cutting away the plastic. I can also use Lian Li's AL140 fans that can link together to make a single solid unit. This will simplify wiring and they say it only needs to mount with 4 fan screws. This is important because the outer most holes for the upper and bottom fans will be slightly past the holes on the mounting bracket. The bracket will have to be facing FRONT on the second rear position, just like how I have it now. I will need a couple washers to make the fans flush with the case chassis, but should theoretically work. I'll keep this updated with the cooling results soon.
I managed to get 3 140 mm fan on the front. But it's junkly mounted on the front. Doubled sided tape and the mounting bracket wedged in place. I also have 2 bottom intake fans and 2 top exhaust fans, all 140 mm. but this was not enough to cool a 3090 to temps below 80c, for that i used a fan that's just sets on the gc exhausting.
I found removing the lower fans have inproved gpu thermals, also did you leave the front fan bracket? I removed the front fan bracket so it has complete air flow. Also my gpu is vertical mounted
This review aged nicely. I was about to get LianLi mesh 2... but they just announced LianLi Mesh 3 coming out this May 2022. Much improved mesh version! So, the wait begins! : )
im in need of a new case from nztx s340. But can i wait im not sure. my fx9590 vrms say rip
Ideal high flow case:
1) no glass panel -> side mesh panel instead from both sides for extra passive cooling
2) no psu shroud
3) no 2.5 inch rack
4) space for 3 fans at bottom, from, top
lian li lancool ii mesh is the closest case to my ideal, but still far away because of side panel, psu shroud
I'm currently building a new PC. I make my decisions on what to buy for it based of your reviews. Thank you for all the work you put into doing these test.
It seems Lian Li's boss and the company was/is open to constructive criticism , I hope they're reading the very positive comments on all these review channels.
Awesome review man!! Especially the noise bit, where you show max fans is 43.1 dba, and the noise normalisation idea (36 dba) is pure genius, great feature those fan controls.
Just bought this case, thanks for the review that helped me chose it.
Just ordered this case from Newegg. Thanks for the review and the push for more airflow cases.
How are you liking it? Thinking about buying this one.
@@TheGoldenDragon_ Great case. Nothing I can really complain about. It's cool and quiet.
@@cryalowicki Awesome. Thanks for getting back to me.
If you're going to suggest that the hole in the bottom will cause dust ingestion, you should start smoke testing cases. It's a really cheap way to validate airflow, especially on camera.
I never thought I would be able to afford a Lian Li case. Turns out, now I can. I'm glad I saw this, it cinched my decision to purchase the mesh model (white, RGB...cause hello!) I am really looking forward to working in it.
"We'll go with sausage bodies!" I love this channel.
Staying in the family. Moving from 011 Air to this case. TY gamers Nexus!
7:26 haha, thanks for making me smile Tech Jesus.
I was cought off guard by this one lmao
I'd like to see temperature normalised comparisons of all cases, with as many fans as makes any significant improvement to the cooling to noise ratio, as well as taping where it's practical and helps direct airflow.
"..we like magnets, even though, no one understands how they work." 😂 That was hilarious!!!
I am so glad that I purchased this case with my Christmas money! I do have the upgraded one where the magnets have foam padding. It was a breeze to transfer my system into it and I like the look. My mother likes it too, ROFL! Very sturdily built and I noticed the difference in thermals coming from a Thermaltake V31 with the filters removed.
Why haven't you guys reviewed the P600s?
Its so much easier to pick a few cases to choose from with all your breakdowns, thanks for all your effort!
MESH for the MESH GOD!
Cases for the Cases Throne!
I appreciate the methodical tests you guys run and all of the consistent (for the most part) unbias you bring to the table. It makes consumers like me able to stress less about making a tough decision. Thank you!
A couple of hours ago I saw your P500a review. I was sure that it would be the case for my upcoming Zen3 build. Well, Not so sure anymore. Thanks GN!
I am surprised that this case is, pretty much, on the same level as the P500a, when it comes to GPU thermals. I predicted that the P500a would have this beat because of its 3x140mm in the front, but guess I was wrong.
Warning for those looking at getting the Lian Li Lancool II Performance. Brought this case 4 weeks ago and the fans make faint clinking bearing noise. There are posts from others experiencing the same. Lian Li sent replacement fans and they have the same problem.
10:26 When Steve says “tubes up” does he mean the tubes come from the top of the radiator, or they come from the bottom “up” to the pump/cpu block?
He meant they come from the top of the radiator. They recommended a while ago that if you're gonna have an aio on the front of the case, you want the tubes to be on the bottom.
Meowgi Ahhhhh okay that makes sense, thank you!
Honestly going from the normal Lancool 2 to the Mesh review is neat. It shows that the company listened to complaints and asked for input to improve their design.
Wow the P500A didn't get to keep its top spot in Standardized Fans or Noise Normalized for very long!
Well... if you tape the front hole, as Steve recommends, the case will fall behind the P5OOA. Add 3 degrees to the CPU normalized and standardized charts. The hole was a silly decision by Lian Li. Well, maybe not... maybe they were looking for an easy win.The other reviews I have seen of this case doesn’t even mention the hole.
With hole closed: Great cpu cooling performance
With hole: Chart-topping cpu cooling performance (many consumers will just flip through the charts and forget about “the fine print”)
I am a little bit annoyed at this design choice, but performance is still great, so it is not something that will push me away from a purchase. This case, or the P500A, will probably end up as the choice for my next build.
@@jesperchristiansen7481 The hole was cheat mode.
As @Jesper Christiansen said, the front hole probably makes a huge difference. The temperature penalty is probably not linear in all tests, which is the reason I would have liked to see results mixed in with a) taped hole b) DYI mesh cover for the hole.
Either way I think the matter should have been emphasized more in performance section and/or the conclusion.
Wow. Great review! Love the new approach to the Power Supply area with tons of ventilation versus an enclosed sleave. Torn between this and the BeQuiet 500DX. One difference is this case supports three 3.5" hard drives versus two in the 500DX (for old timers still using 3.5" hard drives) but OTOH the Bequiet has 3 140mm fans versus 2 140mm and one 120mm. Tough choices but that's a good thing with so many nice options these days. Thanks for the great review. ....
Damn, literally just bought the p400a 2 weeks ago and now there have been 2 cases released that smash it in that time since....
Haha same but damn the big hole at the front panel
P400a is still one of the best
you and me both - but hey, all three cases are effective GN recommends so we win anyway
they dont smash it at all. when you consider noise/temp on both GPU and CPU + price. do not confuse the conclusion of the all the charts. for example, if you take the standardized fan test you can see that the P400a P500a and Lancool II are all within margin of failure of each other - and if you wish to keep phanteks' fans that come with the case, noise levels would be favourable especially considering thermals. so what i am saying is that, considering both stock results and the noctua setup, both cases are within 1-2 Celsius of each other. on the other hand if you wish to keep it stock the noise level + thermals P400a "wins" in my eyes.
they don't smash it though.... the p400a is really good
Man, 3 years later I've never had Temps over 76, and never have much dust build up. What an awesome case.
Did you tape the bottom hole?
@@UnerleoBurk on the bottom of the case? Nope. 5 fans in, 3 fans out. It's still doing great.
I'd be curious if the front panel would fit the original Lancool 2 case...
Yes its compatible and can be sold separately!
I think they're selling mesh front for lancool ii
@@johnmikkoreyes That's great. I'd love to get the mesh front on my Lancool II.
@sky173 I emailed Lian Li customer support a few weeks ago asking if they would be made available. The rep’s response was “Thanks for your inquiry. I am glad you like the new Mesh front panel, but at the stage we are not planning to sell the front panel individually. however I will let company to know there are people request for it.”
So everyone who has a reg lancool II needs to send customer an email asking about mesh front panels!!
@@matmantis "Mesh front panel is available for those LANCOOL II users craving to upgrade their system by swapping to a mesh front panel" from their website.
I picked up the rgb style of this case. Came with 3-3pin fans. I'm very happy with the airflow and it's easy to clean. Definitely worth it
7:23 f*ckin magnets! How does they work!?
Tech Jesus brought us another miracle. 😉
I actually know somewhat, you can heat up steel to a point where it looses its magnetism, but when you do that in a magnetic field and it cools down the magnetic field actually gets trapped in the steel, so that is how you make new magnets :D
@@Yuzuki1337 th-cam.com/video/8GyVx28R9-s/w-d-xo.html
@@Yuzuki1337 You need magnets to make magnets. _It's magic._
@@carcharoclesmegalodon6904 It's kinda funny when you think about it, yeah :D But somehow nature randomly made something out of nothing (like it often does) and we managed to utilise it
Great, thorough review again GN. How come nearly all reviews I see on renowned channels install the power supplies upside down (to how the manufacturers appear to have intended anyway!). Are the manufacturers inadvertently misleading people who don't know on the best way to install them!?
Thank you heavy metal 🤘 computer guy I think I found my next case for my new build.🔨
Thx Steve and the whole Gamers Nexus-staff! I finally found a replacement for my way too big Thermaltake The Tower 900! Sure it was a fun case and the sheer amount of space made custom watercooling totally sick in this case :) But still, my main system will be moved into another room and needs a shrink with silent waterless cooling and great airflow. The Lian Li LanCool II Mesh came just right for me! Thank you so much for reviewing it and than you so much at Lian Li for obviously listening to Games Nexus for optimizing the case in such great ways! :)
As a new pc enthusiast here, I’ve been sticking to the lian Li for their great reviews on this channel. I’m trying to get a o11d (for water cooling after warranty expires) but can’t find any on the cyberpower websites so now planning to get the lancool mesh. Planning to get my build by Black Friday this yr, but want to get a great case. Do you know if there are any better cases that are going to be launched in the new few months?
I really like the progress bars on each side of the screen when using data “slides”. Nice to see how long you have before the information changes/is removed.
Sausage Bodies to Honey Comb looks like Steve is getting new ideas for merch.
Just built my new system with this case and it's pretty damn nice. It was a toss up between this or the fractal torrent. Figured I'd save a few bucks and go with this. Glad I did. My last big build was for BF4. I don't need the latest and greatest.
Sadly my GN driver set that I've wanted for years didn't get here in time but I'm really excited to get them in. Thanks for your years of saving us dudes some money and putting in all the work to give us unbiased opinions.
Damn they showed the release video like less than two seconds ago
Hey Steve I'm starting to think you don't like the standardized fan test. 😉. In all seriousness though, despite the fact that my current PC is an ancient Intel core I7 920 in an Antec case with about 6 fans on it, I love your videos and have immense respect for the work you guys do. Keep up the great work!
Nice stealth "Insane Clown Posse" reference.
Just got some new 140mm fans an was putting two on the top and decided to futz with the front which I had already put 2X140 in and knew you cold put in another 120mm as well, BUT.. if you push the mount to it's furthest inset location you can actually fit a 3rd 140mm fan in there, as long as you don't mind only having 2 screws on the bottom 2 fans. Looks much better and pumps more fresh air to the basement.
Also After testing for 24 hours, Since I always had two 120mm fans above the basement grates pulling air up into the GPU my gpu temps have dropped measurably I'm assuming do to all the cooler fresh air being brought into the basement from the front.
I clicked for the case review, I stayed for the ICP reference.
Where is that at lmao
@@viodeadinside2938 th-cam.com/video/8GyVx28R9-s/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for this review!! I am looking to upgrade from my Rosewill Gaming R5 tower to something I can have on my desk. So I am finally getting rid of my optical drive use of 25 years, and I have always liked good airflow in cases.
This case review is something that helps a LOT in my decision!
Again, thanks.
Next time on GN: Magnets, how do they work?
I got one of these cases and i recomended it to a friend of mine ...he got one allso .... and all due to this review. Lian li ...ya should thank GN for their reviews , awesome work.
What if I installed a custom mesh plate underneath to where the gapping hole is located at? Wouldn't that be a bit helps for dust filter w/ a minor loss of airflow?
That is what i plan to do
I’m going to do the too, because it almost definitely will help. The tests show the additional airflow from the hole helps, so retaining some of that bonus airflow via a mesh has got to be better than just taping it over.
Hell I might just stretch some cloth from a pair of tights over the hole.
"...magnets, even though nobody understands how they work" fucking LOL. I love all these sly little references you throw in. Some nice subtle editing as well, love these indepth reviews. Ya'll are awesome.
7:26 lmao. At least we understand how "cd /" works!.. oh wait, nm how does that actually work? :D
the good thing is, anyone can buy cheap screen meshing scraps and glue it to that bottom hole. I'm watching this in preparation to building my first pc. I really appreciate your reviews and the amount of time and work that goes into them.
Whats this, the second positive case review in 24 hours? I cant take much more!
Just found your videos today. Wow. Fantastic seemingly unbiased coverage. Love it
Lmfao "its so hard to choose so we'll go with sausage body" xD
Little late, but i can say, that a 360 rad (30mm thick) with push / pull Fans in the Front is absolutely no problem. Only had to remove the first Cover and move the drive cage 2 holes back.
I, for one, welcome our sausage body overlords
I hope Lian-Li adopts the honeycomb mesh design on future 011’s as well. The pattern they’re currently using could be a lot better, especially on the XL model.
Remember kids, elongated ovals are sausage bodies.
Fax
Machine
Squircles
I've found my new case now that they've fixed the airflow and aesthetics. I hated the previous thin vented rgb front panel. So happy now!
SAUSAGE BODIES
The PSU filter has the louvers slanted forward, towards where the theoretical cooler air will be. Nice touch, Mr Li.
...or Ms Li! How dare you?