I could really use some input on arranging my first loop.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 15:39

I'll try and keep this is as brief as possible and get straight to my awesome Paint skills.

Basically, i have a Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic case, two 360 rads one of which is 30mm thick and the other 60mm (this was a poor choice in hindsight) and an EK 140 pump/res combo.

I've kinda settle on the 60mm rad mounted on top and the 30mm mounted on the bottom. On advice of others i'm thinking of having the fans both drawing cool air inside. Picture bellow.

It has of course been suggested that i put the 30mm rad on side of the case, the problem with this is that i cant mount it with the ports at the top because i'll have about 10mm space between it and the 60mm rad making it next to impossible to attaching fittings and tubing.

I could mount the 30mm with the ports at the bottom but in my mind it looks like the tubing runs from the 60mm rad to the 30mm rad and the 30mm rad to the pump/res situated in front of it would be super awkward. See below.

In the pic above the yellow loop order is pump/res>GPU>CPU>Top rad>side rad>pump/res.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks

MeddlE · 25 Mar 2019 at 16:35

I would personally put the 30mm in the roof with ports to the rear of the case, 60mm in the side with ports at the top.

Pump->gpu->30mm->cpu->60mm->res

MeddlE · 25 Mar 2019 at 16:36

Excuse the wonky pic, quick sketch on my tablet then exported. I'm a left-hander.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 16:39

Thanks, i'll have a look at that. My only concern is whether or not there's enough room for the 60mm rad with pump/res attached to it without it being too close to the glass side panel.

MeddlE · 25 Mar 2019 at 16:50

Goose said:
Thanks, i'll have a look at that. My only concern is whether or not there's enough room for the 60mm rad with pump/res attached to it without it being too close to the glass side panel.

Had a quick look on the Lian-Li site and there looks to be masses of room. Case width is 272mm. 60mm rad with 25mm fan leaves loads of room for the pump/res.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 17:00

MeddlE said:
Had a quick look on the Lian-Li site and there looks to be masses of room. Case width is 272mm. 60mm rad with 25mm fan leaves loads of room for the pump/res.

Yeah but unfortunately the problem with the 60mm rad on the side is the same as having the 30mm rad there - that is, zero room between the ports on the side rad and the top rad.

Van Diemen · 25 Mar 2019 at 17:04

Depending on what brand rads you have, you could stick the 30mm in the side cavity w/fans on the inside. 60mm in the top.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 17:08

Van Diemen said:
Depending on what brand rads you have, you could stick the 30mm in the side cavity w/fans on the inside. 60mm in the top.

Its a Hardware Labs GTS and it's too wide to fit in the cavity without modding the case which i'm not comfortable with

Van Diemen · 25 Mar 2019 at 17:18

Goose said:
Its a Hardware Labs GTS and it's too wide to fit in the cavity without modding the case which i'm not comfortable with

I had the same problem with the GTS.
Did consider sticking it in the bottom but wanted a vertical gpu mount.
In the end I went with an AlphaCool xt45 360 in the side.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 17:55

Van Diemen said:
I had the same problem with the GTS.
Did consider sticking it in the bottom but wanted a vertical gpu mount.
In the end I went with an AlphaCool xt45 360 in the side.

I think i'm just gonna bite the bullet and put the 30mm on the bottom. Might not looks wonderful but i'm getting to the point of not caring about that, i just want to get everything set up and running.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 18:20

Any opinions on airflow direction for the fans?

LuckyBenski · 25 Mar 2019 at 18:37

MeddlE said:
Had a quick look on the Lian-Li site and there looks to be masses of room. Case width is 272mm. 60mm rad with 25mm fan leaves loads of room for the pump/res.

It's a dual chamber case so the width of the whole thing doesn't equate directly to the space available.

MeddlE · 25 Mar 2019 at 21:17

LuckyBenski said:
It's a dual chamber case so the width of the whole thing doesn't equate directly to the space available.

Spotted that. Could you not mount the fans in the rear chamber and the rad in the main chamber? Obviously not a case I possess.

Goose · 25 Mar 2019 at 22:11

MeddlE said:
Spotted that. Could you not mount the fans in the rear chamber and the rad in the main chamber? Obviously not a case I possess.

I can but as mentioned it leaves no space to access the ports due to the rad on top.

D1craig · 26 Mar 2019 at 01:59

I’ve just done the same build in the air version. Imo you should have the fans sucking in at the bottom and blowing out at the top.

You are right the fittings and tubing won’t fit if placed in them positions. I have 2 60mm thick rads so they don’t fit in side and either top or bottom. So I went top and bottom.

Fatpizza · 26 Mar 2019 at 07:09

I have a three radiator setup in my 011 Dynamic. a 240 at the bottom, and x-flow xspc 360 at the top and then a regular 360 on the side mount. Using the X-flow saves on tubing and makes the build look so much cleaner.

Bugbait · 26 Mar 2019 at 10:35

For a CPU and GPU cooled system I would normally recommend intake on all radiators for positive pressure, forcing the hot air out the back. However, the back of the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic isn't particularly vented. Definitely intake at the bottom and you may need to try the top as exhaust and intake to see which works best. Unlike air cooled systems the bulk of the heat is being moved to the radiators which work best when the coolest possible air is passed over them, hence intake preference always.

Goose · 26 Mar 2019 at 11:09

If i had the radiator fans all as intake i could add a fan (or two) on the side mount as an exhaust.

Kei · 26 Mar 2019 at 15:36

Having the top fans pulling air in will be fighting natural convection not to mention fighting against the airflow coming up from the bottom of the case. IMO, it would be better to use the side panel as a second intake.

Bugbait · 26 Mar 2019 at 17:00

Natural convection makes sense for a fully air cooled system since that's all about air flow. It's a disadvantage if you're pulling warm air over a radiator though. If the radiators are in the top and bottom then the side may be better used for exhaust to help move the warm air out. Unless there are very powerful fans in place, running at full speed then the air current from the top and bottom aren't going to be clashing much. Not ideal but you work with what you have