New Watercooled build. Lian Li O11 Mini

[Haz123]

I have had a few items delivered and as expected what I did not know is going to bite me.

When I looked at and ordered the Alphacool rad I also ordered the AC white 16/10 fittings. There were no angled white AC fittings available so I thought I could just fit them flush onto the EK Velocity waterblock and then practice bending tubes. This is not possible due to the fittings being so chunky and the spacing between the inlet/outlet being so small. I have ordered some Corsair white 90 and 45 fittings to compensate for this https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...-dual-pack-white-cx-9055014-ww-wc-015-cs.html , like these.

No compatability issues I am not aware of with these is there ?
or am I best just getting a Corsair Hydro X XC7 waterblock that has a lot of spacing for larger fittings ?
If I did get that corsair waterblock does the RGB work with a normal rgb header or do i need corsair controler and software?

I am starting to think that by the time I finish this first build I will have enough spare parts for another one. I may end up doing a Dynamic and a mini by end of 2022 if I am not careful.

 

[Gavster]

I would keep the white fittings, they are G1/4" thread which is a standard fitting and use the compatible Corsair tubing. Looking at the Hydro X XC7 the rgb can be controlled from the motherboards software as well as iCUE.

 

[Haz123]

Quick update.

Tested components outside the case and got post with cpu ram etc all detected so I started to install. Have cpu+mobo in case with Ocool 360x60 rad and 3 Lian Li fans. Also Distro plate is in place. I am off on holiday soon and I can see I need some more fittings to be able to make a loop so will order when I get back and nothing will happen for a while.

Lian Li - I love love love this case and the fans build is also amazing. Everything is so well thought out and the 60mm thick rad, once the fans are attched, just gently pinch the 8+4 cpu power cables at the top of the mobo and almost help keep them in place, it is precision engineering with deep thought involved in the design and I really appreciate it. I have used Antec , Fractal Design and In Win cases before but never a Lian Li and I am a customer for life. The bad - The cables are in general the perfect length to reach the places where the headers are but the USB 3.1 front header is huge and I cannot see how it will fit if there are fans or a radiator in the bottom. Maybe there is an easy work around or adapter I do not know about so will look into it after hols. The 10GB/s 3.2 connector is so small and perfect so I do not know what they were thinking with the 3.1.

EKWB - Nothing is labeled and not an instruction manual in sight. The only manuals I can find online are for more modern products and do not seem to be for the G1 3.1. Left scratching my head and having to work things out as i go along, will the PWM cable power and control the pump without need for any other power input ?. Distro plate is very nice but once again the instructions are very poor. Maybe all the info I need is in plain sight but with my old eyes not easy to find. I will consider alternatives from other companies in the future. The drain port , is this a pressure release thing because I cannot see how it works and once again no manual or even a hint to how it works, I am seriously stumped to how this works.

Ocool - The white rad is lovely and I am very happy with it. I rinsed the rad out with deionzied water 5 times and did not get any debris at all. The white 16mm fittings are very nice but massive and I cannot get any to fit with the spacings I have. Going to need a lot of extra fittings for sure. Live and learn and will go for smaller fittings in future.


TY for all of your previous help and when I am back I will continue and update. No doubt I will find a whole host of new problems to overcome but I am enjoying the process immensely. So much more satisfying than my old system with air cooled gpu and AIO that I put together in an hour all those years ago.

EDIT- There is a QR code for the Distro plate on the packaging. Goes to Lian Li but page is expired. Seems to be powered by just the pwm so will see how it works once I plug it in.

EDIT 2 - Found explanation on YT vid of how to use drain valve. Its really cute. Do EK not realize that this is a selling point and a manual/instructions are actually advertising for their products? Going to have to look to see if they have other gems on their YT channel.

 

[Gavster]

There should be a sata or molex plug for the distro plate, these provide the power, the pwm plug goes onto the pump fan header on the motherboard and controls the speed of the pump, you can set a fan curve in the bios to control the speed if you feel it is ramping up too much. There is a manual on the EK products page for the G1 4.2, I think the only difference is the pump so it might be worth looking at if you haven`t already https://www.ekwb.com/shop/ek-classic-dp-side-pc-o11d-g1-d-rgb-ddc-4-2-pwm

I was going to post some pics of the drain port, it`s not easy to work out is it

 

[Haz123]

WoW the rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper. I ordered a Corsair XC7 and I much prefer it over the EKWB block so i will use the EKWB in another build .Now I have rad distro plate mobo/etc in place I can start working out what I need and I can see that there is no advice people can give other than to order 20 of everything... or go soft tubing. If you have OCD and want to go hard tubes then welcome to a world of hurt...or FUN ...

With the O11D and the distro plate I have I will have to do the top bends first and then once they are done I can move on to the rest. So until the satin titanium fittings arrive in 10 days time I cannot move on to the next stage. Always something out of stock.


What I can say is that even with just the case / mobo / fans / cpu block / ram / 1 rad / some fittings / in place I can see how the final PC will look and it is certainly what I was aiming for.

 

[im4gine3]

I can see that there is no advice people can give other than to order 20 of everything... or go soft tubing.

Can't agree more on this statement till you release once everything is finished, how much money you wasted on extra parts from being too cautious. Can't wait on the pics

 

[Haz123]

https://ibb.co/5TYWpXv

That top link delayed me for over a week but I am back on track and should have a loop finished by tomorrow. I know the white fittings do not work with the EK ones so I have decided to not use them and have ordered a load of extra EK fittings, I love the EK Satin Titanium finish and they merge so well with the Lian Li aluminium and steel parts on the mobo.

im4gine3, I have learnt the hard way. With all the deliveries I am getting I will soon be the patron saint of DPD. I tried to order the minimum and discovered that does not work at all. Unless you copy someones actual build you just do not know what you are going to need. For me the white Alphacool fittings are just too large in diameter and do not seem to fit many spaces I need them too and the Alphacool rads also pinch the connections.

Now I have most things In place and can hold a GPU sideways I am not sure I will need a bottom rad so currently ruling that out. If the temps are terrible when I have it running with a gpu in the loop I may reconsider but I just watched a vid with a 5950x +3080 with a 30mm 280 rad and his temps were fine so I hope I do not need a bottom rad.

I do have so many spare parts I am already considering my next build but I will get this one working first.

P.s. Had to go out and buy a Dremel. I was hoping I did not need one but the connector on a Lian Li fan had to come off to help.

 

[Bossman]

Gotta love a white PC. They look a million dollars I think.

 

[Haz123]

If there was a prize for slowest PC build then I am in the running.

Current state of affairs - https://ibb.co/Qcvv5JB

Alphacool fittings. Really struggled to get these to work at all and I could not get a pressurized loop when using them. I am waiting for a different Watercooling Etailer to delivery some EK satin titanium fittings and do not believe them when they say they have them in stock, will not get here till 28th so almost 10 day delay.

I snagged an ex display asus tuf 6800, still had all the original plastic peeling on so I think it has just sat on a shelf for a year and worked fine when I tested it. I was shocked by how mahoosive current coolers have become and it dwarfed my 1080. I decided I liked the Phanteks gpu waterblocks so was limited what models to go for and this became available and with the current situation beggars cannot be choosers. I was most worried about fitting a gpu waterblock out of all the jobs but as it turns out it was the easiest. Good instructions by Phanteks and just needed to get a mini alan key for backplate screws. The pic makes the metal look a lot duller than it actually is , it is very shiny chrome and wish it was duller but I have made a choice and I may consider painting it white in the future. I have fans at the bottom so I cannot use the normal bracket that attaches to the floor of the case, this means the gpu is actually suspended in mid air held up by screws and on top of a piece of tube I melted into shape. Not sure this is a good idea and will try to think of a better option.

I may be up and running by next Sunday but do not hold your breathe.

 

[Gavster]

What about one of these? https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lian...c1e4b2bee5a-1626991606-0-gqNtZGzNAnijcnBszQu6
Looking at the images I can`t tell if it`s on the floor or not, worth checking out.

 

[Haz123]

Thats for the mini not the dynamic, no idea if it would fit without aid of blow torch and welding. I am considering glueing the makishift brace to the fans and then to the underside of the riser. Or take another look at the bracket and see if I can lower it by 2/3 mm. The gap between bottom of gpu and fans is the width of a Bic biro to give you an idea of the spacing I need to fill. I could remove the bottom fans and attach it how Lian Li intended but then I would just have the 3 fans on the rad and I feel the lower fans balance the build and do not want to loose them.

If i get a plastic ruler and cut then stack it 2 to 3 times it should make the correct height and can then wedge/glue in place or a transparent eraser would be perfect in correct depth. Going to shops tomorrow so will look in stationary and kids section for supplies. Will be cheaper than EK for sure.

 

[Gavster]

Sorry Haz, your thread title is for the mini and if forgotten you had changed and gone for the dynamic but you can get them for all the variants.

 

[Haz123]

Np Gav. I realize no one , other than me , will actually know what is going on with the build. I have the bracket for the O11 dynamic in but it is designed to be screwed to the bottom of the case and that would mean no fans at the bottom. All I am using from that riser kit is the metal rear part that the gpu hdmi/DP ports are touching and screwed into, cannot use the bottom bracket and the actual cable is PCIe 3 and 20cm so too long and I am using a 15cm Linkup pcie 4 cable instead.
The gpu is only secured by that rear bracket and floats above the fans which is why I am looking for some way to prop it up and help support and hold it in place. I got a white eraser from supermarket for 50p so will cut to shape and see what sort of support it gives.

It has been annoying having to wait for parts to come into stock and be delivered but it is giving me time to think about the problems I face and ways to overcome them.

Whilst I am thinking of problems, I have the 24pin bridge connector. What does it actually do? will it power the PWM fan headers on the mobo that my pump is connected too? or does it allow power to someplace else? Not totally sure so best to find out before I need it this time.

 

[Gavster]

I was looking at the Lian Li website earlier and it was hard to tell from the images of it was fixed to the bottom of the case as some of the images suggest that it can be fitted with fans in place at the bottom.
The 24 pin bridge is for powering the pump only. Once you are ready to fill the system, place your PSU outside of the case, plug in the molex cable to the PSU and then connect your pump with no other cables connected to the PSU. Fill the reservoir and then flick the on switch on the PSU to start the pump. Turn it off before the reservoir is empty as you don't want it running dry and then repeat until the level doesn't do and there isn't any air in the system. EK recommend leaving for 24 hours to see if any leaks develop. I only left mine for two hours before draining and refilling with cryofuel.

 

[Haz123]

Yeah I was also confused by the difference between Mini Dynamic and XL and sometimes they show the XL when describing the Dynamic so it is confusing.

Now to more confusion. The distro plate ddc 3.1 pump only has a pwm connector, no molex powr connector at all. I was thinking the bridge would power the molex connectors but the pump I have would need mobo power to the fan headers so would most likely not work? I am thinking I need an adapter for pwm to molex to make it work without powering the mobo ?

Will think about it and make decision before i put water in it . Or maybe just test it , I am such an idiot .

Edit - I really appreciate your help and patience. These are questions I jsut do not know and the lack of instructions is very elitist. I managed to fit the Phanteks GPU block easily because there was clear instructions, that is not always the case. Like building your first PC , hard at first easy afterwards but until you have actually done it then it is v confusing.

 

[Gavster]

Someone else will be along to advise on powering the the pump but you don`t want to power your mobo in case you get a leak, the last thing you want is to damage your mobo.
You`re not an idiot, just learning new skills and there will always mistakes to be made, its par of the learning curve

 

[MikeTimbers]

Molex to fan connectors are readily available. Most are for 3-pin fans so check carefully although you can cut the 3-pin to allow a PWM to connect (but be careful with this).

 

[Haz123]

Current state of the build.

https://ibb.co/5KGgr3g

The loop is air tight and the molex to fan connector should arrive soon so can add water and leak test. Ty for the tip Mike, i was considering putting another PC alongside the new build just to use a fan header

The EK fittings seem to fit so much better than the Alphacool fittings, The AC fittings are lovely and feel great but need lot of space to use them well and I do not have the experience to make them work well.

Took 2 to 3 hours for the 5 runs. Right angles are very easy to do and just takes care to get the lengths correct after it is bent, messed up a couple of times but not too difficult. The runs over the RAM are actually touching the LED strips, is a perfect fit. Once I have pressure tested I will do small alterations on some runs so that the gpu sits a little straighter and the run near the front glass will need adjustment.

The GPU is partily held up by a white eraser, is easy to cut to size and I will be buying a couple more and cut a little more careful to get better fit. They are only 50p each so easily the cheapest part of this build.

Has been much more challenging than I thought and I will be so happy when I can press the power button and install windows. Will be back on home territory then.

 

[Haz123]

The trials and tribulations of a WC noob never seem to be easy.

I spent friday cleaning up my runs to make them as nice as i could and then I finally added some water /Huzzah. All water tight and the pump was whirring away doing its thing over night. In celebration I got drunk becasue I stupidely thought I was in the home straight. On Saturday morning with a very sore head I thought I would wire in the psu properly and check the PC boots. I had previously checked the mobo+cpu+ram all worked with an old gpu , all booted and was fine. I had also checked the 6800 was working in my current pc and all was fine. What I had not checked was the riser cables with the gpu and tbf to myself the pcie 4 Linkup riser cable had not arrived before I put the water block on the gpu and I was very hesitant to power a gpu with no real cooling on it. Now all was plumbed in and as you can guess nothing , nada , not a sausage, no power , no life , no luck.

I drained the water. What I could anyway, its a real pain in the booty. Stripped out the gpu and set about testing what was wrong. Now in my Msi X370 mobo I can boot with the 6800 and the Lian Li pcie3 cable but not the Linkup pcie4 cable. I am letting the new build dry out overnight and will check I can boot it with various combos tomorrow

Now I do not want to rebuild an entire loop with one cable only to have to change it again when I see it doesnt work. How dangerous/stupid is it to plug all needed components in and hit power with no water in the loop even for just 15 seconds to see if it is booting? I did this with the gpu in my current system and I could feel it was a little warm even after less than a min of use to get into bios.

Another question. The asus mobo booklet is useless as expected but it does mention pcie options. Do I need to get into bios to change a setting to pcie 4 for the linkup cable to work? It is a better length and ofc 4 not 3 and it is supposed to work with the asus 6800.

I really hope this thread will not end up being a cautionary tale for future generations.

 

[Gavster]

I think you just need to change the settings in your bios but there have been people having problems with riser cables, have a look here https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/nvidia-30x0-series-waterblocks.18897503/page-49 not the same as yours but might give you a bit of insight.