Time For an Upgrade

[Gavster]

With the Lian Li 011D Evo XL case now available I`m going for a minor upgrade probably around Crimbo time, mainly for aesthetics but also a bit better cooling for the summer months.

The bulk of my system will remain as I`m only changing the case, radiators and fans, at the moment I have a 7800X3D, 4090 FE both with EK quantum velocity waterblocks and a EK quantum kinetic TBE DDC combination reservoir/pump and Hardware Labs black ice radiators with Arctic P12 and Noctua Colourmax fans.

The plan is for the Lian Li Evo XL with Alphacool NexXxos 420mm XT45 V2 radiators top and bottom with 140mm Lian Li Uni fan infinity cooling them which leads me to the fan orientation.

As these fans aren`t available in the reverse blade option it means that both radiators will have to be exhaust and the side fans as inlet and rear as either inlet (bringing dust in) or exhaust (more negative pressure than positive) or no rear fan at all. For the side fans I might use my Noctua`s as these probably won`t be seen as I will be mounting either the GPU or sound card there.
Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?

 

[SirConfused]

Probably not the answer you want, but I definitely wouldn't go with that much of an exhaust heavy setup. I'd go with far more intake than that, so maybe a different option for your rad fans?

I tried similar to the reverse of what you're describing (6 intake on rads and only 1 uninhibited exhaust) and got a big improvement when I added more exhaust fans, so I'd say getting closer to balance is more important.

 

[Gavster]

Probably not the answer you want, but I definitely wouldn't go with that much of an exhaust heavy setup. I'd go with far more intake than that, so maybe a different option for your rad fans?

I tried similar to the reverse of what you're describing (6 intake on rads and only 1 uninhibited exhaust) and got a big improvement when I added more exhaust fans, so I'd say getting closer to balance is more important.

It`s exactly what I expected to hear Sir Confused, ideally I`d go top and bottom intake and side and rear exhaust. The fly in the ointment here is I`d like to use those lovely infinity uni fans as they are really very nice but unfortunately aren`t in a reverse blade option and Lian Li have no plans to make them either, which I find odd you bring a case out that supports 420mm radiators but not the fans to compliment it.
So I either look at the Phanteks T30 fans which have reverse blade options, go with smaller rads (less cooling) or go with the Lian Li fans and look at ugly frames

Like you said, not what I wanted to hear but it was expected.

 

[SirConfused]

Well I'm definitely not the right person to ask as I've got 2 intake rads with push fans that I can't even see (and negligible RGB in my case), but it sounds like reversing the fans might be your only option if you want to stick with the Lian Li option.

I can't remember who it was for the life of me now, but someone was advertising a reversible blade fan on GN a while back. It may well have been Lian Li, but if it wasn't that might be an alternative for you.

 

[Gavster]

Well I'm definitely not the right person to ask as I've got 2 intake rads with push fans that I can't even see (and negligible RGB in my case), but it sounds like reversing the fans might be your only option if you want to stick with the Lian Li option.

I can't remember who it was for the life of me now, but someone was advertising a reversible blade fan on GN a while back. It may well have been Lian Li, but if it wasn't that might be an alternative for you.

There are a few options with 120mm but less so with the 140mm fans, I asked on Lian Li`s FB page and they said they had no plans for 140mm reverse blade fans, Phanteks do a D30 in reverse blade but they`re not as nice as the Lian Li fans.

 

[xybp9]

imho consider the O11 XL non evo

look at review vids that show a small motherboard cut out (making mounting EK Velocity2 blocks impossible) and no hot-swap bays for HDDs

 

[Gavster]

imho consider the O11 XL non evo

look at review vids that show a small motherboard cut out (making mounting EK Velocity2 blocks impossible) and no hot-swap bays for HDDs

I`m not sure I follow you here as the cut out in the motherboard tray is huge, at least twice the size of the cut out in my current case and I`m not sure why it would impact the HDD trays either.