New Watercooled build. Lian Li O11 Mini

[Haz123]

I am a long time lurker new time poster on these forums and I have recently realized my current pc has sat next to me for over 4 years....for at least 6hours a day.

I do not look on the face of my wife or children as much as I do my PC and therefore my next build will be as beautiful as I can make it...I will not settle for average even though I realize I will have to learn a lot of new skills. I also do not have any monetry constraints or need to worry about price to performance any more.

Over the past 15 years I have built 5-6 pcs so I know the basics and i have a few spare cases/psus and terrible fans in the garage, I even have some much fought over DDR2 sticks for prizes in the Looserdome.


I am looking to build a new system in a Lian Li O11mini with a distro plate and hard tubing. Yes I know this is not original, I am not going for unique, but I am very confused on some matters so I will list a lot of questions below.

Few early questions answered. I have run my current system at stock clocks for years. I am not concerned with extra performance but I do like silence and longevity. I am also thinking ahead to the AM5? X670? and RTX480 series so no need to be obsessed with current issues but I assume the current ATX for factor will be in use.

1- I have watched a lot of vids where they do a normal side mounted vid card in this case. If I wanted to go vert mounted then how does that limit me for the mini? It is really confusing what you can do with ATX mini atx , micro mobos in this small case. Is it just a matter of get the parts and make them fit ?

2- Considering I would be willing to run a theroetical next gen AMD Intel 8/16/32 core cpu at stock values for many years would it really matter if I went ATX, Mini ATX , Micro ATX ? Obviously I would be watercooling and if I was limited to a slim 360 rad what would my max TDP be for silent running? GPU would ofc be included into the TDP

3- Practical issues. What tools, or extra tools, do i really need for a hardlined WC build?

4- For my first WC build should I be looking to go so small or should I go for the standard O11 Dynamic?

5- Double distro plate - Side and front. Is there room in the mini ? how would it limit radiator support if at all ? Is it much easier in the normal dynamic or is that still impossible.

6- Monoblock, Asus Formula style with prebuilt vrm cooling, Standard cpu block +loop. I am not going to go for extreme performance so I do not necessailty need to do anything. Would my choices then be purely ascetic? or is there a neccesity I do not know?

7- This is the most important question. What do I not know?


Many thanks in advance and after I have sobered up I will spell check.

 

[Gavster]

I think you will struggle with a 360mm slim rad, I have just finished my first watercooled build and I have a 360mm slim rad and a 240mm rad and my temps are still a bit higher than I`d like, I`m cooling a intel i7 9700K with a monoblock and a 3080 Founders Edition GPU.

For the hard line you will need a small hacksaw, a silicone pipe insert and maybe some pipe bend formers, all cheap enough and also a heat gun.
Also allow for some extra tubes for a bit of practice so you get a feel for the bending.

 

[Missone]

I love the mini myself but I would most likely go with the midi size as there is a bit more flexibility with setups there with regards rad/res placement positions and sizes.

 

[Drumroll]

The Mini adds too many limitations, which would be less forgiving.
The regular O11 isn't a small case, but allows easily 2 x 360 rads or 3 if you're creative.
Distro limits what you can do but, even if many users would label it as generic, the final product is generally pleasant.
Two decent 360 rads would give you some pretty decent performance and would last you many upgrades.
The regular O11 also have few options as distro, from different brands, also front or side.
For longevity, I would recommend the D5 pump. Very rare to fail and no worries about cooling it.

 

[Haz123]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to go for the O11D and not the mini, yes mini is so cute but I can see it is only really good for showcase builds or for super pro and even then I think a side mounted GPU would be very difficult.

Ok with O11D in mind I was thinking of ordering these parts and getting a system up and running whilst I wait for gpu and waterblock to add in future.

O11D +
Side distro plate - I prefer the side mount and not the front but the side does not have a G5 pump so just what is the difference between these 2 types of pumps?

Tweet

O11D Distro Plate G1 For High Performance Liquid Cooling Designed by EKWB

I may also add a front distro plate in the future but I was planning to make the tube routing a feature that could be seen through the front window so that is for the future.

Lots of EKWB EK-Torque black Nickel fittings. Including some 90 degree turns to make my life easier . I was going to go for the 16/10 fittings so will any 16mm hard tube will do ?

Radiators-I really like the square nature of the EK radiator but I am going for a mainly white build. Am I best spraying the rads when I am ready or buying white rads like the corsair ones that are available? XSPC used to do some nice white ones iirc but I cant find then now is Corsair the only supplier these days ?

EK-CryoFuel Solid Azure Blue 1L Premix Watercooling Fluid - 1 Litre

I was going to go for this fluid? I know in the past other suppliers had issues. Do i need to know anything , add extras , or just avoid ?

Oh fans, was going to get lot of white Lian li ones so would have its own controller and the distro plate is adressible I believe.

EK-Velocity Digital Addressable RGB AMD CPU Water Block - Nickel + Plexi

Ok I like the above cpu water block but why is the EKWB quantum magnitude so much more expensive and always out of stock ? I just do not understand.

I know I cannot mix Aluminium and copper parts in a loop but what about Nickel and other parts. What current parts do i need to avoid when buying new?

Now to actual PC parts.

Asus Prime X570 - Its white IO shield and other metal features are the only reason I am going for this. I had 3 failed Asus mobos on Intel 8th gen and had Gigabyte X370 bite the dust as well. Ryzen 1600 has been running for long time in MSI X370 Titanium so I like MSI currently but I want white so is there anything with the Prime I should be aware of ? or toss the dice and hope.

Looking at Corsair Vengeance 4x 8 GB sticks 3200mhz- going for these purely for looks and lowish profile to not get in the way with the water loop. I had to pay through the nose for my Samsung B dies for my original Ryzen build so happy these are relatively cheap I see no real point going extreme with the memory when not looking to OC 5900x, I may even underclock if needed.

AMD 5900x - On sale at mo so may as well get 12 cores not 8 for smallish amount extra. Is this a VRM heating a problem? with additional rads I am planning I do not see it being long term prob for 2 x 360 rads even with gpu in the loop but are the VRM likely do be a problem? going to have pretty decent airflow over them with the top rad expelling air so I am hoping no issues.

PSU- I had the original Corsair HX620 that was built by Seasonic as an OEM supplier...it was great and still works after 14 years. I then used Seasonic PSUs for many builds and I have never had one fail on me. When I was feeling weak and vulnerable I went to the dark side and got a prebuilt system from Sc .......it was full water cooled and a freaking disaster. After 3 failed mobo and returns etc I gave up and whether it was the Asus mobos or the Corsair PSU i will never know but I would always use Seasonic if given a choice. So with this build in mind I would say no Corsair but Silverstone have made SFX psu for many many years.

Now I am looking at 800w-1kw Silverstone psu... or go for 2 450w Nightjar....no fan no worry and I do not need the lower drive bay so just mod it for extra psu? I have Seasonic Snow White 750w in the garage I may use until I make my mind up. Not like this thing will move so maybe just use external GPU with extenders until I decide

GPU - Will use 1080 until I can get newer card and waterblock. AMD 4850 will go into this old build to make it usable.

I really appreciate any input or experience that you guys can give. and just tell me If am wrong. If I do not know something then please tell me because it is for my own good..

 

[Gavster]

Radiators-I really like the square nature of the EK radiator but I am going for a mainly white build. Am I best spraying the rads when I am ready or buying white rads like the corsair ones that are available? XSPC used to do some nice white ones iirc but I cant find then now is Corsair the only supplier these days ?

If you want white radiators look at the Hardware Labs Black Ice Nemesis series, good radiators and they do them in white.

Also if you`re using the EK Torque fittings consider one of these for a drain port if it`s going to be visible, better aesthetics than a ball valve. https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-w...rque-drain-valve-fitting-black-wc-a37-ek.html

 

[LuckyBenski]

Alphacool also just announced white radiators, and they are quite "square". Crossflow models available too.

 

[Haz123]

Alphacool also just announced white radiators, and they are quite "square". Crossflow models available too.

Thank you for the tip, shame OCUK do not stock these yet and they are not easy to get at moment. I really like them and have ordered a 360 60mm thick rad and chose to go with their white 16mm fittings as well. It looks like I should be able to squeeze the 60mm in at the top. If i cannot I will place it at the bottom and rethink the side mounting of the gpu, I do not have a new gpu so no rush to complete that part of the build and I will get what I have up and running with the 1080 I currently use.

Thanks for tip on the drain port Gavster, I hope I can hide it around the back of the distro plate so should be out of sight.


After a credit card authorisation apocalpse I did finally manage to order all the parts I need and I am now over 2k poorer but I should have a new system up and running in 2-3 weeks or so once all the parts arrive, I assume the parts coming in from Germany will take a while.

 

[Gavster]

Thanks for tip on the drain port Gavster, I hope I can hide it around the back of the distro plate so should be out of sight.

No problem, if it isn`t going to be visible then it doesn`t matter that much, mine is next to my combo pump so I can see it so I prefer the look of the EK drain port.

Good look with your build

 

[ukbilleh]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to go for the O11D and not the mini, yes mini is so cute but I can see it is only really good for showcase builds or for super pro and even then I think a side mounted GPU would be very difficult.

Ok with O11D in mind I was thinking of ordering these parts and getting a system up and running whilst I wait for gpu and waterblock to add in future.

O11D +
Side distro plate - I prefer the side mount and not the front but the side does not have a G5 pump so just what is the difference between these 2 types of pumps?

O11D Distro Plate G1 For High Performance Liquid Cooling Designed by EKWB

I may also add a front distro plate in the future but I was planning to make the tube routing a feature that could be seen through the front window so that is for the future.

Lots of EKWB EK-Torque black Nickel fittings. Including some 90 degree turns to make my life easier . I was going to go for the 16/10 fittings so will any 16mm hard tube will do ?

Radiators-I really like the square nature of the EK radiator but I am going for a mainly white build. Am I best spraying the rads when I am ready or buying white rads like the corsair ones that are available? XSPC used to do some nice white ones iirc but I cant find then now is Corsair the only supplier these days ?

EK-CryoFuel Solid Azure Blue 1L Premix Watercooling Fluid - 1 Litre

I was going to go for this fluid? I know in the past other suppliers had issues. Do i need to know anything , add extras , or just avoid ?

Oh fans, was going to get lot of white Lian li ones so would have its own controller and the distro plate is adressible I believe.

EK-Velocity Digital Addressable RGB AMD CPU Water Block - Nickel + Plexi

Ok I like the above cpu water block but why is the EKWB quantum magnitude so much more expensive and always out of stock ? I just do not understand.

I know I cannot mix Aluminium and copper parts in a loop but what about Nickel and other parts. What current parts do i need to avoid when buying new?

Lol I have almost all these parts in my wc build



Note about the distroplate. There are versions with DDC 3.1 and DDC 3.2 pumps. I couldn't get a 3.2 version locally so ended up buying the 3.1 version and upgrading the pump + pump housing to a heatsink with PWM fan due to the history of DDCs dying from heat.



edit: and the cryofuel so far has been great, no difference vs distilled. Time will tell but the colour looks excellent.

 

[Haz123]

ukbilleh, your build looks great and yes I am going for a similar style with very similar parts.

Do not have water cooled GPU to use so my loop will be very basic to start but that will give me lots of time to practice before I can get all the parts I need.

Ty for the info about the pump. I think I have ordered the 3.1 version so it is something I will have to monitor. PWM iirc so if I run it at low speeds would it generate less heat and potentially last longer?

 

[ukbilleh]

yer pretty much
I find running my pump faster than its near slowest speed will result in temps rising so experimentation needed.
There is quite a bit difference between the 3.1 and 3.2
If you have some means of monitoring the temp of the pump this will help. I use a commander pro with a thermal sensor tucked inside the pump housing.

The 3.1 will probably be ok if your loop isn't large and not restrictive. Some components such as blocks, rads are more restrictive than others.
In comparison to the 3.2 the 3.1 will work harder and thus hotter and with lower efficiency but again all depends on your loop.
Also I think the 3.1 uses only a pwm connector for both power and pwm signal, the 3.2 has dedicated power via molex and a separate pwm connector for signal / control.

btw if you're just starting out and intending to change in the near future I'd give hard tubing a miss and just use soft tubing. It'll be more forgiving if you change components and when you've got everything you need swap over to hard tubing. Just a thought.

edit: restrictive = restrictive to water flow = how hard your pump has to work to push fluid through the loop

 

[ukbilleh]

btw I see your convo on the drain port and adding it to the drain port at the bottom of the distro plate.

depending on the drain valve / port you buy and if you intend to attach it directly onto the distro plate at the rear, you may need to remove the pump body first as the handle of the drain port will impact the pump as you try to screw it in place due to their proximity to each other.

you can get around removing the pump body by extending the drain port away with fittings and tube but theres only about 55-60mm of clearance at the back of the o11d behind the distro plate when things are in place. Some drain ports also have a handle which can be removed too.

 

[Gavster]

btw I see your convo on the drain port and adding it to the drain port at the bottom of the distro plate.

depending on the drain valve / port you buy and if you intend to attach it directly onto the distro plate at the rear, you may need to remove the pump body first as the handle of the drain port will impact the pump as you try to screw it in place due to their proximity to each other.

you can get around removing the pump body by extending the drain port away with fittings and tube but theres only about 55-60mm of clearance at the back of the o11d behind the distro plate when things are in place. Some drain ports also have a handle which can be removed too.

Using the EK drain valve you don`t have a handle to get in the way, it`s a straight G1/4 fitting that will screw straight in so it`s fairly compact, the same size as a 16mm EK Torque HTC fittings.

 

[ukbilleh]

Using the EK drain valve you don`t have a handle to get in the way, it`s a straight G1/4 fitting that will screw straight in so it`s fairly compact, the same size as a 16mm EK Torque HTC fittings.

eh.

 

[Gavster]

eh.

You said in the post earlier "depending on the drain valve / port you buy and if you intend to attach it directly onto the distro plate at the rear, you may need to remove the pump body first as the handle of the drain port will impact the pump as you try to screw it in place due to their proximity to each other."

The EK drain port doesnt have a handle to get in the way https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-w...rque-drain-valve-fitting-black-wc-a37-ek.html

 

[Haz123]

I do have one of those EK drain ports on order and will place it on the back of the distro plate just where ukbilleh has his.

I do not mind redoing the runs when I add new stuff. I realize I will most likely not get it perfect on my first try. I am not totally certain how I want the final loop to look, until I have rads and all other parts in place and I can think.

Hopefully the pump works fine out of the box and if it has issues in future I will sort it.

Is deionised water different to distilled?

 

[ukbilleh]

I do have one of those EK drain ports on order and will place it on the back of the distro plate just where ukbilleh has his.

I do not mind redoing the runs when I add new stuff. I realize I will most likely not get it perfect on my first try. I am not totally certain how I want the final loop to look, until I have rads and all other parts in place and I can think.

Hopefully the pump works fine out of the box and if it has issues in future I will sort it.

Is deionised water different to distilled?

yer don't use deionised it'll probably start stripping metals to restore its ph
distilled is fine, it's just purified water via condensation

 

[ukbilleh]

You said in the post earlier "depending on the drain valve / port you buy and if you intend to attach it directly onto the distro plate at the rear, you may need to remove the pump body first as the handle of the drain port will impact the pump as you try to screw it in place due to their proximity to each other."

The EK drain port doesnt have a handle to get in the way https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ek-w...rque-drain-valve-fitting-black-wc-a37-ek.html

ah handy yer might look into one myself, wasn't aware ek did one while building my own

 

[Gavster]

ah handy yer might look into one myself, wasn't aware ek did one while building my own

They have only just come out, when I was getting the final parts for my build they were on pre order, I liked the look so went for it.