Test System
System Parts for Case Reviews |
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Processor: | Intel Core i7-8600K |
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Motherboards: | ATX: MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON AC mATX: Z370M GAMING PRO CARBON mini-ITX: MSI Z370i GAMING PRO CARBON Provided by: MSI |
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Graphics Card: | Long: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 OEM Short: HIS Radeon 5350 HD |
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Memory: | 16 GB XPG Dazzle DDR4 2800 MHz CL17-17-17 1.25V 32 GB GB XPG SPECTRIX D40 3000 MHz. CL16-18-18 1.35V 16 GB XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 2400 MHz CL16-16-16 1.20V Provided by: ADATA |
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HDD: | Western Digital 320 GB 7200 RPM |
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SSD: | ADATA Ultimate SU900 TLC 256 GB ADATA Ultimate SU800 3D TLC 256 GB ADATA Ultimate SU700 TLC 240 GB Provided by: ADATA |
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Power Supply: | Fractal Design Integra M 450W Provided by: Fractal Design |
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Cooling: | be quiet! Pure Rock be quiet! Pure Slim be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 be quiet! Shadow Rock LP Provided by: be quiet! |
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Assembly
Adding a motherboard is done by using spacers and screws. As I use be quiet! coolers, I was unable to utilize the larger 120 mm towers as they were just a tad bit too big for the 155 mm limit. Thus, I had to install the only other cooler I had at my immediate disposal. If planned well, you should be able to find plenty of 120 mm tower coolers that fit within the confines of the PC-O11 Dynamic; however, this goes to show that the enclosure is really geared towards a liquid-cooling setup—if that was not already apparent at this point.
The SSD on the floor of the chassis may easily be installed outside of the case thanks to the removable drive tray. Once put back in place, its connectors line up perfectly with the slim opening along the bottom edge of the chassis.
The two metal drive trays in the opposite compartment may hold both 3.5" or 2.5" drives. Once filled, simply slide the trays back into position until you hear and feel a snap. The connectors may easily be reached to add the appropriate leads.
The third and last position where drives may be installed is the central plate. Here, you have the choice of adding 2x 2.5" drives or a mix of 1x 2.5 and 1x 3.5" unit. This brings the total count to 3x 3.5" and 3x 2.5" on one end or 6x 2.5" units on the other end of the spectrum of possibilities within the PC-O11 Dynamic.
Installing the PSU is pretty straightforward. Simply place it down and use the included screws to secure it. You should really install it before adding hard drives to the central plate as it makes cable management and routing so much easier.
With everything installed, the main compartment looks extremely tidy. Even though we are not using any radiators inside the case, all the areas within the chassis where fans or radiators may be mounted are completely clear of any cables. Even the backside of the motherboard tray is nice and tidy due to the central plate covering it all. Lian Li could have opted for a window here as well, but naturally chose all metal as it is the only material to easily allow for the addition of air vents.
Finished Looks
Having everything back in place reveals all the necessary parts—you can see the motherboard, GPU and any cool SSDs you may want to show off. You could also install up to nine fans and three radiators to light everything up. Out of the box, the Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic does not come with any fans as enthusiasts will probably buy very specific ones to suite their needs. The only lighting element from the chassis is a basic blue LED behind the power button.
You can clearly see the motherboard, GPU, and RGB memory within the case when everything is turned on, while the opposing metal panel reveals nothing due to the metal mesh dust filters. In the rear, the primary PSU bay is filled, while all the motherboard components are where you would expect them to be. Lian Li offers additional accessories to install a vertical GPU to show that off as well, should you want to do so.