Lian Li O11d Mini Water Cooling
Tom's Hardware Verdict
Lian Li's PC-O11D Mini is at present available in an 'Air' variant with an additional intake and included fans. In instance the score didn't give it away, we quite like it.
Pros
- +
Includes three PWM Fans
- +
More cooling options
- +
Supports ATX PSU
- +
Meaty-ish, for an ATX instance
- +
Affordable at $110
Cons
- -
Ditches aluminum panels for steel
- -
No longer as ITX-focused
- -
Ugly lesser air filter implementation remains
Back in 2018 Lian Li introduced its PC-O11 Dynamic chassis, designed in collaboration with Der8auer, and it quickly went on to get a classic that all the same sells well. Then, just under a year ago the company dropped the O11D Mini, shrinking the chassis into a more cheerful format. Information technology still fit ATX boards, merely could exist modified to exist a cooling-focused ITX board besides, or anything in between.
Now, Lian Li is introducing the O11 Air Mini – a variant of the chassis that has an extra front intake and includes fans – at the aforementioned $110 cost betoken. Well, the O11D Mini was priced at $99, only the tariffs have pulled that price up, too.
Then, let's dig in and find out what the differences are, whether the O11D Air Mini is an comeback, which you should get if you're considering the variants, and whether the Air Mini is worthy of a spot on our Best PC Cases list.
Specifications
| Type | Mid-Tower ATX |
| Motherboard Support | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 15.1 x 11.three x 15.vii inches (384 ten 288 10 400 mm) |
| Max GPU Length | xiv.half dozen inches (362 mm) |
| CPU Libation Acme | 6.half-dozen inches (167 mm) |
| Max PSU Length | 7.ix inches (200 mm) |
| External Bays | ✗ |
| Internal Bays | 4x 3.five-inch, 2x ii.5-inch |
| Expansion Slots | 7x or 5x |
| Front I/O | 2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm Sound/Mic Combo |
| Other | 1x Tempered Glass Panel |
| Front Fans | 2x 140 mm (Up to 2x 140mm) |
| Rear Fans | 1x 120mm (Up to 1x 120mm) |
| Top Fans | None (Up to 2x 140mm) |
| Bottom Fans | None (Upwardly to 2x 140mm) |
| Side Fans | None (Up to 2x 120mm) |
| RGB | No |
| Damping | No |
Features
Looking around the exterior of the O11 Air Mini , the first affair that stands out nearly the chassis are its tidy looks. Whereas the original O11D Mini had a glass side and front panel, the steel mesh panel at the front of the O11 Air Mini looks cleaner, nigh like the case grew upward and pulled on a suit – it's a much more business-like appearance, offering a more sophisticated await as opposed to the O11D Mini's playfulness.
The drinking glass side panel remains, as does the aluminum strip at the front end, simply the top and right-side panels are no longer made of aluminum. This isn't a real issue, simply I did like the aluminum panel on the O11D Mini, equally it was a big upgrade over the original O11D's steel panels, especially considering the case'due south low price signal. That said, this case keeps the aforementioned price, does replace the height IO shield strip with aluminum instead of the scratchy acrylic strip on the previous case, and this instance comes with three fans – then it's understandable that a compromise had to be fabricated somewhere. Too, the perforated steel mesh contrasts quite nicely side by side to the aluminum – I quite similar the look.
Top IO comprises two USB three.0 ports, a USB Type-C port and a headphone/mic combo jack. A ability button is also present, with bluish illumination effectually it.
To remove the superlative and right-side console, one simply undoes the thumbscrews at the dorsum of the case and they slide right off. The glass side and front mesh panels then come off by simply lifting them out of place, exposing the case's interior.
The case only has ane filter, at the lesser, and information technology keeps the same, not-so-pretty plastic handle equally the O11D Mini. This is visible on the side, and although applied, a little cruddy.
Other than that, y'all volition rely on the mesh of the summit, front end and side panels for filtration, though I expect these volition practice a good plenty job every bit the mesh in that location is quite fine.
Internal Layout
One time inside, you'll spot room for up to an ATX motherboard in the main compartment, along with room for radiators and fans along the top, front end, bottom and side. Two 140mm PWM fans come installed at the forepart intake, while the rear frazzle carries a single 120mm PWM spinner.
In this main compartment, CPU coolers can exist upward to vi.vi inches (167mm) alpine and GPUs upwards to fourteen.3 inches (362mm) long.
There is tons of radiator space here, too: At the acme, bottom, and forepart of the case, you tin can mount up to 280mm radiators, and the side intake/frazzle spot will happily conform a 240mm radiator.
Go on in listen, though, you likely won't be able to install a 280mm unit in the top spot with an ATX lath from the factory. This is because the radiator mount isn't placed all the fashion nigh the side panel, and the motherboard tray is pushed slightly inward from the original case. To fix this, you volition demand to buy the RB-001 outset radiator mounting bracket (no price is prepare yet) that will launch alongside the case. 240mm radiators will fit at the meridian but fine, though, unless you have tall RAM that creates clarence issues.
Flip over to the other side, and we spot a few interesting things. Despite being a 'Mini' instance, this one comes with room for big ATX power supplies (whereas the terminal case simply had room for an SFF-L PSU), and the hard drive cage is moved to the top. A comprehend is present over the cable management area, with room for two ii.5-inch drives.
Yous can either leave the covers installed on the side intake, creating room for two three.five-inch or ii.5-inch drives, with room for another two in the HDD cages, or y'all can remove them to expose the radiator mountain.
Adaptable Rear IO
From the manufacturing plant, the O11 Air Mini comes configured as an ATX instance, with seven expansion slots. However, just like the original O11D Mini, the rear IO is adjustable to arrange different boards.
Notwithstanding, the O11 Air Mini won't adapt all the fashion down to simply an ITX layout. In all fairness, that'southward fine – the Micro-ATX layout with five expansion slots will work just the same, leaving the lower slots unused to make radiator space.
Summing upwards the differences
By now, you've probably gathered that the O11D Mini and the new O11 Air Mini are almost entirely different cases. They're based on the same base of operations principles, but externally and internally they are surprisingly unlike.
The biggest deviation is that the Air replaces the front end drinking glass panel with mesh, and includes 3 fans. But information technology also cuts back on the motherboard's rear IO modularity, and has 3mm less width in the main compartment. The new model is likewise wider overall at 288mm as opposed to 270mm. This is because the rear compartment now has room for ATX PSUs, which is a huge upgrade over the SFF-L only layout in the glass-based O11 Mini, and well worth the actress width. The case is also 4mm taller, though 20mm shallower.
With these changes, I would argue that the O11 Air Mini isn't the builder's modular paradise the O11D Mini was, but rather a tidy, direct-forward ATX case, albeit with an unusual layout. This makes the new O11 Air Mini much more approachable for first-time builders.
Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lian-li-o11-air-mini-review
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