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Shop the Loop - Hot Metal
Getting the most out of the LIAN LI O11D EVO case, in terms of both performance and aesthetics, is a walk in the park with the help of the EK-Quantum Reflection² PC-O11D EVO distribution plate. “Hot Metal” packs some of the best liquid cooling gear by EK, features metal tubes for that extra badassness, and not to mention that the build itself can be reversed (upside down) as this case allows just that. So, let’s dig deeper into this Hot Metal beast and aesthetical treat, no matter the case orientation.
About the Build
The new Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO case is a step up for water cooling (that we dig quite a bit) and a logical choice for this PC. With the new EK-Quantum Reflection² PC-O11D EVO distribution plate that can be positioned in both regular and reversed (upside down) setups, we can keep up with that evolution, no questions asked.
The distro plate is a custom water-cooling reservoir, routing, and pump solution that seamlessly fits into the front of this case. The solution is also equipped with four innovative push-in ports that come with female G1/4″ threaded adapters. The idea is that the user can assemble the radiator and fittings and use these push-in adapters to simply slide it into the distro plate for improved user-friendliness.
The reversed sample build can be found here.
The Cooling Potential
The radiator setup features three EK-Quantum Surface P-sized (Performance) radiators for the ultimate cooling results while still achieving quite a small footprint. On top of that, the build packs the latest fans from EK, the FPT (Full Pressure Technology) fans that are designed and made to be a perfect match for the new surface radiators. So, no matter which top-of-the-end hardware components you plan to use in this type of setup, the cooling will be handled with ease, and the noise will be kept at much lower levels than anyone would expect.
The CPU, the VRM, and the GPU cooling is handled by the best EK has to offer. Let's start with the motherboard and its monoblock.
The EK-Quantum MSI MPG X670E CARBON EK X is an X670E-based motherboard resulting from a partnership between EK® and MSI®. It offers unparalleled cooling for the VRM section and the AMD® Ryzen™ 7000 series CPUs, as well as a plethora of other nifty features. Among those neat features are an integrated flow meter and a temperature sensor, allowing users to have precise checks on their loop status.
The GPU is encased in the EK-Quantum Vector² Active backplate set. This ultimate cooling set consists of a high-performance GPU water block and the latest Active Backplate cooling solutions as a single enclosure. The GPU backside cooling is now provided by a full-blown water block with its own copper coldplate and a full-length acrylic top. The New Vector² water blocks effortlessly solve the issue of excessive heat generation during high loads on the GPU core, the voltage regulation module, and the GDDR6X VRAM of the RTX graphic cards.
Assembly
Due to the innovation and all the Matrix7-compatible products in the build, assembly has never been easier. Even the use of this gorgeous nickel metal tubing is now a non-challenge, as these tubes require no bending. The 16mm nickel-plated EK-Loop Metal Tubing is used with a combination of EK-Quantum Torque HDC 16 – Nickel fittings and red HDC 16 Compression Rings.
For the CPU block, a combination of the 28-mm EK-Quantum Torque Extender Static and EK-Quantum Torque Rotary 90° is needed to avoid bends and clear the tubing over the RAM modules directly into the distro plate.
On the GPU side, we used the widest GPU and block intentionally. With the overall block width of 155 mm, it will use the most fittings. Narrower blocks will use less, and all that is needed is to subtract the fittings in 7-mm increments due to the EK-Matrix7 system.
We start with a 7-mm extender to the GPU terminal and a 90° rotary adapter. The 7-mm extender is unnecessary if you use a non-ABP GPU block. Then to offset the width of the block on one port, we use a 7-mm extender, a 14-mm extender, and a 90° rotary adapter to ensure straight tubing to the distro.
On the other port, we need a 7-mm extender and a 45° rotary adapter, all positioned at an angle to go with the straight tube to the distro. Please note the same can be achieved with a 21-mm offset.
So, if we use a narrower GPU block, for example, a 4080 FE that is 148 mm wide, then all we need is to remove the 7-mm extender from one port and use a 14-mm offset on the other instead of the 7-mm extender and a 45° rotary adapter(two together add up to 21mm).
Radiator connection:
- Top radiator: 2 x 90° rotary adapter + Push-In fittings
- Bottom radiator: 2 x 14-mm extender + 90° rotary adapters
Side radiator:
- PORT 1: 28-mm extender + 2 x 90° rotary adapter + tubing with fittings
- PORT 2: 28-mm extender + 90° rotary adapter + 14-mm extender + 7-mm extender + Push-In fittings.
Aesthetics
This stunning AM5 build deserved a bit of red color to be dripped inside the case to emphasize the hotness and justify the “Hot Metal” name. So, we have added red compression rings and filled the loop with EK-CryoFuel Solid Scarlet Red. With so many D-RGB LEDs, it was a breeze to set it to shine across all corners. And with the nickel-plated metal tubing and the pump cover, the glow is truly gorgeous and can take on any color you want. For the carbon motherboard, we decided to go with a red and carbon-colored Cablemod cable set... and voila, this hellish Hot Metal beauty is complete!
Hardware Specifications:
- PC Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO Harbor Grey
- Motherboard: MSI MPG X670E CARBON EK X
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 (Strix)
- RAM: G.SKILL Trident Z5
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7950X
- Cables:CableMod Red/Carbon
Hot Metal Loop Kit
