Excellent Budget Case: Lian Li DAN A3-mATX Review & Benchmarks
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Date: 2024-09-13
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Comments and reviews: 20
shieldtablet942
I've had these flow issues with older cases also. Those old style, PSU on top and with a big perforation on the panel close to the CPU.
When you use a GPU that exhausts, it mostly works. But with new style big fans, no exhaust GPUs, it will recirculate a lot of air. So what happens is the GPU is using mostly hot air (like here) because the exhaust fan and CPU pull cold air directly out again through the panel.
The solution is to change panels, so the perforated panel is behind the motherboard. That way, air comes behind the board, gets to the GPU and CPU and is pulled out.
In these old style, sometimes the front panel has very little airflow. Here, on modern stuff, I would advise against perforated side panels when you have bottom or front and the case is not designed for vertical GPU mounting.
General rule of thumb, I'd say, is that if your components are hot but exhaust is not, move fans and panels around so air circulate as it should.
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I've had these flow issues with older cases also. Those old style, PSU on top and with a big perforation on the panel close to the CPU.
When you use a GPU that exhausts, it mostly works. But with new style big fans, no exhaust GPUs, it will recirculate a lot of air. So what happens is the GPU is using mostly hot air (like here) because the exhaust fan and CPU pull cold air directly out again through the panel.
The solution is to change panels, so the perforated panel is behind the motherboard. That way, air comes behind the board, gets to the GPU and CPU and is pulled out.
In these old style, sometimes the front panel has very little airflow. Here, on modern stuff, I would advise against perforated side panels when you have bottom or front and the case is not designed for vertical GPU mounting.
General rule of thumb, I'd say, is that if your components are hot but exhaust is not, move fans and panels around so air circulate as it should.
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NameUserOf
I've recently put an ATX build in 011 Air Mini, it's louder than i thought it would be. HDDs are especially loud, those rubber things don't do anything because brackets have none in place where they touch the case. When they start working it's godawfull experience. I wasn't planning to have different PC as NAS. It's a huge downside.
I've put more fans 2 at the bottom and top fans became quieter but HDDs are heard even clearer.
Cable management just sucks. Almost all of the wires are bend a lot more than they should've been or at least i think so when comparing to my previous Cooler Master HAF series. I say it because there would be far more space if they wouldn't have side panel space for rads/fans.
Power SW/LED, HDD LED cable is too short, i couldn't push it through a bottom but could from the side barely.
Just a little rant.
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I've recently put an ATX build in 011 Air Mini, it's louder than i thought it would be. HDDs are especially loud, those rubber things don't do anything because brackets have none in place where they touch the case. When they start working it's godawfull experience. I wasn't planning to have different PC as NAS. It's a huge downside.
I've put more fans 2 at the bottom and top fans became quieter but HDDs are heard even clearer.
Cable management just sucks. Almost all of the wires are bend a lot more than they should've been or at least i think so when comparing to my previous Cooler Master HAF series. I say it because there would be far more space if they wouldn't have side panel space for rads/fans.
Power SW/LED, HDD LED cable is too short, i couldn't push it through a bottom but could from the side barely.
Just a little rant.
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ninetenduh
I pre-ordered the original A3, it is one of the very few cases that allows mATX and ATX PSU with full length GPU, I wish they would offer the front panel by itself since that would be my only negative on the A3.
I have to admit that I don't have any GPU cooling issues, I have massive CPU cooling issues, I have a 6800XT phantom Gaming which has 2 Arctic P12 supporting it on the bottom, but I also have an arctic Liquid freezer 2 280 on the side, because the CLC has a thicker radiator it won't fit on the top, the CLC has 2 Thermalright TL-B14, there are also 2 TL-B14 as exhaust on the top.
MY CPU temps are quite bonkers, 85 C on a 5800X3D with an Arctic Liquid freezer 2 sounds unrealistic. GPU sits at 60-70 C max during full gaming load.
So Steve, which CLC AIO would you recommend for a 5800X3D.
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I pre-ordered the original A3, it is one of the very few cases that allows mATX and ATX PSU with full length GPU, I wish they would offer the front panel by itself since that would be my only negative on the A3.
I have to admit that I don't have any GPU cooling issues, I have massive CPU cooling issues, I have a 6800XT phantom Gaming which has 2 Arctic P12 supporting it on the bottom, but I also have an arctic Liquid freezer 2 280 on the side, because the CLC has a thicker radiator it won't fit on the top, the CLC has 2 Thermalright TL-B14, there are also 2 TL-B14 as exhaust on the top.
MY CPU temps are quite bonkers, 85 C on a 5800X3D with an Arctic Liquid freezer 2 sounds unrealistic. GPU sits at 60-70 C max during full gaming load.
So Steve, which CLC AIO would you recommend for a 5800X3D.
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nikolakostic5667
So i ordered this case precisely because it seems to be able to fit any-sized gpu, along with (slim) fans below it.
The major mess-ups I see is that a) they didn't provide mounting points for a front intake fan, which could have easily been mounted below an sfx PSU and b) they didn't add 4 little holes to mount an HDD onto the PSU holder (like the nr200 has).
This not only reduces the max gpu size that fits (because of the height of an HDD) but cuts potential fresh air flow to the GPU by 50%...
I can't believe I'll have to be using a drill and zip ties to fix something that should have taken them 5 minutes to realize and correct...
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So i ordered this case precisely because it seems to be able to fit any-sized gpu, along with (slim) fans below it.
The major mess-ups I see is that a) they didn't provide mounting points for a front intake fan, which could have easily been mounted below an sfx PSU and b) they didn't add 4 little holes to mount an HDD onto the PSU holder (like the nr200 has).
This not only reduces the max gpu size that fits (because of the height of an HDD) but cuts potential fresh air flow to the GPU by 50%...
I can't believe I'll have to be using a drill and zip ties to fix something that should have taken them 5 minutes to realize and correct...
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trueFreeco
The only thing that imo is missing with this case is an illuminated power button.
I choose this case about a month ago for building a new budget air-cooled desktop for my mother-in-law. I added slow spinning 140mm side intake, 140mm top exhaust and 120mm rear exhaust (non-RGB) fans, making the build nearly silent.
When the computer is on, but the monitor went in standby mode, my mother-in-law tends to forget whether she left the computer on or not So she sometimes presses the power button actually turning off, while she wanted to turn it on
Otherwise nice case to build in, certainly at the price.
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The only thing that imo is missing with this case is an illuminated power button.
I choose this case about a month ago for building a new budget air-cooled desktop for my mother-in-law. I added slow spinning 140mm side intake, 140mm top exhaust and 120mm rear exhaust (non-RGB) fans, making the build nearly silent.
When the computer is on, but the monitor went in standby mode, my mother-in-law tends to forget whether she left the computer on or not So she sometimes presses the power button actually turning off, while she wanted to turn it on
Otherwise nice case to build in, certainly at the price.
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trevorphilips2090
While in this configuration negative pressure case is better, in general it allows drawing air through unfiltered holes and gaps, therefore defeats the purpose of filtered mesh grilles, so I think a positive pressure case is preferable. I have a case that has side openings, and simply duct taped the lower portion where the GPU pulled air (same at the back), but left it open where it pushed hot air. I have two fans front (180 and 120mm) with another 120mm at the bottom with only one exhaust fan at the top-back (mesh on top too), so I only have fine dust buildup inside the case.
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While in this configuration negative pressure case is better, in general it allows drawing air through unfiltered holes and gaps, therefore defeats the purpose of filtered mesh grilles, so I think a positive pressure case is preferable. I have a case that has side openings, and simply duct taped the lower portion where the GPU pulled air (same at the back), but left it open where it pushed hot air. I have two fans front (180 and 120mm) with another 120mm at the bottom with only one exhaust fan at the top-back (mesh on top too), so I only have fine dust buildup inside the case.
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eddyhaze8239
doing a nr200p build and been thinking of airflow side or not over and over again in my head thanks I really liked the diagram of airflow you showed , i guess I will have to test with and without to see what is better ,overall I got a glass side I sure would like to use it , I even thought of modding the the case over and over again in my head to bring some better airflow in I'm new to small builds , the case has been on the shelf for a couple of years because of this , did the nr200p bring better small form cases to the market
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doing a nr200p build and been thinking of airflow side or not over and over again in my head thanks I really liked the diagram of airflow you showed , i guess I will have to test with and without to see what is better ,overall I got a glass side I sure would like to use it , I even thought of modding the the case over and over again in my head to bring some better airflow in I'm new to small builds , the case has been on the shelf for a couple of years because of this , did the nr200p bring better small form cases to the market
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hydraulixx
I've bought this case in July 2024 as couch gaming console for the TV and it's really good for the price. It's an almost perfect compromise between SFF ITX cases (too expensive, limited compatibility) and standard Midi cases (too big and heavy). However, the case does come with a few caveats in hindsight:
1) You most likely want an SFX or SFX-L PSU because it does make working with limited space more comfortable and allows for easier assembly, bigger GPUs and AiO. A short ATX PSU
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I've bought this case in July 2024 as couch gaming console for the TV and it's really good for the price. It's an almost perfect compromise between SFF ITX cases (too expensive, limited compatibility) and standard Midi cases (too big and heavy). However, the case does come with a few caveats in hindsight:
1) You most likely want an SFX or SFX-L PSU because it does make working with limited space more comfortable and allows for easier assembly, bigger GPUs and AiO. A short ATX PSU
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lasdernas
having experience with nr200 and asus ap201, which both use same method/clips to hold the side and other panels.. having quick panel pop out is nice, but those plastic clips that hold the panel nubs are very prone to breaking over relatively short time. and there aren't many ways of getting replacements for them. some cases include a few spares for them, and somebody was 3d printing them on itch io i think, but they stopped since. and once they break, you're SOL
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having experience with nr200 and asus ap201, which both use same method/clips to hold the side and other panels.. having quick panel pop out is nice, but those plastic clips that hold the panel nubs are very prone to breaking over relatively short time. and there aren't many ways of getting replacements for them. some cases include a few spares for them, and somebody was 3d printing them on itch io i think, but they stopped since. and once they break, you're SOL
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user-eh1vp3ev3c
These high end reviewers live in their own little bubble these days. No $100 is not budget, no matter how much your corporate sponsors salivate at the thought.
If you want actual budget options consider the $50 price range, perhaps the Antec NX200M...
And no one buying a budget case is going to have to worry about video card size, the Antec will fit my RX 590 just fine, as well as the RTX 2060 I'll be upgrading to eventually.
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These high end reviewers live in their own little bubble these days. No $100 is not budget, no matter how much your corporate sponsors salivate at the thought.
If you want actual budget options consider the $50 price range, perhaps the Antec NX200M...
And no one buying a budget case is going to have to worry about video card size, the Antec will fit my RX 590 just fine, as well as the RTX 2060 I'll be upgrading to eventually.
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UrSoMeanBoss
have you ever tested this bottom-to-top airflow with flowthru cards while taping over / blocking the rear intake my hypothesis would be that it would cause more air to be pulled from the bottom and thru the card, but I don't know how it would affect cpu thermals... I suppose a more interesting question would be can solid panels benefit cooling performance over perforated and if so, under what set of conditions / panel layouts
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have you ever tested this bottom-to-top airflow with flowthru cards while taping over / blocking the rear intake my hypothesis would be that it would cause more air to be pulled from the bottom and thru the card, but I don't know how it would affect cpu thermals... I suppose a more interesting question would be can solid panels benefit cooling performance over perforated and if so, under what set of conditions / panel layouts
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bomas_ulz
I already bought it and it went back within a day... The panels, both mesh and glass, simply rattled. Quality is also the lowest of all Dan / Lian Li cases so far. Size is mostly for water cooling with 2 radiators, it's more or less just too long in my opinion. At least it's cheap. Coming from SFF cases, it's also just too big. I go with the Jonsbo Z20 now, smaller and no rattling and overall quality is better.
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I already bought it and it went back within a day... The panels, both mesh and glass, simply rattled. Quality is also the lowest of all Dan / Lian Li cases so far. Size is mostly for water cooling with 2 radiators, it's more or less just too long in my opinion. At least it's cheap. Coming from SFF cases, it's also just too big. I go with the Jonsbo Z20 now, smaller and no rattling and overall quality is better.
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antipatik0
I feel this review missed many popular configurations for this case, such as 360 AIO at the top of the case, which I think is one of the highlights of the case, also 3x120mm fans intake at the bottom, with a bigger GPU, etc.
I would be nice to see if the black wood panel fits in the white version and to see how it would look, since Lian Li is not selling the white one with the wood front panel.
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I feel this review missed many popular configurations for this case, such as 360 AIO at the top of the case, which I think is one of the highlights of the case, also 3x120mm fans intake at the bottom, with a bigger GPU, etc.
I would be nice to see if the black wood panel fits in the white version and to see how it would look, since Lian Li is not selling the white one with the wood front panel.
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markusjaeger6273
Great video! I built my rig in the case 2 months ago - nothing crazy 5800x3D & RX6750xt - I love the looks of it definitely need the wooden front - hope it will be available in Europe I have a 360 aio in the top, 1 fan in the back and 2 on the bottom - the 3rd spot in the bottom is blocked by a pcie card (10G NIC) I had ok thermals - what is ok for a case that size
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Great video! I built my rig in the case 2 months ago - nothing crazy 5800x3D & RX6750xt - I love the looks of it definitely need the wooden front - hope it will be available in Europe I have a 360 aio in the top, 1 fan in the back and 2 on the bottom - the 3rd spot in the bottom is blocked by a pcie card (10G NIC) I had ok thermals - what is ok for a case that size
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Xeonzs
That custom 3d animation with calming music was really zen, the meditation session was appreciated, Thanks Steve.
I feel like that only applies to the founder's edition type coolers though (of the 4000 series).
If you get something like an MSI or ASUS 4000 series and it's just 3 frontal fans, then with the vertical mount and extra fans it would probably be a positive.
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That custom 3d animation with calming music was really zen, the meditation session was appreciated, Thanks Steve.
I feel like that only applies to the founder's edition type coolers though (of the 4000 series).
If you get something like an MSI or ASUS 4000 series and it's just 3 frontal fans, then with the vertical mount and extra fans it would probably be a positive.
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tippyhatter
So happy to see a review on a case that I'd Ben eyeing for a while now. I've been holding off because I need an matx case which can accommodate a 280 aio and a full ATX PSU. Although my GPU is only 250 or so, I've been hesitant towards this form factor because of the compatibility concerns, so I'd been veering towards the Asus SP01 or the SAMA 01,
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So happy to see a review on a case that I'd Ben eyeing for a while now. I've been holding off because I need an matx case which can accommodate a 280 aio and a full ATX PSU. Although my GPU is only 250 or so, I've been hesitant towards this form factor because of the compatibility concerns, so I'd been veering towards the Asus SP01 or the SAMA 01,
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gamersnexus
I don't know if you tried this or if it's mentioned in the comments, but I think the side fans are meant for exhaust if you use the AIO as an intake aswell, this way it would be a lot better for the GPU I can imagine. Also they might be good for intake without a GPU if you use an iGPU/APU and use a downdraft cooler on those.
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I don't know if you tried this or if it's mentioned in the comments, but I think the side fans are meant for exhaust if you use the AIO as an intake aswell, this way it would be a lot better for the GPU I can imagine. Also they might be good for intake without a GPU if you use an iGPU/APU and use a downdraft cooler on those.
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2thgun
what abt the side fans as exhaust and aio fans as intake should help expel the gpu air which is already getting fresh air and cpu will also pull air from the outside instead of in, it will be neutral pressure given youre using the same fans however with how open the case is i dont think it will mater too much for the gpu
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what abt the side fans as exhaust and aio fans as intake should help expel the gpu air which is already getting fresh air and cpu will also pull air from the outside instead of in, it will be neutral pressure given youre using the same fans however with how open the case is i dont think it will mater too much for the gpu
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Jerdun2736
Got this case for a couple builds at my job. So far it's been pretty nice. Just easy to build in and spacious. Only gripes are the front panel like Steve mentions right out of the gate, and the fact that hiding / managing cables isn't super easy in there. For a workhorse machine that's not a huge deal though.
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Got this case for a couple builds at my job. So far it's been pretty nice. Just easy to build in and spacious. Only gripes are the front panel like Steve mentions right out of the gate, and the fact that hiding / managing cables isn't super easy in there. For a workhorse machine that's not a huge deal though.
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Ramu-10
No air-cooled tests I've got a TR PS120, which I would think is a very good choice for this case.
I have 3 bottom intakes, and 1 rear and 1 top exhaust. It keeps my overclocked rx7900xt well within bounds (60C load), as well as my undervolted 150w limited 7900x in a very good zone (75C load).
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No air-cooled tests I've got a TR PS120, which I would think is a very good choice for this case.
I have 3 bottom intakes, and 1 rear and 1 top exhaust. It keeps my overclocked rx7900xt well within bounds (60C load), as well as my undervolted 150w limited 7900x in a very good zone (75C load).
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