Lian Li LANCOOL 215 vs. Lian Li LANCOOL II Mesh Performance

[flickofdawrist]

Is the $25 price difference worth it?

Used for a 5800X, RTX 3070 FE, paired with a Dark Rock Pro 4.

 

@TVwazhere what do you think?

[jaslion]

The mesh is a bit better simply because it doesn't block half the fan that is it. Even tho it has smaller fans. Both are totally fine.

[TVwazhere]

8 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

Is the $25 price difference worth it?

Used for a 5800X, RTX 3070 FE, paired with a Dark Rock Pro 4.

 

@TVwazhere what do you think?

The 215 is a better price for performance deal. The case takes a major hit in build quality compared to the Lancool 2 Mesh, and both are gonna perform similar in the end (the lancool 2 mesh would go better in gpu's thermals with that extra PSU shroud fan though)

 

Also, for the fan mount (that I didnt answer last week, thats my bad)

On 3/5/2021 at 9:09 AM, flickofdawrist said:

Do you have any recommendations for the fan? or it doesn't really matter that much. Does it have to be an expensive one?

PSU shroud mounted fan choice shouldn't matter too much, but I would aim for something with a good amount of static pressure to help pull air in from sides. Artic P12's tend to be the go-to budget fan, as it performs almost as good as the Noctua NF-A12x25 but is less than 1/2 the cost. 

[flickofdawrist]

16 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

The 215 is a better price for performance deal. The case takes a major hit in build quality compared to the Lancool 2 Mesh, and both are gonna perform similar in the end (the lancool 2 mesh would go better in gpu's thermals with that extra PSU shroud fan though)

 

Also, for the fan mount (that I didnt answer last week, thats my bad)

PSU shroud mounted fan choice shouldn't matter too much, but I would aim for something with a good amount of static pressure to help pull air in from sides. Artic P12's tend to be the go-to budget fan, as it performs almost as good as the Noctua NF-A12x25 but is less than 1/2 the cost. 

I noticed in GN's review comparing the 2 cases that the 215 has 4.4°C more than the Performance in the 3DMark benchmark. How important is that temperature difference, considering it's the biggest difference in the test?

[TVwazhere]

4 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

I noticed in GN's review comparing the 2 cases that the 215 has 4.4°C more than the Performance in the 3DMark benchmark. How important is that temperature difference, considering it's the biggest difference in the test?

The 3D mark benchmark is more indicative of better GPU cooling, but only considering stock configurations at 100% fan speeds. It basically means if you want the best GPU temps you can get and you dont want to spend more money or time on making the L2 Mesh perform better, then the 215 is the choice.

[flickofdawrist]

8 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

The 3D mark benchmark is more indicative of better GPU cooling, but only considering stock configurations at 100% fan speeds. It basically means if you want the best GPU temps you can get and you dont want to spend more money or time on making the L2 Mesh perform better, then the 215 is the choice.

You mean the Mesh 2 would be better, right? The Mesh 2 is the one at 46.8°C and the 215 is at 51.2°C. Or am I misunderstanding something?

[TVwazhere]

2 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

You mean the Mesh 2 would be better, right? The Mesh 2 is the one at 46.8°C and the 215 is at 51.2°C. Or am I misunderstanding something?

Oh, I thought you said it was the other way around. My bad, haven't looked at the 215 review in a while

 

That's a $ºC reduction in temps for the GPU for a simulated gaming work load. So if you wanna do a lot of gaming, then it's something to consider, since new GPU's can use that cooling to boost performance a bit. 

[flickofdawrist]

2 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

Oh, I thought you said it was the other way around. My bad, haven't looked at the 215 review in a while

 

That's a $ºC reduction in temps for the GPU for a simulated gaming work load. So if you wanna do a lot of gaming, then it's something to consider, since new GPU's can use that cooling to boost performance a bit. 

I don't need it that much for gaming, but I do GPU video rendering using NVENC so I guess better temps would benefit me. Also, how audible is the noise difference between the 2 cases? (215 - 38.8 dbA ; Mesh - 43.1 dbA) 

[TVwazhere]

9 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

I don't need it that much for gaming, but I do GPU video rendering using NVENC so I guess better temps would benefit me. Also, how audible is the noise difference between the 2 cases? (215 - 38.8 dbA ; Mesh - 43.1 dbA) 

Every 3 dBa is "double the perceived loudness" while every 10dBA is double the "power". It's a weird logaritmic scale and I dont pretend to fully comprehend it, but the point is, while there's a noticeable difference between the two, both can be tuned to 36dBA (most agree to be a quiet PC) for better silence

[flickofdawrist]

17 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Every 3 dBa is "double the perceived loudness" while every 10dBA is double the "power". It's a weird logaritmic scale and I dont pretend to fully comprehend it, but the point is, while there's a noticeable difference between the two, both can be tuned to 36dBA (most agree to be a quiet PC) for better silence

Haha okay. But how can they be tuned? Especially the Mesh 2? The 215 is not that much of a problem in case I get it.

[TVwazhere]

15 hours ago, flickofdawrist said:

Haha okay. But how can they be tuned? Especially the Mesh 2? The 215 is not that much of a problem in case I get it.

Reduce fan speeds from 100%

[flickofdawrist]

58 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Reduce fan speeds from 100%

So I guess the Mesh would come in handy, since it has a fan controller next to the power button. The 215 has to be tuned from the BIOS. At least that's what I remember from the GN video.

By the way, You said I should buy the Arctic P12. What size are you talking about? And should it be the PWM version or not? Because I can't seem to find the PWM version in stock where I live, only the non-PWM.

[TVwazhere]

20 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

So I guess the Mesh would come in handy, since it has a fan controller next to the power button. The 215 has to be tuned from the BIOS. At least that's what I remember from the GN video.

By the way, You said I should buy the Arctic P12. What size are you talking about? And should it be the PWM version or not? Because I can't seem to find the PWM version in stock where I live, only the non-PWM.

The number 12 is reference to the size (P12 is 120mm, P14 is 140mm, etc)

 

The 3 pin dc-dc version should be fine, you just wouldn't be able to make it go very slow (<600RPM) but you shouldn't need to lower it really past 800 to make it quiet

[flickofdawrist]

2 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

The number 12 is reference to the size (P12 is 120mm, P14 is 140mm, etc)

 

The 3 pin dc-dc version should be fine, you just wouldn't be able to make it go very slow (<600RPM) but you shouldn't need to lower it really past 800 to make it quiet

I have 2 other alternatives. So P12 non-PWM costs $5, the P12 Silent costs $4, and there's an ID-Cooling WF-12025 PWM that costs $6. What do you think?

[TVwazhere]

42 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

I have 2 other alternatives. So P12 non-PWM costs $5, the P12 Silent costs $4, and there's an ID-Cooling WF-12025 PWM that costs $6. What do you think?

I just looked up all the technical specs of all three. If you want a silent fan, the P12 silent spins the slowest at max RPM but still has tunability to make it quieter if you wanted while maintaining good airflow. Plus, it's the cheapest.

 

[thrasher_565]

you can make a fast loude fan slow and quiet its just he biggest question is how low and how quiet for a serten amount of air flow.  and by adding more fans even at low rpm will = more dbs so its a balance.

 

of that it comes down to fan shape.  there a guy on youtube Major Hardware and he 3d prints fans to test for airflow and db rally cool stuff.

 

other options of quiet and performance is water cool and liquid metal or having an open air case. what i would do is buy the best cooler that can fit then the case then go form there if your air cooling.

 

now the case can determine how many fans and what the airflow can be well noteing what mesh is installed witch and reduce the performance of then fan and if it starves the fan of air make the whoosh louder.

 

so called quiet case that have more solid sides will be hotter inside meaning that the fans will have to be higher rpm to compensate but there are other benefits of it for blocking coil wine thow with good components you should be able to buy parts that dont have coil wine. im one of thows guys that cant stand it and i cant stand my 2tb hhd ether that's why its 5 feet away form me haha one day ill go ssd or m.2....one day.

Edited March 10, 2021 by thrasher_565

[Jason 57]

@flickofdawrist @TVwazhere

I currently have both cases. 

My desktop is in the Mesh Performance, and my son's is in the 215. 

The 215 is much lighter, only has glass on one side which is screwed in place instead of being a hinged door. 

The metal on the 215 feels like a cheaper/thinner steel compared to the aluminum of the Mesh Performance. 

I believe that the 215 is smaller, at least it seemed that way when I put his together. (moved his system from a Skeria 500X to the 215.)

 

Having the fan controller in the front IO on the Mesh Performance is nice. In the beginning I would manually switch back and forth. But honestly I just leave it on medium or MB now. The preinstalled case fans don't seem all the loud to me. (I have my case on my desk, while my son has his on the floor[not on carpet]).

 

Although are components aren't as new as yours are:

He has a RX 5700XT for graphics while I have a used GTX 1070. 

I run a 3600 while he has a 2600X, both with stock coolers. 

Personally I think my MB is better. Not sure if that makes a difference, except with VRM temps. 

(Tomahawk vs Gaming Edge, both X570)

 

If you want any other kind of data or photos, I will see what I can get you. 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Jason 57
forgot to tag

[flickofdawrist]

20 hours ago, Jason 57 said:

@flickofdawrist @TVwazhere

I currently have both cases. 

My desktop is in the Mesh Performance, and my son's is in the 215. 

The 215 is much lighter, only has glass on one side which is screwed in place instead of being a hinged door. 

The metal on the 215 feels like a cheaper/thinner steel compared to the aluminum of the Mesh Performance. 

I believe that the 215 is smaller, at least it seemed that way when I put his together. (moved his system from a Skeria 500X to the 215.)

 

Having the fan controller in the front IO on the Mesh Performance is nice. In the beginning I would manually switch back and forth. But honestly I just leave it on medium or MB now. The preinstalled case fans don't seem all the loud to me. (I have my case on my desk, while my son has his on the floor[not on carpet]).

 

Although are components aren't as new as yours are:

He has a RX 5700XT for graphics while I have a used GTX 1070. 

I run a 3600 while he has a 2600X, both with stock coolers. 

Personally I think my MB is better. Not sure if that makes a difference, except with VRM temps. 

(Tomahawk vs Gaming Edge, both X570)

 

If you want any other kind of data or photos, I will see what I can get you. 

 

How audible is the noise though (at full load and low load) for the Mesh Performance? I plan to keep it under my desk, next to me. About 40cm distance.

[thrasher_565]

24 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

How audible is the noise though (at full load and low load)? I plan to keep it under my desk, next to me. About 40cm distance.

the nose depends on fans and fan speed

[flickofdawrist]

10 hours ago, thrasher_565 said:

the nose depends on fans and fan speed

That's why I specified at full load and low load, assuming he's using auto fan mode with stock fans.

[Jason 57]

12 hours ago, flickofdawrist said:

How audible is the noise though (at full load and low load) for the Mesh Performance? I plan to keep it under my desk, next to me. About 40cm distance.

At idle I can't hear a thing. And my tower is at my head level. (See pic below.)

Full load: I sadly don't have a decibel rating. But if I take my headphones off I can hear the GPU fans ramp up a bit. 

When I would set the case fans to high speed setting (switch) I still couldn't hear them.

(Let me put this caveat out there, I used to stand watch in an engine room on an aircraft carrier. That was a constant 90DB for 9 years. Even with single hearing protection the whole time, I have tinnitus.) 

 

I will try to download a sound meter to my phone tonight, and record the numbers for you at each level. 

 

[flickofdawrist]

3 minutes ago, Jason 57 said:

At idle I can't hear a thing. And my tower is at my head level. (See pic below.)

Full load: I sadly don't have a decibel rating. But if I take my headphones off I can hear the GPU fans ramp up a bit. 

When I would set the case fans to high speed setting (switch) I still couldn't hear them.

(Let me put this caveat out there, I used to stand watch in an engine room on an aircraft carrier. That was a constant 90DB for 9 years. Even with single hearing protection the whole time, I have tinnitus.) 

 

I will try to download a sound meter to my phone tonight, and record the numbers for you at each level. 

You don't have to download the sound meter, I probably still won't understand how audible the noise is haha. Gamers Nexus already measured it, but I can't visualize it. Regarding the GPU, I don't think there's anything that can be done, except modifying the fan curve, but all I wanted to know was the noise of the case fans anyway.

You're awesome. Thanks for the detailed comments.
 

On 3/9/2021 at 8:22 PM, TVwazhere said:

I just looked up all the technical specs of all three. If you want a silent fan, the P12 silent spins the slowest at max RPM but still has tunability to make it quieter if you wanted while maintaining good airflow. Plus, it's the cheapest.

 

I was thinking, if I won't have to use the extra fan below the GPU, would it help placing it in the front, together with the other two?

[Jason 57]

5 minutes ago, flickofdawrist said:

I was thinking, if I won't have to use the extra fan below the GPU, would it help placing it in the front, together with the other two?

I was thinking the only reason I would put 3 fans on the front of the Mesh Performance is if you wanted air blowing on the HDDs directly. 

 

I have thought of putting 2 fans facing the GPU, or at least one, but my 1070 isn't running hot enough to justify it. 

 

Will do about the sound meter app. 

 

My only negative gripe on the Mesh Performance/RGB is that if you want USB-C on the front IO, you have to buy the $15USD accessory and install it yourself. (It isn't hard to do, just time consuming.)

But in all seriousness, I absolutely LOVE this case. I don't do any extra RGB (my daughter told me I should keep mine dark and performance oriented). 

 

If you have any other pictures you want of either the Mesh Performance or the 215, I'll take what I can and post them.   

[flickofdawrist]

3 hours ago, Jason 57 said:

I was thinking the only reason I would put 3 fans on the front of the Mesh Performance is if you wanted air blowing on the HDDs directly. 

 

I have thought of putting 2 fans facing the GPU, or at least one, but my 1070 isn't running hot enough to justify it. 

 

Will do about the sound meter app. 

 

My only negative gripe on the Mesh Performance/RGB is that if you want USB-C on the front IO, you have to buy the $15USD accessory and install it yourself. (It isn't hard to do, just time consuming.)

But in all seriousness, I absolutely LOVE this case. I don't do any extra RGB (my daughter told me I should keep mine dark and performance oriented). 

 

If you have any other pictures you want of either the Mesh Performance or the 215, I'll take what I can and post them.   

I don't need USB-C anyway. Never used it and never had one. 

 

If we take the Mesh II RGB for example, I think placing a fan in the front wouldn't be a bad idea. It doesn't blow air only towards the HDD shroud. It's like half towards the HDDs and half towards the main area of the case.

[flickofdawrist]

On 3/9/2021 at 8:22 PM, TVwazhere said:

I just looked up all the technical specs of all three. If you want a silent fan, the P12 silent spins the slowest at max RPM but still has tunability to make it quieter if you wanted while maintaining good airflow. Plus, it's the cheapest.

 

I noticed there's P12 PWM, P12 PWM PST and P12 PWM PST CO. Can you tell me what the differences are?