Lian Li 120mm UNI FAN TL LCD: the prettiest fans I’ve owned… with two software headaches

By Landri Brown on November 3, 2025. Landri Brown is an industry analyst and reviewer for Forsaken PC, And XtremeSystems. She can be contacted at Landri.smith@gmail.com

Stunning hardware, impressive performance, and frustrating software flaws

If you’re building a visually focused PC, the 120mm UNI FAN TL LCD fans from Lian Li are hard to ignore. With integrated LCD screens, sleek RGB lighting, and the signature UNI FAN interlocking system, these fans are clearly designed for high-end showcase builds.

After spending real time with them, I can confidently say: the hardware is excellent. Unfortunately, the software experience holds them back from perfection.

Design & Aesthetics: Where These Fans Shine

The standout feature is obviously the 1.6-inch LCD screen built directly into the fan hub. It’s bright, crisp, and surprisingly sharp at 400×400 resolution. Whether you’re displaying CPU/GPU temps, animated system stats, or custom GIFs, the screen adds a level of personalization that most fans simply can’t touch.

Visually, these fans are exactly what you’d expect from Lian Li:

• Clean frame design

• Infinity mirror RGB accents

• Premium finish that looks intentional in both black and white builds

They’re made to be seen, and they absolutely succeed at that.

Performance & Build Quality

Despite being heavily aesthetics-focused, performance doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Highlights:

• Smooth operation up to ~1900 RPM

• Respectable airflow for both case and radiator use

• Quiet enough on balanced fan curves

• Excellent build quality with zero “cheap” feeling parts

The UNI FAN interlocking system also makes cable management far cleaner than traditional fan setups. Fewer cables, fewer headaches, and a much more polished final build.

Software Experience: The Biggest Weak Point

This is where things start to fall apart.

❌ Frequent Disconnections from L-Connect

The fans and LCD screens randomly disconnect or stop appearing in L-Connect 3, which means:

• LCD screens freeze or stop updating

• Fan controls disappear

• RGB settings reset or become inaccessible

Sometimes a reboot fixes it. Sometimes reseating USB headers helps. Other times, it feels completely random. For a premium product, that inconsistency is frustrating.

❌ Controller Firmware Update Bricking

The most serious issue I experienced was a controller bricking during a firmware update. After updating through L-Connect, the controller became unusable and would no longer be detected.

This isn’t just inconvenient—it’s stressful, especially when firmware updates are pushed as “recommended.” For a product that relies so heavily on software, failed updates are a major concern.

Pros & Cons Summary

✅ Pros

• Gorgeous LCD screens with excellent clarity

• Premium RGB lighting and infinity mirror design

• Strong airflow and quiet performance

• UNI FAN system keeps builds clean and organized

• Perfect for showcase and themed builds

❌ Cons

• Fans and LCDs frequently disconnect from L-Connect

• Software reliability is inconsistent

• Firmware updates carry real risk

• Controller failure can leave the system unusable

Final Verdict

The Lian Li UNI FAN TL LCD 120mm fans are some of the most visually impressive fans on the market. The LCD screens are genuinely fun, the RGB is top-tier, and the physical hardware feels every bit as premium as the price suggests.

However, the experience is only as good as the software—and right now, L-Connect and firmware stability are the weak links. If Lian Li can improve software reliability, these fans would be nearly flawless.

Until then, they’re best suited for builders who:

• Value aesthetics above all else

• Don’t mind troubleshooting software

• Are comfortable being cautious with firmware updates

They’re beautiful, powerful, and innovative—but not without frustration.

Motherboard Insulation Guide

Author: Max Spicer

11/30/2025

Max Spicer is an industry analyst for XtremeSystems.org,  Forsaken PC, Overclocker for team XtremeSystems (Spicer on HWBOT).Contact directly at SpicerXtremeSystems@gmail.com

Intro

When I first started to get into XOC I was extremely worried about killing boards cold. It’s been just over three years now since I ran Liquid Nitrogen for the first time at Benchmeet in Fremont California hosted at Asus and I’ve only sustained two hardware deaths, a Maximus XII Apex and the i9-10900k it took with it. 

This guide is supposed to go along with a DIY AC Chiller guide that will be coming out hopefully soon and with some other cheap DIY XOC guides that are planned. The DIY AC Chiller Guide will have more relevant information about insulating waterblocks and tubing for those who are looking for that. 

Step 1 - Supplies

Supplies Needed:

  .Multi Bit Precision Screw Driver kit

  .Scissors 

  .20-40ML Syringes

  .WD40 Specialist Silicone

  .Shop Towels 

  .Liquid Electrical Tape (LET) or Plasti Dip - (Dip / Open Top Can, NOT Spray)

  .Painters Tape 

  .Neoprene Foam Closed Cell High Density - (1/4 Inch / 6.35mm thick) (NO adhesive or embossed Alu) 

Personally I just buy a 100 pack of the syringes and it lasts me about a year at the worst. For shop towels I prefer Scott Shop Towels, I also just buy the six packs of them. I also prefer using Plasti Dip over Liquid Electrical tape, if you can’t find Plasti Dip I recommend using Star Brite over Gardener Bender. I can find all three at my local Lowe’s; buying a tall can of Plasti Dip is by far the best value wise. Almost everything on the supplies list can be bought at a local hardware store, the roll of foam most likely will have to be ordered online.

Step 2 - Preparation of the board

The absolute first thing that is needed is to remove all heatsinks and covers on your gpu or motherboard near the area you will be insulating. I don’t typically use the painters tape when I use syringes but if you haven’t insulated many boards I would highly recommend using it. Cover all slots and sockets with the tape, make sure there is some excess so it is easier to remove later. If you are only running cpu cold I’d recommend insulating down to about where the second or third expansion slot would be in a case. If you plan on running graphics cards cold then do the whole board.

Step 3 - Applying Plasti Dip 

The cans of liquid electrical tape typically have brushes built into the lids, you need the painters tape applied if you plan on using this. I don’t personally recommend it but I have many boards that have been done this way. My currently preferred method is using syringes to apply LET onto the pcb

I also do NOT recommend covering the VRM on the motherboard in a majority of cases, I do it and leave the tops of the phases exposed so that they still do get some passive cooling. On ln2 it typically will be warm enough to not have issues unless you are going for single core loads or cpuz valid. I wouldn’t do this on many legacy boards, pre z390 era unless the vrm is very over built

I typically apply multiple layers, you’ll miss spots or see that a leg is exposed on something and go patch it up later. Drying takes a few hours at the least and I normally leave stuff on my bathroom counter with the fan on, sometimes it does have a strong chemical smell. 

Step 4 - Post LET Preparations 

After the LET has dried and there are no obvious areas I have missed I spray the cpu socket, ram slots, pcie slots and all connectors with WD40 Silicone Specialist. This is something I have been doing more recently but picked up from Charles Wirth, “Fugger”. If you saw the LTT video we were in then you probably saw it being used. If you want to let the WD40 dry it takes a day or two, after a day I normally take some shop towel and wipe up any excess that didn't dry onto the board. 

For the next part you will need your pair of scissors and your neoprene foam. The way I normally make my foam cut outs is by taking a larger piece of foam, pressing it against the board with some pressure to leave an indent of the components and cutting out those indents, for can style capacitors I normally just press it over and let it put a small tear for the cap to slide through. For inductors that are shorter than the foam I try to dig out sections with my scissors to let the foam sit flat. I prefer putting the m.2 covers and all back on but that's more of a personal preference and most people don't put them back on.

If you are just running a single stage or chiller you can get away with just having foam around the cpu socket and ram. For ln2 I recommend doing the entire upper half of the board. 

Step 5 - Towels

The last piece of insulation I do is applying shop towels in small areas and larger hand towels to insulate pots, evaps or waterblocks. Shop towels can and are used as a substitute for foam but personally I prefer using foam for around the socket and vrm areas. My normal shop towel application starts after I have mounted whatever cooler I am using, I typically tear them by hand to make smaller pieces if needed. I know some people get a little ungenerous with the shop towels and cut them up into small sections before getting ready to apply. Treat the shop towels like thermal paste and just accept that the application is almost always a one time use. 

For applying the hand towels just focus on filling or covering large exposed areas like around the cpu pot or around the universal block on a gpu. For Ln2 and Dry Ice if you are using shop towels over foam just cover as much as you can with the shop towels

ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex — The Ultimate Overclocking Motherboard

A deep dive into features, BIOS tuning, and pushing Intel's latest chips to 5.8 GHz and beyond. By Lance Brown on November 2 2025,

Overview

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex is the spiritual successor to ASUS’s legendary Apex series—motherboards designed not for casual gaming, but for the enthusiasts and world-record chasers who live for liquid nitrogen, high voltages, and frame-perfect performance tuning. Featuring the new LGA 1851 socket and Z890 chipset, the Apex blends bleeding-edge PCIe Gen 5 connectivity, insane VRM power delivery, and BIOS tools that rival dedicated bench setups.

Hardware and Power Design

• 22+1+2+2 phase VRM with 110A power stages for rock-steady current delivery.

• ProCool II power connectors and MicroFine alloy chokes for reduced impedance.

• Heavy-duty heatsinks connected with heatpipes to dissipate heat under load.

• Extreme OC features: LN2 Mode jumper, Safe Boot, Retry button, Slow Mode switch, and ProbeIt voltage points.

Memory and Layout

ASUS limits the Apex to just two DDR5 DIMM slots to ensure ultra-short trace lengths for maximum signal integrity. This enables validated DDR5 overclocks exceeding 9000 MT/s with support for up to 96 GB (2×48 GB) modules.

PCIe Gen 5 Connectivity

The Apex fully embraces PCIe 5.0:

• 2× PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (x16 / x8 + x8 configuration).

• 3× CPU-connected M.2 Gen 5 x4 slots for next-gen NVMe SSDs.

• Optional DIMM.2 card adds 2 more PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives.

Every PCIe Gen 5 lane from the CPU is utilized efficiently, making the Apex one of the best choices for NVMe RAID or multi-GPU enthusiasts. Be aware that using all M.2 slots may cause lane sharing.

Cooling and Networking

• Integrated Wi-Fi 7 with tri-band MLO (2.4/5/6 GHz).

• Realtek 5 Gb Ethernet for ultra-low latency wired connections.

• Large VRM and M.2 heatsinks with direct airflow design.

• Multiple fan headers and water-pump headers for custom loops.

BIOS and AI Tuning

The Apex BIOS remains one of ASUS’s most advanced. Every voltage rail, LLC curve, and memory parameter is manually adjustable. AI Overclocking and AI Cooling II analyze thermal margins to suggest starting points for manual tuning.

Overclocking Guide — Hitting 5.8 GHz on the P-Cores

Note: For this setup, ensure robust cooling — a 360 mm AIO or custom water loop is recommended.

1. Enter BIOS by pressing DEL or F2 and switch to Advanced Mode (F7).

2. In Extreme Tweaker, set:

   • AI Overclock Tuner: Manual

   • CPU Core Ratio: Sync All Cores → 58

   • CPU Core/Cache Voltage: Manual Mode → 1.38 V (start point)

   • Load-Line Calibration: Level 4 or 5

3. Under Internal CPU Power Management:

   • Long/Short Power Limits (PL1/PL2): 4095 W

   • Tau: 128 s or maximum

4. Ring Ratio: 47–49 × (Disable “Ring Down Bin”).

5. Enable Thermal Velocity Boost and keep AI Cooling II active for adaptive fan curves.

6. Save and Exit (F10) → Verify 5.8 GHz all-core in CPU-Z or HWInfo.

Typical Stable Settings

Cooling Type	Voltage	Temp	All-Core Clock
360 mm AIO	1.35–1.38 V	≤ 85 °C	5.7–5.8 GHz
Custom Loop	1.38–1.42 V	≤ 80 °C	5.8–6.0 GHz

Stability testing: Use Cinebench R23 or AIDA64 for 15–30 min. If unstable, reduce ratio by 1× or adjust voltage by ±0.01 V increments.

Verdict

The ROG Maximus Z890 Apex stands alone as a purpose-built overclocker’s dream. From its precision VRM to the BIOS granularity and LN2-grade switches, it remains unmatched. It’s expensive, yes—but for anyone chasing performance records or simply wanting absolute control, the Apex earns its name.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 for overclockers)

→ Buy the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Apex at ASUS Store