Lian-li cases

[DreamThrall]

I just built a new box, and got my first Lian-li case. MY GOD, building in this case was one of the most refreshingly gratifying things ever, considering the crappy cases I've working with in the past. I got the PC-7F. It's a little more expensive than the average $100-range case, but IMHO the extra bit of price was totally worth it. I don't know how much of this is standard in their cases, but I'll run down the list of what I loved:

• No unfinished/raw cut edges to cut your fingers, hands or arms on
• PLENTY of space to work in
• Both side panels come off equally easy, which makes the initial build and cable routing much easier
• Anything with a motor has rubber or foam dampers where it touches or connects with the case frame
• Well-engineered in general. You take this for granted until you get some crap case with something that makes you go "why the **** would they [not] put this there??"
• 120mm fans are much quieter than 80mm, excellent airflow in general
• This is pretty common now, but tool-free 3.5" and 5.25" drive installation is excellent
• It comes with stuff to help with cable routing

Anyways, if you don't already have a case you're 100% happy with, I'd definitely recommend checking out a Lian-Li case for your next build.

 

[Krynn72]

Too bad they look lame as shit.

Cooler Master is where its at. Got pretty much all the same stuff (a few of the less likely to be touched areas are still a bit sharp) but it looks so much better. Lian Li cases look like cases from the 90s but painted black instead of beige.

 

[huntingbear]

yeah i gotta say i can't find any aluminum cases i like other then Apevia but i'm so sick of them, it's all we use at work for our builds. I have an Antec P180 but it's so ****ing heavy! My dream case is lighter, may or may not have bottom mounted PSU, full tower, a door, gaps for cable managment under the motherboard area, sound dampening, sideways mounting HDD trays to accommodate a large VGA, a 120mm that lines up with my CPU heatsink/fan for outing the hot air, and a good coordination of fan locations for airflow.

dang....doesn't exist....

 

[CptStern]

Lian's Li quality goes up exponentially the more expensive it is. well worth it imho. however I'm also a big fan of Silvberstone cases which I think can compete with lian-li on some cases at a somewhat cheaper price. but ya I'm a little spoiled on the quality of an expensive case will never go back to a cheap case. good purchase dreamthall


huntingbear : aluminum unibody design:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=FT01

it's what I currently have and it pretty much fits your wishlist



or go for broke with this case:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=tj07&area=usa

 

[DreamThrall]

Too bad they look lame as shit.

Cooler Master is where its at. Got pretty much all the same stuff (a few of the less likely to be touched areas are still a bit sharp) but it looks so much better. Lian Li cases look like cases from the 90s but painted black instead of beige.

Dude, that thing is hideous. I'd rather have plain looking case than something that looks like a goddamn transformer.

I agree that some of their cheaper cases look a bit dull, but the one I got isn't bad. This one's just downright sexy IMHO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112066&cm_re=lian_li-_-11-112-066-_-Product

 

[CptStern]

you dont buy lian-li cases for their looks. still the best cases on the market quality wise

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Well made but I think they are extremely dull. Why not paint a shoe box black or silver and throw everything in there? Lian-li cases are literally a metal cuboid. I don't understand the attraction with something so safe and normal looking. If you were going to build a media PC to sit in your lounge under your television...fair play. But a proper PC tower needs some character you unimaginative slags.

 

[CptStern]

ya but it shouldnt look like a jukebox on steroids either. it's a computer not a funhouse attraction. also lian-li have dull designs which is why I went silverstone instead. much classier than the HAF (no offense krynn)

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I agree, but at least people with blue LED fetishes are buying something which makes a statement rather than a mediocre tin box. I guess I just don't understand how someone can look at this...

and say it's brilliant. I yawn when I look at it.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

You actually look at your PC cases?

I've got one of these mofos:

Well, two actually. One lives behind my TV, and the other under my desk. They're computers, not fashion accessories.

 

[CptStern]

I agree, but at least people with blue LED fetishes are buying something which makes a statement rather than a mediocre tin box. I guess I just don't understand how someone can look at this...

and say it's brilliant. I yawn when I look at it.

I hate doors on pc cases but still how can you not look at that and think Monolith?

btw the apes in that pic represent NZXT/seizure inducing case fans


less is more imho when it comes to design. you dont need to tell the world exactly what it is by calling attention to it by using spinning leds that dance to the rythmn of the hardrive's beat

 

[Dinnesch]

I have a Antec 300. Simple, cheap, lots of space, good airflow

I didn't get hurt while assembling it, so I guess it's well-finished too.

Dunno about those Lian-Li cases, never heard about the brand.

 

[Quixoticism]

Lian-Li has a good reputation but their cases would be hard pressed to be more boring than they already are. I've lately become a fan of NZXT cases and have liked Thermaltake for a long time.

 

[DreamThrall]

Ugh, I HATE glowing cases.

 

[Acepilotf14]

One of the primary reasons I bought my case was because it had no glowing lights.

This is really the only good Antec case.

 

[DreamThrall]

I hate doors too.

 

[Asus]

That's a nice Lian Li case.
I like my cases mostly steel or aluminum. Don't mind the weight of steel since I usually get full towers and loaded with drives anyway. I go for function over looks mostly. The contents of the case is what is interesting. Not all but a lot of cases with 'flair' are done so to get buyers because they lack quality else where. The only time a case looks awesome and it might hinder function is a modder making a case into a piece of art.

What I don't like is extra bulk on top of the frame. All that shaped plastic. It can be done with taste but most of the time it is in excess imo and looks cheap.

To me, lights and windows highlight the case. Although I usually opt not to use them. If it is a 'cheap' looking case to begin with then the lights/window usually magnifies that. I don't see pretty. However lights in a nice case, like aluminum Lian Li's, look nice. Especially clean window jobs of modders who know what they are doing vs window kits. I don't like tons of fans that are not helping or actually ruining air flow.
Keep it simple. Then it looks like it is put together well without throwing function to the side.

IMO lian li do not look like 90's beige boxes. They look like workstation/server hardware with a minor adjustment for looks.

 

[Krynn72]

Dude, that thing is hideous. I'd rather have plain looking case than something that looks like a goddamn transformer.

I agree that some of their cheaper cases look a bit dull, but the one I got isn't bad. This one's just downright sexy IMHO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112066&cm_re=lian_li-_-11-112-066-_-Product

Are you god damn kidding me? That looks so bland and awful. Maybe it would be sexy in a high school library when next to computers from two decades ago, but not anywhere else.

And I'll admit, the HAF is a little overkill in the "omg so kewl" factor, but I still think it looks nice considering I had to buy a Full ATX tower, with the PSU on the bottom, and needed much better airflow for my retarded Radeon 4850. I originally had the Antec 300 like Dinnesch has, but unlike what Dinnesch said, it doesn't have good air flow. 200mm fans are the greatest thing I have ever seen, and the HAF has two of them, one of which is right over the video card. I do wish it didnt have the window above the massive side fan, but ya cant have everything. And if you replace the red light fan with one with no lights, its a lot more professional looking. And I've had several people tell me how badass it looks. People are afraid of it because its so huge and intimidating.

Thats what a good case should do, intimidate.

And cases with doors can **** right the hell off. They make the computer look nice, but not worth the hassle of opening every time you need to power on or put in a dvd.

 

[DreamThrall]

I guess if I was younger or uhm... less endowed.... I'd like the flashy/"intimidating" stuff... but for me, a case should be sleek, unobtrusive, and most importantly, hold the insides of my computer.

 

[Krynn72]

Yeah yeah, say that when my computer case is eating your babies. YOU DONT **** WITH THE HAF!

 

[VirusType2]

My brother's case is even boxier than the Li Lan. It's just a giant rectangle.

I got the Antec 900 because of the drive space and airflow. I've got 6 hard drives in there, a DVD burner, and room for 2 more drives. You'd be hard pressed to beat the airflow.

I like being able to glance to the side of my monitor and see my computer working. Fans spinning through the clear window. It looks cool inside. I actually had a fluorescent blacklight tube in there that made the SATA wires glow in the dark, but I took it out because it made it a pain to put the door back on if I needed to get in there.

I'd like to be able to hit a switch to kill the lights for when I'm sleeping. I'll eventually need to replace the fans anyway, and I'll probably get some whisper quiet ones - without lights. (3 of them have lights, this guy's power supply is lighted)

I don't like the front panel USB on the top like that, it gets dusty in the ports.

 

[Dinnesch]

My brother's case is even boxier than the Li Lan. It's just a giant rectangle.

I got the Antec 900 because of the drive space and airflow. I've got 6 hard drives in there, a DVD burner, and room for 2 more drives. You'd be hard pressed to beat the airflow.

I think my Antec 300 has a better airflow, as it's smaller which allows the air to keep moving. Bigger is not always better.
Plus it has an additional fan on the side next to the video card.

 

[VirusType2]

I doubt it has better airflow, I can make things fly around my room if I turn this thing on high (not really). It literally made me really cold for a few weeks when I first bought it, seriously. Wasn't used to my room air moving.

The 900 has a place to put another fan next to the window. I had one there for a while, but it's unnecessary.
http://www.overclock.net/attachment...n-wont-fit-xigmatek1283-antec-fancloseov2.jpg

 

[Asus]

They are the same style...one with an extra fan.
4 120mm fans (including PSU) is plenty for a desktop.
IMO over that is wasted. Might as well tape over holes to keep the air pressure.

 

[3ssence]

Lian Li cases are fantastic. Have a PC-V1000 myself and i love it. They are beautifully built and solid pieces of kit, and imo have a nice sleek understated design. Like Stern i also love a lot of Silverstone's cases, same build quality and sleek look with maybe a little more excitement than some of Lian Li's kit.

I'll probably build my next PC in something a little flashier, as i miss my flashy lights and side windows a little. But not everybody wants a multi-coloured in your face rig, why should they ?

Dreamthrall: Good choice, glad you're happy with it

 

[VirusType2]

They are the same style...one with an extra fan.
4 120mm fans (including PSU) is plenty for a desktop.
IMO over that is wasted. Might as well tape over holes to keep the air pressure.

The 900 has a 200mm fan on top. You can't even hear it.

 

[Krynn72]

They are the same style...one with an extra fan.
4 120mm fans (including PSU) is plenty for a desktop.
IMO over that is wasted. Might as well tape over holes to keep the air pressure.

Switching from the Antec 300 to the HAF with its 200mm fans dropped my core system temp by 10 degrees Celsius. I really doubt the importance of "pressure" or "smaller to keep the air moving" when you have what is essentially house fans blowing air in and out of the case. Plus they're practically silent, moreso than any 120mm fans I have had because they always need to run at such a higher rpm.

 

[VirusType2]

Might as well tape over holes to keep the air pressure.

The holes on the 900 aren't really holes. It's just a perforated looking design. The holes are only actually for the fans (like on the side, it's actually clear plastic behind the mesh, with a cut out for the optional fan). In the side fan image I posted above, he modded the case, removing that plastic.