Can I Start Using A 7 Year Old Lian Li PC-V2000B Case or Buy Something New?

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Drummond

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4 or 5 years ago I thought I was ready to get pretty serious into the Liquidcooling / OC-ing side of gaming. With that in mind I splurged on a customized Lian Li PC-V2000B with handles, soundproofing, windowed sidepanel, fan controllers and a triple 120mm (or so) liquid cooling radiator built into the horizontal shelf that seperates the motherboard and PSU compartments.

5 years later its gone unused and is currently collecting dust.

Have there been serious improvements in how cases are designed, in airflow design etc in the last 7 years since my case was made that make it worth spending 175 dollars?


Is this thing still viable for me to keep and use or would I be better off buying a newer case?

(such as a Coolmaster HAF 932 Advanced)




What I'm worried about:
1. The Lian Li PC-V2000B has USB ports.

2. Is also one of those cases that the motherboard is put in upside down. Ive read this creates problems with motherboards using heat pipes. How big a problem is this?

3. I assume the motherboard spacers would still be okay for whatever motherboard I decide to put in it. (doesnt seem like motherboards have changed their factors any in the last seven years) but its all these little things that has me wondering what to do.



Your thoughts greatly appreciated (1st timer poster here and to Tech forums in general)

Drum

(As this would only be my second build, Im probably NOT going to be getting into Liquidcooling for the time being)


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Thread talking about the case I have: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=424708

LIAN LI PC-V2000B

Specifications and Measurements:

•All aluminum construction

•Full-tower form factor - 210x617x625 mm (W,H,D)

•Accommodates E-ATX motherboards with 7 expansion slots

•Upside-down / reverse motherboard mounting - motherboard faces right side

•8.3" x 24.3" x 24.6" (210mm x 617mm x 625mm)

•7x 5.25" bays

•12x 3.5" internal bays

•Front headphone and microphone jacks

•2x front USB 2.0 ports

•Front 6-pin 1394 port

•120mm front intake fan with filter

•2x 80mm rear exhaust fans + 120mm rear exhaust fan with deflector

•Front power button + power and HDD LEDs

•Locking wheels
 
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Still a great case. Some of the airflow is less than a lot of todays cases but still can be adequate.
 
Fundamentally, nothing has really changed with cases since you bought that. And at the time, that was a really high end case if I remember correctly.
 
Going from Lian Li V series to HAF?.. In terms of design it is like switching from rolls royce to a monster truck.
 
I would clean the case up and re-use it. I had some older cases like that I cleaned up and used. Lian-Li is an extremely well built and smartly designed case.

I hate plastic or steel cases.
 
I am convinced that you have to build a lot of systems to even come close to understanding the logic and wisdom of less being more.
 
Drummond said:
What I'm worried about:
1. The Lian Li PC-V2000B has USB ports.
Click to expand...
This worries you how? You mean that the USB ports are 2.0 instead of 3.0? There is a ton of accessories for Lian Li cases including drive bays with USB 3.0 and eSata ports

Drummond said:
2. Is also one of those cases that the motherboard is put in upside down. Ive read this creates problems with motherboards using heat pipes. How big a problem is this?
Click to expand...
This used to be a problem some years ago, but nowadays most motherboards can be mounted anyway you like because they use wick and capillary action to move the fluids through the heatpipes. It doesn't hurt to do some research to make sure before you buy a particular brand/model mobo though.

Drummond said:
3. I assume the motherboard spacers would still be okay for whatever motherboard I decide to put in it. (doesnt seem like motherboards have changed their factors any in the last seven years) but its all these little things that has me wondering what to do.
Click to expand...
The ATX form factor is the same today as it was last century, no worries here.

It would be interesting to see the mods that were done to your case. You say 3x120mm rad was intalled between the upper and bottom chamber. Was part of the hdd cages cut to fit the rad?
 
Shaman said:
It would be interesting to see the mods that were done to your case. You say 3x120mm rad was intalled between the upper and bottom chamber. Was part of the hdd cages cut to fit the rad?
Click to expand...

Nope, the fan grills are flush with the shelf floor and the bulk of the radiator lies below the shelf. Doesnt appear to be in the way of anything at all other than the airflow from PSU towards the front.

Course, maybe what I should be asking is whether I can run those fans without attatching them to a pump etc!
 
Oh my god, please dont trade something beautiful like an old school V2000 for something as ugly as a HAF :(

V2000 is still an amazing case, and you wont have any issues with the r-atx spec + mobo heatpipes either. Honestly, aircooling in a case that humongous is kind of pointless. You should just do another WC build as the V2000 is simply epic for that.
 
Drummond, I got you beat. I'm building an all new machine around an i7 & Asus P8P67 in my all time favorite case. A Coolermaster ATC-110. I bought my ATC-110 in 2002 and it's, still, in my opinion, the best looking case I've ever seen.

Big, roomy, solid aluminium, hinged door, great airflow and it's nearing 10 years old (God does time ever fly).

I also just joined Hard forum for pointers.
 
So yeah, I'd ABSOLUTELY use your case. I'm using one thats 10 years old. Please don't pay for another case. Here's a pic of my beloved ATC-110. BEHOLD!

1032978087.jpg
 
I just built two systems and they are both in my old Lian Li cases. One problem I ran into is that the height of a Thermalright Ultra 120 was too tall for me to mount it on the mobo tray and still be able to slide it into the case. I had to slide in the tray, and then mount the HSF. It was a pain in the ass. I also had trouble fitting a long PSU in it, but that was my fault because of where I had modded a fan into the top.

The old aluminum cases are works of art, they don't make em as good any more.
 
I've dremelled the hell out mine, stilll rocking it though. Built a bunch of HAF932s for friends and while they are a nice option for water cooling without having to dremel or mod they just aren't cut from the same quality the Lian Li v2000 was. Not even close.

Sounds like yours is pimped and ready to go - give us some shots of yours. Here's mine with an i7 2600k running 4.8Ghz. I'd love to see Lian Li give us a higher quality case with the design ( water cooling without a dremel and great airflow) of the HAF but with that Lian Li quality.

 
yeah its still a good case, i was using a coolermaster atcs 100 sx, i have salinger topped, with my current setup in that old case.
 
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