Lian Li side panel idea...

[shawnoen]

Working on my 1st build. Got about 1/2 the cables sleeved. Just need to finish that up and make the side panel. This is my 1st ever computer build so I've been learning as I go.

I bought a couple extra solid side panels for my PC-V1000B. At 1st I thought I'd cut it out like the original window panel (no longer available). Then I thought it might be cool to extend the window to include the hard drive area...

Any thoughts on the mockup below done in posterboard?

 

[memnoch_thedevil]

I think it looks clean, maybe do 2 windows so you can exclude the 5.25 drive bays and only expose the hard drive area and motherboard?

 

[TheEak]

I think it looks clean, maybe do 2 windows so you can exclude the 5.25 drive bays and only expose the hard drive area and motherboard?

Or leave them connected but still exclude the 5.25" bays as much as possible.

Anyway, Looks real nice.

 

[yenniedn]

I like it . . . and also agree with the others that excluding the 5.25" drive portion would be beneficial since that area's kind of plain and/or ugly.

The one over-riding thought I have though is that it's a lot of thought and work to go into a case with what I think is the worst motherboard placement of any I've ever owned. I've had this case a couple of times over (v1000, v2000 and v1200 versions) and just hated the inverted mobo design b/c how jacked up the HSF position is when something like the TRUE 120 is used. How you have your TRUE oriented is the only way it'll fit and you'll find that its cooling performance will be less than optimal.

You might consider going with a ThermalRight Ultima 90 with your setup. The cooling performance of the Ultima 90 is comparable to the TRUE 120 - but in your situation, it might be better because you can have it mounted vertically with it exhausting out the rear.

 

[haadij404]

first ever build and you used a lian li?

you sir have great taste.

it took me 3 builds (and diff cases) to realize Lian Li is where its at.

 

[NukeULater]

...

I also used a lian li for my first build.

 

[Blazestorm]

You could try one but mark-off the 5.25" area and the HDD's... smaller window hiding the rest of it...

But that's me...

 

[shawnoen]

I'm seeing good temps with the TRUE the way it is. At idle the i7 is staying around 25C.

I DO have an Ultima 90 and an HR-01 I bought to try out though. I'd rather have it oriented vertically so the fan blows towards the back.

I did try a Xigmatek Dark Knight and was suprised to see the idle temps immediately go up to 33-34C!!!

Thanks for the idea about excluding the drive bays. I have an idea I'm gonna try now! I think it might be just the ticket.

I like it . . . and also agree with the others that excluding the 5.25" drive portion would be beneficial since that area's kind of plain and/or ugly.

The one over-riding thought I have though is that it's a lot of thought and work to go into a case with what I think is the worst motherboard placement of any I've ever owned. I've had this case a couple of times over (v1000, v2000 and v1200 versions) and just hated the inverted mobo design b/c how jacked up the HSF position is when something like the TRUE 120 is used. How you have your TRUE oriented is the only way it'll fit and you'll find that its cooling performance will be less than optimal.

You might consider going with a ThermalRight Ultima 90 with your setup. The cooling performance of the Ultima 90 is comparable to the TRUE 120 - but in your situation, it might be better because you can have it mounted vertically with it exhausting out the rear.

 

[w1retap]

lol, you're not idling an i7 at 25C with air cooling. My water cooled i7 doesn't even idle anywhere near that low. Get a better temp monitoring program.

 

[shawnoen]

I can post pics for you tonight. But I was reading that temp directly from the digital display right on the EVGA motherboard. Also, I use a program called "HWMonitor" from www.cpuid.com.

Is that a bad program?

I have no idea if 25C is normal, low, or high. Its just what I'm seeing....

 

[txtmstrjoe]

Temperatures are all a function of what your ambient temperature is. The smaller the difference between your room temperature and the temperature of your CPU cores, GPU, motherboard, etc., the more efficient your cooling system is.

 

[yenniedn]

lol, you're not idling an i7 at 25C with air cooling. My water cooled i7 doesn't even idle anywhere near that low. Get a better temp monitoring program.

I can post pics for you tonight. But I was reading that temp directly from the digital display right on the EVGA motherboard. Also, I use a program called "HWMonitor" from www.cpuid.com.

Is that a bad program?

I have no idea if 25C is normal, low, or high. Its just what I'm seeing....

IF (and it's a BIG "if") you're getting 25*C idle on an i7, chances are you're doing absolutely zero overclocking on the CPU or even under-volting it. But even at stock, your idle temps should be in the low to mid 30's *C. The temp reading on the motherboard itself is usually lower than the actual temp.

Try using coretemp or realtemp instead. My bet is you're closer to 35*C than 25*C - especially with the TRUE in that orientation.

 

[w1retap]

An i7 core isn't going to run 5 degrees over room temperature.. sorry.

 

[criccio]

Proof or shens.

 

[guitarslingerchris]

Yeah, unfortunately they're right. The i7 just doesn't run that cool despite what the motherboard readout claims. Here are pics of the motherboard readout and a screenshot about 5 seconds later of RealTemp and CoreTemp.







EDIT: I clocked it back to stock for the pics and I'm using a TRUE 120 Black with 2 Scythe Kazi fans and the side panel off, for reference for the OP.

EDIT 2: I also like the idea of showing off the drives, but don't necessarily cut out the 5.25" bay area. Find something interesting to put there. Would be nice to see another old school windowed HDD mounted there or a Raptor X. Something else new and exciting, I don't really like the look of broken up windows though personally.

 

[shawnoen]

Cool, thanks for the info!