Official Lian Li PC-V300 Discussion Thread

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MrSlacker

[H]ard|Gawd
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We didn't need a thread but I'll bring up the Video card thing again.

It just bugs me because low CPU heatsink clearance is easily fixable by purchasing a smaller heatsink...same with a full sized PSU...cutting a pretty case up just doesn't seem good. For $110 I should be able fit a new age graphics card.

Other than that, great review and pretty good case.
 
MrSlacker, how's the temp on this thing? Does it come with exhaust fans or it uses the PSU fan? I'm not familiar with video card's sizes, but i'm planning to get a 7900GT, will that fit without modification? Looks like the NT06 with a fan mounted will fit in this case..nice. After seeing this case, I decided to cancel my SG01 route. This case will turn heads once i have it sit on my desktop with my 2407...hehe. Anyways, I can't believe there's already a review on this thing...awesome and thanks.
 
I just measured my EVGA 7900GT and it is 8 inches long which means it should fit.

There are two optional 40mm exaust fans. However, there is 80mm side fan and PSU fan, so I dont think u'll need to add 40mm fans
 
MrSlacker said:
There are two optional 40mm exaust fans. However, there is 80mm side fan and PSU fan, so I dont think u'll need to add 40mm fans
Click to expand...

I wonder if this'll fit, I don't see why I would need it, with the 80mm on the side, but I am courious...

oh and that side case fan reminds me of Zalman's slim profile 80mm and I always wondered if that type would work as a legit case cooling fan I guess Lian Li answered it
 
i thought i was a nice review. kinda wish he would have gone into depth about temps and noise a little and would have shown a pic of a fully built functioning system. And also if he would have put it next to a q-pack instead. Overall i really like the looks of this case and will most likely pick one up. It will be a long time coming b4 i have a 9in video card and when that time comes i won't feel bad cutting away a little 3 1/2 bay.
 
I don't think it was Mr. Slacker's intent on reviewing things like temps and such because everyone's hardware will be different. I have never had a Lian-Li product but know of their reputation for quality, as their 1000 and 2000 series cases look the best imo. As Steeeeve said, the inability of putting a 9 in long vid card in there is a pretty big oversight and even though many sffer's are modders, I don't think too many people will WANT to cut up a brand new case.

But nevertheless, this is a very nice case, I esp LOVE the placement of the harddrives and the fact that you can just slide it in like you do in their tower cases. If they had just made it one inch longer, they could've added a 120mm or even a 92mm fan right in front of the harddrives to exhust some hot air and keep the drives cool.

As far as temps go, my prediction is that it won't be any better than the sg01, probably on par. Reason I like the qmicra so much is the ability to add a huge hsf like the zalman 9500 and I believe in ANY case, esp an sff, the front to back wind tunnel is essential for optimum cooling effect. But not everyone will shell out 380 just for a case, but at 100, this case is quite a bargain. Excellent review.
 
Man that case is one 120mm fan from being perfect for me. There also dosen't appear to be a blow hole on the side of the case where my ill-fitting 9" VC will go. These things could be forgiven for 100$ though.
I would also like to see someone try to put that silverstone cross flow fan in there. That area on the MB tray wtih the 2 40mm fan mounts looks like it might be close to the 130mm length of the cross flow. Think im gonna pre-order this guy
 
banned_user said:
Man that case is one 120mm fan from being perfect for me. There also dosen't appear to be a blow hole on the side of the case where my ill-fitting 9" VC will go. These things could be forgiven for 100$ though.
I would also like to see someone try to put that silverstone cross flow fan in there. That area on the MB tray wtih the 2 40mm fan mounts looks like it might be close to the 130mm length of the cross flow. Think im gonna pre-order this guy
Click to expand...

looks like you have an x1900xt, I'm assuming you're gonna cut the 3.5 bay area.
 
MrSlacker said:
I just measured my EVGA 7900GT and it is 8 inches long which means it should fit.

There are two optional 40mm exaust fans. However, there is 80mm side fan and PSU fan, so I dont think u'll need to add 40mm fans
Click to expand...

Will it???

Don't forget the PCI E power plug....
 
I cannot tell you for sure because I am not the one who reviewed the case and therefore cannot install my 7900GT in there. As you read in the review, cards that are 8 inches long shoudl fit, and 7900GT is 8 inchies. 7800GT is the same length if i remember correctly.
 
if anyone wants to chance it, order it and try it out. although being that 7900gts are already 8 inches, adding the plugs at the end will be extremely tight if can fit at all. OR wait until someone else buys them and post reviews and judge for yourself. It is a very cool looking case, I really like the mesh front, but I highly doubt the airflow will be on par with the qmicra because there is no wind tunnel pull/push effect. but for $100, would you really care?
 
Outrigger said:
if anyone wants to chance it, order it and try it out. although being that 7900gts are already 8 inches, adding the plugs at the end will be extremely tight if can fit at all. OR wait until someone else buys them and post reviews and judge for yourself. It is a very cool looking case, I really like the mesh front, but I highly doubt the airflow will be on par with the qmicra because there is no wind tunnel pull/push effect. but for $100, would you really care?
Click to expand...
for 380, it better not be on par. But yeah, I do question the cooling a little bit.
 
Outrigger said:
As far as temps go, my prediction is that it won't be any better than the sg01, probably on par. Reason I like the qmicra so much is the ability to add a huge hsf like the zalman 9500 and I believe in ANY case, esp an sff, the front to back wind tunnel is essential for optimum cooling effect. But not everyone will shell out 380 just for a case, but at 100, this case is quite a bargain. Excellent review.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the temp is gonna be better than the SG01 'cause it has some kind of a "wind-tunnel" effect like the Qmicra. The Qmicra, imho, is kinda "homemade" looking. It was built for performance and not style. The Lian Li is more like a balance case; space, temp, noise, style, and price.
 
spade357 said:
I'm sure the temp is gonna be better than the SG01 'cause it has some kind of a "wind-tunnel" effect like the Qmicra. The Qmicra, imho, is kinda "homemade" looking. It was built for performance and not style. The Lian Li is more like a balance case; space, temp, noise, style, and price.
Click to expand...

Style is a little subjective...I think the Lian Li looks like crap but what does that got to do with anything :)
 
Steeeeve said:
Style is a little subjective...I think the Lian Li looks like crap but what does that got to do with anything :)
Click to expand...

ha, of course, style will always be subjective, LianLi also has the name and reputation behind it as well, so there is the "perceived" quality along with the actual reputation.
 
I think the Lian Li is looking better and better each time I look at the pics. Most Lian Li's have always had pretty good airflow too, and I bet this one will as well. A head to head with the QMicra would be interesting.
Jason
 
The Qmicra would be quieter and cooler. For one you have 4x80mm fans, you have anodized alumnium which is harder yet still lightweight, you have standard sound dampening, a better front to back airflow.

Not to mention the hard drive will be cooler since it is suspended in that unique way. Also, you will notice the Lian Li has harddrives in the top corner...how do they cool?

In short, there should be no comparison between the two because they are in different leagues. The Qmicra is sitting their by itself...its only downside (that I know of right now) is price.

A better comparison is the SG01
 
Steeeeve said:
The Qmicra would be quieter and cooler. For one you have 4x80mm fans, you have anodized alumnium which is harder yet still lightweight, you have standard sound dampening, a better front to back airflow.

Not to mention the hard drive will be cooler since it is suspended in that unique way. Also, you will notice the Lian Li has harddrives in the top corner...how do they cool?

In short, there should be no comparison between the two because they are in different leagues. The Qmicra is sitting their by itself...its only downside (that I know of right now) is price.

A better comparison is the SG01
Click to expand...

couldn't have said it better myself. as of right now, there are no sffs with off the shelve parts that has front to back airflow. how many small cases out there that'll allow you to pop a zalman 9500 in and still be roomy inside while looking small on the outside? one of the reason why I like this case so much is because of the low noise and cooling aspect, and of course, the anodized chassis.
 
I echo the sentiments of Steeeve and Outrigger. The Qmicra is without a doubt the leader in shoebox style cases. the design is so good that a removable motherboard tray is completely unnecessary. I am happy to say it cools my p4 egg cooker down to a nice idle temp of 37c No other sff box has been able to that (Antec Aria, SG01e, X-qpack) The lian Li looks good and for the price it is great but if you can afford a qmicra, get one.
 
Steeeeve said:
The Qmicra would be quieter and cooler. For one you have 4x80mm fans, you have anodized alumnium which is harder yet still lightweight, you have standard sound dampening, a better front to back airflow.

Not to mention the hard drive will be cooler since it is suspended in that unique way. Also, you will notice the Lian Li has harddrives in the top corner...how do they cool?

In short, there should be no comparison between the two because they are in different leagues. The Qmicra is sitting their by itself...its only downside (that I know of right now) is price.

A better comparison is the SG01
Click to expand...
Well, as your obviously a fan of the case, there must be something to it. Link us to the review on your site please.
 
banned_user said:
Man that case is one 120mm fan from being perfect for me. There also dosen't appear to be a blow hole on the side of the case where my ill-fitting 9" VC will go. These things could be forgiven for 100$ though.
I would also like to see someone try to put that silverstone cross flow fan in there. That area on the MB tray wtih the 2 40mm fan mounts looks like it might be close to the 130mm length of the cross flow. Think im gonna pre-order this guy
Click to expand...
I think the picture below will answer your question perfectly.
Squirlcage_fan_area.jpg


As you can see, there is about 160mm of space in there which means you should be able to fit that Silverstone fan with no problems.
 
MrSlacker said:
Well, as your obviously a fan of the case, there must be something to it. Link us to the review on your site please.
Click to expand...

Soon ;) Don't get me wrong, I think the Lian Li is a fine case. But I feel the Qmicra is a bad comparison because the Qmicra costs a ton more so should be better.

I believe the SG01 is the best comparison and that review is coming soon as well. I would like to review the Lian Li case but as you said....I don't know any Lian Li folks.
 
No need to wait until June 20th, you can order from here, this is a very reputable place as I have order many items from there in the past and they will usually ship the same day if you order early enough, plus, they have the black one as well.
 
I think I'm gonna go with this shortly. Would have taken the qmicra, but 400$?!?! (Where is that cost coming from? Small volume manufacturing? I could get a top of the line full tower case for that much!)

Probably gonna go with the black. Do you guys know if the metal behind the grate shows through as well as it does in the photo? I'm assuming it's because of the flash from the camera or the lighting, but it makes it look like ass. Also, do you think the floppy bay is long enough to fit two HDD's in it?


BTW.. Why does LianLi still put those floppy bays in their cases? No one I know has even owned a floppy drive for like half a decade. All you can use it for is an I/O panel which the case already has, or a card reader. Why don't they provide a 5.25 there so you can put a LCD screen and still fit the hdd behind it? Or you could use it for a hot swap HDD.
Also, if they would have pushed the bay towards the front instead of centering it under the 5.25's, there would be an extra inch of space to fit the 9" graphics cards.
 
FreakOfNature said:
I think I'm gonna go with this shortly. Would have taken the qmicra, but 400$?!?! (Where is that cost coming from? Small volume manufacturing? I could get a top of the line full tower case for that much!)

apples and oranges, thats like saying for the price of a ferrari that only seats 2, I can buy 2 range rovers and each can seat a lot more. most cases are not made in the u.s. to reduce cost and most high quality are brushed aluminum and a lot are mass produced. the qmicra comes from a boutique shop where the ENTIRE case is anodized and made in the u.s. thus the price reflects that. if you think the price is outrages, what do you think about falcon charging 300 for the fragbox which is essentially an ver.1 sg01 case?
Click to expand...
 
BTW.. Why does LianLi still put those floppy bays in their cases? No one I know has even owned a floppy drive for like half a decade. All you can use it for is an I/O panel which the case already has, or a card reader. Why don't they provide a 5.25 there so you can put a LCD screen and still fit the hdd behind it? Or you could use it for a hot swap HDD.
Also, if they would have pushed the bay towards the front instead of centering it under the 5.25's, there would be an extra inch of space to fit the 9" graphics cards.[/QUOTE]


you want an sff that has 3 5.25 bays? I think maybe a midtower case might be more suited for you.
 
No. I meant 3 5.25 bays in the sense that the cut outs are there. If they still kept the HDD rack behind it you could put in the drive and use the 5.25 cutout for something.. a rhoebus, an lcd, a whatever... Oh well I'll probably just mod it.
 
the idea of moving the floppy part forward instead of being centered to add space for the video card makes a lot of sense to me, dont know why they didnt do it in the first place :confused:

i wonder how long of a wait there will be before we see a revision of this case that can fit any video card :)
 
Soymilk said:
the idea of moving the floppy part forward instead of being centered to add space for the video card makes a lot of sense to me, dont know why they didnt do it in the first place :confused:

i wonder how long of a wait there will be before we see a revision of this case that can fit any video card :)
Click to expand...

lol it barely hit the streets and you're already waiting on rev. 2.
 
FreakOfNature said:
Yea but it's an obvious flaw that could have been easily fixed.
Click to expand...
yeah, and not being able to fit in high-end video cards w/o modding is a pretty big turn-off.
 
Outrigger, good find on that store.

I think the reason they still put 3.5 bay is for a card reader. This is a HTPC/SFF case, so a card reader is a very logical thing to have.

About Qmicra, we were offered a review sample, but they placed more conditions on the review process than we would normally accept from "brand name" companies. So we are not completely sure if we will be reviewing it. I suggest you to go to this forum thread on our forums if you want all of your questions answered by the reviewer himself and let us know about the Qmicra.
 
What were the conditioins they put in place?

It would be interesting if someone could run a fully loaded system ( high end proc, sli, 3-4 raptors, 4gb ram, 2 roms) in all of the sff cases and see which stock case keeps the system the coolest. It seems like all the typical sff cases can hold the same gear (well except for varrying clearances on the processor fan heatsink). I'd be willing to bet the temps wouldn't very by more than a few degrees and that in the end you're paying for aesthetics.
 
FreakOfNature said:
What were the conditioins they put in place?

It would be interesting if someone could run a fully loaded system ( high end proc, sli, 3-4 raptors, 4gb ram, 2 roms) in all of the sff cases and see which stock case keeps the system the coolest. It seems like all the typical sff cases can hold the same gear (well except for varrying clearances on the processor fan heatsink). I'd be willing to bet the temps wouldn't very by more than a few degrees and that in the end you're paying for aesthetics.
Click to expand...

Some are a little more quiet. The Qmicra holds 4 harddrive without using the 3.5" floppy bay which is 1-2 more than most. Heatsink is a big deal as it allows for less stress when buying something. I test out all my systems using and x800 with 3200 processor. It isn't the highest end system but if you tested each case with the highest end system you would always be spending money and retesting everything. At the end of the day, 2-3 C could make a big deal.
 
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