Which case to get?

1

1-anh

Weaksauce
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
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I have a choice between two full tower cases for my next build, I was originally planning on going with the Coolermaster HAF X but I noticed a person mention the Lian Li PC-A70F and for the same price approximately, it looks amazing.

So I thought I would ask here what people thought between the two. Price is not important, since after buying another 200mm fan for the top of the HAF X would bring it to the same cost as the Lian Li.

Here is a link for both cases.

http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/229568/COOLERMASTER/RC_942_KKN1/
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=12610AC1729&vpn=PC-A70F&manufacture=LIAN-LI

What I am curious about is a comparison between the two for airflow, construction, features, etc.

TIA for any suggestions.

TL; DR. Coolermaster HAF-X or Lian Li PC-A70F
 
Lian Li PC-A70 hands down. Better build quality. Great flow. Plenty of room. Great styling and layout. And IMO the HAF-X isn't very good looking. But to each their own. Lian Li generally makes all-around great cases.
 
After owning a HAF-X for almost a year now...I say forget both of them and get a Silverstone FT02 or Silverstone Raven RV02B-Evolution
 
Thanks for the responses guys, I had looked at the silverstone cases at one point in time. I really liked the FT02 but decided against it since its around 50-60 dollars more expensive. As for the RV02-EW, decided against that since it's so hard to find in canada.
 
brnunn said:
After owning a HAF-X for almost a year now...I say forget both of them and get a Silverstone FT02 or Silverstone Raven RV02B-Evolution
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^^ listen to this man while also keeping in mind the Silverstone cases have no usb 3.0 at present although their forum rep claims a cable upgrade is coming soon. There's also the original rv02 (3hdd version) which is easy to find for ~$150-165. Amazon has it for $160 w/ no tax and f/s.

If Silverstone's ft02/rv02-e/rv02 are non-starters for you, both the Haf X and a70f are still good cases with the Haf X taking an edge in stock cooling performance and easy upgrade to watercooling.The lian li is much better looking IMO but requires you to buy Lian Li's cable upgrade if you want usb 3.0. I also wonder wtf is going on with the a70f's price because for quite awhile it was selling for $170-185 from a number of retailers. Now it's back up to ~$195 despite most Lian Li cases receiving significant price drops after such a long duration on the market.

edit: oops, didn't refresh before posting.
 
The original RV02 was an option a while ago, but 3 HDD didn't seem like enough for me. Im leaning towards the Lian Li since many people seem to praise the quality of their all aluminum chassis, and their superior build quality and toolless installation.
 
I would go with the Lian Li for a couple of reasons;

1) The Lian Li is about half the weight of the HAF-X. If you plan on moving to another home, think about having to lift and carry a HAF-X full of gear as opposed to the Lian Li.

2) Aluminum is easier to mod with.

Besides, anodized brushed aluminum looks way nicer that painted steel.
 
wra18th said:
I would go with the Lian Li for a couple of reasons;

1) The Lian Li is about half the weight of the HAF-X. If you plan on moving to another home, think about having to lift and carry a HAF-X full of gear as opposed to the Lian Li.

2) Aluminum is easier to mod with.

Besides, anodized brushed aluminum looks way nicer that painted steel.
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I hadn't considered the weight aspect, but that is definitely something to consider. The Lian Li is definitely looking like the case to get, unless no one cares to defend the HAF X.
 
1-anh said:
Thanks for the responses guys, I had looked at the silverstone cases at one point in time. I really liked the FT02 but decided against it since its around 50-60 dollars more expensive. As for the RV02-EW, decided against that since it's so hard to find in canada.
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A quick look at three Canadian online shops shows they all have both the regular black RV02-EW and the limited edition white colored RV02-E:

http://www.++++.com/search/?categoryid=0&q=rv02

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/Default.aspx?SearchPhrase=rv02

http://www.canadacomputers.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=rv02
 
Corsair, any of them.

I switched from a Lian Li to an 800D and I'm never looking back. I'm helping a friend with a 600T build pretty soon. They are all excellent cases IMHO. The only other one I'd consider that has been mentioned in the thread is the RV-02. Number of drive bays seems to be a problem with you there though, so I again lean towards the Corsairs.
 
Go for the Lian, very very solid case.

Not much for coolermaster/corsair cases unfortunately. Silverstone and Lian all the way!
 
1-anh said:
The original RV02 was an option a while ago, but 3 HDD didn't seem like enough for me. Im leaning towards the Lian Li since many people seem to praise the quality of their all aluminum chassis, and their superior build quality and toolless installation.
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That is why they came out with the RV02 Evolution which has 5 3.5 drive bays like the FT02
 
Skillzero said:
Too bad the RV02 is still completely inferior to the FT02 ;)
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Not from my POV. I don't need 3 drive buys (and there are four if you count the SSD). The RV02 is on sale now for $140. That beats out the FT02 in my mind, even though the FT02 beats the RV02 on looks (which is important, but only so important). If cost wasn't a factor at all, I'd take the FT02 as it does have some advantages.
 
I've never been a fan of Lian Li simple b/c the cases don't feel strong.
A Silverstone you can park a car on, same goes for the newer gen Coolermasters.

Lian Li always felt like it would bend under a lot of weight.

Regardless....

I have a HAF 922 and Love it.
Having come from an older CM Stacker that made a lot of vibration noise I was hesitant at first but even with 3x 200mm and 1x 120mm going full speed, i don't get any vibration noise.

Having a fan controller is paramount to your noise level sanity tho obviously so don't forget one when you factor in all your 5.25" drives if you plan for expansion.
 
1) The Lian Li is about half the weight of the HAF-X. If you plan on moving to another home, think about having to lift and carry a HAF-X full of gear as opposed to the Lian Li.
2) Aluminum is easier to mod with.
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On the other hand, aluminum isn't nearly as stiff as steel, so it absorbs much more noise/vibration, transmitting to the air what would otherwise go into the ground.

Besides, anodized brushed aluminum looks way nicer that painted steel.
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But the Lian Li is only half anodized, which looks cheap.
 
There are definitely some really good points here, I was leaning towards the lian li but the HAF-X is still in contention. Also considering the RV02-EW, definitely looks like a nice case.
 
The HAF-X will give you better overall cooling and more options for water cooling if you ever want to go that route. It will also be easier to build in and is probably more flexible when it comes to your options. It will also probably be less noisy.

IMO, if you care about looks most, get the Lian Li. But if your biggest concern is ease of use, cooling, and an overall a better build experience, go with the HAF-X.

One thing to keep in mind is that these cheaper Lian Li cases just aren't as well built as their more expensive models in my experience. These cheaper full-tower Lian Lis also tend to rattle in my experience.
 
Omerta said:
The HAF-X will give you better overall cooling and more options for water cooling if you ever want to go that route. It will also be easier to build in and is probably more flexible when it comes to your options. It will also probably be less noisy.

IMO, if you care about looks most, get the Lian Li. But if your biggest concern is ease of use, cooling, and an overall a better build experience, go with the HAF-X.

One thing to keep in mind is that these cheaper Lian Li cases just aren't as well built as their more expensive models in my experience. These cheaper full-tower Lian Lis also tend to rattle in my experience.
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Oh, thats something I didn't know. Since this will be a first build, I would probably go for the better build experience and better cooling.

Thanks!
 
I'm getting a Lian Li A70F after running my old steel full tower for over 12 years..:cool:
I want the ability to hold 10 3.5" drives before I start stealing space from the 5.25" bay area. (I will probably just store most of them in the case and hook them up as needed)
The A70F looks very classy and if the blue LED fans bit grows old I can put in plain fans for a very understated look. Plus the all aluminum construction is a big step up over my old steel and plastic tower not to mention the mod-ability of an aluminum tower over a comparable steel unit.

The Haf X cases look like something a kid would own but I'm getting to be an old fart. :p
 
YELL said:
I'm getting a Lian Li A70F after running my old steel full tower for over 12 years..:cool:
I want the ability to hold 10 3.5" drives before I start stealing space from the 5.25" bay area. (I will probably just store most of them in the case and hook them up as needed)
The A70F looks very classy and if the blue LED fans bit grows old I can put in plain fans for a very understated look. Plus the all aluminum construction is a big step up over my old steel and plastic tower not to mention the mod-ability of an aluminum tower over a comparable steel unit.

The Haf X cases look like something a kid would own but I'm getting to be an old fart. :p
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The HAF-X is not my style at all. But for the theme CM is trying to shoot for with it, I guess it looks fine.

FYI, just because it is made out of aluminum, it does not mean it is a big step over a steel case. Aluminum is just a more expensive material and is seen as more luxurious than steel. But it has no advantages over steel other than being lighter. Steel is stronger and more rugged than aluminum. And the cheaper full-tower Lian Li cases tend to rattle.
 
Omerta said:
The HAF-X is not my style at all. But for the theme CM is trying to shoot for with it, I guess it looks fine.

FYI, just because it is made out of aluminum, it does not mean it is a big step over a steel case. Aluminum is just a more expensive material and is seen as more luxurious than steel. But it has no advantages over steel other than being lighter. Steel is stronger and more rugged than aluminum. And the cheaper full-tower Lian Li cases tend to rattle.
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I disagree with pretty much everything you have posted. Especially that bit about "cheaper full-tower Lian Li cases tend to rattle" as you are the first person I have ever heard make this claim about the A70F or any other Lian Li full tower for that matter.

Aluminum has several advantages, one being thermal as aluminum dissipates heat better than steel hence why you don't see steel heatsinks. And heat can indeed build up in poorly ventilated steel cases, I can personally attest to this.

Another advantage is that aluminum is much easier to cut(mod) than steel cases. Try cutting a blow-hole in steel then in aluminum and tell me which was easier.:p

Aluminum cases are plenty rugged too when properly designed. This reviewer http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/lian-li-pc-a70f/6/ actually stood on the case and it didn't flex. This far exceeds my needs for "ruggedness".

I can tell you that, after a few years, the plastic bits on a steel and plastic case can become yellowed and brittle.

I think the A70F is just a better investment as I am sure I will own mine for many many years. I've never regretted buying the best of something. ;)
 
YELL said:
I disagree with pretty much everything you have posted. Especially that bit about "cheaper full-tower Lian Li cases tend to rattle" as you are the first person I have ever heard make this claim about the A70F or any other Lian Li full tower for that matter.

Aluminum has several advantages, one being thermal as aluminum dissipates heat better than steel hence why you don't see steel heatsinks. And heat can indeed build up in poorly ventilated steel cases, I can personally attest to this.

Another advantage is that aluminum is much easier to cut(mod) than steel cases. Try cutting a blow-hole in steel then in aluminum and tell me which was easier.:p

Aluminum cases are plenty rugged too when properly designed. This reviewer http://www.xsreviews.co.uk/reviews/cases/lian-li-pc-a70f/6/ actually stood on the case and it didn't flex. This far exceeds my needs for "ruggedness".

I can tell you that, after a few years, the plastic bits on a steel and plastic case can become yellowed and brittle.

I think the A70F is just a better investment as I am sure I will own mine for many many years. I've never regretted buying the best of something. ;)
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Well you're wrong to disagree with me.

I've owned PLENTY of Lian Li cases. Their cheaper cases, especially their full towers that are under $200 are not as well built and don't have as thick aluminum as their more expensive full-tower cases (obviously mid-towers under 200 can be an exception). Keep in mind I am talking about the cheaper Lian Li full-towers, not the more expensive models. And notice in my previous post I mentioned the cheaper Lian Li full-towers in my post, not ALL Lian Li full-towers. And you are fooling yourself if you think you are buying the best of something with that case because that is a relatively low-end Lian Li model.

Other people have also noticed the rattling too, see this thread dedicated to that subject of Lian Li and rattling: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1583546


Also, I have no idea why you are bringing up heatsinks. We are talking about cases. And heat will build up in both a poorly ventilated steel or aluminum case. Heat built up in your case because it was poorly ventilated, not because it was made out of steel.

Third of all, I never said aluminum cases were weak. All I said was that steel is stronger than aluminum just based on a material vs material type of thing, not case vs case. And I said that because you acted like steel was so much worse than aluminum, when its only con is that it is heavier than aluminum.

As far as plastic becoming yellow and brittle, I don't know what that has to do with anything because I never mentioned plastic. All I can say is I can't imagine the all black plastic parts on the HAF-X turning yellow.
 
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Omerta said:
Well you're wrong to disagree with me.

I've owned PLENTY of Lian Li cases. Their cheaper cases, especially their full towers that are under $200 are not as well built and don't have as thick aluminum as their more expensive full-tower cases (obviously mid-towers over under 200 can be an exception). Keep in mind I am talking about the cheaper Lian Li full-towers, not the more expensive models. And notice in my previous post I mentioned the cheaper Lian Li full-towers in my post, not ALL Lian Li full-towers. And you are fooling yourself if you think you are buying the best of something with that case because that is a relatively low-end Lian Li model.

Other people have also noticed the rattling too, see this thread dedicated to that subject of Lian Li and rattling: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1583546


Also, I have no idea why you are bringing up heatsinks. We are talking about cases. And heat will build up in both a poorly ventilated steel or aluminum case. Heat built up in your case because it was poorly ventilated, not because it was made out of steel.

Third of all, I never said aluminum cases were weak. All I said was that steel is stronger than aluminum just based on a material vs material type of thing, not case vs case. And I said that because you acted like steel was so much worse than aluminum, when its only con is that it is heavier than aluminum.

As far as plastic becoming yellow and brittle, I don't know what that has to do with anything because I never mentioned plastic. All I can say is I can't imagine the all black plastic parts on the HAF-X turning yellow.
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You are a silly person. Who else but a silly person could imagine that black plastic parts could yellow? :p But I'm sure that they won't get brittle, being black and all. ;)

And your vast experience with "PLENTY" of Lian Li Aluminum full towers turns out to be a post where some guys have some vibration issues in models other than the one this thread referenced.:rolleyes:

If you don't get or understand the idea of a steel case holding more heat then it doesn't surprise me that you don't get the heatsink reference. Learn about metal properties. I noticed you ignored the positives of aluminum.

Very few people would consider any aluminum Lian Li case to be low-end. It's like a Rolls Royce, even the lowest model is pretty much upper shelf.

Keep flaming me, I'm sure someone will come along who agrees an aluminum Lian Li case is low end but it won't stop the A70F from being a very nice case. :)
 
YELL said:
You are a silly person.
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I'm silly like a clown.

Who else but a silly person could imagine that black plastic parts could yellow? But I'm sure that they won't get brittle, being black and all.
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Um ok? You said plastic turns yellow, and I said I can't imagine that happening with the HAF-X. What is your point? And where exactly did I say plastic being painted black won't make plastic brittle over time? More straw-man/putting words in my mouth stuff. And second of all, you must've had a really cheap case because good quality plastic does not turn yellow or become brittle over time.

And your vast experience with "PLENTY" of Lian Li Aluminum full towers turns out to be a post where some guys have some vibration issues in models other than the one this thread referenced.:rolleyes:
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Anyone who knows me here knows how many cases I've owned. People like Yenn, WE, coconutboy, farklie and others probably can attest to that.

And you said I'm the only one who has brought up the rattling on "ALL" Lian Li cases, so I specifically linked you to thread where others have brought it up to inform you it is an issue with the cases. Even my older PC-B70 which is very similar to the case you want exhibited this problem.


If you don't get or understand the idea of a steel case holding more heat then it doesn't surprise me that you don't get the heatsink reference. Learn about metal properties. I noticed you ignored the positives of aluminum.
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I think 99% of hardforum members know that aluminum dissipates heat better than steel and thus it is used on heatsinks. So I don't understand why you think bringing that up really matters or is some kind breakthrough revelation. Heatsinks and cases are two different things. Aluminum being used on the cases really isn't going to make all that big of a difference. If that was really the case, why don't most Lian Li cases outperform the high air-flow steel antec and coolermaster cases when it comes to temps? Your steel case being poorly ventilated is what led to the horrible temps, not cause it was made out of steel.

Very few people would consider any aluminum Lian Li case to be low-end. It's like a Rolls Royce, even the lowest model is pretty much upper shelf.
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Very few people would consider cases over $150 low-end period. That Lian Li case is lower-end when compared to the more expensive Lian Li models, not cases in general, and that is the comparison I made in my previous post. But way to put words in my mouth.


Keep flaming me, I'm sure someone will come along who agrees an aluminum Lian Li case is low end but it won't stop the A70F from being a very nice case. :)
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#1) I wasn't flaming you. Don't take this personal.
#2) I'm sure there are plenty others who would agree with me that the A70F is not a high-end Lian Li model. Check out Lian Li's V series cases and compare it to the A70F, and you'd understand.
 
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YELL said:
I want the ability to hold 10 3.5" drives before I start stealing space from the 5.25" bay area.
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I'm not sure if this is still the situation, but keep in mind that you probably have to buy extra hdd mounts to install 10 drives in the a70f. For awhile I, too, was considering this case and IIRC, Lian Li only includes the hardware necessary to mount 7 drives even though the case has the capacity for 10 drives.

YELL said:
Aluminum has several advantages, one being thermal as aluminum dissipates heat better than steel hence why you don't see steel heatsinks. And heat can indeed build up in poorly ventilated steel cases, I can personally attest to this.
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You've bought into a myth that has been proven false beyond any shadow of a doubt (scroll down). A poorly vented case is just that, a poorly vented case. Whether it's made from steel or aluminum makes zero difference with regards to cooling performance. This has been tested repeatedly including comparisons between the steel and aluminum versions of the exact same case design. The reason is that air does a poor job of transferring heat into a solid surface. It works well with heatsinks because there is direct surface to surface contact between two solid objects, but does not apply to case cooling except for the scant few specifically designed to do so (usually passive sinks or hybrid watercoolers).

YELL said:
If you don't get or understand the idea of a steel case holding more heat then it doesn't surprise me that you don't get the heatsink reference. Learn about metal properties. I noticed you ignored the positives of aluminum.
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You might want to actually learn about how thermodynamics apply to computer cases before slamming someone else for a lack of knowledge.

Very few people would consider any aluminum Lian Li case to be low-end. It's like a Rolls Royce, even the lowest model is pretty much upper shelf.

Keep flaming me, I'm sure someone will come along who agrees an aluminum Lian Li case is low end but it won't stop the A70F from being a very nice case. :)
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Plenty of people here at the [H] own Lian Li cases, and Omerta has a pretty strong rep as a case junkie. My guess would be that he's owned a heckuva lot more cases than you and I combined (I've owned around (30 pc cases). Seems to me Omerta wasn't slamming the a70f, he was merely pointing out the truth which you can easily verify by spending hands-on with multiple Lian Li cases from different price segments. This should be easy to understand because for Lian Li to sell their lower-priced models like the pc-7fn for ~$120-140, they have to cut costs somehow. I own a Lian Li case and have worked with several of them in the past. The lower-priced stuff isn't cheaply made, it's just not as well-built as their high-end products.

From my experience with the a70f, it's actually a pretty darn good deal for what you get although it would be nice if it was updated to include usb 3.0 vs users having to buy the cable upgrade. Ditto for ssds although this is less of an issue with Lian Li's using the screw mounting system. Also, as I mentioned earlier, be aware that the price on the a70f has increased recently whereas from around August 2009 till at least summer 2010, it was frequently on sale for $170-185.
 
YELL said:
I'm getting a Lian Li A70F after running my old steel full tower for over 12 years..:cool:
I want the ability to hold 10 3.5" drives before I start stealing space from the 5.25" bay area. (I will probably just store most of them in the case and hook them up as needed)
The A70F looks very classy and if the blue LED fans bit grows old I can put in plain fans for a very understated look. Plus the all aluminum construction is a big step up over my old steel and plastic tower not to mention the mod-ability of an aluminum tower over a comparable steel unit.

The Haf X cases look like something a kid would own but I'm getting to be an old fart. :p
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Take a look at the Fractal Define XL
 
coconutboy said:
I'm not sure if this is still the situation, but keep in mind that you probably have to buy extra hdd mounts to install 10 drives in the a70f. For awhile I, too, was considering this case and IIRC, Lian Li only includes the hardware necessary to mount 7 drives even though the case has the capacity for 10 drives.
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Really o_O? I got mounting hardware for more than 10 :S, but I have the A7010 which includes hot swappable bays.

That's odd!
 
Lots of great posts from both sides about the lian li, its good to find out things I would not have known otherwise from reading reviews etc. about this case. Also the price in canada for the A70F is around 180, so its not as high as it may be in the states.
 
Definitely a good deal at that price. May not seem like much, but competition is so fierce in the case market that every $15-20 increase/reduction in price pits a product against different competition.

Also, if you wanna look at a lot of cases quickly, a great way to do so is to check out the various video reviews (most of 'em use youtube). 3dgameman, pcwizkids, hardwarecanucks, and even the retailers post vids. Most of these videos aren't really case "reviews", they're more of a tour just to get a look. Still, I found them really helpful back when I was searching for a new case because you can view a ton of different models vs the limited pics/angles you'll get in a text review. Once you've gotten a quick look, you can get more in depth.
 
I would go with the Lian Li.

I have owned more cases than I can even remember and even on the cheaper end the Lian Li cases have been the best.

Lets see over the years ive owned:

Lian Li

PC-60 Plus (2 of these)
PC-62 (2 of these)
PCA70
V1200
V2000
PC-V2010
PC-A77
PC V350

Had a couple thermaltake cases
And a couple of the old Cooler Master cases

Current case is the TJ07

Honestly I think dollar for dollar, Lian Li makes the best cases.

I personally thought the construction on the V2000 was better than my TJ07
 
thefreeaccount said:
On the other hand, aluminum isn't nearly as stiff as steel, so it absorbs much more noise/vibration, transmitting to the air what would otherwise go into the ground.
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I think you have that backwards... ;)
 
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