Which Lian Li For Me?

[Sczee]

EDIT:

What I would now like to know is if I could fit a Corsair HX620, a Tuniq Tower and a 8800GTX in the Lian Li V1000 Plus II. Also if I added the EX-23B (2 5.25" drive bays become 3 3.5" drive bays with an 80mm fan) how loud is the 80mm fan? Obviously I could lower the voltage but how loud is it at 12V, I can't seem to find the specs for it anywhere.

/Edit

I'm having a bit of a hard time choosing a case for my new system - keep changing my mind. I suppose that's what I get for planning it out about 2 months before I'll actually have the money. But anyway I will have the money in under two weeks and I've decided that I want one of these three cases from Lian Li - the PC-V1000BplusII, the PC-V1200BplusII or the PC-V2000BplusII . The important parts of my system are:

E6600 w/ Tuniq Tower
Asus P5B Deluxe (maybe change to eVGA nForce 680i SLI)
1 IDE HDD (Seagate)
1 SATA HDD (Seagate 7200.10)
ATI X1950 Pro
Lite-On SHM-165H6S DVD-RW Drive
Corsair 620HX

I'm planning to upgrade to a decent DX10 card when there is a bit of competition (probably at least 6 months 'cos I'll need the money as well) so I'd like the case to be able to fit a 8800GTX reasonably easily (possibly SLI). Also I'm going to get a WD Raptor sometime but I doubt an additional HDD is a problem.

Money is not an issue as I have budgeted for the V2000 but if getting that is a waste, I'd rather go with one of the smaller ones. I'm guessing cooling and noise are similar for all three unless the smaller ones are stuffed full of components.

So my questions are; can I get away with one of the smaller versions with the parts I've listed above and still have as good cooling as I would get with the V2000, and will the parts I've selected/planned for fit nicely? And does the upside down motherboard matter at all? I definitely wont be using two PSUs if anyone wonders.

Also if you replace the front case fan with a LED fan, can the LEDs be seen from the front very easily?

My current opinion is that the V1200 is probably the best bet for me but I'm open to any suggestions.

 

[bail_w]

Li lian V1200

 

[buffbiff21]

I've decided that I want one of these three cases from Lian Li - the PC-V1000BplusII, the PC-V1200BplusII or the PC-V2000BplusII

of those three i would go with the v2000b plus II, cuz it holds tons of HDs. however i have one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112105
and i love it. if you want the smaller v1200, its up to you. The PC-65 and PC-7 cases are good for the non-upside mobo mount, look cool, are very cheap, but do not hold as much stuff or look at great as the V series.

can I get away with one of the smaller versions with the parts I've listed above and still have as good cooling as I would get with the V2000, and will the parts I've selected/planned for fit nicely?

yes, maybe even better depending on the fans you have.

And does the upside down motherboard matter at all?

negative

Also if you replace the front case fan with a LED fan, can the LEDs be seen from the front very easily?

yes, the aluminum mesh grill in the front of the V2000 series is "see through" to a certain extent, it truly looks gorgeous if you see it in person.

 

[Sczee]

of those three i would go with the v2000b plus II, cuz it holds tons of HDs. however i have one of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112105
and i love it. if you want the smaller v1200, its up to you. The PC-65 and PC-7 cases are good for the non-upside mobo mount, look cool, are very cheap, but do not hold as much stuff or look at great as the V series.

I personally like the look of the V series over the G70 (or anything else I have seen) so I'll stick with one of the three I listed. The thing about the V2000 holding tons of HDDs is that I won't be using tons of HDDs so that makes it kinda pointless in that respect. Is the V2000 better than the V1200 in any other respect? I like the proportions of the V2000 over the V1200 but I don't think I'll buy it solely for that.

yes, maybe even better depending on the fans you have.

So the V1200/V1000 could be better at cooling than the V2000 even though it is less cramped?

negative

Cool I thought that's be the case.

yes, the aluminium mesh grill in the front of the V2000 series is "see through" to a certain extent, it truly looks gorgeous if you see it in person.

Yeah the more I look at the pictures the better it looks. Hmm do you think a white LED fan or a blue LED fan would look best?

Thanks for the detailed reply.

 

[bail_w]

The V2000 is only has more hdd racks, spaces and that it. therefore just go for the v1200 and you will save some $$

 

[buffbiff21]

I personally like the look of the V series over the G70 (or anything else I have seen) so I'll stick with one of the three I listed.

Well I have the G70 with the window for my main rig (not the G75, i had tocustom order the window), but i got the newegg pictures just for reference. No pictures can do any of these cases justice
My old rig is a V1000B, I totally loved it. However the G70 is just as sexy. I admit it does look a bit stiff on the Egg's pics, but trust me it is no slouch in terms of aesthetics. I also put some wheels on it.

Is the V2000 better than the V1200 in any other respect?

not really. room for watercooling equipment, possibly phase if you ever go those routes. just somethin to think about.

I like the proportions of the V2000 over the V1200 but I don't think I'll buy it solely for that.

the v1200 is slightly longer (front to back) than the V1000. For my money, the V1000 looks a little better.

So the V1200/V1000 could be better at cooling than the V2000 even though it is less cramped?

the air generated by the fans has less distance to travel, thus the heat is expelled quicker and more efficiently. Some of those V1000/2000 cases have a fan by the vid card as well.

Yeah the more I look at the pictures the better it looks. Hmm do you think a white LED fan or a blue LED fan would look best?

the HDD/Front panel lights are blue on the V series, green on the smaller PC65/7, and I dont even know what the G series light color was. (my rig has zero lights...I popped the bulbs on my 680i also so it is watercooled, quiet and invisible )

 

[Sczee]

One plus for the V2000 over the V1200 is that there is a window panel for the V2000 but not for the V1200. There is also a window panel for the V1000 for that matter. Would GTXs fit in the V1000?

Yeah I like the V1000 and the V2000 more than the V1200 because they aren't as long compared to the height. Not sure I'd ever go with water cooling but as you say its good to have the option.

The place I would order from (I'm in New Zealand so I don't have a whole lot of choice) does ship the V2000 with the video card fan, but the V1200 doesn't have it. I figure with the vid card fan and the Tuniq Tower blowing air out (I'll have to reverse the back fan) the case should be pretty cool.

I kinda like LEDs (not excessively, but some can look cool) so I think I'll leave the bulbs on my MB alone.

@bail_w

You're right the V1200 probably fits my needs as well as the V2000 but it looks too long/stretched to me (at least when I measure it out with a tape measure). Because of that, the side panel w/ window and the vid card cooler shipped with the V2000 but not with the V1200, I think I'll either go with the V1000 or the V2000. If everything would fit into the V1000 nicely I'll go with that but otherwise the V2000 seems to be the one for me.

 

[Sczee]

What I would now like to know is if I could fit a Corsair HX620, a Tuniq Tower and a 8800GTX in the Lian Li V1000 Plus II. Also if I added the EX-23B (2 5.25" drive bays become 3 3.5" drive bays with an 80mm fan) how loud is the 80mm fan? Obviously I could lower the voltage but how loud is it at 12V, I can't seem to find the specs for it anywhere.

 

[John C]

Just in case anyone is still reading this...

Obviously the most pressing reason to use the V-2000 is if you have the extra drives. But also, I have found it makes more sense to use a half height such as the V-1000 if you intend to place the box on top of the desk and the full height V-2000 if you intend to place it under the desk. The extra height puts your DVD drives up to where they are convenient to access when the machine is under the desk. For most people, I suspect this should be the biggest driver in determining which model to buy.