Lian Li PC-68 vs Antec PlusView1000AMG

[rosarian007]

My computer:
AMD 64 3400+ RETAIL
ASUS K8V SE Deluxe
1gig of Corsair DDRAM 1GB TWINX1024-3200LLPT COR RT (2 512MB DIMMS)
ATI AIW 9800PRO 128MB
Two Western Digital RAPTOR 74GIG DRIVES in a RAID 0 Array
Two Western Digital IDE 120Gig 8mb of Cache drives in a Raid 0 array
Soundblaster Audigy 2 Platinum

I don't think I need to post my optical drivers here, but if you want me to I will.
I would like to know which case would do a better job at cooling this system. I've had a Lian Li PC-68 for three years already and it is a beautiful case, but I'm not sure if it will do a better job at cooling than my Antec PlusView1000AMG. What do you guys think?

 

[MegaWorks]

well I have the Antec 1000AMG and this baby can cool, only if you got all your fan slots taking.
But I've heard good things about the Lian case so it's up to you

------------------------------------------------------
AMD Athlon XP T-Bred B DLT3C 1700+ @ 2.3GHZ (1.775v) 400FSB = 3200+
Abit NF7-S V.2 (nForce2-U400)
Corsair TwinX XMS 3200LL 512MB @ 2-3-2-6 (2.6v)
Sapphire Radeon 9500 Pro 128MB
Antec TrueBlue 480W
Thermalright SLK-947U with 92mm Vantec Tornado @2800RPM
Antec PlusView 1000AMG
Cambridge SoundWorks MegaWorks THX 550 5.1

 

[mechBgon]

They both have their good points. The Lian-Li has two 80mm fans in front, to cool up to five hard drives at once, where the Antec's fan-cooled HDD bay can hold only three. Overall airflow through the lower part of the case is going to be better with the Antec unless you mod your Lian-Li. Then again, most LL's have a top blowhole to cool your optical drives, where the Antec will stagnate up top (you can flip over the Antec's PSU and its mounting plate to help counteract this).

If you want to improve the cooling of your Lian-Li, step 1 is to bail the inboard stamped-aluminum fan grilles. Step 2 is to remove the stamped-aluminum grillework over the rear exhaust fan, and replace it with a chromed wire grille. If you're bold and adventuresome, putting a second exhaust fan below the first one will definitely help, and I have some other ideas for you to check out here, particularly the front filter-holder mod.

With the extra rear exhaust and the other mods, I can use slow-running 18dB fans and still have good temperatures, although the system is currently running just one hard drive and a pretty mellow video card (it's an office rig).

 

[rosarian007]

Thanks for replying guys. I currently have this computer in the Antec 1000AMG. I was told that Aluminum dispenses heat quicker than steal which is the major reason why I was thinking about switching to the Lian Li PC-68. I don't want to be adventurous and "mod" my Lian Li because I will probably end up damaging it. I would rather buy another case or stay with the Antec 1000AMG. I really like Lian Li cases and I was thinking about buying the Silver Lian Li PC-6089A aluminum Mid-Tower case with USB ports or a Cooler Master wavemaster ALL Aluminum Mid-Tower PC. I've noticed that the Antec 1000AMG accumulates more dust than the Lian Li PC-68. Which one would be a better choice? Should I just use the Lian Li PC-68 and buy powerful fans to cool the HDs. I am worried about my two Western Digital 74g Raptor Drives.

 

[mechBgon]

The case material shouldn't matter. My favorite analogy is a car parked in the sun. Which will reduce its interior temperature better... changing the body from steel to aluminum? or opening all the windows?

~ ah so, grasshoppah... wise man knows ventilation is important!

I sure hope to goodness that I'm not ever reduced to depending on the case's static thermal conductivity to keep it cool. That's what the fans are for.

 

[jose]

MechBgon:

Those are some scsi drive in your pics, right ? What type of cable are you using to connect them, I never seen connectors like that ?
Also you did cut out the top blow hole right ? What a good 80mm med speed/low noise fan that can be controlled by a speed cntrl ?

Regards,
Jose

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: jose
MechBgon:

Those are some scsi drive in your pics, right ? What type of cable are you using to connect them, I never seen connectors like that ?
Also you did cut out the top blow hole right ? What a good 80mm med speed/low noise fan that can be controlled by a speed cntrl ?

Regards,
Jose

Yeah, a Cheetah X15-36LP and a Cheetah 15k.3. They're not both in the same computer right at the moment, I currently have the X15-36LP in a separate rig.

The cables are some rounded SCSI cables I bought from Newegg. I cut them down to single-device cables (LOL, how perverted is that, a single-device SCSI cable ) and re-crimped the terminator plug onto them (a difficult task, actually). The terminators are also from Newegg and are detachable. Green LED = LVD mode, red = SE mode.

In all honesty, these Newegg rounded SCSI cables do not look like top-quality stuff and I would not use them in a mission-critical situation. I got a rounded SCSI cable from Hypermicro that did impress me, very hefty and looked like good-quality cable. Or there's always the traditional twisted-flat ones.

Fans: the PC-86 in the photos came with the typical Lian-Li slotted top-panel hole and I did leave that one alone. The second rear fan hole was cut by So-TrickComputers when I bought the case (and they ported out the existing one too, excellent work on it). For a top fan that you could control with a controller... I think I'd pick one of the Panaflo lineup, perhaps the M1A. The Panaflos seem to do well at cramming air through restrictive vents/fins/slots, and they have oil-bath sleeve bearings.