- Jan 4, 2005
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Lian-Li PC-V350 Case
First of all, this thing is bigger than I thought. It's BIG. It dwarfs Shuttle enclosures. So is this really a SFF case? Tough to say. This unit will not fit on an average shelf or the typical A/V equipment rack or enclosure. Not a bookshelf computer, unlike the Shuttles.
However, a lot of things about the the Lian-Li PC-V350 case outweigh the cons of excessive size for a microATX system:
1) Overall fit and finish. This thing, despite being made largely out of aluminum, has a very solid feel to it when fully assembled.
2) Removable motherboard trey. This was a big reason I bought the Lian-Li. I hate fishing around in cases to reach that one screw stopping an assembly.
3) Modular construction. The externally-accessible USB, FireWare and sound ports are set up in a neat module. All interface elements on the case are set into Molex modular connectors that plug directly into the standard microATX board, making indicator light, reset and power connections much easier than in many builds.
4) A healthy collection of fans. The V350 has two factory-installed 120mm fans in the front of the chassis and an 80mm fan at the rear of the hard disk case.
5) Catholic power supply support. Any ATX/SFX power supply can be installed. No limiting factor there. Being new to building in microATX, I wasn't sure about this. This is another reason I believe I made the right choice.
6) Instructions. Better than any case or bare-bones product I've bought. Not perfect, but more than good enough.
7) The rear port header shield. It's a better fit and accepts header shields from any microATX motherboard, snapping firmly in place. Having done many ATX build, I've found the header shield to be a persistent problem. Not this time.
The cosmetic appearance of the unit (I purchased the black one) is quite impressive. Installing the motherboard couldn't have been simpler. There obviously is no power supply, but the modular motherboard connectors and healthy fan collection make up for it, as does the sliding trey. Makes for an extremely clean setup cablewise, which is a persistent problem in my builds.
Given the sheer bulk of the case, I'd prefer the optical drive slots to be forward-facing rather than side-facing.
On the upside, for microATX, it's a very roomy case. Many of the large CPU heatsinks that are so fashionable should have little trouble fitting into this unit.
I'm going to be finishing up the new build pretty soon and expect to have more thoughts later. This will easily be the best-looking build I've ever done.
First of all, this thing is bigger than I thought. It's BIG. It dwarfs Shuttle enclosures. So is this really a SFF case? Tough to say. This unit will not fit on an average shelf or the typical A/V equipment rack or enclosure. Not a bookshelf computer, unlike the Shuttles.
However, a lot of things about the the Lian-Li PC-V350 case outweigh the cons of excessive size for a microATX system:
1) Overall fit and finish. This thing, despite being made largely out of aluminum, has a very solid feel to it when fully assembled.
2) Removable motherboard trey. This was a big reason I bought the Lian-Li. I hate fishing around in cases to reach that one screw stopping an assembly.
3) Modular construction. The externally-accessible USB, FireWare and sound ports are set up in a neat module. All interface elements on the case are set into Molex modular connectors that plug directly into the standard microATX board, making indicator light, reset and power connections much easier than in many builds.
4) A healthy collection of fans. The V350 has two factory-installed 120mm fans in the front of the chassis and an 80mm fan at the rear of the hard disk case.
5) Catholic power supply support. Any ATX/SFX power supply can be installed. No limiting factor there. Being new to building in microATX, I wasn't sure about this. This is another reason I believe I made the right choice.
6) Instructions. Better than any case or bare-bones product I've bought. Not perfect, but more than good enough.
7) The rear port header shield. It's a better fit and accepts header shields from any microATX motherboard, snapping firmly in place. Having done many ATX build, I've found the header shield to be a persistent problem. Not this time.
The cosmetic appearance of the unit (I purchased the black one) is quite impressive. Installing the motherboard couldn't have been simpler. There obviously is no power supply, but the modular motherboard connectors and healthy fan collection make up for it, as does the sliding trey. Makes for an extremely clean setup cablewise, which is a persistent problem in my builds.
Given the sheer bulk of the case, I'd prefer the optical drive slots to be forward-facing rather than side-facing.
On the upside, for microATX, it's a very roomy case. Many of the large CPU heatsinks that are so fashionable should have little trouble fitting into this unit.
I'm going to be finishing up the new build pretty soon and expect to have more thoughts later. This will easily be the best-looking build I've ever done.
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