Lightweight aluminium case

Jibboom

Member
Aug 15, 2006
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Okay, I'm planning on building a new computer at the end of December and I need a case. I want a case that is lightweight (ie an aluminium case), and has both decent cooling and sound dampening.

I was first looking at the NZXT Lexa, It's very lightweight and I like its looks, but I don't think it's going to be a particularly quiet case. Then I was looking at the Lian Li PC V1100 Plus which I had almost decided I would get, but I don't know if the cooling would be good enough as the only intake fan it has is in the lower chamber so may not cool anything apart from the hard drives.

The other components I will be using are listed in the Dec/Jan build link in my sig, price limit is ~£150.

Any suggestions?
 

Ayah

Platinum Member
Jan 1, 2006
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I'd have to vote in an Antec P150. Not the lightest, but steel > Aluminum for silence.
 

Jibboom

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Aug 15, 2006
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My current rig is in an Antec P180 - I want an aluminium case :) Are there no other cases like the Lian Li PCV1100 that are aluminium and have some sound dampening, but also have decent cooling?
 

Jibboom

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Aug 15, 2006
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Possibly, but I'd rather not have to do any mods. Does anyone know of any reported cooling problems with the Lian Li PC V1100, or have any links to sites with temperature testing using this case?
 

Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Case cooling is pretty much directly proportional to the number of fans it uses and their placement. The V1100 uses two 120mm fans so cooling should be fine. Intake fans are really only useful for two things; cooling hard drives and controlling where the air enters the case.

About the only downfall is the sole intake has dust filter that is covered up by fairly restrictive piece of AL, seen here. My Lian Li PC-6070 has similar layout and uses the exact same cover over the filter and would become full within a week or so.

I used a Dremel to open up the filter cover to expose much more of the filter allowing better air flow and much more time between filter cleanings.
 

smthmlk

Senior member
Apr 19, 2003
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the v1100 is not as light as you think it is. I was very surprised when I first picked it up out of the box... look to the non-v series from lian for lighter cases.
 

krotchy

Golden Member
Mar 29, 2006
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The PC-101 is almost the identical design as the V1100plus2 so I can give you my opinion based off that.

The cooling in the main chamber is more than ample, as the rear 120mm fan is used as an intake. This allows for the processor to get fresh air directly from the outside, when used in conjunction with the duct that it comes with. The 120mm intake in the front only cools the hard drives, and exhausts directly through the PS. This keeps your PS fresh and provides ample hard drive cooling, with virtually no noise. Also the door doesnt cause many intake issues here, because the hard drives dont need extreme air flow to begin with.

The side 120mm exhaust bracket is excellent for cooling video cards that have aftermarket coolers on them, since most aftermarket coolers dont exhaust air anymore.

Overall the Lian-Li PC-101 is pretty much the perfectly designed case for what I do with it. Fresh air directly to the processor from behind, and exhaust directly over the expansion slots, using a 120mm fan, allowing your PCI cards to stay cool. If you really desire more cooling for the main compartment, you could add a Lian-Li 34 expander, to put a 120mm fan in 3 of the 5.25 inch bays, and also giving you room for 10 total hard drives instead of 8.
 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
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Lightweight
Decent cooling
Sound dampening

Choose any two of the above. :p

Sound is dampened by heaviness, as in thick steel or damping pads stuck on panels. I don't think you can have lightweight and sound dampening at the same time. Now, you can get close to that by choosing components wisely - choosing parts that run cooler means less fan noise, meaning less noise overall.

One possible solution would be the Antec Super LAN Boy case. No sound dampening, but it meets the other two requirements IMO.
 

Jibboom

Member
Aug 15, 2006
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Yeah, I know there's sadly no such thing as the perfect case Zap. :(
The V1100 looked like a fairly happy medium, aluminium, 8.6kg with dampening, certainly better for me than my 16.3kg P180, so I'm still considering it.
Krotchy - I've not been able to find the Plus II version in the UK, only the regular Plus which doesn't have the side panel fan. The PC-101 is available though, I've had a look at pictures and reviews, I'm now considering that case as well, though it is heavier than the V1100.

Thanks for the help guys, I'm still confused over which case would be best for me though. Oh well I'm sure I'll decide on something.
 

VinDSL

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2006
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www.lenon.com
Originally posted by: Jibboom
Thanks for the help guys, I'm still confused over which case would be best for me though. Oh well I'm sure I'll decide on something.
Yep! That's the way it goes with Lian Li customers...

They're usually confused, 'cause none of the choices really make any sense -- but everyone says they're so great, you know?

As soon as you start putting it together, you'll wish you would have bought some other Lian Li case instead. So, next time you'll buy that one -- they're such a great deal -- only to find out it was worse than the first. And so it goes...

After a while, you'll collect 3 or 4 Lian Li cases -- looking forward to a 5th -- like everyone else. Whichever one you currently use will be best case known to man -- this Lian Li loser pathology is probably what's confusing you!

Homey don't play that game!

Anyway, good luck with your Lian Li purchase... ;)
 

Jibboom

Member
Aug 15, 2006
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Yeah maybe Lian Li isn't for me, they don't seem to make any cases that do quite enough to justify the price. I might just go for the NZXT Lexa which was the first case I was considering anyway. No sound dampening, but i'll be using all low RPM 120mm fans so it shouldn't be too bad, and at least i'll know everything will fit. In the Lian Li pc v1100 I see there can be problems fitting larger and modular PSUs in, so the 620W Corsair could be a problem. The NZXT is quite a bit cheaper too. =)
 

Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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VinDSL must have had traumatic experience involving a Lian Li case in his childhood. :confused:

There isn't anything confusing about purchasing a Lian Li case, or any other high-end AL Silverstone or Coolermaster for that matter. People who end up with Lian Li's are usually looking a high-quality, clean looking case, most of the time they prefer the look and feel of aluminum (obviously).

NZXT is more of an off brand; I wouldn't count on the Lexa being on par with the V1100, usually things are cheaper for a reason.
 

krotchy

Golden Member
Mar 29, 2006
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I always find VinDSL's opinion on Lian-Li's hilarious, purely because he owns a mountain mod's case, which honestly someone would have to pay me to use. They are so ridiculous looking, and not functional for like 99.999% of computer owners. To each his own I guess, but at least I can understand where the P180 over Lian-Li people are coming from, I will never understand the draw of a Mountain Mod's case, its just to freaking big for me to enjoy. Although I understand his bias for Mountain Mod's makes just as much sense to him as my bias towards Lian-Li's, in the end we were both happy customers.

The only thing I have a real issue with is his claim that lian-li owners end up buying 5 cases because theres always one looking more appealing. I find it laughable, although he is right in one way, since I have bought 5 Lian-Li cases... all of which are PC-101's :). Actually the total is 5 PC-101's, also a PC-201 and a PC-767 (for my builds and builds for friends/work).

Overall though you have to remember, case's are the one thing you CANNOT and WILL NEVER get a universal opinion on. Some people like Mountain Mods, some like the Asus Ventos, some like Lian-Li, some like P180's, some people dont think spending over 50 dollars makes sense, and to be honest, EVERYONE IS RIGHT.

All you have to do is find someone with similar opinions to you and see what they liked/disliked. If you think a V1100 is nice, listen to V1100 owners or people who wanted one to find their opinion. It makes no sense to listen to someone bashing that case claiming something else is better, if they came in biased and never having touched it.

sorry for the rant, not sure what sparked it to be honest.
 

smthmlk

Senior member
Apr 19, 2003
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i'm a v1100 owner, and on my version of it (the original, non-plus or anything) there's NO intake at all for the main compartment. the back fan blows out... that's a huge problem that lead me to see 10C temp drops when i installed a 120mm intake for the main compartment. I like lian li's diagrams that show air comes in through unused 5.25" bays.... air goes through a solid aluminum, sealed door? I think not. I had to spend about $30 extra on those 5.25" bay covers with holes in them, $10 on a 120mm fan, and mount it under my dvdrw drive to get air going in, and even then, it only really helps when the front door is open (though it helps even with the front door cracked open a bit; you can feel the air being sucked in).

Would I buy another v1100? No. I would buy the 1000 however, because a powerful rear exhaust fan could actually pull cool air in from all the holes on the front. I love the look of the v1100 with the door, but spending an extra $40 on top of $220 is absurd... but it's my fault for trusting some diagrams on lian li's site and shoddy reviews :p
 

genec57

Member
Nov 7, 2006
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I have had an 1100 for over a year and was never happy with the cooling. Finally, this week i cut a hole in the top of the case and mounted a 120mm silverstone fan. The temps dropped 10 degrees right away. I also replaced the original fans front and rear with silverstones as well.
I really can't recommend that expensive a case that requires upgrading to make it really right.

If I were to replace it I woud go Antec P180.
 

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
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Originally posted by: krotchy
case's are the one thing you CANNOT and WILL NEVER get a universal opinion on.

QFT. That's like asking people to name the best color, or best soda, or best bottled water.
 

Jibboom

Member
Aug 15, 2006
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Originally posted by: genec57
If I were to replace it I woud go Antec P180.
...which is my current case ;)

Basically what I'm looking for is an aluminium P180, which obviously I can't find.

I see people have had problems with the cooling on the v1100 so I don't think I'll be getting that now, I'm not really into cutting my case open, especially not an expensive one when I've never done it before. The v1000 is a possibility but I'm not sure.