questions about moding my Lian-Li PC-60 Plus?

[AthlonAlien]

I have a PC-60 Plus and it has been working out just fine. I am now in the middle of a few upgrades. I thought it would be a good time to increase my airflow and make things a little cooler. I am going to be replaing all 4 case fans with high speed Panaflo's and controlling them a with fan controller. I am wondering if anyone knows where to find Panaflo blower fans (like the one on the side/back of the PC-60 Plus? Also, it lookings like my XP-90 will be in the way of the rear CPU air duct I was wondering if I should just remove the rear CPU duct and swap the fan around, making it an exhaust fan? Then perhaps mount another 120mm fan on the side in front of the blower and cut some "holes" in the side to allow air flow to enter? Also, I am thinking about swapping my XP-90 for a Ninja... if I do that, should a cut a few "holes" above the ninja so fresh air will be drawn onto the Ninja?

Any ideas/comments would be greatly appreciated... I am interested in what type of mods you guys have done with your PC-60 Plus...

-Thanks

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

I hear you can widen the rear 80mm fan into a 92; I'd change it to an exhaust if it were me.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I've modded two Lian Li mid-towers.

If the rear exhaust fan is high on the back panel, another can be installed below it.
If the rear fan is centered in the back panel, mod in a 92mm fan.
If you up to the task, a pair of 92mm fans will fit in the front for intakes. It's tight but will work. I'll detail it if you are interested. For excellent but cheap 92x25 fans@48cfm,30dBA, go to SVC.com and look at the Japanaflos 92x25M-BX for $4.
The front intakes can be replaced with 80x38mm fans. My favorite is the Delta Triple Blade low speed,80x38mm. It can be seen at http://www.epowerhousepc.com/ on a Sunbeam Rheobus it will start/run at 3.5V, it has a tach/sensor wire.
If your rig is in a clean enviroment, remove the front air filter. The sad little holes in the front panel would be restrictive once the intake is at 60cfm IMO.

EDIT: Why would I reccomend 80x38 fans? Look at the rating for mm of H2O pulled. Sucking through grill work then blowing past HDs is a hard task for wimpy 80x25 fans.

The front and rear of your case is 2.0mm aluminum and that is a bit much for a nibbler. The nibbler I have is rated for 1.5mm aluminum.

Some are fond of blow holes and side panel fans. I am not.


...Galvanized

 

[thisbarb]

I'm wondering...

Are there nibblers that are rated to cut aluminum thicker than 1.5mm? All Lian Li's have 2mm aluminum panels -_-

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: thisbarb
I'm wondering...

Are there nibblers that are rated to cut aluminum thicker than 1.5mm? All Lian Li's have 2mm aluminum panels -_-

Lian Li cases are a mix of aluminum gauges. The front and rear panels are 2.0mm. Most of the higher end cases are allmost all 2.0mm. The cheaper cases(PC-7 Plus) use thin internal pieces.

For cutting thicker material, air powered nibblers can be had.

If I were to use a hand nibbler (Jab-Tech,$8, made in Taiwan) on 2.0mm aluminum, a series of 3/8" holes would be drilled close to the dimention needed. Then the nibbler used to finalized the deal. A half round file could be used to really smarten it up.

A 3/8" hole will permit the nibbler to be inserted into the area of work.

A light smear of Rapid-Tap cutting fluid would be used on the surface of the aluminum to make the work easyer and to prolong the life of good tooling. I use Rapid-Tap on everything but files, grinding stones or buffing pads when working metal. It's fantastic on hacksaws, drills and rotory files. 4oz cost $4, I've found none better.

...Galvanized

 

[thisbarb]

So it can be cut but only in limited proportion (which is why you would need to make many holes, like connect the dots).

 

[AthlonAlien]

Galvanized,

I just upgraded from a XP-90 w/ 92mm to a Ninja w/ 120mm. Now, I am about to place an order for some replacement fans. I am keeping a 120mm up front, a 80mm blow hole at top, and the 120mm blower fan in back. I am going to replace the rear 80mm with a 92mm. My power supply has dual fans, and I am replacing my MB chipset fan as well. I also have a dual slot NV Silencer to help exhaust air out. I have removed the 'duct' that covers the rear PS fan, to allow more of a straight shot for the exhaust. I have swapped the rear case fan around (making it an exhaust, instead of an intake) and removed the screen. I am also probably gonna removed the meesh from the front intake fan as well. Now, what I would like to do is... add a 120mm side panel intake fan, and add some other type of intake fan for the top/front... possibly mount it to the back of the fan controller (it has mounts for a fan). My questions are...

1. What recommendations do you have for replacing the rear 80mm with a 92mm (tools needed, etc.)?
2. Where could I get a replacement 120mm blower fan (hopefully Panaflo)?
3. What recommendations do you have for adding a 120mm side panel intake fan?!
4. Would adding another top intake fan behind the fan controller even be beneficial, and if so, any advice on that?

-Thanks

 

[AthlonAlien]

^^^

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Alien I'm far from the expert here.

I will state that just adding a bunch of fans is not the best answer. Adding side panel fans can disrupt air flow and only use one it absolutly needed. They can be put-off till last because nothing in the case will be in harms way when it is removed to be modded.

Remember that even low dBA fans add up to noise. Something like 3 fans at 28dBA will equal one 33dBA fan. So one good fan properly installed with good air flow will be cheaper and quieter than many low noise fans.

1-With a nibbler the rear 80mm hole can be opened up, then dressed with a half round file if you wish. New holes will have to be drilled to mount a 92mm fan.
You state the grill is removed. Rather than opening up the fan hole an adapter 80 to 92 could be installed on the outside rear of the case or one of the new Silverstone 92mm fans that mounts to 80mm fan holes installed.
I bought my nibbler from Jab-Tech.com because they are supplied direct from Taiwan. This nibbler is a good'en.

2-Blower fan?? Do you mean intake? I have a 114cfm Chinaflo 120x38 that I do not like as it undervoltes with great protest. Send me $8 and it's your's. I just gave away a Chinaflo 86cfm, 120x38 that's an OK fan that undervolts well on a PWM controller=they are happy together. I have a couple Sanyo Denki 120x39 103cfm@39dBA left F/S that will run near silent at 5V, pushing VG air. PM me if interested.
Blower fan? How much intake do you need. I don't have AC and it gets to 100F where I live about mid-summer. Over 100cfm intake is not necessary.

3-Save the side panel for last.

4-No, imo. If you have only two HDs, mount them to the far left of the cage. This will let the intake air enter with less obstruction. Or, mount the HDs in a three into two cage in the lower 5.25" bays and have no HDs in the cage at the floor of the case.
With this cage empty a sheet of aluminum can be installed that can be bent to direct the intake air up to the HSF. Just a flat piece of thin aluminum bent like a cupped hand. This will kick the intake air up to the Ninja's fan. You can play with it to devide the air so the VGA cooler gets it's fair share. This type of deflector could be modded in with the HDs to the far left. I have no HDs in front of my intake fan.

I read this somewhere. Forgot where.
If your case has a side window air flow can be easily checked using thin tissue on the end of small round sticks. The tissue is hung like tiny flags on the sticks. The sticks are held to the inside of the case window with small balls of sticky modeling clay. Run the case to check flow. Simple! I guess if you still have the rubber darts we all had as kids, those little suction cups would work too

Note: My cases have 80mm blow holes. Wish they didn't. I put very low flow 80mm fans up there.

This is a long post for me......Hope you got something useful out of it.


...Galvanized

 

[bigpow]

GY - any idea how not to use the 3.5" drive bracket?
I want it gone since I believe it would make the cool air (from front intake) spread more evently,
but then it'll look ugly and leave a big hole in the front (no place to mount the 3.5" blank face plate)

picture 1

with plate to redirect airflow

See that 3.5" drive bracket? I want it gone, but somehow need to maintain the faceplates

BTW, the plate was there for 30 min only - did nothing to my CPU/mobo temp, VGA temp rised by 2C

 

[AthlonAlien]

GY,

Thanks for the reply. After some more research... I see what you mean about side panel fans possibly messing with air flow. I am just gonna swap my front 120 with a Panaflo Medium and replace the stock mesh with a higher flowing screen. I am gonna replace the top 80mm with a Panaflo Low and not use the bottom 'grill' that was on the stock fan. I ordered the nibbler from Jab-Tech... It will be pretty easy to swap the rear 80mm with a 92mm Panaflo Medium and convert it to exhaust (thus removing the screen, and adding a free flowing exit grill). I would really like to convert the rear to a 120mm fan, but it looks a little difficult... has anyone done it?! And as far as the 120mm blower goes... it comes stcok as an exhaust (which is fine)... I just want to keep the actual bracket, BUT replace the fan itself with a quieter/more free flowing fan), but I can't seem to find any Panaflo 120mm blower fans? I am just gonna hold off on the side panel fan (at least for now). Th eonly thing that kinda bothers me is... I only have a intake, and it's on the bottom... I wonder if I should at least put some sort of fan (60mm or anything) up top, like behind the optical drives, to get some airflow over the PWM IC area?

-Thanks

 

[uhaulball]

athlon, i have the pc-60 plus too. when u ask ppl about the vga blower fan, you should try and describe what it is, its lian li exclusive. no one else makes that fan
also, please post pics!! i wanna know how that rear intake -> exhaust turns out. i wanna make my rear 92mm too. but i care a lot about the asthetics.
ive replaced my front 120mm with a nexus silent, and the top and rear with nexus 80mm silent's. im still using the rear as intake