Which Lian Li for me???

[EndGame]

OK, all this talk has gotten to me. I own 4 P180's but have never owned a Lian Li........I decided today I need to find out what everyone is talking about for myself.

Which one though? I don't need anything huge......about the same size as the P180 perhaps but I don't want to drop a mint on it. I want to see if all the hype is worth the money before I sink a lot into one......what's comparable to my P180's?

EDIT: Forgot.........have to have 120mm fans.......have yet to find an 80mm quiet enough for me.........

 

[RallyMaster]

PC-7B Plus II?

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

The answer is ALWAYS the PC-7B. If you get the Plus II model like Rallymaster suggested, you get 3 120's.

 

[EndGame]

Looks kind of small compared to what I have. Also, I see the difference in other "plus II" midels but what does the plus II have in the PC-7B Plus II?

LOL! Answered my question! Where is the third one? I can only find the 2 in the pics on Newegg..........

 

[Boyo]

Originally posted by: EndGame
OK, all this talk has gotten to me. I own 4 P180's but have never owned a Lian Li........I decided today I need to find out what everyone is talking about for myself.

Which one though? I don't need anything huge......about the same size as the P180 perhaps but I don't want to drop a mint on it. I want to see if all the hype is worth the money before I sink a lot into one......what's comparable to my P180's?

EDIT: Forgot.........have to have 120mm fans.......have yet to find an 80mm quiet enough for me.........

LOL. Just as long as you don't blame me for your wallet getting lighter...I am taking a look at the Lian Li PC-6070B PLUS. You may want to check that out. Very nice styling with clean lines like your P180s and a similiar price. It uses 3x 80mm fans, which you might not like, but as a part of their Quiet line, it comes with sound dampening on all 4 panels (Unless you get a window). The design inside is very unique the way it chanels the air using ducts.

Again, I'm still "researching" it so I am in the learning phase. Google hasn't brought up much info other than what I get from their web site, or try Performance-PCs. They have a nice selection of Lian Li's.

 

[EndGame]

LOL! Don't worry........been considering this for awhile now

Already kind of crossed out the 6070 because of the 80mm's although I like the case dampening........

 

[Boyo]

Originally posted by: EndGame
LOL! Don't worry........been considering this for awhile now

Already kind of crossed out the 6070 because of the 80mm's although I like the case dampening........

I figured the 3x 80mms would be a deal breaker for you. But, I am desperate so I am looking at everything at the moment. The 80mm didn't exactly overwhelm me either.

 

[pkme2]

My 2 PC-60s have three 80mm and one 120mm case fans and mobo tray. Solid construction, great ventilation and if you swapped out fans with Yate Loons, super quiet.
If you get a PC-60 on Newegg for $99, you can get a Seasonic S-12 600W with the savings. I'm not to much for fancy trimmings, but my 3 LLs are the best for the dollar spent.

 

[allies]

See sig

 

[AntiStatic]

here is a pic of my V1000 next to my old P180

http://waldounited.com/Uploader/files/1/twins.jpg

V series>*

 

[EndGame]

Looks like the V1000 series would be the closest to what I want. It also has the 120mm I require.......I've looked at that particular one before several times. I'm wondering which version though......are the improvements in the Plus/Plus II worth it?

I've considered the PC60 for a short time also but, the 80mm are a real no-go for me......haven't found any I like speed/air flow wise and I've tried Yate Loons........

Don't need another P/S...........have 3 S12 500's and 2 S12 600's here now...........

 

[EndGame]

V1000 Plus II seems nice, the best I'm finding is still over $200 without shipping though........to me anyhow, that just seems like a lot to spend on a case that *might* be better than my P180's........

 

[Boyo]

I hear what you are saying. No way can I go the Lian Li route. But everyone has different tastes and preferences, so that's why there is a case out there for everyone. I just haven't found mine yet.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i dunno why people compare lian li cases to antec cases. lian li would blow antec out of earth in quality, unless thats not what you're looking for then get the p180. but u might want to do some searching for all those with door problems and wiring problems

 

[EndGame]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
i dunno why people compare lian li cases to antec cases. lian li would blow antec out of earth in quality, unless thats not what you're looking for then get the p180. but u might want to do some searching for all those with door problems and wiring problems

Hmm, reading the whole thread helps........I have 4 P180's. No wiring problems and no door problems......Last night, I did have the chance to compare. Went to a friends house and he has an older V1000 plain model....no plus and a PC60.......yeah, they're very nicely built, but louder than my P180 and he's got Nexus and Pabst fans. Athsteticly, after seeing them in person for the first time, their not "bad" but not great either. He also had problems with HD vibration noises but bought his own rubber gromets to take care of that problem. He and I then took a drive to my house and left the women at his.......he had never seen a P180 in person and was shocked by how quiet it was especially considering my system is nearly identical to his board/chip/video wise.

 

[bmx045]

I've owned the pc-65 w/ factory window a few years ago, and now I just bought the pc-60. The 80mm fans that come with it are just perfect, not too loud, but move a good amount of air. I couldn't be any happier with Lian-Li products, if you've never owned one, you cannot speak. These cases are very very good quality IMO. I got my pc-60 at newegg for $99 last week, and I regret selling my old pc-65, I wish I kept it(sold it w/ components when upgrading at the time). I love the adjustable dual 80mm fans in the front grille...and the filter...its still quiet and it keeps the system temp at room temp always. There's plenty of room for me in the mid-tower 60 series, I only run 1 hard drive and 1 cd-rw, and pci express vid card so I have plenty of room for upgrade. The case does come with additional slide in/out trays for scsi and such. For $100 you absolutely cannot beat it. Here's a pic of my current setup-
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/237939.jpg
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/237940.jpg

 

[EndGame]

Originally posted by: bmx045
I've owned the pc-65 w/ factory window a few years ago, and now I just bought the pc-60. The 80mm fans that come with it are just perfect, not too loud, but move a good amount of air. I couldn't be any happier with Lian-Li products, if you've never owned one, you cannot speak. These cases are very very good quality IMO. I got my pc-60 at newegg for $99 last week, and I regret selling my old pc-65, I wish I kept it(sold it w/ components when upgrading at the time). I love the adjustable dual 80mm fans in the front grille...and the filter...its still quiet and it keeps the system temp at room temp always. There's plenty of room for me in the mid-tower 60 series, I only run 1 hard drive and 1 cd-rw, and pci express vid card so I have plenty of room for upgrade. The case does come with additional slide in/out trays for scsi and such. For $100 you absolutely cannot beat it. Here's a pic of my current setup-
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/237939.jpg
http://img1.yoxio.com/img/237940.jpg

Nothing wrong with that......gald it works for you! I on the other hand run several systems and have tried a lot of cases, Lian Li not being one of them simply because I didn't see the cost/performance benefit. The build of the case (Lian Li's) can be great, but, if it doesn't cool any better and is not any quieter than what I currently use or have used........it's hard to make that move and spend the money I'd have to spend for a comparable case to my P180's.

Your case works for you.......but it wouldn't work for me. First, I've used 120mm fans for a few years now in my cases and for a good reason......with 80mm fans you can get a fan that moves a lot of air/is loud, or, you can get a "quiet" fan in 80mm standards which moves little air. I run 3 hard drives, DVD & DVDRW, Fan controller, 3.5 Floppy, Tuniq Tower on my chip, an XTI X1XXX series video card with aftermarket cooling, X Fi sound, Hauppage Dual Tuner TV card so while it may physically fit, it would be tight in a case like yours and also undoubtedly run warmer and noisier.

Cases are all about personal likes and opinions. As you stated, I've not owned one but have friends with them and have researched them. I like them and want to try one.......but need to find a reason to do so and a case that will at least be as silent and cool as well as what I've currently got/hopefully better otherwise, what sense would there be in spending more money on a case?

 

[LOUISSSSS]

i dunno how well your friends case cools but my temps are pretty good imo.
CPU idle: 33, load 45
MB idle 26, load 30-35
GPU idle 45, load 60-70
150gb raptor: idle & load: 30
its all about good airflow and cable management.
if you're happy with your Antec cases then stick with them. if u want high end quality cases then get a Lian Li

 

[Operandi]

I have to agree with LOUISSSSS Antec make nice functional cases but in terms of build quality and aesthetics its no comparison at all.

Noise is 95% determined by what is in the case and 5% the case itself. The V1xxx series uses 120mm fans so it should be able to match the P180, albeit with a little more work.

 

[EndGame]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
i dunno how well your friends case cools but my temps are pretty good imo.
CPU idle: 33, load 45
MB idle 26, load 30-35
GPU idle 45, load 60-70
150gb raptor: idle & load: 30
its all about good airflow and cable management.
if you're happy with your Antec cases then stick with them. if u want high end quality cases then get a Lian Li

That's all good but the P180B this system is in is built well, (even my friend agreed last night it is a solid well built case) and my temps. are as follows with the hardware listed above.....

CPU idle: 29, load 41
MB idle 26, load 35
GPU idle 32, load 47
3X Seagate 250GB's: idle/load: 28

My board is an A8N-E so temps. should be similar......the only difference being ambient temps. and the case as well as various hardware.

Understand that I want and will eventually buy a Lian Li just for the sake of having one but, given our systems are similar and my temp.s are on par/better and I'd bet after seeing/hearing my friends system last night quieter, I'm struggling to see any huge advantage with the Lian Li's in what matters most to me.........cooling & quiet.

Like I said, I love the looks and build of the Lian Li's was digging in one and looking it over just last night...............otherwise I wouldn't want one, it's just hard for me to justify spending $80+ more on a V1000 Plus II when I'll most likely end up with a system which is louder and warmer.........

 

[EndGame]

Originally posted by: Operandi
I have to agree with LOUISSSSS Antec make nice functional cases but in terms of build quality and aesthetics its no comparison at all.

Noise is 95% determined by what is in the case and 5% the case itself. The V1xxx series uses 120mm fans so it should be able to match the P180, albeit with a little more work.

OK, that's what I'm looking for. My friends V1000 was noticably louder than my system and he has some damn nice quiet 120mm fans......but it was still louder and his temps. ran warmer than mine across the board........what can one do to quiet a V1000 down and make it cool better without adding noise? Dampening? Looked into that and that adds another big hunk of change to it...........

Athestics are purely a matter of personal opinion.........I think the V1000 looks exceptional on the interior, but, exterior wise......I love the straight lines and slick look of the P180........ I actually like some of the other Lian Li models better appearance wise but they won't serve my needs functionally........

 

[LOUISSSSS]

pros for v1000 series
1. psu gets constant supply of colt air from the bottom of the case but not close enough for dust
2. hard drives get active cooling
3. mesh-like holes all around the front and rear panels to keep interior case temp as close to ambient as possible
4. no door to block fan controllers, audigy front panels that connet to headphones, mic, etc. to block dvd drives that pop out when done burning dvd/cd
5. scratch resistant panels even thought i might of bumped it the wrong way a few times
6. locable side panels
7. cpu cooling can be passive and still get good airflow from rear exhaust fan
8. easy cable management from behind the mb and drives
9. wheels with removable rubber for grip and wheel locks
10. fan filers and grills for front and rear fan.
thats all i can think of now, theres a lot of 'small things' that will make u happy when u get it that i didn't even expect like a front intake fan filter mounting the fan by rubber washers for complete silence. hope you make the right choice. remember.. the p180 is half the price of the lian li for a reason (i got mine a lil more expensive with a custom top 120mm blowhole for another top intake to provide cool air for my video card

 

[bmx045]

Watercool everything and be done, thats the quietest I can think of! Other than that, a server tower and 2 or 3 120mm will be the only quiet, air moving solution. A lot of these mid-towers can only practically fit 80mm's...the ones built into this pc60, 1 on the top, 1 on the backside and 2 in the front seem pretty decent. I'm used to my sunon highflow 80mm fans which are loud, but these fans are quiet and get the job done, for me though. The only real thing I'm concerned about is the video card, I mean it has its own enclosed air cooling system with sealed off exiting via subdistal pci slot, but I'm not sure its enough. The card runs at 55-60c on its own. I like the aluminum case because it does in fact absorb the heat. But of course you know whats best for your own needs. I've been down the path of many different styles of steel cases when building computers for friends and family, it's amazing how much different the lian-li cases are built compared to the antec's. Not to mention the aluminum being easier to cut, and is lighter if you need to move it around. I mean for $100 you can't go wrong is my point. Just adding some cents into this in my own opinion.

 

[Operandi]

I've never built a system in the V1xxx series but for the most part it always comes down to the same things. Use passive heatsinks where you can north bridge always, GPU if it's appropriate. Use the slowest fans you can; dynamic fan control is huge advantage, CFM when you need it and low dBA at idle. Soft mount whatever you can that has moving parts, fans (easy) and hard drives (less easy). Sound damping is really the last step you want to take since it's effect is pretty suttle.

My Lian Li PC-6070 has some draw backs in its stock form. 3x 80mm fans, somewhat restricted intake and exhaust openings, and hard mounted hard drive cage. I opened up the intake and exhaust opening, soft mounted all the fans (Panaflo L1A), added a 2nd exhaust fan, and soft-mounted a three hard drives. In it's (currently) finished form the only time I can hear it is in the early AM hours with all the windows shut; it's very quiet.

 

[EndGame]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
pros for v1000 series
1. psu gets constant supply of colt air from the bottom of the case but not close enough for dust
2. hard drives get active cooling
3. mesh-like holes all around the front and rear panels to keep interior case temp as close to ambient as possible
4. no door to block fan controllers, audigy front panels that connet to headphones, mic, etc. to block dvd drives that pop out when done burning dvd/cd
5. scratch resistant panels even thought i might of bumped it the wrong way a few times
6. locable side panels
7. cpu cooling can be passive and still get good airflow from rear exhaust fan
8. easy cable management from behind the mb and drives
9. wheels with removable rubber for grip and wheel locks
10. fan filers and grills for front and rear fan.
thats all i can think of now, theres a lot of 'small things' that will make u happy when u get it that i didn't even expect like a front intake fan filter mounting the fan by rubber washers for complete silence. hope you make the right choice. remember.. the p180 is half the price of the lian li for a reason (i got mine a lil more expensive with a custom top 120mm blowhole for another top intake to provide cool air for my video card

Like what you had to say there. So I take it you ordered from Performance PC's? Did you order the Regular V1000 or the Plus or PlusII?