So after reading this I had to order one from newegg. I have 2 other older Lian-Li's at home already, and I love them.
This new case is HUGE!
I couldn't believe how tall this thing was. If you're thinking of putting it under a desk, be sure to check your desks height first. Also the USB ports are located on the front top which is great if you have access to these, but kind of crappy if you're going to shove it all the way under a desk where it barely fits.
Quality of everything with this case is better than my other two Lian-Li's. I believe I have a PC-80 with a plexi window, and another larger one with a server board in it, but I don't remember the model # off hand.
This thing comes with tons of quality accessories.
It has plenty of space for HDD's, and I was able to easily fit 5-Raptor 300GB's in this case and still the thing runs silent and awesome.
Airflow is amazing.
Some of the fans on this thing are massive.
I'd like to know the effect of taking the front door off, both in temp and noise. Can't see the point of those grilles if they're covered up, and the 140mm fan will just be circulating heated air. The effect of the Panaflo pretty much shows that circulation in the case isn't as good as it might be.
Quality build, but paying this amount of money I expect top thermal and aural performance as well.
The HD cage is around 24 CM from the start of the PSU bay and the PC&P supplies are around 23 CM long. However, you can use the back section of the PSU mounting plate, as the cables from the PSU will then clear the HD cage as there is a recess at the back of them. Or you can remove the HD cage altogether. Either way, it will work.
Lian li makes a nice case no doubt BUT full towers dont make easy placement of the box. In all of the different cases I have had and there are many. The best case has been my SC5300 5U server case by intel.
The only drawback of my case is the fans which are like jet engines. And one of these days I will find some quieter fans for it with the same airflow.
What would be nice to see in these tests is a full case. e.g. all slots and drive bays full with eatx dual socket motherboard etc...
Then run your tests and see what the temps are.
Also why all of the useless 5 1/4 slots??? who uses all of those today? I have never been able to use more than 3 2 dvd's and floppy.
currently i run a intel se7505vb2 with 2 3.2 1mb 533 fsb xeons and 4 gb ddr, I know anand has this (hot board) with a scsi 160 raid to 4 scsi 73's hot swap and a sata raid to 6 sata 320's hot swap. with HD2600xt 512 audigy 2 win tv pvr150,
according to my "sensor readings my ambient motherboard temps are between 26 and 29 degrees celcius, cpu's are still warm i am getting new coolers finally which should help out.
but all in all the 5300 and 5400 if you can find better fans are much better than any case out there.
nice, but even if i was rich, i think i'd rather buy a third or fourth backup graphics card to sit and collect dust rather than put it into sheet of aluminum. but hey, to each their own.
As a guy who's cut up his hands more than he'd like to admit working with Antec cases and the like (and I do like the Nine Hundred, I just wish it were better), I decided to go with the cheaper version of this case, the PC-V2010B. It cost $320, but I know I'll use it for years and years, and it's a joy to work with. I will probably onlu use Lian-Li or possibly Silverstone going forward. The Silverstone TJ07 does look nice, and it reminds me of my new Lian-Li.
You cant just use brushed metal and make-believe its going to cover up the gaping flaws in a classy well rounded design. It looks like it should be home inside of a dark corner in a server farm room. Not my desktop.
It just looks ugly. Not as ugly as those plastic hot pink neon cases, but for 400$ it might as well be.
- Where is the etched metal logo/everything? I see a cheapass stick-on.
- Why do I see bare screws on the outside of the case? I can get the industrial look for half the price.
- Why the cheap metal door on top? Thats only asking to be in the way and get bent.
- Why does the door swing the wrong way? (think about how you typicaly set your PC for the innards to face you for easy access - Door swings in the way, not out of the way)
- Ect ect
Thanks for the review, but Lan-Li has always been the wannabe top class in case design and has always tried to do it with a bunch of etched metal and poor outward design around it. Its like old Honda designers trying to copy something from BMW.
I can't disagree that Silverstone make great cases - they do, and just like Lian-Li you're paying the difference over commodity cheapo cases that look like ass and cut your hands up.
But I do think it's important to note that Lian-Li was doing this long before a lot of these other companies decided to make a premium enclosure and frankly if I ever need to replace my PC-65 it will be with another Lian-Li case.
They do solid, classy and well-designed cases that are worth the money if you want something that will last you years. And you can ask anyone who's ever owned one that they are not in the slightest like a cheap-knock off.
I get the feeling you either don't own or never have owned anything like a Lian-Li and your arguments are based off what you see in these pictures. I'd suggest you go look at one, or better yet get a chance to actually work with one before you make too many rash assumptions.
I have no doubt the build quality is exceptional as I have the V1000B myself but this has no circulation to it? Plus it looks like they still haven't figured out how to make a removable mobo tray? If Anand plans to make this a test case I would think that would be priority. I have had to change mobos enough to know its important.
Sorry, page 3 has been updated - the tray is removable.
Stock airflow is designed with silence in mind and is adequate in most cases. We'll probably end up water-cooling everything as I have a couple of spare PA 120.2's which should fit in the base nicely with a bit of modding..
Removable motherboard trays do not make a good case, although I personally would not mind one as well. I have probably the 'cheapest' in the Lian-Li line (the PC-G50), which as far as I know is no longer made, but dahm the case is less than 16" tall ! Cramped, but it looks nice, unlike those embarrassing cases another user mentioned, and its very compact, which is why I bought it aside from the fact that it uses(or can use) 3x 120mm Fans with the Lian-Li 4in3 HDD bay add-on.
I also own an Antec P182 case, and while I think it is very well built especially considering layout(and I do like it), it just seems so much like a monster by comparison, and it is only a few inches taller . . . I guess my full tower 'lovin' days are over with.
looks decent to me, most cases especially "gaming cases" look incredibly bad to me, like embarassingly ugly to have in your house. This one looks pretty good although i've never owned a lian-li so i don't think i fully understand whats good about them.
i really like how it is suspended and a nice low angle in the air instead of resting on some plastic feet, and the arm that suspends it is really sturdy (i think i read someone stood on top of the case and it was fine.) I Gotta fit one of those in the budget one day just for the case :)
I have not seen anyone mention a Panaflo for a very long time now. I have a couple of those 120x38s sitting around, and they really can push the air.
I have since switched to Yate-Loons though, and I am very happy with their performance.
I liked this review. Good to see what some increased airflow will allow in this case. I would like to see even more of that kind of thing in the future with some noise measurements added on.
I'm currently running an Antec 900 and it's a very open design like some others, but the large exhaust fans really reduce the amount of noise generated by the machine. I've had more closed designs in the past that do a good job of keeping the noise contained.
At any rate - the ability of a case to cool and keep quiet are always my two main considerations. I'd love to see case reviews compared on those two points using standard methodology to get an idea of how different cases perform.
All good points that we should consider. It's been a long time since we looked at cases and the excuse of needing a new one for the motherboard stuff kinda rifled into reviewing one.
I still love the Panaflo's, they are unique in some ways. I had a spare lying around so ran with it and now it finds home for the exhaust on the V-2110.
The noise measurements are one area I should have looked into and it was on my mind, so certainly worth adding to anytihng down the pipe in the future..
I approached this a little nervously with it being my first case review and all. Also had some video that I did not quite cut but will endeavor to do so on future reviews. Thanks for the approval anyway :)
Raja, others have been a little perplexed by the new hard drive setup by Lian-Li (looking at other reviews) In your opinion, Is it any better then their old design?
Could be something changed that others don't like. I could not find sufficient excuse to cuss it really. Even at the farthest point standard SATA cables should reach most boards easily. Mounting is easy enough as is removal imo. Of course, I've come from a far older PC-75 - so it's all a new luxury to me..lol
I have two Lian Li cases and, while expensive, they are worth the money. The quality is second to none. I wish they'd had this model before when I was buying my full tower.
I have a PC-60, bought it in 2002 and still use it for my main machine (that is 6 years !!). Replaced one fan for a slightly quieter one. But besides that: everything still works, nothing has broken of and it still looks good.
And about removable Motherboard trays: mine has one. It even has a connector for all the leads so you can remove the tray without having to put back all the leads (reset switch, HD, etc.)
It's been worth every penny. And the next one will indeed be another Lian Li ;)
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24 Comments
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semisonic9 - Monday, June 30, 2008 - link
So this thing has two intakes and one exhaust, or only one intake?Also, is it just me, or do Lian Li cases never appear to watercool that well?
~S
bobtheterrible - Friday, June 20, 2008 - link
So after reading this I had to order one from newegg. I have 2 other older Lian-Li's at home already, and I love them.This new case is HUGE!
I couldn't believe how tall this thing was. If you're thinking of putting it under a desk, be sure to check your desks height first. Also the USB ports are located on the front top which is great if you have access to these, but kind of crappy if you're going to shove it all the way under a desk where it barely fits.
Quality of everything with this case is better than my other two Lian-Li's. I believe I have a PC-80 with a plexi window, and another larger one with a server board in it, but I don't remember the model # off hand.
This thing comes with tons of quality accessories.
It has plenty of space for HDD's, and I was able to easily fit 5-Raptor 300GB's in this case and still the thing runs silent and awesome.
Airflow is amazing.
Some of the fans on this thing are massive.
Anyways I'm happy with the purchase.
Thorsson - Friday, June 13, 2008 - link
I'd like to know the effect of taking the front door off, both in temp and noise. Can't see the point of those grilles if they're covered up, and the 140mm fan will just be circulating heated air. The effect of the Panaflo pretty much shows that circulation in the case isn't as good as it might be.Quality build, but paying this amount of money I expect top thermal and aural performance as well.
Googer - Thursday, June 12, 2008 - link
Rajinder,I have an oversized PSU and have no intentions of getting rid of it, does the Lian Li PC-V2110 accommodate a PC Power and Cooling 1KW-SR?
Googer
Rajinder Gill - Thursday, June 12, 2008 - link
Hi Googer,The HD cage is around 24 CM from the start of the PSU bay and the PC&P supplies are around 23 CM long. However, you can use the back section of the PSU mounting plate, as the cables from the PSU will then clear the HD cage as there is a recess at the back of them. Or you can remove the HD cage altogether. Either way, it will work.
regards
Raja
abnderby - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - link
Lian li makes a nice case no doubt BUT full towers dont make easy placement of the box. In all of the different cases I have had and there are many. The best case has been my SC5300 5U server case by intel.The only drawback of my case is the fans which are like jet engines. And one of these days I will find some quieter fans for it with the same airflow.
What would be nice to see in these tests is a full case. e.g. all slots and drive bays full with eatx dual socket motherboard etc...
Then run your tests and see what the temps are.
Also why all of the useless 5 1/4 slots??? who uses all of those today? I have never been able to use more than 3 2 dvd's and floppy.
currently i run a intel se7505vb2 with 2 3.2 1mb 533 fsb xeons and 4 gb ddr, I know anand has this (hot board) with a scsi 160 raid to 4 scsi 73's hot swap and a sata raid to 6 sata 320's hot swap. with HD2600xt 512 audigy 2 win tv pvr150,
according to my "sensor readings my ambient motherboard temps are between 26 and 29 degrees celcius, cpu's are still warm i am getting new coolers finally which should help out.
but all in all the 5300 and 5400 if you can find better fans are much better than any case out there.
How about it Anand give it a try???
Duane
araczynski - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
nice, but even if i was rich, i think i'd rather buy a third or fourth backup graphics card to sit and collect dust rather than put it into sheet of aluminum. but hey, to each their own.BPB - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - link
As a guy who's cut up his hands more than he'd like to admit working with Antec cases and the like (and I do like the Nine Hundred, I just wish it were better), I decided to go with the cheaper version of this case, the PC-V2010B. It cost $320, but I know I'll use it for years and years, and it's a joy to work with. I will probably onlu use Lian-Li or possibly Silverstone going forward. The Silverstone TJ07 does look nice, and it reminds me of my new Lian-Li.aeternitas - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
The innards look alright. Not a bad design.The outside, is horrible (for $400).
You cant just use brushed metal and make-believe its going to cover up the gaping flaws in a classy well rounded design. It looks like it should be home inside of a dark corner in a server farm room. Not my desktop.
It just looks ugly. Not as ugly as those plastic hot pink neon cases, but for 400$ it might as well be.
- Where is the etched metal logo/everything? I see a cheapass stick-on.
- Why do I see bare screws on the outside of the case? I can get the industrial look for half the price.
- Why the cheap metal door on top? Thats only asking to be in the way and get bent.
- Why does the door swing the wrong way? (think about how you typicaly set your PC for the innards to face you for easy access - Door swings in the way, not out of the way)
- Ect ect
Thanks for the review, but Lan-Li has always been the wannabe top class in case design and has always tried to do it with a bunch of etched metal and poor outward design around it. Its like old Honda designers trying to copy something from BMW.
I think i'll look twords Silverstone.
splines - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - link
I can't disagree that Silverstone make great cases - they do, and just like Lian-Li you're paying the difference over commodity cheapo cases that look like ass and cut your hands up.But I do think it's important to note that Lian-Li was doing this long before a lot of these other companies decided to make a premium enclosure and frankly if I ever need to replace my PC-65 it will be with another Lian-Li case.
They do solid, classy and well-designed cases that are worth the money if you want something that will last you years. And you can ask anyone who's ever owned one that they are not in the slightest like a cheap-knock off.
I get the feeling you either don't own or never have owned anything like a Lian-Li and your arguments are based off what you see in these pictures. I'd suggest you go look at one, or better yet get a chance to actually work with one before you make too many rash assumptions.
aeternitas - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
If you want to see what im comparing this to; http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents....">http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents....HexiumVII - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Please post shots of the case while filled to the brim, like maxed out hard drives please!!Googer - Thursday, June 12, 2008 - link
Here's a Video (several thousand pictures) of the Case.http://www.vimeo.com/1004500">http://www.vimeo.com/1004500
aguilpa1 - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
I have no doubt the build quality is exceptional as I have the V1000B myself but this has no circulation to it? Plus it looks like they still haven't figured out how to make a removable mobo tray? If Anand plans to make this a test case I would think that would be priority. I have had to change mobos enough to know its important.Rajinder Gill - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Sorry, page 3 has been updated - the tray is removable.Stock airflow is designed with silence in mind and is adequate in most cases. We'll probably end up water-cooling everything as I have a couple of spare PA 120.2's which should fit in the base nicely with a bit of modding..
regards
Raja
yyrkoon - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Removable motherboard trays do not make a good case, although I personally would not mind one as well. I have probably the 'cheapest' in the Lian-Li line (the PC-G50), which as far as I know is no longer made, but dahm the case is less than 16" tall ! Cramped, but it looks nice, unlike those embarrassing cases another user mentioned, and its very compact, which is why I bought it aside from the fact that it uses(or can use) 3x 120mm Fans with the Lian-Li 4in3 HDD bay add-on.I also own an Antec P182 case, and while I think it is very well built especially considering layout(and I do like it), it just seems so much like a monster by comparison, and it is only a few inches taller . . . I guess my full tower 'lovin' days are over with.
strafejumper - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
looks decent to me, most cases especially "gaming cases" look incredibly bad to me, like embarassingly ugly to have in your house. This one looks pretty good although i've never owned a lian-li so i don't think i fully understand whats good about them.Currently i still have this chenming/chieftec case: http://www.case-mod.com/images/chen_black_lg.jpg">http://www.case-mod.com/images/chen_black_lg.jpg - add a light in the window, a modular psu, and a couple decals and it looks great, i've had it a long time and no plans on changing it.
This is kind of the best case i've seen though hp blackbird : http://h20435.www2.hp.com/gallery/files/Gallery-De...">http://h20435.www2.hp.com/gallery/files/Gallery-De...
i really like how it is suspended and a nice low angle in the air instead of resting on some plastic feet, and the arm that suspends it is really sturdy (i think i read someone stood on top of the case and it was fine.) I Gotta fit one of those in the budget one day just for the case :)
Noubourne - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
I have not seen anyone mention a Panaflo for a very long time now. I have a couple of those 120x38s sitting around, and they really can push the air.I have since switched to Yate-Loons though, and I am very happy with their performance.
I liked this review. Good to see what some increased airflow will allow in this case. I would like to see even more of that kind of thing in the future with some noise measurements added on.
I'm currently running an Antec 900 and it's a very open design like some others, but the large exhaust fans really reduce the amount of noise generated by the machine. I've had more closed designs in the past that do a good job of keeping the noise contained.
At any rate - the ability of a case to cool and keep quiet are always my two main considerations. I'd love to see case reviews compared on those two points using standard methodology to get an idea of how different cases perform.
Rajinder Gill - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Hi,All good points that we should consider. It's been a long time since we looked at cases and the excuse of needing a new one for the motherboard stuff kinda rifled into reviewing one.
I still love the Panaflo's, they are unique in some ways. I had a spare lying around so ran with it and now it finds home for the exhaust on the V-2110.
The noise measurements are one area I should have looked into and it was on my mind, so certainly worth adding to anytihng down the pipe in the future..
I approached this a little nervously with it being my first case review and all. Also had some video that I did not quite cut but will endeavor to do so on future reviews. Thanks for the approval anyway :)
regards
Raja
just4U - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Raja, others have been a little perplexed by the new hard drive setup by Lian-Li (looking at other reviews) In your opinion, Is it any better then their old design?Rajinder Gill - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Hi,Could be something changed that others don't like. I could not find sufficient excuse to cuss it really. Even at the farthest point standard SATA cables should reach most boards easily. Mounting is easy enough as is removal imo. Of course, I've come from a far older PC-75 - so it's all a new luxury to me..lol
regards
Raja
FITCamaro - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
I have two Lian Li cases and, while expensive, they are worth the money. The quality is second to none. I wish they'd had this model before when I was buying my full tower.Boushh - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
I have a PC-60, bought it in 2002 and still use it for my main machine (that is 6 years !!). Replaced one fan for a slightly quieter one. But besides that: everything still works, nothing has broken of and it still looks good.And about removable Motherboard trays: mine has one. It even has a connector for all the leads so you can remove the tray without having to put back all the leads (reset switch, HD, etc.)
It's been worth every penny. And the next one will indeed be another Lian Li ;)
Boushh - Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - link
Oh, forgot to mention: I've been rebuilding my PC at least every year and then some. So it's realy been used..(darn, where it that edit button...)