| Lian Li PC-V1020R Full Tower Computer Case |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by David Ramsey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday, 10 December 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Page 1 of 7
Lian Li PC-V1020 Full Tower Computer CaseThere's been a lot of innovation in the computer case market in the last couple of years, and while there have been some real advances in features and utility, there's also been some stuff that's best described as "silly". As cases evolve to handle the demands of enthusiast systems, Lian Li has has been updating their traditional designs to meet the challenges posed by the competition (and your hot components). Today Benchmark Reviews looks at the Lian Li PC-V1020 full tower aluminum computer case. 
Lian Li cases are not those you're likely to find at your local computer store. Aimed at the enthusiast for whom appearance is just as important as performance, they're much more expensive than most cases, and represent a tiny fraction of the overall computer case market. Lian Li is not averse to making specialized cases for even tinier segments of the market; for example, their PC-V2120 case is designed to handle HPTX form-factor motherboards. Right now there is exactly one of these motherboards on the market (EVGA's "SR-2"), so they're probably not going to sell very many PC-V2120s. Most of their cases, though, are designed for more mainstream use. According to Lian Li, the PC-V1020 case we're reviewing "...has classic looks and the latest in tool-less design." It accommodates ATX and smaller motherboards.
Manufacturer: Lian Li Industrial Co., Ltd. Full disclosure: The product used in this review was supplied by Lian Li. PC-V1020 Features
PC-V1020 Specifications
Features and specifications provided by Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd. Let's unbox this case and check it out...
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments
(1) Cooling seems skimpy. I'm not talking about the included fans, but possible fan mounting options. Two front, one back, one top?
(2) What is the advantage of putting the PS under everything? Heat rises. I've never understood that trend.
(3) Waste of space taking up bays only for fans. My old 830 Stacker has space to include two 120mm front fans and bays all the way down, nine of them!
This case is not impressive to me from a technical point of view; however, it is nice to see a full aluminum case so nicely finished, so nice in fact it looks sterile. But I still like the case in a spartan way.
What I would like to see in case manufacturers is a fully removable slide out motherboard tray that includes the power supply and drives. In other words, the entire guts of the computer would slide out on a roller rack, like a drawer in your house. You would simply turn the case on it's end, for one example, and pull the entire guts out of the other end, complete, everything ready to work on. Once it's out a modular design would then allow you to separate the PS and drives from the motherboard, if one wished.
1. Cooling system is adequate for sure! The inside fans, both the rear and top fans, are optimally placed for efficient heat removal. The two 140mm front fans provides volumes of air to cool effectively.
2. The bottom-mounted power supply is the most efficient way to accomplish several purposes. First, the weight of the PSU is at the bottom preventing the case from being top-heavy as in older case designs. Second, the power supply has its own dedicated air vents on the bottom of the case so the psu fan is mounted facing the bottom vents pulling in cooler air and then venting out the rear of the PSU. Therefore the PSU's fan acts as a third vent fan pulling out the PSU heat most effectively.
3. The space is not wasted, it provide ample room for proper effective air circulation throughout the case.
4. Lian Li makes very well engineered and constructed computer cases. The "fit and finish" is bar-none in my opinion and their products excel and will last for many years. The front panel wiring, switches and connectors are all top quality and heavy duty.
I have owned a Lian Li case for a few years now and it is by far the best computer case I have ever owned.
Cable management looks as if it's adequate. The reviewer did a poor job of cable management in the product build photos. If he would have spent another 30 minutes, he could have cleaned up his cable routing significantly.
You both should better write "negative comments" after using the Lian-Li cases for a while!
We use Lian-Li cases since years from now, for industrial quality control systems, and... try to find better, and let us know !
Thanks for the review.
Jean
I think you wrote about it:
#benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3658&Itemid=47
Still, here's a video:
##youtube.com/watch?v=RIOP8-bt7tg
##vortez.co.uk/articles_pages/lian_li_pc_a77f_revi ew.html
I wonder how this compares to say, the HAF-X or 800D?
This gives the ability to mount the Lian Li Aluminum PCI Cooling Kit Model # BS-03
Lian Li cases cost about $350 here in Canada:
##newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112261&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-Cases+%28Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form%29-_-Lian-Li-_-11112261
and the US:
##newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112261&nm_mc=OTC-sho6b0tCA&cm_mmc=OTC-sho6b0tCA-_-Cases+%28Computer+Cases+-+ATX+Form%29-_-Lian-Li-_-11112261
Plus expensive shipping (as it's a case). After shipping is factored, that's more than double the price of the HAF-X (which I can get at a local computer store). That means about $200 less cash to spend on the parts in your PC, which is the difference between a mid-range GPU and a high-end GPU.
While this Lian Li case is gorgeous (not in red!) and I would like to have one, it's cooling options are not optimal, hopefully adequate, but not optimal.
The reason - you are moving the air in straight lines.
As soon as you add any fan to the side, you get turbulence and vortexes and the cooling performance plummets.
That is why every Lian Li I have built (at least 40) is always a lot cooler than almost any other equivalent case (several thousand - 1981 to date). Like most of the other guys in these comments, I now use Lian Li exclusively.
Oh yes, and I have tried almost every brand of case in BMR except the NZXT.
I plan on cutting a 2x120 rectangle on the top, and mounting the fans inside, and the rad outside the case. (I did this on a PC-V1100 and it works well.)
ie:
[ rad ]
---------- case
fan1 fan2
Is the top fan mount bolted in? Is it riveted in? If just a few screws, does it leave the top clean of obstructions once it is removed up there? You didn't show a god picture of it, and no mention of how it is held in.
This is the only big question I have before getting this case.
ie after removing the fan assembly, is it clear up there to then simply cut the 240x120 hole out of the top plate?
You can remove all the brackets for the top fan, leaving only the top panel.
Plus: As far as I understood, the reviewer installed a 10,6" larger-than-ATX-but-smaller-than-E-ATX mobo. As I intent to do the very same thing - would the cable management spare holes in the slide tray be covered and, in consequence, become useless?
Thanks for your comments, guys.
Thomas
At the bottom of the "Detailed Interior Features" page, I measured the specific clearances you're looking for. The "top of motherboard tray to left side panel" distance is 7.25", or a touch over 184mm, so the Archon should fit, although you might have to install it after sliding the motherboard tray in.
Any motherboard longer (front to back) than the ATX standard of 9.6" is probably going to cover some of the cable routing holes.
Thomas
Lian Li all the way!!!