High-End Aluminum PC Cases Make A Comeback 232
An anonymous reader writes ""Lian Li's V1200 Plus represents the apex of enclosure technology to date. Lian Li is a long time favorite of computer builders, especially those who are willing to spend more so that they will get the features and design benefits of a high end product. This case has a formidable price tag, but with its great looks, innovative layout, and brand reputation it has more that a few things going for it. At 210 x 490 x 625mm this case has the depth of a full-tower, but not the height. This makes it perfect for extensive systems and for people who need to tinker inside the case.""
Re:I've been looking for a good case. (Score:3, Informative)
I really haven't liked Lian-Li cases when I got a good close-up look.
Mirror (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What tipped me in the direction of Aluminum (Score:5, Informative)
Well no.
See http://www.systemcooling.com/alum_steel-01.html [systemcooling.com]
Re:What tipped me in the direction of Aluminum (Score:5, Informative)
Even stuff like hard disk (which are bolted to the case) will be cooled pretty much the same if the case is made of Al, steel or whatever, as there's enough mass to deal with it. Aluminium will move the heat quicker, giving you a couple of degrees less, and that's it.
It will also irradiate poorly (being metal gray in color, instead of black).
Re:What tipped me in the direction of Aluminum (Score:5, Informative)
I'm guessing the article didn't point it out because it's not true. It's an old urban legend among PC builders that's been thoroughly debunked repeatedly, to the point where most people actually don't believe it anymore. (This is a good thing - most urban myths just keep on going forever... witness the Bill Gates 640k quote [brainyquote.com] myth.)
Aluminum is a superior thermal conductor to steel but that's meaningless when you're talking about open air. Your PC's components are not actually in contact with the aluminum so it doesn't do them any good to be in an aluminum case. The vast majority of a PC's heat (around 99.9%) is removed by the PC's fans, not by conduction through the case, and you can easily verify this yourself just by feeling the top of your PC when it's on. It's likely that it's barely even warm to the touch - if it is, then you've got bigger problems that aren't going to be solved just by an aluminum case.
It's far more important that a PC case be built for good airflow than what material it's made out of. A well-designed steel case will outperform a poorly-designed aluminum case in terms of heat removal any day of the week.
It's another myth that aluminum cases are lighter - that may be true by a half pound or so, but when you're talking about 40 lbs. vs. 39.5 lbs. in a fully loaded PC, I don't think that much matters either. Your PC's innards don't magically get lighter just because you bought an aluminum case.
Buy an aluminum case because you like the way it looks and you like the way it's designed, not for any other reason.
(btw, I have two PC's in aluminum cases - I just like the look.)
To xyzcomputing: (Score:4, Informative)
Boycott misleading sites (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Mirror (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This is not a great case... (Score:5, Informative)
The Lian Li case allows you to fit 5 hard drives, a floppy and 4 CD/DVD drives all at the same time and doesn't make you give up one of your 120 MM fans to do it. The Coolermaster case allows you to fit 2 hard drives and a floppy IF you give up one 120 MM fan and turn your case into a component cooker.
The Coolermaster allows you to fit up to *12* hard drives plus a floppy, plus a CD/DVD. That's with ALL fans, including the optional ones, in place.
The Lian Li case has better ventilation. Coolermaster gives you the option to install more noise generating 80MM fans.
The Lian Li case does not have better airflow than the Stacker. Impossible. I bought the optional fans for up front. They are nice slow quiet 120mm fans, not 20mm fans. That's 3 120mm fans up front. A wall of air moves through the case. It keeps everything cool. Plus one more 120 fan in the back, plus optional ones for the top and side. Plus there is even a optional fan you can buy that blows along the entire length of the motherboard. You pretty much can't find a case that can get more air flowing through it.
The Lian LI case is BTX and sectioned into three thermal zones. Coolermaster uses outdated ATX standard and is one giant component cooker.
The Stacker comes with all the parts to allow you to set up your case in either ATX or BTX format. You can switch back and forth between configurations if you buy a new motherboard of the other type.
Lian Li places the power supply at the bottom with its own separate cool air supply. Cooler Master places the power supply at the top where it will suck in heated processor air garunteeing worse power efficiency and more noise due to the fan having to spin up to cope with increased heat. ATX sucks
The Stacker allows you to put the power supply at the bottom of the case, or the top, or install two power supplies, one in each location, so that you can run two quieter power supplies rather than one large noisy one.
Basically, you don't know what the hell your talking about.
Re:This is not a great case... (Score:3, Informative)
I have a CM Stacker. It has 11 free 5.25" bays. I put 3->5 drive cages in it, and now have 10 hard drives in 6 bays of space. That, plus a DVD, and I have five full size bays left to go.
Others have answered his other stupid points, but the Stacker is a great case, and a cheap way to build a storage server.
jh
When did aluminum cases die? (Score:2, Informative)
The aluminum case is not, and has never been dead.
We've reviewed a steady stream of aluminum cases at Maximum PC over the last four years.
To even suggest that is idiotic. I could almost see posting this if it was a roundup of a bunch of the new aluminum cases, but we reviewed this case in the magazine last year.
Re:XYZ... (Score:3, Informative)
By: Sal Cangeloso
Lian-Li.com
I'd say that's fairly relevant, and makes the 'article' not worth reading.