| Lian Li PC-V1020R Full Tower Computer Case |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by David Ramsey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday, 10 December 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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... Closer Look: ExteriorThe Lian Li PC-V1020 case is available in three versions: the standard silver, black, and red. The silver case has silver internals while the black and red cases have black internals. The review sample was the PC-V1020R, which is red with black internals. The box calls out the major features of the case.
The accessories bundle includes a single-sheet manual, adapter plates to mount up to two 2.5" devices in a 3.5" drive bay, a plug-in speaker, an extra cable management clip, a pass-through card slot cover, an adapter cable to connect two of the top USB ports to your motherboard's internal USB connector, and a lot of black screws and rubber washer/mounts of various types. Lian Li also threw in a compartmentalized plastic box to hold all the screws, a much-appreciated touch.
Unboxed, the case presents a striking appearance with its solid red color. This isn't paint, but color that's anodized right into the aluminum. It's hard to reproduce the color in these photos: it's not a bright, fire engine red, but a more subdued, almost wine-red. I've seen other Lian Li cases in this exact shade. It's also quite difficult to photograph consistently, with the color changing dramatically depending on whether it's shot under natural light, studio lights, or ambient interior light. The front of the case shows the three 5.25" drive bays. The top two come with "stealth" flip-down covers and integrated buttons for optical drives, while the bottom bay has a plate for a 3.5" device should you wish to use one there. The space below the bays is completely occupied by the two 140mm front intake fans, which aren't visible in this image.
Both side panels on this case are completely blank. There are no windows, designs, logos, or structural embossings, just flat sheets of red-anodized aluminum. The left-side panel can be secured with a small padlock if desired. The black tab between the front wheels controls the locking mechanism that prevents the wheels from turning once you have the case positioned where you want it.
The top of the case contains the I/O panel under a small flap, and the exhaust for the top-mounted 120mm fan, which is lit with red LEDs.
Let's check out this case in more detail in the next section. Detailed Exterior FeaturesMany "aluminum" cases these days are only partially aluminum, with substantial amounts of steel and plastic in addition to the aluminum. This is understandable: aluminum costs more than steel or plastic. This is not one of those cases. With the exception of a few tiny bits (steel thumbscrews, plastic internal cables, etc.) the entire case is aluminum. All of the aluminum is "grained" in the same direction and has the same texture, matching perfectly.
Under a small flap at the top of the case are four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, a microphone and audio-out port, and an ESATA connector. A space designed for a FireWire 1394a connector is empty. Just to the right of the I/O panel are the power and reset buttons. The reset button is small enough to require an implement to press— your finger will be too large. The top-mounted ports indcate that Lian Li expects you to use this case on the floor, but personally I want something this nice on my desk.
A closeup of the 5.25" drive bays shows the two "stealth" covers for the optical drives, and the 3.5" device plate, handy for card readers and the like. At the upper right you can see the power and hard drive activity LEDs. The power LED (upper) is blue and the drive activity LED (lower) is red.
Turning to the rear of the case we see the 120mm exhaust fan, two grommeted holes for water-cooling hoses or USB 3.0 cables, the removable power supply mounting plate, and a full eight card slots! Every full-tower case should have eight slots these days, but surprisingly many don't. 
Lian Li has upgraded their aluminum wheels by adding twin rubber runners. The lever in the middle serves to lock the front wheels in place, so you don't have to worry about the case rolling off your desk.
Let's take a look at the interior of the case now. Closer Look: InteriorThe inside of the case is more anodized aluminum, this time in black. It's a modern design, with the 3.5" drives mounting sideways for good airflow, and several cable management holes in the motherboard tray. Some cases use press-on plastic edging to cover the sharp metal edges in the interior, but not Lian Li: every edge is smoothed or rolled over. Another nice touch: all four internal fans come with detachable 3-pin to Molex adapters, so you can plug them into either your motherboard or the power supply. None of the fans are PWM fans, though, so your motherboard won't be able to control their speed. Just above the CPU cooler cutout on the motherboard tray, you'll see another hole: this is for the EPS-12V cable for the four or eight pin EPS-12V connector by your CPU socket. Since the power supply mounts at the bottom of the case, you may need an EPS-12V extension cable, which some other full tower cases such as Cooler Master provide, but Lian Li does not.
Refreshingly, the motherboard tray is easily removable. This once-common feature of high-end cases is rare these days, and it's a pleasure to see it here. Motherboard standoffs for a standard ATX motherboard are pre-installed. Although there are some cable routing holes in the motherboard, there are no tie-down points.
The removable hard drive rack has space for 7 3.5" drives (an adapter is included for mounting two 2.5" drives in one of these bays). To mount a drive, you install four rubber grommets on the drive using supplied screws, and then slide it into a slot on the rack; the grommets prevent metal-to-metal contact that might transmit noisy vibrations. Once all the drives are in the rack, you loosen a thumbscrew at the side of the rack and slide down a locking plate to keep the drives in place. 
The power supply mounts at the bottom of the case. Lian Li provides a mounting plate that you attach to the supply; you then slide the whole assembly into the case from the rear. The power supply is held about 3/4" off the floor of the case, and the intake below has a removable filter. In front of the power supply is a plastic cable management clip to help route your power cables.
We continue checking out the interior in the next section. Detailed Interior FeaturesThe trend these days seems to be to reduce the number of 5.25" bays and increase the number of 3.5" bays. I'm not sure this is best for most users, but it does make a lot of room available for fans below the 5.25" bays. Looking in through the rear of the Lian Li PC-V1020 with the hard drive rack removed, we can see that most of the front of the case is occupied by the two LED-lit 140mm intake fans. You can also see the oddly elaborate bracket and mount for the upper exhaust fan. I'm not sure why this is built this way or what advantages it has over simply screwing the fan to the top of the case. Many full-tower cases these days provide top mounting points for a 2x120mm or even 3x120mm radiator; the Lian Li PC-V1020 does not, but the case would need an extra inch or two of height above the motherboard for this to be a workable option anyway. I wasn't able to find any air flow or noise specifications for the four fans included with the case. They're all rather quiet and don't seem to move a lot of air, and the front intake fans are not filtered. You can of course replace any of the fans with fans of your own choosing. Integrated fan controllers are starting to appear in much less expensive cases, and it would be nice to see something like that here. 
The 5.25" bays include stealth covers for two optical drives (a nice touch). Flip-out levers operate locking pins to secure devices in the top two bays, but the bays are hardly tool-less: to install your optical drive, you'll need to remove the four thumbscrews holding the 3.5" adapter in the bottom bay and slide it out of the case, then remove the two small Phillips-head screws securing the stealth cover, slide it down into the area vacated by the 3.5" bay adapter you removed in the first step, and slide your drive in from the front of the case.
In addition to the adapter Lian Li provides to mount two 2.5" devices in the hard drive rack, there are mounting holes for a single 2.5" device directly above the power supply. 
As I mentioned previously, this case has eight slots, necessary for most motherboards if you want to run a tri-SLI or CrossFireX system. Although Lian Li touts the PC-V1020 as having the "latest in tool-less design", it does not have the clever mounting clamps used to secure cards in some other Lian Li cases, opting instead for simple thumb screws. As is standard these days, a large cutout in the motherboard tray provides access for CPU cooler mounting hardware. 
One expects a lot of room in a full tower chassis. Here are the clearances I measured for the Lian Li PC-V1020:
There should be enough room for any video card short of an ATI Radeon 5970 (12.25"), although a little Dremel work on the hard drive cage would let even that fit. Let's build a system in this case and see what it's like to work with. Building a SystemThe ultimate test of any case is building a system in it. I love removable motherboard trays: it's so much easier to build everything on the tray rather than laying a large case on its side and working around its other internals. The removable motherboard tray of the Lian Li PC-V1020 makes the initial system build easy. Just slide the tray out and install everything! 
At 10.6", the width of the ASUS Rampage III Extreme motherboard I'm using in this build, while not as large as an EATX board, is still one inch wider than the ATX standard of 9.6". The extra inch covers some of the cable management holes in the motherboard tray. "Extra wide but not quite EATX" performance motherboards are becoming more common, and there are even some P55 motherboards that exceed the ATX standard width. Although there's still plenty of room inside the PC-V1010 to route your cables, an extra inch added to the motherboard tray (and therefore the size of the case) would have been nice. Once I installed everything on the removable motherboard tray, I realized why this feature might not be so popular any more. A modern high performance system with multiple graphics cards and a huge cooler can weigh quite a lot: in this case, just over 12 pounds. And although that doesn't sound like much, it's actually kind of tough to maneuver when you're trying to slide it back into the case. And then there was this little problem:
Oops. The Prolimatech Super Mega cooler I'm using hits the side panel latch mechanism going in. I had to remove the cooler, slide the motherboard tray back in, and then re-install the cooler. Although this was easy with the Super Mega, whose mounting mechanism is secured to the motherboard separately from the actual cooler, it might have proved problematic with other coolers, depending on your motherboard. On the Rampage III Extreme, the back of the CPU socket doesn't line up well with the cutout in the motherboard tray.
Other than these minor issues, the build went well. The power supply I used doesn't have modular cabling, but in a case without a side window, who cares? And yes, that is just a cheap excuse for being too lazy to clean up my cables. In this photo you can see a Patriot Torx SSD mounted in the top slot of the drive rack using the adapter plates Lian Li supplies. 
The components I used in this build came out of a SilverStone Fortress FT02 case. The PC-V1020's two 140mm intake fans blow air across the hard disks and then into the video card area, but Lian Li seems to have chosen the fans more for silence than airflow. The load temperatures of the NVIDIA GTX480 video cards were 2-4 degrees higher than their load temperatures in the Fortress FT02. Still, the cards managed to keep themselves at acceptable temperatures even after 12 hours of protein folding, and since these are probably the hottest cards you'd ever have in your system, the Lian Li PC-V1020 cooling seems adequate, although asking it to handle a triple-GTX480 system might be a little much. PC-V1020 Final ThoughtsIn many ways, a computer case is one of the least important parts of your system. Potential cooling issues with high-end components aside, your rig will operate the same whether it's in a $40 no-name case or an $800 Thermaltake Level 10. But if you're an enthusiast, there are other considerations to keep in mind when choosing a case, especially one as expensive as this:
The last issue might seem petty, but it reminds me of a study done some years back about the things people looked for when buying a car. When asked by the interviewer, people responded with considerations like mileage, safety, features, value, and so forth. But although the styling of the car was never mentioned, it turned out to be one of the most important (if not the most important) considerations. If you're spending upwards of $200 on a computer case, you'd probably like it to at least look as though it's worth the money, and Lian Li's design strikes a good balance between the dull conservatism of most cases on one hand and the over-the-top techno-military designs on the other. The anodized red of the PC-V1020 is very striking, but the case is also available in somewhat lower-key finishes of anodized black or plain silver if you wish.
Functionally, the case was very easy to build a system in, aside from the minor issues I noted, which were really due more to the slightly non-standard design of the ASUS Rampage III Extreme motherboard. I'd prefer more 5.25" device bays, since adding a couple of optical drives leaves only one bay free for fan controllers, card readers, or whatever else you might want. Other cases have solved this "cooling versus expansion" problem by either using two smaller fans in front (Antec Dark Fleet series cases) or going to an extra-wide case design with a single 240mm front fan (Cooler Master HAF series). The PC-V1020 designers compromised on a more slender, elegant case design with fewer device bays, and that's just something prospective purchasers will have to factor into their buying decision. Lian Li PC-V1020 ConclusionAlthough we strive for objectivity here at Benchmark Reviews, please remember that each author perceives these points differently, and our conclusions and recommendations will necessarily differ from others. Also, prices can fluctuate and designs change after publication, so that the product we review might not have the same price and specifications of a product that's available later. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary of each of the areas that we rate. The performance of this case was very good. While it doesn't offer the highest levels of cooling, or options for internal water cooling (without modding, anyway), it should be able to ha7ndle all but the very hottest systems. The design of the case makes it easy to build a system in and provides plenty of room for expansion for everything except 5.25" devices. The appearance of Lian Li cases has always tended towards the elegant, and the PC-V1020 is no exception. In a market crammed with stylistas like the Thermaltake Level 10, Cooler Master HAF series, Bitfenix Colossus, and the new NZXT Phantom, Lian Li generally maintains a lower-key style. The quality of construction of the case was exceptional. Side panels and internal parts snap and slide into place perfectly; panel gaps are tight and regular, and the anodized, brushed finish is perfect. This is perhaps to be expected of cases in this price range, but I've seen cases that cost more with noticeably poorer construction and finish. The functionality is very good, but could be improved by a slightly longer motherboard tray, cable tie-down points, and perhaps one more 5.25" drive bay. At $299.99 (red), $259.99 (silver), and $249.99 (black) at Newegg, this is a very expensive case, and cases with equivalent functionality are available for much less money. Lian Li cases offer superior quality, design, and aesthetics, and that's what you're paying for. In the company of similar cases such as the NZXY Khaos or Silverstone TJ07, the price is competitive. While you can certainly make do with a less expensive case, if your budget will stretch to cases at this price level, it's hard to go wrong with the PC-V1020. Pros:
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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:
/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!!!