Is Lianli B25S a quiet case?

netmask254 · Post by **netmask254** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:06 am

It's a new released aluminum case which looks suitable for a silent PC (e.g. decent appearance, very few vents, independent PSU airflow, noise reduction foam, etc.). It's interesting that there is an air flow duct for rear fan (angle adjustable, with noise reduction foam), this is the first time I see such design.

http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/pr ... s_index=62

Though SPCR seldom reviews Lianli's cases and aluminum case is generally regarded not very good for silence, I think some of Lianli's cases (such like PC-B25 series & PC-7FN) have pretty good design and look like a good candidate for silence.

b_rubenstein · Post by **b_rubenstein** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:48 am

Depending on component selection, usage and ambient temperature conditions they can be very quiet. I have a couple of systems in LL cases that are very quiet.

Post by **MikeC** » Fri May 14, 2010 7:54 am

This one looks promising.

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Fri May 14, 2010 8:29 am

It does really look promising...really like the rear air duct to reduce noise...
Do the vents really help with noise?

At some greek forum, a member had had a similar idea just a while ago...
...the outcome is not as classy, but you can take a look
http://www.thelab.gr/showthread.php?t=78196 (the air duct thing is on the second page)

Post by **MikeC** » Fri May 14, 2010 8:44 am

Actually, I don't think the rear baffle can do much to reduce noise, not for a quiet PC; the only real benefit is if someone is sitting facing the rear of the case AND there are fairly noisy components inside.

EsaT · Post by **EsaT** » Fri May 14, 2010 11:01 am

Among their better designs, unlike some of their "Chassis with Silent Solution" selection.
Also top fan is positioned near rear and not in the middle of top where it would draw out air which is only on its way to CPU heatsink.

It's real shame that they just keep using that useless OEM Akasa Crapmate (your analysis of it is dead on, Mike) in panels instead of bitumen like Fractal Design, I doubt its effect even in front mask because at least bitumen would increase acoustic opacity of panel.
Well, probably its glue is also equally lousy and it would be easy to shred away for installing actually working stuff.

GuyClinch · Post by **GuyClinch** » Sun May 16, 2010 8:11 pm

Butyl rubber or vinyl would be better then bitumen as they have less of an odor.

Lian Li cases can be made fairly quiet and I love the quality of some of them. Some of them look sharp too.. I don't like the looks of the B25 though I would mod another case instead..

GreenRay · Post by **GreenRay** » Mon May 17, 2010 1:18 am

I have some reservations about this case:
- First off: the HDD cage. By the looks of it it doesn't look like it allows for HDD enclosures, like the silentmaxx HDD silencer. What do you think is it possible or not?

Besides the intake airflow gets blocked straight away by that HDD cage?

- Secondly, the amount of fans seems to be overkill. Of course you can turn the fans off, or operate them at low RPM but you are still left with a redundant noise emitting hole in the case.

*Front intake: 2 x 120mm intake fans
*Rear exhaust: 1 x 120mm exhaust fan just next to the CPU
*Top: exhaust: 1 x 140mm exhaust fan on the top cove

What do you think about the dual intake and dual exhaust fans. According to this thread it is a good thing:

The issue of multiple vs single fans is clear with the Nexus 120. Two of them at 6V move as much air as a single one at 12V, and make 2-3 dBA LESS NOISE!!

So having two 120 intake fans is a plus. Even so, the question remains is it a good thing or even necessary to have 2 exhaust fans? Considering the positive pressure by having 2 intake fans over 1 exhaust fan might compensate for having only 1 exhaust fan? Not sure whether or not this is actually true. Anyone?

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JamieG · Post by **JamieG** » Mon May 17, 2010 4:04 pm

The HDD cage looks like it can easily be removed - see the picture halfway down this page, which would get rid of any airflow obstruction.

Most 3.5 inch HDD enclosures would be mounted in the 5.25 inch optical drive area anyway.

Personally, I don't like the blue ring at the front of this case, and the rear exhaust cover is probably unnecessary. There may be some benefit to the top exhaust cover. With some undervolted quiet fans this case could be a pretty good base for a quiet gaming system, as long as not too many HDDs are added.

GreenRay · Post by **GreenRay** » Tue May 18, 2010 8:55 am

I don't care much for the blue ring either. Perhaps the LED is easily removed. Indeed the optical drives area would fit an enclosed/silenced HD. Unfortunately, as seen in this picture, i think that it wil fit only 1 enclosed HDD plus 1 dvd-player. Gonna need at least two enclosed hdd in there.

KayDat · Post by **KayDat** » Tue May 18, 2010 9:34 am

Plenty of space for a DIY elastic suspension though, once you remove the HDD cage.

thegrayson · Post by **thegrayson** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 8:13 am

I have just built a PC around the B25F. Great case. Loads more quiet than my Shuttle, though that isn't hard in fairness. The noise from 5 case fans, a stock intel cpu cooler, gfx card and a psu is definitely noticeable in a small room. I have yet to tweak/ manage the fans. But there is room to play with.

Looking at the difference between the two case I would say the loss of one fan on top and addition of the shroud would make an improvement, also the additional venting behind the front cover will also mask the fan noise. I like the addition of the foam and am considering getting some for the side panels on my case, though don't yet know what type/ brand to buy.

The front panel led is easily removable or easier still left unplugged.
The HDD cage detaches with a couple of thumb screws and a plastic clip, though I'm not sure how you would mount the drives without it. The included rubber grommets and thumbscrews work well enough for drive mounting.

I know I don't have this exact case but I'll post more as I progress.

frost · Post by **frost** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:00 pm

I've just moved my hardware from an old case to this new case (PC-B25S) which is the exact one in the photo posted above. My office is a 10' x 10' carpeted room and I'm extremely anal about noise in such a small space. My former tower drove me truly nutty that I had resorted to putting pillows around it to absorb the noise.

I'm thinking of writing a more formal message about this case but I did want to leave a few notes in here about this case.

- Aluminum is very, very pretty.
- I chose this case because anywhere that air enters or exits this case, save for the back PCI slot covers, is shrouded in noise dampening foam. This just makes sense to me.
- I nearly ordered the SilverStone Fortress FT01 instead but liked that this case works on the 'hot air rises' premise rather than fighting the natural order and sucking in air from the top.
- USB 3.0 ports on the front are future friendly.

Since building in the case I absolutely am in love with the tooless design. I had to use a screwdriver for mounting the motherboard because my fingers are too big to be stealthy amongst pre-mounted hardware (since this was moving an established build over).

The only other tool i used was moving the mounting pins for the optical drive bay. I purchased the matching bezel for a nice clean look and this entailed the drive to be installed in the inset position rather than the standard position.

The fans are virtually inaudible in the "low" position. I mean, it's a strain to hear them even when the case is open. Airflow seems very good as the HDD cage has a lot of open air space running through it. Even on 'high' its acceptable to me. Dual fan controllers (one in front, one in rear) allow optimal control of intake/exhaust so I quite like that too.

Cable management is truly excellent, although I would've liked to see some liners on the holes in the MB tray... That being said, I notice a lot of reviews talk about how these always slip off easy, so perhaps its a moot point.

Sitting next to my tower my right ear is probably less than 2' from the top of my PC and I can hear it ever so slightly. If my central air (forced air) is running, the sound of the room ventilation trumps that of the tower.

What I can hear is my video card (XFX Radeon 4650 has a terribly noisy fan on it)... This is barely audible. I can also hear my harddrives clicking away.

My PSU is also brand new is the Nexus 5300 bought on recommdation of this site... It's entirely inaudible from what I can tell.

So far, very happy with this tower. Will be working in the near future to minimize the noise of the video card and I'm thinking at that point my PC will be blissfully silent.

All the best,
~Bri