Case plans with LianLi 6070 - feedback wanted - major mods!

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 8:20 am

Hi all,

I see alot of us out here asking for advice, so please bear with another newbie needing some help!

I have the following components

P4 2.66
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
1 GB Corsair RAM (2 x 512)
Seagate Barracuda S-ATA 160GB
Hercules Radeon 9700 Pro
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
HP 12x CD-R (forget the model)

Soon to join them
*Pioneer 106 DVD±R
*Two more HDDs

And after having the above jammed into a Shuttle (well except the Asus board of course) - I need to give my ears some rest and start my quest for the Quiet PC.

I am extremely aesthetically focused (I used to be a designer, so sue me!), so my choices had to start with the "right" case. And although Id probably prefer a steel case, the only case I can find to match my specs/requirements and still look good is the Lian Li PC 6070.

So my plan for it is this;

- remove the rear fan grill
- add a hole for another 80mm fan under the existing rear fan
- install both with good Papst/Acoustifans and downvolt them (5v I guess?)
- get a good PSU (still lost for choice here, but one of the good ones)
- Zalman CNPS7000A-CU for the CPU
- Zalman ZM80A-HP for the gfx card
- cram the case full of Acoustipack Deluxe material

So finally to my questions:

- Does this sound like a good plan for a very quiet PC?
- Does anyone have any changes/ideas/reccomendations for other options?

cheers!

/bfg

pdf27 · Post by **pdf27** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 8:57 am

You may want to think about adding some sort of HDD isolation (to decouple the HDD from the case). Nothing else springs to mind though...

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 12:44 pm

the_bfg wrote: P4 2.66
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe

- Does this sound like a good plan for a very quiet PC?
- Does anyone have any changes/ideas/reccomendations for other options?

cheers!

/bfg

Sounds good to me, but unless you're really stuck on that 2.66 I'd sell it and get an 800MHz H-T version of the P4 (2.4C, 2.6C etc) so you can utilize the power of your board and RAM.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 12:59 pm

Ralf, pdf27, thanks for the replies,

I will be going after both HDD decoupling and an 800FSB proc a little later - need to get the basic silent case up and running first. Always this cashflow issue for our hobbies!

Reading through these forums, I get an overall negative impression towards the PC 6070. Is this because of price, lack of 120mm fan (2 x 80 voltmodded should be fine too, right?), or what?

I just cant seem to find any other case with the same style and features : all metal (incl bezel and door) and a door... Was very excited about the Coolermaster 710 (steel/alu combo) till I realised it was discontinued...

/bfg

DonP · Post by **DonP** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:28 pm

the_bfg wrote:- remove the rear fan grill
- add a hole for another 80mm fan under the existing rear fan

My PC60 had a stamped grill on the back (don't know what kind of grill the PC6070 has).. I cut this out and I'm very happy with the drop in noise.

About the other hole.. this is an idea I had ages ago and I've mentioned it quite a few times here but never had the time to implement it.
My idea however is a bit more complicated..
The old hole will actually be the outflow of a duct with a fan sucking air off an Alpha PAL8942 (they're more effective at sucking). Sucking and sending it out of the back is a good idea because it'll mean heat from CPU is sent directly out.. ergo cooler air in the case.. ergo cooler processor. Cooler air in the case also means I can run front fans slower and PSU will run slower. I'm not sure how effective this'll be.. and I only have a P4 2.26B so it isn;t that much heat.
The new hole will be for general case airflow (with a 5V fan).. to create airflow over the top chunk of the ZM80C-HP..

oh.. btw.. regarding HDD decoupling.. if the PC6070 has the same hard drive cage as the PC60 then it's pretty easy to drill a few more holes in the cage and thread elastic through it.. then you have a cheap and easy way of suspending HDDs.. I;ve tried it and it's pretty effective.

Good Luck.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 6:20 am

the_bfg wrote:Reading through these forums, I get an overall negative impression towards the PC 6070. Is this because of price, lack of 120mm fan (2 x 80 voltmodded should be fine too, right?), or what?

I can't speak for others, but for me with this specific case the ventilation looks pretty dodgy through the front bezel. There's just a small section of holes on the underside of the bezel. That's it. When you're trying to keep the case cool by using low rpm case fan(s) and a thermally controlled PSU fan you need to have good airflow in the case to keep things cool and it doesn't look like this case has good airflow. On to the back. Only one 80mm fan with a very restrictive grill. That won't help either.

Another problem is that Lian-Li's in general are sort of cheaply made. The aluminum is thin and the construction quality isn't the best.

the_bfg wrote:I just cant seem to find any other case with the same style and features : all metal (incl bezel and door) and a door... Was very excited about the Coolermaster 710 (steel/alu combo) till I realised it was discontinued...

/bfg

Look for a used ATC-710. I just sold mine a few weeks ago and have noticed a few for sale recently.

Too bad you can't live with a plastic door. The SLK3700 series is everything the Lian-Li dreams it could be.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 6:44 am

I agree on the rear ventilation - but as mentioned above I plan to punch out the existing grill and cut a hole for a new one below it - giving me space for two nice and quiet papst or panaflo fans.

I would probably even experiment with having one of them dedicated to the CPU (some sort of ducting to the CPU heatsink).

So rear airflow doesnt worry me.

For front ventilation, the stock case does seem restrictive... My ideas/plans are getting extremer the more I read these forums, and Im thinking of canning the lowest drive cage and replacing it with a muffler type box drawing air from another new hole in the bottom of the case (about 92mm or even 120mm) and channeling it so it comes from the front of the case. The case sits on legs, have about 1.5 cm clearance from the floor (1/2"?) which should be fine to draw air from.

That would give me space to suspend my two HDDs above that (and in the airflow from said intake box).

Would that be an idea?

(I can't seem to find any second hand ATC-710s here in the UK, and Im not convinced about the intake fan having a straight shot out the front bezel anyway)

Also, I've never heard Lian Li's described as anything but high-quality - you got me worried now Ralf...

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 7:11 am

the_bfg wrote:(I can't seem to find any second hand ATC-710s here in the UK, and Im not convinced about the intake fan having a straight shot out the front bezel anyway)

You don't need a front intake fan. Just a front grill/bezel with good airflow. In my 710 I originally used an 80mmL1A running at 5V to cool my drive and 2 L1As running at 7 volts on the rear wall as exhaust fans.

Are you aware that the ATC-710 is the Antec SX10x0/Chieftec Dragon with an aluminum bezel replaceing the stock plastic bezel? This is a very highly thought of, populare case with a facelift, so to speak.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 8:06 am

Hey Ralf, thanks for helping figure this out!

I'm really set on the PC 6070 as I really like the look, and am more and more prepared to mod it to make a silent case rather than settle for an uglier case that is silent from scratch. (but I am prepared to eat my words and go for something else if its too impractical)

My thinking for an intake for the PC 6070 is something along the following - do you think this could work well?

(this is pretty much to scale (1 mm = 1 pixel) except I dont know exactly the drive cages' placement in the case as I dont own one)

/bfg

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 1:14 pm

May work fine if you raise it up off the floor a little. Search for posts by Bluefront. I think he's built a system with a fan intake in the bottom, if not him, someone here has. Use the search, unless someone else with a better memory than me comes along with a link....

Bluefront · Post by **Bluefront** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 5:03 pm

Yeah I've constructed several setups similar to what you propose. Noteably this one. I almost bought a 6070, still might. The potential of this case to run very quietly, is very good. The seals around the drives and the whole door looks great. The rest of the case would be an easy mod for a number of ideas.

Look you don't really need that lower 120mm fan....or really any fan there. If you have two 80mm fans blowing out, plus the PSU fan, well that's plenty. Here's what I would do with this case if I wanted an easy build......Add the second 80mm fan hole. Raise the computer with feet or castors at least 2" off the floor. Cut a large hole in the bottom front of the case and mount an automotive air filter there. Suspend the drives over the filter and let the case fans draw air into the case through the filter. Block off the front intake so all the air comes through the filter and seal all other cracks, vents, etc.

It'll work well, will run cool, and be quiet. I'd get a fan controller of some kind to regulate the case fans....bingo.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:17 am

Thanks for the input Bluefront!

I'm gonna give the PC 6070 a try, and start with the 2x80mm holes in the rear and the hole + filter in the floor, then maybe add a muffler to the intake, and only if my HDD temps need it a fan to said muffler.

I think (hope!) this case is gonna work out. I'm planning to write it all up properly and take photos so I can share my experiences with you all...

Now I just have to choose a PSU (any idea where I can find a Seasonic Super Silencer 400 in the UK?

) and decide between a Zalman and Arctic cooler for my Radeon...

Thanks again for the input all...

/bfg

pdf27 · Post by **pdf27** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 11:23 am

This one?
http://www.koolnquiet.co.uk/index.php?m ... &cat_id=40

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 11:31 am

hi pdf27,

Thanks for the link - though I'd seen that one before:

Apparently (And correct me if Im wrong) that is NOT the highly rated Super Silencer but a more generic PSU. The Super Silencer as reviewed by this site has the model designation SS-400AGX (the one on kool'n'quiet is the SS-400FS).

Anyone know what the difference really is?

/bfg

pdf27 · Post by **pdf27** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 12:46 pm

I had a feeling it might be the wrong one - why manufacturers have to use model classifications that you need a degree in gibberish to understand is beyond me

Mario · Post by **Mario** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 1:56 pm

I have a PC6070 and I second Ralf's comment at least from the point of view of how thin the panels are.
I was a bit disapointed to spend more for a case marketed as quiet when:
* the panels right left and top vibrates like crazy. Much more than my previous el cheapo case. If you blow on the case it will vibrate, imagine when you have something moving inside the case!
* the padding on side panels is a joke
* the grill on the back is another joke
* nothing in the HD compartment to reduce vibration
* the 3 fans suplied are bad, bad, bad
* in France it comes also with an el cheapo power supply, far from quiet, but in other countries there is no power supply (don't know why)

But there are good points.
* I love the look (personal)
* the front door is good and really makes a difference in silencing the optical drives and the front fans
* quality outside the negative point above is pretty good and every single part can be removed for simple mounting operations (HDD cage, MB, power supply, etc...)

But the positive points are common to many quality cases (including other lian li) except maybe the door. So you might be able to get a similar quality case with better ventilation at lower price. Or if you buy it without considering it a quiet case (so you will not be disapointed) and the price is similar to other candidates, then maybe it is a good buy, above all if as you said, you are ready to work on it.

The drive cage is sitting on the floor of the case and it can host 5 HDDs on a side position or 3 in straight position with an adapter. The cage is a bit less than 1 cm higher than the case floor and about 4 cm far away from the front bezel. Below the drive cage on the floor there is a big speaker, quite loud.

chrono · Post by **chrono** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 2:33 pm

Seems like a good system. Here are some thoughts:

P4 2.66:
I would spend the extra money to get the 2.6C. Seems like a fairly large increase in preformance between the two.

ZM80C-HP:
Got this on my GeForce 4. Installation was easy after I removed the stock heatsinc/fan. Cooling is great with it.. i use the optional fan, which is near silent at 5v, but Im sure it would still work nicely without the fan, aslong as your not overclocking the card like mad.

CNPS7000A-Cu:
I personally use the CNPS7000A-AlCu and I would recommend it over the A-Cu.. its a fair bit lighter, putting less stress on your mobo, it's cheaper, and the cooling is amazing.

Super Silencer 400:
I also have this. Great PSU, only problem is it gets alittle audible when its under some pressure (eg video rendering, audio production, gaming). During regular use its nearly silent.

Seagate Barracuda S-ATA:
These have a fairly audible seek noise (especially if you have a fan vent in the front of your case) so you might want to consider putting it in a silent drive enclosure or something like that.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 4:09 pm

Chrono - thanks for the input! After trolling these boards for like a week my component list has changed a little (though it isn't decided yet):

Current bits migrating to new system:
P4 2.66 (533FSB) (this'll have to do for now - lots of other shopping to do!)
1 GB Corsair RAM (2x512 MB)
Hercules Radeon 9700 Pro
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
HP 12x CD-R/W

New bits to buy for the silent system:
Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
Samsung SP1614C 160GB Spinpoint

I've also pretty much decided for the Lian Li PC 6070 (Mario - thanks alot for the input - I had planned to, and am now convinced I need to dampen the case properly to counteract the thin/light panels)

Then, the decisions left to make:

Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer VS Zalman ZM80A-HP
PSU... can't find the seasonic in the UK, so cannot figure out what to get...

I'll let you know how it goes...

/bfg

DonP · Post by **DonP** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 4:20 pm

the_bfg wrote:PSU... can't find the seasonic in the UK, so cannot figure out what to get...

http://www.koolnquiet.co.uk/index.php?main=catalog&id=40

I'm not sure these are the super-duper Seasonic Tornados (?) that people here like so much, but whoa are they expensive... don't know of any other sources in the UK.. try europe.. sweden maybe.

EDIT:Ok, maybe they aren't THAT expensive.. but they're still a bit steep for me.. I'd need more than 350W for my purposes.. prolly 400W.

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:24 am

Hey DonP - Kool'n'Quiet don't have the SS-400AGX (the super silencer) I'm after (and that is highest rated by SPCR). But I just got a fast reply from Kool'n'Quiet here in the UK when I asked them about the Seasonic Super Silencer 400:

Hello Martin

Thank you for your e mail.

Yes. These are due in the UK around 8 Dec. The SS-400AGX is the Super Silencer 400. This will come in a retail box with 3 year's warranty. I don't have any firm prices but it will be around £75 retail. Seasonic are fixing the European retail prices.

I'll e mail you when I have firm delivery dates/ prices.

Thanks again.

best regards, Paul Haussauer - Kool 'n Quiet

I for one will be ordering it the minute he has stock!

/bfg

MrMajestic · Post by **MrMajestic** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:34 pm

the_bfg wrote:Thanks for the input Bluefront!

I'm gonna give the PC 6070 a try, and start with the 2x80mm holes in the rear and the hole + filter in the floor, then maybe add a muffler to the intake, and only if my HDD temps need it a fan to said muffler.

I think (hope!) this case is gonna work out. I'm planning to write it all up properly and take photos so I can share my experiences with you all...

Now I just have to choose a PSU (any idea where I can find a Seasonic Super Silencer 400 in the UK? ) and decide between a Zalman and Arctic cooler for my Radeon...

Thanks again for the input all...

/bfg

Did you get the 6070? Im curious about the 2x80mm mod for the backpanel. Im thinking of getting this case myself but Im still not sure. Pretty happy with my SLK3700, but I dont like the looks.

ashtray_head · Post by **ashtray_head** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 2:25 pm

MrMajestic wrote:
Did you get the 6070? Im curious about the 2x80mm mod for the backpanel. Im thinking of getting this case myself.

Me too...I really like the look of this case. Please keep us informed of your mods/experiences with this case. Any pics would be great as well

Cheers

the_bfg · Post by **the_bfg** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 6:28 am

ashtray_head and MrMajestic - In the end I didn't go for the 6070 case for a few reasons;

- price, the lower price of the 3700BQE I got allowed me an extra HDD
- airflow, I was worried that airflow wouldn't be enough and too insecure in my modding skills to attempt the above mod
- case material, IMHO the aluminium works against the LianLi - it is lighter and thinner than the steel of the 3700BQE so might be more prone ot vibration noise and offer less noise damping.

So in the end I went for the 3700BQE...

Hope someone else gets the 6070 and can help answer all your questions...

/bfg

MrMajestic · Post by **MrMajestic** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 12:18 pm

the_bfg wrote:ashtray_head and MrMajestic - In the end I didn't go for the 6070 case for a few reasons;

- price, the lower price of the 3700BQE I got allowed me an extra HDD
- airflow, I was worried that airflow wouldn't be enough and too insecure in my modding skills to attempt the above mod
- case material, IMHO the aluminium works against the LianLi - it is lighter and thinner than the steel of the 3700BQE so might be more prone ot vibration noise and offer less noise damping.

So in the end I went for the 3700BQE...

Hope someone else gets the 6070 and can help answer all your questions...

/bfg

Im very close to getting a PC6070, but I have to sell my SLK3700 first. I will probably mount some AcoustiPack in it if its not silent enough. Perhaps putting in a second fan if possible in the back. Hey, someones gotta try it right

Im also curious about a new case from Aopen that I havent seen before. The Aopen H700B, which looks promising. Its allows mounting 4 HDDs above the PSU. Sure is a big sucker but I have the space. Its only available with a redundant PSU at the moment here in Sweden though.

Case plans with LianLi 6070 - feedback wanted - major mods!

Case plans with LianLi 6070 - feedback wanted - major mods!

Re: Case plans with LianLi 6070 - feedback/advice wanted

Re: Case plans with LianLi 6070 - feedback/advice wanted