Any info for this case: Lian Li A05?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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DG
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Any info for this case: Lian Li A05?

Post by DG » Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:46 am

I can't find any reviews\pictures\anything about this case: http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... PC-A05.htm

Imo, it's an interesting case, i like it for it's size and potential cooling. But i would like to see some pics of the behind the front side cover and i can't find any on the web. :(
Last edited by DG on Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Jiggs
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Post by Jiggs » Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:47 pm

WOW! ive been looking for exactly that design for ages!
iCute, a Taiwanese company has that design. and i saw it in a review and loved it. puts the power supply at the front, meaning great size without putting the power supply above the CPU. problem is, i cant find the iCute anywhere that ships to EU. is only in Asia.
So this case is Lian-Li's version. so better build quality. same smart space saving design though.
But no reviews. why is that? is it new? or not popular or whats up?
I really want it. any shops that will ship to EU (specifically Ireland)

great find. thanks. was looking through Lian-Lis site preying theyd have maybe taken iCutes design. i was doubting they did. but somehow i missed the case that actually did :).

EDIT: here's links to the two iCute case of similar size: http://www.icute.com.tw/english/Article ... icleID=289 http://www.icute.com.tw/english/Article ... icleID=323
its still quite a bit smaller than Lian Lis. The Lian Li case is 5cm wider. and 2.5cm taller. But still far smaller than most other cases. And i want a small case. I'm moving from a shuttle SFF. And i don't want to go all the way to huge cases. So when i found the iCute it was a good inbetweeny case :).

DG
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Post by DG » Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:08 pm

Strange, google doesn't give any links to this model, except for this thread and lian li official page. If you can find a place where you can buy this case, pls let me know.

s_xero
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Post by s_xero » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:21 pm

Lian-Li is beautiful in quality, but their engineering-ideas are pretty-much the bottom of society.. :cry:

Why don't they make the PSU cool the HDD's in a seperate chamber - like the P180 from Antec. :lol:

Some things are good about Lian-Li, but for quietness and engineering-dreams made reality, seek out Antec or so... :evil:

DG
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Post by DG » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:26 pm

s_xero wrote:
Why don't they make the PSU cool the HDD's in a seperate chamber - like the P180 from Antec. :lol:
But they do:

http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... PC-A10.htm

or

http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... plus_2.htm

Erssa
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Post by Erssa » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:03 pm

Is it just me, or is this case lacking exhaust fan?

Edit: If only Lian-Li would also learn to desing decent wep pages...
Last edited by Erssa on Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DG
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Post by DG » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:06 pm

No, from the specs there are 2x 120mm fans. One of them is behind the hdds i think, in front of the case, as a exhaust fan.

DG
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Post by DG » Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:09 am

bump

Anyone knows a valid e-mail adress to lian li? :D

nici
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Post by nici » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:26 am

What's wrong with clicking "Service" on Lian-Lis website? :wink:

DG
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Post by DG » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:40 am

I thought that was for service related stuff. Oh well, i've sent them an email...

lemons
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Post by lemons » Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:45 am

newegg stock it now

Code: Select all

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112130

DG
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Post by DG » Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:25 am

Great news! :o

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:04 am

Hey all,

new to the forum, long time lurker.

This case has piqued my interest and the for the price it's very tempting.
I'm looking for something sleeker, smaller and most of all QUIET! my current case sounds like a leaf blower. I changed my old Antec PSU ( it had thermal fan control) when I upgraded and since then it has been pretty unbearable.

So does anyone have any experience with this case? Any reviews out there? I was also looking at the V600 from Lian Li but this looks like a better choice although I'm still trying to figure out where the PSU goes (front I think..?)

DG
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Post by DG » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:08 am

Front of the case, under the hdd cage. Also, on lian li site it says it has 2 fans, but on newegg it says it has only 1 120mm.

Anyway, some heavy dampenings is required for the aluminium panels....

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:13 am

DG wrote:Front of the case, under the hdd cage. Also, on lian li site it says it has 2 fans, but on newegg it says it has only 1 120mm.

Anyway, some heavy dampenings is required for the aluminium panels....
I would imagine some work would have to go into it, but it couldn't be worse than my current case. its a big steel chenming case with 3 80mm fans running at full speed. Those three fans are making a ridiculous racket.

I wonder if the case would be big enough to house my 8800gts?

Sooty
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Re: Any info for this case: Lian Li A05?

Post by Sooty » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:37 am

DG wrote: http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... PC-A05.htm

Imo, it's an interesting case, i like it for it's size and potential cooling.
One thing’s for sure, any cooling potential will be at the expense of a lot of noise. On that other case, the PC-A10, they’ve stolen the P180 design, except for inferior hdd isolation. First look at the PC-A05A, it looked liked the P150/Solo design, except inside it’s very different. They’ve taken the P150/Solo front bezel vents design, but the last laugh is with Antec, because Lian Li is trying to run the case airflow backwards! They're trying to run Antec's inlet design as an exhaust! That’s a lot of restriction for an exhaust, which will lead to very poor airflow. Turn up the fan rpm, to get halfway decent airflow = noise. Does Lian Li know anything about airflow? :roll: The only reason they get away with it in their V-series is because those cases are so full of holes, the hot air has some way of escaping. No such holes in the PC-A05A.

claude05
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Re: Any info for this case: Lian Li A05?

Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 6:48 am

Sooty wrote:
DG wrote: http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/ ... PC-A05.htm

Imo, it's an interesting case, i like it for it's size and potential cooling.
One thing’s for sure, any cooling potential will be at the expense of a lot of noise. On that other case, the PC-A10, they’ve stolen the P180 design, except for inferior hdd isolation. First look at the PC-A05A, it looked liked the P150/Solo design, except inside it’s very different. They’ve taken the P150/Solo front bezel vents design, but the last laugh is with Antec, because Lian Li is trying to run the case airflow backwards! They're trying to run Antec's inlet design as an exhaust! That’s a lot of restriction for an exhaust, which will lead to very poor airflow. Turn up the fan rpm, to get halfway decent airflow = noise. Does Lian Li know anything about airflow? :roll: The only reason they get away with it in their V-series is because those cases are so full of holes, the hot air has some way of escaping. No such holes in the PC-A05A.
(looking at their airflow diagram) It would be easy enough to reverse the rear fan and set it as an exhaust and set the front fan as an intake. Also what's stopping you from modding the case and adding a quiet side intake? I think that this plus some damping would make this a really great case to own. I like Antec cases just fine but they won't be winning any beauty contests and I'd rather have something that looks good and blends in well (IE not huge, or bulky, I friggin hate doors on computers etc) at the expense of a little ambient noise increase. I'm just tired of having my computer taking up so much space or looking like fridge in my living room. My 2 cents

DG
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Post by DG » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:07 am

This is what i will do to this case, if anyone is interstead. I will make some soft mounting system for 2 hdd at the bottom of the case, to benefit from the 120mm rear fan. Maybe some No Vibes III? For the exhaust, i will make a home made blower fan, similar to what Bluefront has done here: viewtopic.php?t=33328 ...Or you could just cut the side panel or top panel, and make a 120mm hole for an exhaust fan.
Image

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:18 am

DG wrote:This is what i will do to this case, if anyone is interstead. I will make some soft mounting system for 2 hdd at the bottom of the case, to benefit from the 120mm rear fan. Maybe some No Vibes III? For the exhaust, i will make a home made blower fan, similar to what Bluefront has done here: viewtopic.php?t=33328 ...Or you could just cut the side panel or top panel, and make a 120mm hole for an exhaust fan.
Image
Very cool Idea! I'd have to add a third novibes in one the 5.25'' bay for a another hard drive but very doable.

DG
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Post by DG » Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:25 am

Yeah, and the cool thing about this case is that lian li left some spaces between the mobo tray and the top and bottom panels..:D Just enough for a hdd (bottom) or a fan (top).

Image

Operandi
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Post by Operandi » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:38 pm

It's an interesting design that makes some cooling compromises for it's smallish form factor. It should be fine with a low to moderately-low powered system.

I definitely like the look and will keep it in mind for future builds.

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:14 pm

Sorry to derail the thread but considering what everyone is saying regarding cooling and sound what should I get for my system? Here are my specs:
x2 3800 (stock with zalman 7000alcu cooler
a8n e
enermax Liberty 500w (modular)
8800GTS (stock)
3 harddrives

What I want is something smallish, sleek, good cooling and fairly silent. I built a PC for a friend using the P180b and its bigger than what I would like. This Lian Li case seemed to fit the bill, although I was thinking of the V600 as well. However, the cost and the placement of the PSU are both black marks against it. The solo is humdrum and the P150 is not really my taste, plus I doubt I could get all my gear to fit inside them comfortably. So, any recommendations?

DG
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Post by DG » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:33 pm

A Scythe Ninja, some Nexus 120mm fans, a fan controller for them and that's it, i think. Depending where you place the hdds, some No Vibes III maybe...

Operandi
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Post by Operandi » Sun Dec 10, 2006 4:17 pm

claude05 wrote:Sorry to derail the thread but considering what everyone is saying regarding cooling and sound what should I get for my system? Here are my specs:
x2 3800 (stock with zalman 7000alcu cooler
a8n e
enermax Liberty 500w (modular)
8800GTS (stock)
3 harddrives

What I want is something smallish, sleek, good cooling and fairly silent. I built a PC for a friend using the P180b and its bigger than what I would like. This Lian Li case seemed to fit the bill, although I was thinking of the V600 as well. However, the cost and the placement of the PSU are both black marks against it. The solo is humdrum and the P150 is not really my taste, plus I doubt I could get all my gear to fit inside them comfortably. So, any recommendations?
I wouldn't worry about anything overheating but keeping temps low enough for noise levels people typically aim for here might be tricky with hotter running components. Since the PSU is internally housed all the heat it generates is dumped directly back into the case.

Of all that hardware the biggest problem is going to be the power hungry 8800GTS. But if you are going to using the stock cooling on the 8800 that will likely be the loudest component anyway.

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:37 pm

Operandi wrote:I wouldn't worry about anything overheating but keeping temps low enough for noise levels people typically aim for here might be tricky with hotter running components. Since the PSU is internally housed all the heat it generates is dumped directly back into the case.

Of all that hardware the biggest problem is going to be the power hungry 8800GTS. But if you are going to using the stock cooling on the 8800 that will likely be the loudest component anyway.
So far the 8800 has proven to be one of the quietest parts of my PC. my Zalman is the only thing quieter. But I can't hear either over these confounded 80mm case fans running on HIGH! :evil: So if this is my biggest concern over this case, then frankly I should probably get it. I'll be patient and wait for a review or something though.

Operandi
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Post by Operandi » Sun Dec 10, 2006 5:49 pm

claude05 wrote:
Operandi wrote:I wouldn't worry about anything overheating but keeping temps low enough for noise levels people typically aim for here might be tricky with hotter running components. Since the PSU is internally housed all the heat it generates is dumped directly back into the case.

Of all that hardware the biggest problem is going to be the power hungry 8800GTS. But if you are going to using the stock cooling on the 8800 that will likely be the loudest component anyway.
So far the 8800 has proven to be one of the quietest parts of my PC. my Zalman is the only thing quieter. But I can't hear either over these confounded 80mm case fans running on HIGH! :evil: So if this is my biggest concern over this case, then frankly I should probably get it. I'll be patient and wait for a review or something though.
Stop your case and CPU fans and then see how the 8800 sounds.

I guess heat shouldn't be that big of deal but I would defiantly get the most efficient PSU I could find (380 watt S12 maybe). Efficiency is extra important here because that extra generated by the PSU will be stuck inside the case and not exhausted in any normal case design.

I would also consider turning the sole 120mm fan from an intake to an exhaust.

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:43 am

Operandi wrote:
claude05 wrote:
Operandi wrote:I wouldn't worry about anything overheating but keeping temps low enough for noise levels people typically aim for here might be tricky with hotter running components. Since the PSU is internally housed all the heat it generates is dumped directly back into the case.

Of all that hardware the biggest problem is going to be the power hungry 8800GTS. But if you are going to using the stock cooling on the 8800 that will likely be the loudest component anyway.
So far the 8800 has proven to be one of the quietest parts of my PC. my Zalman is the only thing quieter. But I can't hear either over these confounded 80mm case fans running on HIGH! :evil: So if this is my biggest concern over this case, then frankly I should probably get it. I'll be patient and wait for a review or something though.
Stop your case and CPU fans and then see how the 8800 sounds.

I guess heat shouldn't be that big of deal but I would defiantly get the most efficient PSU I could find (380 watt S12 maybe). Efficiency is extra important here because that extra generated by the PSU will be stuck inside the case and not exhausted in any normal case design.

I would also consider turning the sole 120mm fan from an intake to an exhaust.

I've just killed the most offensive fan in my case ("the rattler") and the noise has diminished considerably.
I stand by my earlier statement. the 8800gts is super quiet (not silent but certainly not "the rattler"). The PSU I bought recently is an enermax 500w Liberty. It was recommended by the Mods at www.jonnyguru.com and has an 80% efficiency rating, also it has just one big 120mm fan on the bottom so it's also fairly quiet and so far runs rather cool. After more than an hour or so of gaming it was barely warm to the touch. Hopefully with this Lian Li a05, things will get quieter still and stay around the same temps that I have now.

I googled the A05 and found a thread on Hardforum where someone has bought the case and is putting up some pics and doing a mini-review of it on tuesday. I'm waiting to see what this person has to say about the case before I pull the trigger myself.

Operandi
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Post by Operandi » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:21 pm

claude05 wrote: I've just killed the most offensive fan in my case ("the rattler") and the noise has diminished considerably.
I stand by my earlier statement. the 8800gts is super quiet (not silent but certainly not "the rattler"). The PSU I bought recently is an enermax 500w Liberty. It was recommended by the Mods at www.jonnyguru.com and has an 80% efficiency rating, also it has just one big 120mm fan on the bottom so it's also fairly quiet and so far runs rather cool. After more than an hour or so of gaming it was barely warm to the touch. Hopefully with this Lian Li a05, things will get quieter still and stay around the same temps that I have now.

I googled the A05 and found a thread on Hardforum where someone has bought the case and is putting up some pics and doing a mini-review of it on tuesday. I'm waiting to see what this person has to say about the case before I pull the trigger myself.
Sounds like you should be fine.

I actually just bought one of these (PC-A05) last night from Newegg for Christmas build so if anyone is interested in pictures I should be able to provide some.

DG
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Post by DG » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:20 am

Please post some pictures with the hdd location, with the hdd cage removed, psu location and front of the case, with the aluminium front face removed. :)

thx!

claude05
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Post by claude05 » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:20 am

Operandi wrote:
claude05 wrote: I've just killed the most offensive fan in my case ("the rattler") and the noise has diminished considerably.
I stand by my earlier statement. the 8800gts is super quiet (not silent but certainly not "the rattler"). The PSU I bought recently is an enermax 500w Liberty. It was recommended by the Mods at www.jonnyguru.com and has an 80% efficiency rating, also it has just one big 120mm fan on the bottom so it's also fairly quiet and so far runs rather cool. After more than an hour or so of gaming it was barely warm to the touch. Hopefully with this Lian Li a05, things will get quieter still and stay around the same temps that I have now.

I googled the A05 and found a thread on Hardforum where someone has bought the case and is putting up some pics and doing a mini-review of it on tuesday. I'm waiting to see what this person has to say about the case before I pull the trigger myself.
Sounds like you should be fine.

I actually just bought one of these (PC-A05) last night from Newegg for Christmas build so if anyone is interested in pictures I should be able to provide some.
Please do. The pics on newegg never give you enough info. Any you can provide would be great! Let us know, is there a space for another 120mm in the front?

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