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Aluminum Server Case Review
Anonymous Coward writes: "Hi guys, Here is a review of the Lian Li PC626, which is a server case made entirely out of aluminium.
Unex from Belgium :)" Or aluminum, which is the only proper spelling, of course. Are these cases actually worth the premium price? I may be having heat problems (for the first time) with our latest PC purchase, so I'm suddenly more interested in cooling...
I finally get to truthfully say:
I submitted this months ago and it was rejected!
graspee
The best part is the lightness of these cases.
If you go to a lot of lans or move your box from place to place a lot aluminum is the only way to go.
I bought a Lian-Li PC-67 USB case about two months ago. You get alot more than just an aluminium case with great cooling. There are thumb screws eveywhere and everything can be easily removed, the airflow through the case is incredible, I clean the front fan filters every couple of weeks and and invariably find amazing amounts of dust on the front. I spray-painted my drives silver to match the aluminium so the case just plain looks cool. It seems to be well built and though it is hard to justify the $200+ price tag remember it is an investment that will be used for years to come.
I would definitely recomend this case to anyone who opens ub thier box often, it is wonderful to work on.
I was wondering the same thing. If you made it out of steel or something that conducts heat better, then it would conduct some of the heat from inside the case to the outside. Or looked at another way, it would conduct some of the coolness from outside the case to the inside. Any thermo gurus care to elucidate?
They definitely are high quality cases. I just recently picked one up to build a new system and everything fits together like clockwork. The hard drives are kept nicely cool by the front two case fans blowing air over them, and the power supply and back fan more than adequately cool the AMD 1.4Ghz Thunderbird. I'm not overclocking it yet though until I find out what the acceptable heat ranges are for the processor. Currently it runs at about 47C and the system temperature is 36C. Anyone know if this is the normal range for this type of processor?
Actually, it appears Aluminium is the more correct spelling, considering the British guy who found it settled on the -ium ending himself. There's a whole article devoted to the subject at World Wide Words.
I bought a Lian-Li case because I was building a computer as a gift, and I thought it looked really slick. When it arrived, though I was shocked by how light it was -- just under 6 Kg without mobo/powersupply/etc. I've since bought 3 more for computers that I frequently move, and it really makes a difference. I am not uncomfortable carrying 2 or even all 3 of them at once (comfort including fear of dropping, that is).
Yes, they cost significantly more. They are also significantly more convienient if you have to open them up frequently. Are they better a cooling? I suspect that, for the difference in price between a "standard" case and a Lian-Li AL case, you could buy fans, etc. that would make more of a difference. Even their large server cases are refreshingly light. These cases are definitely not for everyone, but if you need a large, light, accessible, and sturdy case, I don't know of anything better.
(and if you know of anything better, I'd like to hear about it... these are awfully expensiveThey don't make anything, they just stick their name on things then charge inflated prices
Take for example their full tower case. The PC Power & Cooling full tower case is just a California PC full tower case with a different bezel on the front & an inflated price tag.
Its the same with every product they sell, for example their mid tower case is the same as one of the big OEMs (I forget which brand) with a different bezel & again an inflated price tag.
Their heatsinks & powersupplies are no different.
I remember when they used to sell a 275 watt 'Silencer' powersupply. It turns out it was just a generic 300 watt powersupply that was just de-rated to cope with the retro-actively fitted low speed so-called 'Silencer' fan (I think just a slow speed Adda fan).
Talking about periodic tables: When did Natrium (Na in the table) transform in some languages into Sodium?? Or K= Kalium / Potassium?
"The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
"Aluminium" is the original and true spelling. The spelling "Aluminum" came about because of ALCOA, one of the largest producers of the metal. Many years ago ALCOA had many thousands (or more) of pamphlets printed advertising their new products. All of these pamphlets contained the typo "Aluminum". Instead of spending millions of dollars to fix the typo, it was left alone and "Aluminum" became an accepted spelling (with some dispute of course).
So, in fact, if you are buying "Aluminum" you are buying an ALCOA product, and everyone else produces "Aluminium".
What's even worse is trying to solder a heavy gauge copper conductor. (e.g. AWG No. 6) You can't get the solder to flow because the copper transmits all of the heat right out of the iron and away from what you're trying to solder... You practically need a propane torch to get it right... This is why electricians rely on heavy duty compression lugs instead of trying to solder. For really heavy duty connections (like grounding and bonding with AWG 4/0), exothermic welding (similar to thermite) is used to generate enough heat to make a good connection. (OK, slightly OT, but it illustrates how well copper transmits heat...)
--z
In Soviet Russia, the Beowulf cluster imagines you!