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High-End Aluminum PC Cases Make A Comeback
An anonymous reader writes ""Lian Li's V1200 Plus represents the apex of enclosure technology to date. Lian Li is a long time favorite of computer builders, especially those who are willing to spend more so that they will get the features and design benefits of a high end product. This case has a formidable price tag, but with its great looks, innovative layout, and brand reputation it has more that a few things going for it. At 210 x 490 x 625mm this case has the depth of a full-tower, but not the height. This makes it perfect for extensive systems and for people who need to tinker inside the case.""
Aluminum cases keep your system cooler than standard steel cases
Well no.
See http://www.systemcooling.com/alum_steel-01.html
Not really - your computer heats the air inside the case, and not the case itself. Unless the parts generating more heat are attached directly to it (like the CPU), it won't really make much of a difference.
Even stuff like hard disk (which are bolted to the case) will be cooled pretty much the same if the case is made of Al, steel or whatever, as there's enough mass to deal with it. Aluminium will move the heat quicker, giving you a couple of degrees less, and that's it.
It will also irradiate poorly (being metal gray in color, instead of black).
Another thing to consider, which this article didn't specifically point out is... Aluminum cases keep your system cooler than standard steel cases.
I'm guessing the article didn't point it out because it's not true. It's an old urban legend among PC builders that's been thoroughly debunked repeatedly, to the point where most people actually don't believe it anymore. (This is a good thing - most urban myths just keep on going forever... witness the Bill Gates 640k quote myth.)
Aluminum is a superior thermal conductor to steel but that's meaningless when you're talking about open air. Your PC's components are not actually in contact with the aluminum so it doesn't do them any good to be in an aluminum case. The vast majority of a PC's heat (around 99.9%) is removed by the PC's fans, not by conduction through the case, and you can easily verify this yourself just by feeling the top of your PC when it's on. It's likely that it's barely even warm to the touch - if it is, then you've got bigger problems that aren't going to be solved just by an aluminum case.
It's far more important that a PC case be built for good airflow than what material it's made out of. A well-designed steel case will outperform a poorly-designed aluminum case in terms of heat removal any day of the week.
It's another myth that aluminum cases are lighter - that may be true by a half pound or so, but when you're talking about 40 lbs. vs. 39.5 lbs. in a fully loaded PC, I don't think that much matters either. Your PC's innards don't magically get lighter just because you bought an aluminum case.
Buy an aluminum case because you like the way it looks and you like the way it's designed, not for any other reason.
(btw, I have two PC's in aluminum cases - I just like the look.)
If you are going to submit an article from your own website, at least have the balls to say it like it is and submit it as yourself. There's a reason it says "Anonymous Coward". To slashdot editors: Please stop accepting every article submitted by this and other small sites. If they come up with something innovative or have an exclusive review of something new, post it. Otherwise, let the RSS newsfeeds at anandtech/hardocp/etc handle this crap.
Why not just link to lian li directly? http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Chassis/M_V_C_PC-V1 200.htm. Is it me or have these been around for a while -- seems I saw an identical looking case for $190 at the local compucare last winter. Maybe just a prior incarnation.
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
The Lian Li case allows you to fit 5 hard drives, a floppy and 4 CD/DVD drives all at the same time and doesn't make you give up one of your 120 MM fans to do it. The Coolermaster case allows you to fit 2 hard drives and a floppy IF you give up one 120 MM fan and turn your case into a component cooker.
The Coolermaster allows you to fit up to *12* hard drives plus a floppy, plus a CD/DVD. That's with ALL fans, including the optional ones, in place.
The Lian Li case has better ventilation. Coolermaster gives you the option to install more noise generating 80MM fans.
The Lian Li case does not have better airflow than the Stacker. Impossible. I bought the optional fans for up front. They are nice slow quiet 120mm fans, not 20mm fans. That's 3 120mm fans up front. A wall of air moves through the case. It keeps everything cool. Plus one more 120 fan in the back, plus optional ones for the top and side. Plus there is even a optional fan you can buy that blows along the entire length of the motherboard. You pretty much can't find a case that can get more air flowing through it.
The Lian LI case is BTX and sectioned into three thermal zones. Coolermaster uses outdated ATX standard and is one giant component cooker.
The Stacker comes with all the parts to allow you to set up your case in either ATX or BTX format. You can switch back and forth between configurations if you buy a new motherboard of the other type.
Lian Li places the power supply at the bottom with its own separate cool air supply. Cooler Master places the power supply at the top where it will suck in heated processor air garunteeing worse power efficiency and more noise due to the fan having to spin up to cope with increased heat. ATX sucks
The Stacker allows you to put the power supply at the bottom of the case, or the top, or install two power supplies, one in each location, so that you can run two quieter power supplies rather than one large noisy one.
Basically, you don't know what the hell your talking about.