[pomidor]

I was browsing along Lian-Li's website to see what was new. Lo-and-behold I see they have a new desktop case! limited details but from what was on the site is a mATX case w/4 drive bays and two fans. Lovely fascia I must say! The light-strip / led (?) on the top makes it look quite spiffy.


Check it out!

http://www.lian-li.com/product.php?a...ewPD&prdid=778

http://www.wjasp.com.tw/upload/a0000...US/prd_778.jpg


Leo

 

[skeeterfood]

Looks pretty nice. If only it were black


However, the fact that it's listed on their site as part of the PC-9X model line gives me hope that there will be more face plate styles in the future like there are with the PC-6X and PC-7X lines.

 

[nutcase_1uk]

Looks nice, but no VFD window, power button's onn the wrong side and it's only mATX. Ah well. Keeping on waiting...

 

[Demunita]

That looks dam sweet

anyone find out the dimensions it looks a bit smallish

 

[da5id]

nutcase:


Is this better?

http://www.syrinx.net/images/Lian-Li.jpg


Perhaps the original image was backward; this view makes much more sense. Also, the left drive bay is perfectly suited to adding a VFD of your choice. uATX motherboards can be had with many things on-board, including S/PDIF and networking (and almost-acceptable video!, reducing the need for many slots. If this case was black I'd have ordered one already.

 

[Glenn_L]

Quote:

Originally posted by nutcase_1uk Looks nice, but no VFD window, power button's onn the wrong side and it's only mATX. Ah well. Keeping on waiting...

How can a power button be on the wrong side? Better not tell Dish.

 

[Jim Coates]

I was also wondering how the power button could be on the wrong side. Maybe your rack case door hinge is on the wrong side Either way, wht the damned micro/ATX form factor? There seems to be plenty of room for full blown ATX.

 

[nutcase_1uk]

All my equipment has the power button on the left hand side. I don't want one piece different (call me picky...) also, thinking about it, the last thing I want is a flickering LED of the harddrive, so that's have to be disconnected or used for something diffferent. It looks like there might be an HDD symbol below it, that's a shame.


I need full ATX as I need 5 cards (minumum):


graphics (AGP); NIC; TV tuner; SCSI controller; soundcard. I seem to recall mATX can only have up to 1 AGP and 3 PCI (or 4 PCI without the AGP).


Onboard sound is no replacement for an M-Audio card, and onboard video is terrible! I use 3-com 3CR NIC's so onboard LAN isn;t much use to me either


Fair point with the second 5 1/4" drive bay, but it'd take a very good mod to fit a smoked window to look professional.


Sorry, but it's not for me.

 

[NickB]

Also one from chenbro (aluminum too):

http://www.chenbro.com.tw/gif/PC707300.jpg

 

[Rich4av]

I think that any good HTPC case should have a depth matching other hifi components - 17 inches. The Coolermaster ATC-600 MATX case is 19" deep, 2 inches too many so it won't fit in standard AV racks (the ultimate in convenience for me).


Lian-li does not even provide a spec on depth...

 

[gooki]

Arghhh it looks terrible - sorry but DIGN definetly got it right with their case.

 

[EricN]

I know this is a bold statement to make, but I believe you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 3com 3CR NIC and onboard ethernet with a decent mobo without running benchmarks. If you can't tell the difference without having to look at the numbers, why limit your case selections by requiring a PCI NIC?


Onboard video and sound is a completely different ballpark, and no motherboard meets HTPC quality there. (I define HTPC quality as better than what can be obtained via standalone dvd player and scaler in the same price bracket)

 

[slau]

I agree, for a HTPC you do not need to get a dedicated PCI NIC.


But there are several other ATX desktop cases suitable for HTPC, unfortunatly I don't think they will match Cooler Master or Lian Li in terms of quality.

 

[EricN]

A dedicated PCI NIC for a HTPC is necessary? Do you have anything to support this statement?


Unless you are streaming content off another server, does an extra 10-15% network transfer rate really matter more to HT junkies than getting the perfect case for the HTPC? If you can cut yourself down to 3 PCI cards + AGP by opting for onboard ethernet, you are no longer restricting yourself to fullATX cases.


If you are going to fret about the difference between a 100TX NIC and 100TX onboard, you might as well go gigabit, which supports diskless (quieter) HTPCs very nicely.

 

[da5id]

I think he left out a "not": "You do not need to get a dedicated...". I think he was actually agreeing with you.


The original NIC poster (nutcase) didn't say that on-board networking was no good, he said he uses a certain type of NIC - in this case the 3Com 3CR line of secure NICs that do on-card IPSec. I don't know of any built-into-the-motherboard NICs that support this.

 

[slau]

Hmmm, missing out key words always confuses people

 

[nutcase_1uk]

The main reason I use seperate cards is flexibility. Yes, I will be streaming into the computer from a media server (I've been watching the terrabyte server thread with interest). If I buy a motherboard with built in LAN, it probably would work ok, but having a seperate card (which happens to have an onboard processor, keeping some load off the main CPU, which 1) Keeps it cooler (how much by I don't knnow!) and 2) leaves less chance of stuttering etc.).


I like quality items in my computers, and I've been bitten too many times by using cheap components, and onboard features strikes me as being a poor trade off between quality and packing in as many features as possible.


As I said before, I'm picky! Doesn't of course mean everyone else has to be though


p.s. can't remember the last time I ran a benchmark

 

[slau]

Well, there are plenty of ATX HTPC cases for you. Although me being picky, I didn't like them - lower quality - which was surprising but true, less cooling, and too damn big, and more expensive!


At least you can count on Lian Li and Cooler Master to make fantastic ultra high quality cases.


By the way, intergrated doesn't necessarily mean cheap.

 

[iago]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Coates what the damned micro/ATX form factor? There seems to be plenty of room for full blown ATX.

...as long as one does not concern oneself with trivialities such as power supplies

 

[tj luxury]

 So-Trick Computers will have them first in the US. The ETA is 6 weeks and price between $125-150 minus the P/S of course. I love the looks and that will be a great case for me.