ryanrenolds08

Hello OCN! I am making my first work log with my first Lian Li case. I have been doing heavy modifications to PCs for more than the last decade but never to the vaunted Lian Li(brand) so I figured, WTH, might as well do it now with my first!

Case: Lian Li PC-A05B


This isn't only a case mod work log but also kind of a review for those who are interested in the case. When I bought the case there were some great reviews but they were few and far between. I hope to bring a very objective view to this case, as I have had no previous experiences with what used to be a VERY expensive brand of case. In the past five or so years Lian Li has catered to the average user with some cases in the realm that all of us can afford and enjoy. (I apologize for my sub-par camera beforehand )Without further ado, I bring you my brand new PC-A05B :



I will say this, when I picked her up off my front porch after work I almost punched myself in the face! This is the lightest case I have ever had the privilege of cutting open and apart. It is borderline scary how light the case is, yet my 6'1", 200lb frame can sit on it and it is VERY sturdy. Lian Li takes pride in their cases by providing thumb screws all around, recessed rivets, VERY smooth side rails and a front that pops off with the flick of your pinky.

The sides slide off and on so easy you think that something is wrong. I am not kidding! I have dealt with so many cases where the side panels were a pain and this thing is a joke. A finger can take off a panel or put it on with ease. I was VERY surprised at how easy it was. There are front panel headers up top for ease of access and they are not gaudy or overbearing to the case. They are concealed with a small door so you will never have to see them if you do not want.

Let us go to the inside -



The first image is motherboard side, obviously inverted. The orientation of the case is incredible for cable management but very poor for thermal gains. The front "vents" are small and therefore will cause some heat to build up especially in the top of the case near the GPU(s). Overall it is a great interior as far as build quality. The all aluminum design works out very well in the looks department as well as the functionality department. For a 6lb case this thing is beast! Nothing bent or flimsy upon arrival and it was packaged VERY well.

For those of us with bottom-fan mounted PSUs this case is a pain. MANY of todays PSUs come with a bottom mounted fan and while there is a small bridge to hold it up, it must suck in the air from the case and kick it out the front...this is not ideal as the front vent holes are quite small. I will be addressing this issue by cutting holes in the bottom for my Silverstone Strider 700w modular PSU. Overall the case is ideally suited for almost any system and is short enough to fit into almost any desk. The finish quality is absolutely fantastic but I do question some of the thermal quality decisions. Then again, this case is meant for guys and gals like us on OCN to mod away on as it is not terribly expensive.

Below are some pictures of some of the tools used(went ahead and bought new ) and one of the two radiators :







I found this little gem at Radio Shack which will be used behind the motherboard for all the fans and fan controller...



So, down to the nitty gritty! Here is what is in store :

Case : You already know
Motherboard : Asus Gene II mATX
Processor : Intel I7 920 (Will upgrade to 6 core early next year )
PSU : Silverstone Strider 700w Modular
Memory : Probably some G-Skill 2000Mhz DDR-3
Cooling : MCR-220 and MCR-120 coupled together with a D5+Res and a Heatkiller OR Ek Supreme
Hard Drives : 2 x 750Gb WD AALS in Raid 0 with one Seagate 500Gb 7200.11 for backup
Optical : HG Blu-Ray Player / DVD Writer
GFX : 2 x Nvidia GTX 3xx series (I will be keeping my 4870 for now )

Plans for the case :

MCR 220 Will be mounted up top with the MCR 120 mounted in the rear. The CPU, NB, SB and Voltage regulation will all be WCd. I was going to WC the GPUs but it is so much easier and cheaper to upgarde very well air cooled GPUs.
I will be cutting out the motherboard tray for easy access to my blocks as well as cutting in 2 x 120mm fans in the bottom for better air movement. All fans will be controlled by a Scythe Master Kaze Ace brushed aluminum fan controller from www.directron.com. I will also get a Lian Li face plate for my optical as well as cut in a window for view of the orange liquid lit up by white LEDs.

This will be a longer log as time permits little for getting this done, but I will work diligently on something you and I can be proud of! Thanks for tuning in, hopefully some fan holes will be cut tomorrow...........
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Lian Li's 'Popped Balloon' 2nd Update - Aug. 9th 2009
Lian Li's 'Popped Balloon' 3rd Update - Aug. 10th 2009
Lian Li's 'Popped Balloon' 4th Update - Aug. 11th 2009
Lian Li's 'Popped Balloon' 4th BIG Update - Aug. 15th 2009
Lian Li's 'Popped Balloon' 5th Update - LOOP!! - Aug. 20th 2009

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5800 Ownerz Club

My Lian Li PC-A05B Case Mod Worklog

zomgiwin

**** get working!
lol, i love this case.. i want it sooo bad
i cant wait to see what you do with it!

imadude10

Nice little case! Can't wait to see what's in store.

l4n b0y

very nice case man. subscribed. will DEFINITELY be watching!

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My custom built i7 Tech Bench!

ryanrenolds08

TY! Hopefully the fans and the rads will all be cut in tomorrow and I will get to mounting the WC hardware and cutting the window for easy hardware viewing.

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5800 Ownerz Club

My Lian Li PC-A05B Case Mod Worklog

SharkFin

Will be watching, this is exactly what I was gonna do before I mounted the rad down the bottom :P

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edvb

Hi All

First time poster here.

edvb

Did not mean to Hijack thread. Sorry.

Jrice00

sub'd!

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The Samsung Owners Club
Member of the OCN Diablo III Club
The AMERICAN Overclockers!

wuttz

edvb : welcome to OCN!

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