For US$200, Would You Choose a High-End Mid Tower or an Entry/Mid-Level Full Tower?

[Lian Li Tech]

Hi everyone.

Lian Li is currently starting to plan their next generation of products and would like your input.

Based on your preference, if you had US$200 dollars in your pocket would you be more likely to choose a high-end mid tower chassis or an entry/mid level full tower?

Feel free to post why?

[CrazyNutz]

Full.

I know others probably would, however I just can't find myself spending $200 on a mid tower. I would drop $200 on a nice full tower provided it had nice rad options

[OldChap]

How big is a PC-90? ... that with rad compartment beneath size.

[Buckeye]

Full.

I know others probably would, however I just can't find myself spending $200 on a mid tower. I would drop $200 on a nice full tower provided it had nice rad options

Same with me. But it would all depend on the case, if it was what I was looking for at the time then yes I would drop $200 on a mid.

[l0ud_sil3nc3]

$200 on a mid any day over a full tower.

[Splave]

I could never see myself spending $200 on any type of case but thats just me. Im more in the $100 range tops

[EniGmA1987]

It really depends on how many spaces the mid tower has for hard drives with me. Most mid towers have only 3 spaces for drives, which means I am always looking at full towers because I have multiple solid state drives and large storage drives. If you could pack 8 drive bays (maybe one of them with a built in adapter for two SSDs) Im sure it would be a huge hit to anyone in my shoes. A full tower is just too big for a lot of peoples desks and the wives/girlfriends complain about computers taking up so much space, so a mid size tower is much more practical for most people.

Sure you dont need to expect to be able to support a triple 120mm radiator (or even dual 120 radiators) and a bunch of 13"+ graphics cards in a mid tower, but I bet you could make a single dual 120mm radiator up on the top fit, as well as enough space for a single really long GPU, pack out the rest with HDD spaces. People dont need DVD bays anymore, a single drive bay for a DVD/bluray is perfect for most people so keep extending those HDD spaces on up. The majority of users use digital media or flash drives now days, and just use a DVD/CD drive for the initial ripping of a new audio CD or to do the first install of Windows, beyond that they are rarely used. And you dont need a big long section for the power supply, just take the average ATX12v/EPS12v size, add 2" so the occasional extra long PSU still fits, and then pack out the rest of the bottom with hard drive bays. use a bottom mounted PSU bay, and give it some cutout spaces so wires can be routed behind the motherboard.

[Lian Li Tech]

How big is a PC-90? ... that with rad compartment beneath size.

The PC-90 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=583&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=138&g=f) is a full tower.

If you want the exact dimensions, it is 230mm x 505mm x 489mm (WxHxD). Or for our American friends 9" x 19.8" x 19.2".

So the full tower for you, OldChap? :)

[Lian Li Tech]

It really depends on how many spaces the mid tower has for hard drives with me. Most mid towers have only 3 spaces for drives, which means I am always looking at full towers because I have multiple solid state drives and large storage drives. If you could pack 8 drive bays (maybe one of them with a built in adapter for two SSDs) Im sure it would be a huge hit to anyone in my shoes. A full tower is just too big for a lot of peoples desks and the wives/girlfriends complain about computers taking up so much space, so a mid size tower is much more practical for most people.

Sure you dont need to expect to be able to support a triple 120mm radiator (or even dual 120 radiators) and a bunch of 13"+ graphics cards in a mid tower, but I bet you could make a single dual 120mm radiator up on the top fit, as well as enough space for a single really long GPU, pack out the rest with HDD spaces. People dont need DVD bays anymore, a single drive bay for a DVD/bluray is perfect for most people so keep extending those HDD spaces on up. The majority of users use digital media or flash drives now days, and just use a DVD/CD drive for the initial ripping of a new audio CD or to do the first install of Windows, beyond that they are rarely used. And you dont need a big long section for the power supply, just take the average ATX12v/EPS12v size, add 2" so the occasional extra long PSU still fits, and then pack out the rest of the bottom with hard drive bays. use a bottom mounted PSU bay, and give it some cutout spaces so wires can be routed behind the motherboard.

EniGmA1987, thanks for your input. So is the most important thing to you being able to install a lot of hard drives in a mid tower? How do you feel about the PC-V700 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=611&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f)? While it doesn't hold 8 3.5". It can hold up to 6 3.5" and 2 2.5". What improvements or changes would you like to see on a case like this?

Also, how do you feel about a single ODD bay on a mid tower in order to save a bit of room?

[thegoatman]

Just spent $150 on a Cooler Master Sorm Trooper, actually. I prefer having room to work, and not having to worry about how my gfx cards will affect my CPU temps. Also, being able to fit some watercooling in there comfortable is helpful.

[OldChap]

The PC-90 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=583&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=138&g=f) is a full tower.

If you want the exact dimensions, it is 230mm x 505mm x 489mm (WxHxD). Or for our American friends 9" x 19.8" x 19.2".

So the full tower for you, OldChap? :)

My first and only other case purchase was an antec 900 which I thought was a mid and this pc-90 feels like it is the same sort of size just with the quality done right :)

.....but if you say it is full then I want full plus that space under for 120mm rad on edge. Looking closely I think that maybe, just maybe, the answer this time around will be to use a 400*200 mounted outside on the bottom if I can figure a few fine details about feet etc.

Maybe there is some mileage in making available options and add ons for your proposed case design (like a watercooling plinth) That way folks could buy the basic case and adopt the options to suit their needs.

Just thinking aloud here .... trying to keep basic cost down but still make the design attractive to more people.

[EniGmA1987]

EniGmA1987, thanks for your input. So is the most important thing to you being able to install a lot of hard drives in a mid tower? How do you feel about the PC-V700 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=611&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f)? While it doesn't hold 8 3.5". It can hold up to 6 3.5" and 2 2.5". What improvements or changes would you like to see on a case like this?

Also, how do you feel about a single ODD bay on a mid tower in order to save a bit of room?


Pretty much exactly like that, but most mid towers you see are between 18-19" in size. That tower is 15.75" which looks like it was designed specifically like that to be smaller than the competition. So pretty much take the same design, but add 3" so the PSU is down lower and extend the HDD bays down as well so it has room for an additional 2-3 drives in the front. People dont need 440mm of space for a GPU card length, big GPU cards are only 11.5" long and that isnt even 300mm length. This vertical change would bring it in line with a more normal sized mid tower and increase the usefulness. Additionally, since the PSU is front mounted and there would be another 3" of room, you should look into the possibility of adding another 4 HDD bays underneath the motherboard where the PSU normally would sit in most designs. You already use that space for 2 hard drives, but this would just be extending that to add more bays in that same location with the extra vertical space. It might even be possible to squeeze a total of 6 drive bays underneath the motherboard. That would mean you could theoretically have a total of 12 HDD bays! Design of the exterior still looks great though, that doesnt need to be changed :)

[Lian Li Tech]

By the polling and the comments so far, I feel there is a consenus that people will probably pick a full tower for the most part, unless there is a mid tower case that can support at least a single dual 120" rad, long expansion cards and plenty of hard drives.

EniGmA1987 recommends at least 8 to really pull him into the mid tower world.:) What do the rest of you guys think? Is having 8 HDD bays just right, too much, or not enough for you?

[Buckeye]

8 is a lot of hard drives really.

I use 2x Intel 120gb SSD's in Raid 0, these can fit in one bay.
Also an aditional 4 hard drives which is far more then I need really as I also have external storage.
This is 3x 2TB drives + 1x 1TB drive for a total of 7TB storage which is plenty, for me at least.

I also see a lot of case modders who only use either 1 SSD or 2 in Raid 0 for OS, then only one more hard drive. These are for full tower cases also.

[Lian Li Tech]

I could never see myself spending $200 on any type of case but thats just me. Im more in the $100 range tops

Nothing wrong with that.:) So what kind of features do you look for in a $100 case, Splave? Plenty of storage, ease of install, cooling, overall looks...?

[jimba86]

I would do $200-$250 but it would have be good.

my wishlist:

Full tower
Support for all Motherboard sizes for expansion
Support for Long Graphic Cards
10 HDD bays mounts on the back of the motherboard tray
removable motherboard tray
5 ODD bays +1 for fan controller/temp monitor
8 HDD/SDD bays at the bottom (removable)
Support for 360/420 rads up top and bottom and 240 rad on the ODD bay
res mount holes (aquatube or EK long tube res)
Sound damping for silence/quiet operation
Lain Li excellence
Easy to use/install
Full aluminium

Just a idea or is there a case that can do that already?

[Lian Li Tech]

I would do $200-$250 but it would have be good.

my wishlist:

Full tower
Support for all Motherboard sizes for expansion
Support for Long Graphic Cards
10 HDD bays mounts on the back of the motherboard tray
removable motherboard tray
5 ODD bays +1 for fan controller/temp monitor
8 HDD/SDD bays at the bottom (removable)
Support for 360/420 rads up top and bottom and 240 rad on the ODD bay
res mount holes (aquatube or EK long tube res)
Sound damping for silence/quiet operation
Lain Li excellence
Easy to use/install
Full aluminium

Just a idea or is there a case that can do that already?

Thanks for being very specific. Just a quick question, why do you want 5 ODD bays?

And no there is currently nothing in the product line with those features for around that price.

[Movieman]

This is a tough question because it depends on what your space allotment for the case is and also usage.
I'm all into full tower and cubes because of more and better air flow BUT when building a system for people generally they want mid towers and not 'Those big clunky cases"
Hey, they are clueless but they are the customer.
If your not building a super high end screamer that has volcanoes for cpu and vid cards the mid is fine..BUT
I still like the full towers.:up:
I have a G70 here that had a dual water cooled Harperton system in, then a dual 24 core AMD and a beauty to work with.

[Momonishiki]

What improvements or changes would you like to see on a case like this?


Why no little door to hide the external front ports behind? It seems a minor detail that can't really cost all the much to build in. Naked external ports = no $$.

[jimba86]

Thanks for being very specific. Just a quick question, why do you want 5 ODD bays?

And no there is currently nothing in the product line with those features for around that price.

Im not sure..it just sounded overkill..would be good for backup i guess.like having a NAS inside the same case as your main system?

[Lian Li Tech]

Why no little door to hide the external front ports behind? It seems a minor detail that can't really cost all the much to build in. Naked external ports = no $$.

Ok. Do you prefer the ports on the top or on the front panel?

[Lian Li Tech]

This is a tough question because it depends on what your space allotment for the case is and also usage.
I'm all into full tower and cubes because of more and better air flow BUT when building a system for people generally they want mid towers and not 'Those big clunky cases"
Hey, they are clueless but they are the customer.
If your not building a super high end screamer that has volcanoes for cpu and vid cards the mid is fine..BUT
I still like the full towers.:up:
I have a G70 here that had a dual water cooled Harperton system in, then a dual 24 core AMD and a beauty to work with.

Got any pics of your G70? :D

[AVulgarPicture]

Dear Lian Li,

I bought a PC-A04B. i then put an EX-23B in the drive bays, so i had 10 hard drive spaces, in a small form factor box, with great access to all my drives for cabling etc.

if you could bring out an ALL ALUMINIUM case, that can do a mATX motherboard, a regular ATX PSU, and 12+ hdd spaces (and NO 5.25" drives!), with excellent spacing for cable routing (particularly the 24pin, 8pin eps and area for sata power and data cables) id buy it in a heartbeat to replace the A04.

ive owned 5 lian li cases, the PC-A04, V352, PC-X1000, PC-P50BW and PC-P80B.
all have been fantastic cases, but each has that one tiny thing that makes them imperfect.
the A04 needs more space at the back for routing the 24pin. i love with this case that you can remove drive bays entirely if you dont need them, but they are rigid if they are filled.
the V352 had a 5.25" drive bay that couldnt have cables routed into it and had very low clearance for graphics cards with side mounted power cables.
the X1000 needed a window side panel that showed only the motherboard compartment, and space at the top for a H100 style cooler in the roof, or to remove the roof part altogether.
the P80 had enormous size, but the lower part was wasted when using an ATX board, without filling this area with a radiator.
and the P50 could have had 120mm fans in the roof, allowing for H100 style coolers, as well as removing 5.25" drive bays in favour of spaces for 3.5" drives.

my next planned case is the V700. it looks great, has removable hard drive areas (my main pc runs a single ssd), and it has a precut hole for the 8pin EPS connector.
my only concern is the spacing for the two 120mm fans in the roof allows for a H100, but im concerned there will not be clearance for my motherboard (a Gigabyte Z77X-UP5, but many motherboards have similar PWM coolers along the top edge)

Im a big fan of the mechanisms you use, please continue to use the PCI locks present in the X1000, as well as the door latch style seen on the X1000.


-i think that was sort of a rant, but i hope it made some sense.

[runmc]

As for me I would pick a mid size case. I,m tierd of big cases. $200 is too much for a mid size case. :shrug: so go figure. :)

[billdavis]

I am very interested in seeing a HTPC case that will hold more than five HDDS and at least one full size video card at the same time and that is watercooling friendly!

[EniGmA1987]

Many of the people here seem to be calling for more 3.5" HDD spaces :)

Another thing I would like to add is that I wish more of your towers used 120mm fans on the top rather than 140mm. Sure you can push more air with the bigger fans and usually quieter, but all the premade closed loop water coolers (like Corsair H80, H100, Antec Kuhler, etc) use the 120mm size so they dont fit right at the top of the case. A real problem when that is the only place the dual radiators would even have a chance of fitting.

[Lian Li Tech]

As for me I would pick a mid size case. I,m tierd of big cases. $200 is too much for a mid size case. :shrug: so go figure. :)

What price range do you go for? What features do you expect for your desired price point?

[Lian Li Tech]

Many of the people here seem to be calling for more 3.5" HDD spaces :)

Another thing I would like to add is that I wish more of your towers used 120mm fans on the top rather than 140mm. Sure you can push more air with the bigger fans and usually quieter, but all the premade closed loop water coolers (like Corsair H80, H100, Antec Kuhler, etc) use the 120mm size so they dont fit right at the top of the case. A real problem when that is the only place the dual radiators would even have a chance of fitting.

More water cooling support also seems to be a general consensus. ;)

[Movieman]

What price range do you go for? What features do you expect for your desired price point?
You'll have to excuse Ron(runmc) he's an old fart like me except you'd need the 'Jaws of Life" to pry his wallet open..:rofl:
129957

[Movieman]

More water cooling support also seems to be a general consensus. ;)
The one thing I couldn't find a few years back was a tower case deep enough to get a 560 rad into..
605mm in length..
IMHO what is needed is a BIG tower with enough room under the top or in the bottom (or both) to drop a big rad and the ascoiated parts into.
I did water cool a G70 with a EATX dual SM Harpertown system and had room inside the bottom for a 320 rad but thats a few years back and now most
of the people want room for a 420 rad

[jimba86]

I want the train case to become a standard feature in the lian LI lineup..that thing looks awesome..can make the track bigger?

[Lian Li Tech]

I want the train case to become a standard feature in the lian LI lineup..that thing looks awesome..can make the track bigger?

The train is a comin'. Hold tight. :) Can't say too much before the release date but there will be an option to have a longer track.

[Lian Li Tech]

Dear Lian Li,

I bought a PC-A04B. i then put an EX-23B in the drive bays, so i had 10 hard drive spaces, in a small form factor box, with great access to all my drives for cabling etc.

if you could bring out an ALL ALUMINIUM case, that can do a mATX motherboard, a regular ATX PSU, and 12+ hdd spaces (and NO 5.25" drives!), with excellent spacing for cable routing (particularly the 24pin, 8pin eps and area for sata power and data cables) id buy it in a heartbeat to replace the A04.

ive owned 5 lian li cases, the PC-A04, V352, PC-X1000, PC-P50BW and PC-P80B.
all have been fantastic cases, but each has that one tiny thing that makes them imperfect.
the A04 needs more space at the back for routing the 24pin. i love with this case that you can remove drive bays entirely if you dont need them, but they are rigid if they are filled.
the V352 had a 5.25" drive bay that couldnt have cables routed into it and had very low clearance for graphics cards with side mounted power cables.
the X1000 needed a window side panel that showed only the motherboard compartment, and space at the top for a H100 style cooler in the roof, or to remove the roof part altogether.
the P80 had enormous size, but the lower part was wasted when using an ATX board, without filling this area with a radiator.
and the P50 could have had 120mm fans in the roof, allowing for H100 style coolers, as well as removing 5.25" drive bays in favour of spaces for 3.5" drives.

my next planned case is the V700. it looks great, has removable hard drive areas (my main pc runs a single ssd), and it has a precut hole for the 8pin EPS connector.
my only concern is the spacing for the two 120mm fans in the roof allows for a H100, but im concerned there will not be clearance for my motherboard (a Gigabyte Z77X-UP5, but many motherboards have similar PWM coolers along the top edge)

Im a big fan of the mechanisms you use, please continue to use the PCI locks present in the X1000, as well as the door latch style seen on the X1000.


-i think that was sort of a rant, but i hope it made some sense.

Rant away. :)

Yes, you may have a little trouble with a water cooling setup in the PC-V700 without some modifications.

[chinaguy]

My current buying habbit in mid case is the Coolermaster Elite 370RC for around $40USD without the PSU.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119255

But I would like something better for around $100, nothing special, mATX, 1DVD,4HDs(1SSD+3clockwork HD),1 STANDARD SIZE Graphics card(GT 430 Fermi), air cooled for hot rooms with no AC on in the day.

I just want a well built case that does not vibrate with PSU, HD and does not make a coke can look well made.

[idleuser]

Standard features for a mid tower

360 radiator without modding at the top or bottom
A place to mount your pump.. (mounting pump location should be a standard now.)
Front 140mm or 200mm Intake fan
Cable management built in with all black cables
Optional Color theme: For example ROG boards with black and red inside the chassis or all black for that Sabertooth look
SSD Mounts without adding additional 3.25 brackets

I would pay 200 for a case loaded with those features. For a full tower I would expect all of those features above but with bigger radiator mounts.

[Momonishiki]

Ok. Do you prefer the ports on the top or on the front panel?

See the Silverstone TJ-09 for what seems a perfect solution with regard to the front ports. Sorry for mentioning the Silverstone name!

[Lian Li Tech]

See the Silverstone TJ-09 for what seems a perfect solution with regard to the front ports. Sorry for mentioning the Silverstone name!

No need to apologize. It is always good to know what people like.

[Lian Li Tech]

Standard features for a mid tower

360 radiator without modding at the top or bottom
A place to mount your pump.. (mounting pump location should be a standard now.)
Front 140mm or 200mm Intake fan
Cable management built in with all black cables
Optional Color theme: For example ROG boards with black and red inside the chassis or all black for that Sabertooth look
SSD Mounts without adding additional 3.25 brackets

I would pay 200 for a case loaded with those features. For a full tower I would expect all of those features above but with bigger radiator mounts.

How many 3.5" and 2.5" do you usually use in a system?

[BeepBeep2]

I'm not sure what the alu equivalent of the Steel PC-K56W is but I'd happily pay $200 for an aluminum version with black interior and 2x120mm or viable 2x140mm top radiator mount and completely removable interior 3.5" HDD cage and 2x 5.25 to 3.5 bay converters + 1x 5.25 to 4x 2.5 converter.

That would allow 2x120mm + 1x120mm + opt 1x120mm radiators while leaving space for a floor mounted pump and res in the 3.5 bay area while also cramming in up to 4 SSDs and 2x HDDs + 2x optical.

Another problem I have with most of Lian-Li's cases is actually the use of 140mm top exhaust fans and non-standard spacing or no room for a radiator. While I understand the idea of using them (more surface area, quieter) it would save me a lot of headache to just have 1x120mm there due to crap fan choices in 140mm flavor.

I know that is a lot to ask in accessories/modularity but that is what I'd like in a $200 budget.

I currently run a Lancool PC-K62W with Swiftech radbox and Swiftech 3x120mm QP, it would be nice to have 2x120 and 2 1x120s internally mounted in a mid tower.

[idleuser]

for my build, I usually use 4 bays max. 2 x SSD and 2 x hdd

[Michalius]

Another problem I have with most of Lian-Li's cases is actually the use of 140mm top exhaust fans and non-standard spacing or no room for a radiator. While I understand the idea of using them (more surface area, quieter) it would save me a lot of headache to just have 1x120mm there due to crap fan choices in 140mm flavor.
This is the major issue I've come across as well. I bought the PC-V700 (which is amazing by the way) in hopes of doing a full loop. If the top 120mm fan mounts were moved just one inch closer to the side panel, there would be plenty enough clearance for any 240mm rad up top. I figured the reason why this wasn't done was to keep it symmetrical, but then I saw the PC-V650, where the top fan is mounted all the way to the motherboard side of the case.

Just offset the top mounts for 120mm fans, and you don't even need to add additional space above the motherboard tray, retaining the fantastic compact designs that Lian Li has.

But to answer the OP question:

I'll gladly pay any price for small-mid tower Lian Li case that is watercooling friendly. So my answer would definitely be for the mid tower, as that's what I did precisely when I bought the V700. I really think the Lian Li strength is in offering unique designs and compact cases that you can't buy from anyone else. If you build a full tower, you have to compete with the likes of the Shinobi XL or Switch 810, and I see no way of Lian Li being able to do that on a price front due to the added expense of aluminum.

[Lian Li Tech]

I'm not sure what the alu equivalent of the Steel PC-K56W is but I'd happily pay $200 for an aluminum version with black interior and 2x120mm or viable 2x140mm top radiator mount and completely removable interior 3.5" HDD cage and 2x 5.25 to 3.5 bay converters + 1x 5.25 to 4x 2.5 converter.

That would allow 2x120mm + 1x120mm + opt 1x120mm radiators while leaving space for a floor mounted pump and res in the 3.5 bay area while also cramming in up to 4 SSDs and 2x HDDs + 2x optical.

Another problem I have with most of Lian-Li's cases is actually the use of 140mm top exhaust fans and non-standard spacing or no room for a radiator. While I understand the idea of using them (more surface area, quieter) it would save me a lot of headache to just have 1x120mm there due to crap fan choices in 140mm flavor.

I know that is a lot to ask in accessories/modularity but that is what I'd like in a $200 budget.

I currently run a Lancool PC-K62W with Swiftech radbox and Swiftech 3x120mm QP, it would be nice to have 2x120 and 2 1x120s internally mounted in a mid tower.


This is the major issue I've come across as well. I bought the PC-V700 (which is amazing by the way) in hopes of doing a full loop. If the top 120mm fan mounts were moved just one inch closer to the side panel, there would be plenty enough clearance for any 240mm rad up top. I figured the reason why this wasn't done was to keep it symmetrical, but then I saw the PC-V650, where the top fan is mounted all the way to the motherboard side of the case.

Just offset the top mounts for 120mm fans, and you don't even need to add additional space above the motherboard tray, retaining the fantastic compact designs that Lian Li has.

But to answer the OP question:

I'll gladly pay any price for small-mid tower Lian Li case that is watercooling friendly. So my answer would definitely be for the mid tower, as that's what I did precisely when I bought the V700. I really think the Lian Li strength is in offering unique designs and compact cases that you can't buy from anyone else. If you build a full tower, you have to compete with the likes of the Shinobi XL or Switch 810, and I see no way of Lian Li being able to do that on a price front due to the added expense of aluminum.

The non-standard top fan spacing is something that seems to come up a lot. Definitely something Lian Li should implement on the next generation.

[runmc]

What price range do you go for? What features do you expect for your desired price point?

I would think $150 - $175 for good mid tower. I have the LIAN LI PC-9F Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112304) that I bought back in 2010 for $162.00. Now it sells for $120. This has been a perfect case for me. I only used two of the three external drive bays. And six internals are more than enough.

Lian Li - great cases!! :)

[Movieman]

Got any pics of your G70? :D
ahh, maybe but you have to remember that here PC's are "working beasts"
cases are for protection from something falling on the board so I tend to lose the side covers,ect..
That G70 was also cut on the inside bottom for a 320 rad way back when.
Not as pretty as whenh it got here but still IMHO a hell of a design.
Now here's my new one and yes, under $200.00...:D
http://imageshack.us/a/img703/3023/img1202kw.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/img1202kw.jpg/)