Lian Li PC-V354 MicroATX Mini Tower Case

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TESTING

System Configuration:

• Intel Core i5-750 processor - 2.66 GHz, 45nm, 95W
• Noctua NH-C12P CPU cooler - Nexus 120 mm fan at 9V
• Asus P7H55D-M EVO motherboard - Intel Express H55 chipset
• ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card
• Asus Radeon EAH6850 DirectCU graphics card
• Corsair XMS3 memory - 2x2GB, DDR3-1600
• Samsung EcoGreen F3 hard drive - 2TB, 5400 RPM
• Cooler Master Silent Pro M700 - 700W modular ATX power supply
• Microsoft Windows 7 operating system - Ultimate, 64-bit
• ATI Catalyst 10.12 graphics driver

Measurement and Analysis Tools

• Prime95 processor stress software.
• FurMark stability test to stress the integrated GPU.
• GPU-Z to monitor GPU temperatures and fan speed.
• SpeedFan to monitor system temperatures.
• Seasonic Power Angel AC power meter, used to measure the power consumption of the system.
• Custom-built, four-channel variable DC power supply, used to regulate fan speeds during the test.
• PC-based spectrum analyzer: SpectraPlus with ACO Pacific mic and M-Audio digital audio interfaces.
• Anechoic chamber with ambient level of 11 dBA or lower
• Various other tools for testing fans, as documented in our standard fan testing methodology.

System temperatures and noise levels were recorded with SpeedFan and GPU-Z at idle and on load using Prime95 (large FFTs setting) and FurMark, an OpenGL benchmarking and stability testing utility.

BASELINE NOISE

The PC-V354 shipped with a 14 cm top exhaust fan and two 12 cm LED intake fans. The noise level of the two models were comparable, but the top fan seemed to make more noise as a result of its interaction with the chassis.

14 cm top exhaust fan.

12 cm front intake fan.

The top fan had a bit of a rattle at full speed which was alleviated when we pushed down on the corners from the outside. Similarly, at 9V and below it produced an odd fluttery hum that lessened when we pushed down on the hub. The bottom fans suffered from the same symptoms, but to a lesser degree. The way they are partially decoupled from the case seemed to help their acoustics. Thankfully these odd noises are not that noticeable at a distance; they were difficult to distinguish from one meter away.

Baseline Noise Level
Fan Voltage			SPL@1m
Top	Front #1	Front #2
5V	OFF		12~13 dBA
7V			16~17 dBA
9V			23~24 dBA
12V			26 dBA
OFF	5V	OFF	11~12 dBA
	7V		15 dBA
	9V		20 dBA
	12V		25~26 dBA
OFF	5V	5V	13 dBA
	7V	7V	17~18 dBA
	9V	9V	22 dBA
	12V	12V	28 dBA
6V			16 dBA
7V			19 dBA
8V			21 dBA
9V			26 dBA
Measuring mic positioned 1m at diagonal angle left/front of case.

Together, the fans exceed the 20 dBA level at about 8V. To keep it running quietly we would recommend 6V or 7V at most, but depending on your cooling needs, this might not be possible. Anything less isn't advisable as our sample's top fan would not spin up with less than 6V.

With its stock fans running at 7V, the PC-V354 measured 19 dBA@1m. Interaction between the fans and chassis (particularly the top exhaust fan) generated low frequency tonality centered at ~300 Hz.

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