Good Sir's!

I must start by declaring myself rather noobish, as I haven't built a PC since around 2001, so please be gentle with my ignorance!

My dream requirements in no special order:

1. Silent when surfing/torrenting/and general normal loads
2. Dual booted Hackintosh/PC - Limited to these core components: http://www.kakewalk.se/compatibility/
3. Smallish form factor (Tend to move around a lot)
4. Somewhat Pretty
6. Powerful if needed. Serious use will be video editing, rendering and after effects(Not 3d cgi though). Casual gaming so I would need a decent mid range video card I'd think.
5. Under 1500$ (USD)

I got struck by this case, unfortunately with no review here: http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=582&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=63

So my first question is:

Do you think this could be a good silent design case?

If no, what case should I go for in stead? (I'm no nazi on looks, but If I can get it for reasonable price, I take it)

If yes, could I put in:
- dual booting system SSD or two
- storage internal HD
- firewire 800 card (use external drives a lot)
- mid range video card (bit of old school gaming, and new games on minimum settings)
- 16-64 gb ram (Video rendering and After Effects needs it)
- really powerful MB with processor

And still run nearly inaudibly silent for normal use? I can accept some noise when rendering etc..

I guess what I'm trying to do is to build a kind of half Mac Pro, just smaller, just quieter, just cheaper and just cooler lol!

IDK if this is possible though.. Any advice is welcomed with great thanks! Don't put any effort in the prices if you cannot be arsed.

I promise to file you a report here in the forums when I build it.

Hello & welcome to SPCR,

It looks good, though how quiet it is depends on (at least) two important factors: how practically it is laid out inside and whether or not it has good flow; and seeing how it is made (primarily?) from aluminum, it has to be better structurally braced and damped that if it was steel; all else being equal.

Do you have pictures of the inside? What size(s) are the case fan(s)? The direct flow through front grill may at first seem to be better for air flow, but that depends on other factors, too -- and having the front so open definitely means that there is a direct path for noise to the user's ears.

Here is a (not too favorable) review of that case.

Moving forward with the planning.

The case contains no fans as shipped. I haven't found clear evidence of mountings either, except for the PSU fan mounting.

Here is a picture of the inside: (no spoiler codes in this forum?)


Here is a picture with my planned components:


Shopping list:

i7-2600K 3.4 324
GIGABYTE Radeon HD 6850 160
GIGABYTE GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 150
OCZ Technology 120 GB Agility 3 SSD (x2) 160
160
PSU Kingwin Lazer Platinum 550W Power Supply 150
16GB RAM 120
Linan Li V353A CASE 264
FW800 kort 60
CPU COOLING 50
GPU COOLING ?
80mm fan for the PSU ?
OTHER fan for the Lian Li Case ?? ?
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL 1598 USD

Another idea:

a more conventional idea without liquid cooling or heatpipes:



Waiting eagerly for input!
(and why do admins have to approve every single post all the time? (EDIT: Seems to be okay now, thanks!)

Current shopping list:

i7-2600K 3.4 - Going to run too hot? What you think.. could I go Xeon in stead?
GeForce GTX 460 - not too power hungry, supports CUDA for AEfx
GIGABYTE GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
2x OCZ Technology 120 GB Agility 3 SSD - Happy if you have any other ideas here.
16GB RAM
Lian Li V353A - the case I fell in love with. If you seriously think it's a bad idea and unsilenceable please come forth!
FW800 card

Here is where I have questions:

PSU - What PSU would fit this system? Afaik the case support ATX sized PSUs
CPU COOLING - I have no idea. Bring your ideas
GPU COOLING - I have no idea. Bring your ideas
FANS - I have no idea. Bring your ideas

Help! I would like to make a liquid-cooled htpc, but I find that there is no radiator that fits in well! the alternative would putting the noctua NH-C12P SE14 heatsink, but I think that doesn't fits with the ram, and the height limit! I have a maximus gene-z / 3, and I don't know what ram it's best, the cpu to point is a 3770k
i will sawing the brackets
general
fan
neon
front
fori
side
mobo
front wirh fan
up
PSU
rear with temporary mobo

EDIT
[MotherBoard] Asus maximus IV gene-z GEN3
[CPU] i7 3770k (from one mounth or 2)
[RAM] any suggestion? i think 2x Corsair Vengeance 8GB Dual Channel
[dissi] Noctua NH-C12P SE14 (but there lies a major problem,don't fits the fan, so I was thinking of switching to flexible by removing the rack for the disc hung above the cpu) or wanted to put a niceh100 corsair but I have considerable problems of space
[ventole] 2x cougar VORTEX PWM in silence profile
[PSU] ENERMAX 750w modulare a comodo
[GPU] i don't know, i think next kepler

Hi there!

I haven't built it yet since I'm searching for parts still.

You can follow my thread here if you like. My parts are specialized for hackintosh though.

Are you sure you will not get low profile ram to fit with the noctua??

http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=53938

thanks! i'm undecided as hell on the heatsink, if I could do liquid to let the ram that I have! if not i put the noctua and a low profile memory, but at this point I do not know which to choose, as they were in 1600 cas 7! can not be beaten!

Yes, without having the case in my hand, I consider moving the powersupply forward, to let hot air stream right up through the holes in the top. Perhaps customizing a fan near the top holes and in the PSU slot, to push air out, thus leaving the front for the only air entrance.

Perhaps some kind of radiator could fit where the PSU is supposed to be?

Please do post your progress! I'm curious to hear!

Also check out this page.

http://whatthetech.info/tutorials/lian-li-pc-v353a-mod

yes i've saw the hackintosh mod, but i don't like it very well...
if I understand right you want to put a fan next to the PSU?? I tried and there doesn't fits, if you need any measure just ask, in every detail.
then you can't move it the power supply (without making horrible changes to the case) , especially putting in place of the 5" 25 bay

I was thinking of removing the 5/25 inch bay, then putting the powersupply to the very top front of the case.

Then cutting a hole in the separator over the cpu/gpu, installing a big fan in the hole, or somehow putting a fan in the top back.

My thinking is that hot air rises, and I want to let it rise, helped by a fan, straight out through the top. By pushing air out the top, it should create a small underpressure in the case, making it suck in air from the front.

This I think could work, since I don't need the 5.25 inch bay, and I'm thinking the PSU doesn't need to be in the top back. (I would have to customize a backplate for it, cutting a hole and installing a custom power plug in it's place.)

But, yeah, it would require some serious meddling with the case interiors.

Convection is real, but you should be aware that all it takes is a tiny bit of forced airflow to match it in the context of a PC. In other words, I doubt very much that it would be worth all that "serious meddling" you refer to. For 99% of DIY PC applications, except completely fanless ones with massive heatsinks, I suggest ignoring convection. I know this may sound counter-intuitive, but it's practical advice, based on 10 years of experimenting with low noise PC cooling: One slow, quiet 120mm fan that you can barely hear will lower temps far more effectively than convection can do by itself, even if the heated air is forced to go against convection.

btw -- With enough work, almost any case can be made to house a cool & quiet system, but this case looks to me like a PITA to make cool or quiet.

no man,
i don't think it's a good idea move the PSU, and i'm not a good modder, i'm very awful with the drill... i will make a liquid solution at 80%, the last 20% think a pushed air cooling. my only problem is: how fit a liquid kit in my case, or how choose the right RAM (profile and good stick) for the heatsink (what heatsink it's best for my mobo+height+RAM profile+Cpu overclock?)

yes, i don't want move the power supply, even for a little trick: pitch the hot air coming from the video card -> better power supply dissipation and heat regimes still in good level