Lian Li PC-V800 HTPC Case

Manufacturer: Lian Li
Supplied by: JCL Company Ltd / Silver PCs
Street Price: $128

by Dean Barker (5/29/2006)

Introduction

Lian Li's reputation was built on their high quality metal work that went into their midtower and server cases.  Clean lines, light weight and high function have made their name as respected as it is today.  It only stands to reason that they would be bringing their design and manufacturing skills to bare in the desktop (aka HTPC) market.  We looked over the Lian Li PC-V880 some months back and were quite impressed.  Today, we have a chance to look over the Lian Li PC-V800 which is a first cousin to the PV-V880.  With the major differences being those of aesthetics, Lian Li sticks with a functional chassis design while opening their products up to a wider range of taste.  We want to extend our thanks to the  JCL Company Ltd and Silver PCs, a regional supplier of Lian Li products, for sponsoring this review today.

Specifications

• Observed Dimensions: 442 x 172 x 381mm

• Construction: Aluminum

• Observed weight: 6.6 kg (w/o PSU)

• Mainboard: Up to a full size ATX (up to 12" x 9.6")

• PCI Slots: Seven

• Drive Bays: two hidden 3.5”, three exposed 5.25” (one exposed 5.25" having 3.5" adapter tray)

• Cooling: Top mounted 80mm fan (included), two rear 60mm exhaust (included)

• Front access ports: Two USB 2.0, Firewire, mic in and audio out

• Power Supply: None

• Window: No

• Available in silver or black anodize

The Case

Beginning at the front bezel we see the perforated design that has made the Lian Li PC-V line so popular.  Aside from offering a distinctive and premium look these holes also serve to provide maximum air exchange with the components inside.  As with any increase in air flow comes a corresponding increase in dust that will be sucked in.  The engineer part of you will also notice that the PC-V800 is indeed a smaller design than that of its cousin the PC-V880 which looks a lot like it.

The right side of the front bezel shows three exposed 5.25" bays.  The top tray has an included stealth bay cover mounted keeping with the clean design.  The bottom most bay has a FDD adapter tray installed.  This tray is easily removable if you want to use it for a 5.25" device.  Shift our gaze over a bit, the right side has an odd look about it.  If you look closely you can see the mounting area for a power supply behind the perforations.  Yes, the PSU is mounted up front.  I think this is very forward thinking.  Most HTPC cases will be in racks or home entertainment centers where if warm air is blown to the rear, all the components in the rack will heat more than their share.  By having the PSU exhaust itself up front, warm air is exhausted out of the case and just as importantly out of whatever rack you have it sitting in.  At the bottom of the right side you also can see the power/reset buttons and the two USB, mic, speaker and Firewire ports.

  

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