Lian Li PC-TU200: On the Road With Lian Li
by Dustin Sklavos on October 31, 2011 12:45 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- Lian Li
Noise and Thermal Testing, IGP
You've probably figured out by now from the assembly chapter of this review that our noise and thermal testing with the Lian Li PC-TU200 didn't go as well as we'd hoped. Actually it gets worse: it was surprisingly difficult to keep the power cables from even blocking off the fan in our heatsink. The Intel Core i3 actually can idle with the CPU fan off, but that's not really where we want to be running it. But we did eventually sort things out to come up with the following results.
You can see that thermals aren't terrible in the TU200, but they're not great either. The CPU hits the highest temperatures we've yet tested it at, and this is before adding the GeForce to the enclosure. While our testbed feels generally adequate for getting an overall idea of enclosure performance, the TU200 seems particularly hamstrung by the questionable drive cage design and the resulting poor airflow.
Meanwhile, noise levels are essentially comparable with the other enclosures, none of which have much (or really anything) in the way of sound dampening characteristics. SilverStone's FT03 remains a particularly bad citizen, though it's also working with more fans. Meanwhile, SilverStone's TJ08-E benefits a bit from having fan control included for its single front intake fan.
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Dustin Sklavos - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I actually tried to mount the PSU upside down; the problems there are two fold.First, you run the risk of reducing air pressure around the CPU (the CPU's cooler is typically going to be an intake, especially since you can't install a tower cooler in this case.)
Second, the cabling on my power supplies actually PREVENTED them from being installed upside down because the connectors themselves would jam up against the drive cage.
Seriously, that drive cage is a major issue.
londiste - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
by the way, they have already done the exact same case layout in a simpler and in my opinion better in couple of ways - venting holes for psu on the side panel and simpler drive bay (or, two of them - fitting 4+2 drives if you don't use a graphics card)the same case i brought up in the last lian li case review comments pc-q08. :)
Soulkeeper - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I almost got this for my llano buildEnded up going with the PC-Q11B because it was smaller and didn't have an annoying top fan
and it was half the price ...
No point in putting a full-sized vid card in a mini-itx setup for me
I also looked at the PC-Q07, but it lacked hd space and front panel 3.0 usb headers (it would have been an inch or so smaller on height and depth I believe), plus No fans at all.
Robert Kooijman - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
Interesting case!If underclocked a bit, the front fan could be replaced by a speaker. Add some dampening material, and you've got a nice portable HTPC/radio.
cjs150 - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
There was me thinking the case bore a remarkable likeness to a high end metal camera case - but yes it could be a speaker.It is a great concept but flawed execution.
1. Unlike some I like having an optical drive but slimline is fine
2. Unless using the case for file server there is no need for storage to be more than an SSD + HD
3. Cable routing needs more thought, short cables are needed and maybe some for of build in power distribution (just an idea)
4. Take all the crap out between fan and M/b and let the air flow
AnnihilatorX - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I think the case looks like a guitar amp reallyLocut0s - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I noticed you have mentioned a few times now about LP4/Molex connectors on fans. I couldn't agree more, however perhaps the blame should be shifted more directly onto the fan manufacturers. Now, granted a lot if not most of the time they are the same company as the case manufacturers. Coolermaster, Zalman, Antec all make both cases AND fans. Still fans as a standalone accessory represent a large enough market that I DO think the blame should be placed more directly here and there are lots of smaller bit players in the market that only sell fans. I don't know of a single company that sells a fan currently with a sata power connector on it, though it would not surprise me if such a beast existed. Also fans are not the only accessory still using molex as a standard. A heck of a lot of accessories and the modding market still is. Fans, fan controllers, cold cathode tubes, LED case lighting, water pumps, all still use molex routinely. You still see it on high end motherboards as a way of delivering extra power above and beyond specs for stability and overclocking. All of this is indeed annoying, Especially in an era of modular power supplies being so common. What's the point of a modular power supply when I can't chose NOT to plug in the molex cables. Still I think the blame should still be focused more squarely on the accessories and fan markets specifically.7Enigma - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I'll keep the Molex/IDE setup. If I could eliminate SATA power and data cables from my system I would be a happy person. The SATA design is probably the worst connector I've ever seen due to fragility. You connect a Molex and you can literally hit it with a hammer and it won't quit. You accidentally bend the SATA cable a bit during installation and you break off the connector and have a real mess on your hands.About the only cable worse is USB because they STILL haven't figured out a way to make it obvious which side is which and due to bad luck I have about an 80% chance of having it the wrong direction. But at least that connection is more secure than the L-shaped piece of junk that is SATA.
Taft12 - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
Hallelujah! Next time add HDMI to your poor connector design rant, too.I've got an early-gen WD Raptor (non-veloci-) and it had BOTH molex and SATA connectors so you could go either/or. I wish they had kept that trend going....
Mr Perfect - Monday, October 31, 2011 - link
I hear you on the USB-in-backwards issue. I would have that problem all the time until reading a USB spec article. Any USB cable that is made to spec should have a USB icon on one side of the plug, the side with the icon goes up! Of course some cables aren't market with the icon, and sometimes the ports are twisted around a bit, but it gives you a chance better then 50/50.