Lian Li PC-V1020 Review

👤by David Mitchelson Comments 📅28-04-11
Conclusion

It's always nice to get a Lian Li product in for review at Vortez. As we recently mentioned in the Cubitek HPTX Tank Review, there are very few if at all any manufacturers to rival Lian Li in the aluminium arena, their products are almost always very high quality. The PC-V1020 we have looked at today carries with it this high regard and for the most part our journey with this case has been very positive.

The PC-V1020 is without doubt a chassis with premium build quality. All of the features excuted within are done so with precision and a degree of accuracy that others only seek to achieve. As with a great deal of Lian Li's cases the PC-V1020 has discreet, elegant styling that will suit those with a taste for an enclosure that has subtle appearances. The red variant we have taken a look at today has an exterior of red whilst inside having a black coating on all key elements. The red and back work extremely well together and personally, I favour this styling over the typical polished aluminium found on the black, silver variants and majority of cases within Lian Li's portfolio.

Feature-wise, the PC-V1020 is 'all-out'. It endorses some great features that give it that edge over its rivals. The casters (wheels) at the bottom of the case are a nice touch, not only does it give you the ability to move the case around much easier, but it keeps the case off the ground, away from collecting dirt and dust. We even get a brake mechanism fitted to the front caster to immobilise things when you have found your chosen spot. It's rare to find a case with a removable motherboard tray but the PC-V1020 has this feature and its a very handy one, it means you can build the system out side of the case, which for some is easier to do.


I found the cable management within the PC-V1020 very well thought out, the cable clamp beside the PSU is a valuable asset - it allows you to keep unwanted cables hidden, stored neatly tucked away for a clean interior. Oddly on the motherboard tray there is a cut-out missing parallel to the 24-pin ATX power on the motherboard. This means that this large cable has to either route through the lower or upper vertical cut-out. It would make much more sense and be useful to have a cu-out right beside the 24-pin ATX power. Behind the motherboard tray there is plenty of space to store cables, getting the side panel on is without its problems thanks to the 0.5" / over 1cm of clearance.

Now we come to the price. The black and silver versions can be picked up for around the £200 mark but the red variant finds itself moving closer and closer to £300. £264 for a mid-tower case is far beyond what many would pay. Really for this price-tag I would have expected more value for money, the PC-V1020 doesn't even have fan control.

So where does this leave us? Well the PC-V1020 is of course a very good mid-tower there is no denying that. It has a plethora of features and good cooling performance but it is let down by the big price-tag. The black and silver version may well represent better value for money over the red but many will still be put off by the burdensome cost.



Pros
+ Premium aluminium build quality and appearance
+ Casters for each movement and clearance from floor
+ Removable motherboard tray
+ Good cable management options
+ Decent thermal performance

Cons
- Long graphics cards require entire HDD cage removal
- Big price-tag for mid-tower (especially red variant)
- No fan control




10 pages « < 7 8 9 10

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