Accessories and Getting Inside

Accessories are pretty much limited to the standard stuff. You get both coarse and fine-threaded screws, and a separate bag with the motherboard standoffs and screws. A few tie wraps are also included; most people will attest to the usefulness of these wondrous inventions. A nice one-page manual(well, pamphlet) is included which explains, using mostly diagrams, how to install the motherboard, install the PSU, or change the air filter, among other things.

Accessories: A nice diagram manual plus the usuals.

Thumbscrews everywhere.

Side panel slides back 1", then comes out.

One thing no one will forget about Lian-Li are the thumbscrews. This case is no different, and because of this, access to its insides is very simple. Two thumbscrews hold each side panel in place, and after their removal, the panels slide back about 1", and then come out. You'll also notice that the window on this case is held in place like the one on the Z-60 ClearStorm. Rather than using double-sided moulding and having the window sit in the inner groove, it is simply epoxied into place around the moulding. That doesn't matter though, as from the outside, the window looks just as good as any other.

Window is epoxied on, but moulding is still used on the edges.

Side internal view.

Front internal view.

On the inside we see the internal HDD drive cage, which holds up to five drives. It is situated directly behind the 2 x 80mm front intakes, so you'll have little need to invest in an HDD cooler that takes up a 5.25" drive bay. Placing your HDD in the provided cage should provide more than enough cooling for it. You'll also note that the sharp edges have been covered with a plastic cover, saving you a trip to the bathroom to get a band-aid. The inside of the case is very shiny, so unfortunately some fingerprints do show up. Not a big deal though. There is more than enough space in this chassis, but the ease with which the components, such as drives, can be installed is what really makes efficient use of the space. We'll see this more in detail in the installation section.

Back of the inside.

Front w/ bezel removed. Drive covers attach to chassis, not bezel.

Bezel held in place by plastic clips.

Removing the front bezel is very easy. This has been a problem with a lot of cases, but not with the Lian-Li's. You simply have to grab the recessed handle below the front USB ports at the bottom and gently pull outward and upward. The bezel comes out with nominal force, probably because of the plastic clips. The bezel, however, is not held so loosely in place that moves around. After removing the bezel you'll note that the top of the case is riveted into place, so if you want to remove it you'll have to do some drilling. The drive bay covers are attached directly to the chassis, and NOT the bezel. This is a definite plus, as if any of you choose to install a baybus into this case, you won't be annoyed by a bunch of wires each time you have to remove the bezel. Even though the drive faceplates simply snap into place, I found that this held them quite steadily in place. Probably 'cause they're aluminum and not plastic :) There are no stamped out metal places to be removed behind these drive bay covers either. If you know what I mean, you'll probably know what an annoyance it is to have to twist and snap those things out.

Fan speed adjustment.

Power/Reset/LEDs wires at top; USB ports wires at bottom.

ATX I/O panel.

Also behind the bezel is the fan filter and its metal cover. The filter can be easily removed for washing and should hopefully keep a lot of dust out of your heatsink. Also, the standard Lian-Li fan speed controller is seen here as well. It would be nice to have access to this switch somewhere on the front bezel so that it would be easier to change the two front fans' speed. Coming from the front of the case are the wires for the mobo headers and for the front USB. The connectors for the motherboard headers feature a nice design; there is a connector for all the wires in the middle, and this can simply be detached when you want to remove the mobo, leaving the other half still connected to the mobo. This way, you won't have to fiddle with those tiny mobo header connectors all the time. The USB connectors are numerous, as there is a connector for *each* wire. This had to be done, as there are probably multiple pin configurations for the USB headers on different motherboards. Each connector is clearly labelled, however, you'll still need to consult your motherboard's manual for the pin configuration. To finish things off, a standard ATX I/O panel is included, with punchouts for the most common configurations.

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