[Darksaber]

Introduction

I would like to thank Lian Li for the review sample.

Lian Li's Company Profile

Lian Li Industrial Co., LTD was founded in 1983. We are the one of the largest and most reputable manufacturer of aluminum PC case in Taiwan. With over twenty years of experience in the computer products field, our dedicated team of engineers, production specialists and administrative staff provide the finest quality accessories available on the market.

In 1993, Lian-Li Introduced the new lines of computer hardware, including bracket (for case & interfaces), Mobile rack (for H.D.D.), mounting kit(for FDD & HDD), aluminum PC cases, IPC, external cases, server cases and more. We also provide OEM & ODM services, you are assured of designs that will meet your exact specifications, innovative ideas in manufacturing that will give your products an essential market edge.

Our outstanding quality has earned us ISO 9001 certification for all of our products. In addition, we back up our quality assurance with a two-year guarantee on most of our products.

R&D is one of the reasons why Lian Li is able to offer quality products to the market. Whether it is for OEM or ODM projects, our experienced mechanical and electrical engineers are capable of providing our customers with the best solutions in product design.

Specifications

Color	Black
Drive Bays	5.25” bay x 2, 3.5” bay x 1, 3.5” internal x 6
Material	Aluminum
Form Factor	EATX, CEB, ATX, M-ATX
Expansion Slots	8 standard slots
Case Fans	140mm ball bearing fan x 3 (intake), 140mm ball bearing fan x 1 (exaust), 80mm ball bearing fan x 2 (exaust)
Dimensions	230 x 430 x 680 ( W, D, H)
Switches	Power, Reset
Top Access	USB 2.0 x 4 , iEEE 1394 x 1 , eSATA x 1 , Mic x 1, Ear x 1

Packaging & Contents

The Lian-Li Tyr PC-X2000 ist huge! Yes I have used the word "huge" in a case review before, but this case takes the cake - by a long shot. The package gives you an idea as to the overall size. It is almost a one meter high and has an image of the towering case on the front. The side holds a further image with some more detail about the layout of the X2000 and lists the enclosure's specifications in multiple languages.


The inner package is slightly different as well. Instead of having Styrofoam spacers on the top and bottom of the case, they have been placed on the front and rear of the X2000. The unique dimensions are the reason for this. It seems like Lian-Li is shipping all their cases with spacers made of this brittle material. It would have been nice to see real foam spacers instead, but as you can see, the case made it here safe and sound.

Contents

The contents within the case are plentiful, just as we have come to expect from Lian-Li. Each screw type comes in a seperate bag, so you yould easily find the ones needed. A small plastic case has also been added to hold any left over screws after installation and metal back plate for server and workstation systems can also be found in the mix.


The X2000 also ships with eight SATA cables, which is a small surprise. There are also six handles to use for hard drive installation. This is yet another system to mount them besides the rubber ring & screw method, so it should be interesting to see, why Lian-Li has changed it once again.

A Closer Look - Outside

The case front looks beautiful. It is sleek, features a diamond cut, straight line in the thick aluminum front. The bottom holds the Lian-Li logo, while the power and HDD access LEDs can be found in the top right corner.


Lian-Li has placed the I/O, consisting of an eSATA, a Firewire, four USB 2.0 and the usual pair of audio plugs, on top of the case. While this is no problem at all if you are placing the chassis next to your TV in the living room (it is advertised as a gaming or HTPC case after all), but you will lose access to them, when placing the case under your table in your room. The same goes for the power and reset button. These should have been placed next to the front LEDs instead. The placement of these buttons on such a tall case does not make any sense.


The entire front can be removed with a pull. It is held in place securely by four clips. Behind the long front cover is the dust filter, which covers all three 140 mm fans. Yes, 140 mm and yes, three of them. The filter can be removed for cleaning as well. There are no grills on the intake fans, but they are not needed anyways. There is a small fan controller above the top fan with three settings "L, M, H", which stand for low, medium and high fan speed.


The rear of the case offers everything you would expect from a high-end case and then some. It is black as well, to keep the overall look of the X2000.


Let's start on the bottom here. There are two 80 mm fans, which pull air out of the case. These fans are located by the hard drive bays. Above that are the eight PCI brakets. Count 'em, there is really an additional one, which should come in handy for that extra USB 2.0 expansion bracket, without blocking a mainboard expansion slot. There are also four holes for water cooling tubes. Above that is the 140 mm fan, behind a traditional grill in black. Note the sticker above it. It reads "Hand crafted in Taiwan". This means that this case is put together by hand instead of by an automated machine. The top is occupied by the PSU bay and a large air vent.


Both case sides look identical. The two 5.25 inch drive bays and that single 3.5 inch bay can be accessed from either side. This is certainly a unique location, but should work fine in most cases. Besides these, there are no other openings or air vents on the side panels.

A Closer Look - Inside

To gain access to the case, simply unscrew a single, spring loaded thumb screw and pull the locking mechanism out. That releases the top of the panels, which can then be lifted up and away from the X2000. The interior of the enclosure can certainly be called absolutely unique. The side panels are covered in dampening materials, to keep any noise locked within the case. This should come in handy, when using the X2000 in your living room, where silence is key.


As the case is put together by hand, the fact that the two pairs of USB 2.0 cables are crossed can be forgiven. Nonetheless, all the cables are of the standard variety to ensure maximum compatibility to the many mainboards out there.


The two external drive bays look identical on both sides. Not much to say in this regard. The number of bays should be sufficient for most users. The fan controller PCB is located in the front, right under these drive bays. Even though you have space on the circuit board for four fan headers, only three are installed, and Lian-Li has included a splitter on one of these, so you can still connect four of them to the device.


There is also a vertical bar in the middle of the mainboard compartment. It is intended to fix any expansion card within the case. While not using this feature is certainly not a drawback, it does help a bit. To remove the mainboard, you need to unscrew two thumb screws and pull the tray out by pushing it sideways and then letting it drop gently.


The upper compartment of the case is intended for the previously mentioned external drive bays and the power supply. There is some foam lining to eliminate any vibration of the unit and large PSUs should fit fine as well. Above this bay is a lot of space. You can hide any unused power cables here or install a reservoir in this location.


There are two hard drive bays in the bottom section of the case. Each of these takes three drives and Lian-Li has included SATA backplates on each of these. This means that you only need a single Molex power cable and also enables hot swap. Considering the price of aftermarket SATA backplates, which usually sell for around $100 US Dollars each, this is an awesome feature. The three 140 mm fans are covered by black grills as well and come with mainboard headers. Lian-Li has also supplied Molex adapters if you choose to connect the unit directly to the power supply. Keeping count, we are up to five fans, but the included fan controller can only connect four of them at once, leaving one to be connected to the mainboard or power supply.

Assembly

Installing the mainboard is done the old fashioned way, but outside the case thanks to the removable tray. Simply screw the spacers into the right location and secure the board on them. Installing the board in the case is quite easy as well. Just put the tray back into the system and you are done.


Due to the sheer size of the case, you will have plenty of space to install dual or triple GPU setups. Thanks to the insane cooling solution, you should not have to worry about heat within the X2000 at all. I have installed two GeForce 9800 GTXs on the ASUS board just to show you what to expect. I am aware that this is a P35 DDR3 board and no, it does not run SLI. I have just inserted the cards to show you what the case is capable off. These will be replaced by a passive GPU before turning on the entire system, so the noise of the included fans can be judged.


Installing the PSU is done by securing it with four screws on the intended location. You can either insert the unit from the side and screw it tight or - in case the PSU is too large to do so - use the frame in the rear of the case, to slide it in from the rear.


Prepping the hard drive is also easily done. Use the special screws supplied, to secure the handle to the drive. Then insert it into the bay. The power and SATA connectors line up perfectly with the back plate and you may also look the drive in place by pushing up the grey, plastic locks.


Installing the optical drive bay is done similarly. Install four of the special screws to use on the rails, slide it into place and then secure it with the traditional screws. All of these are black, to keep the overall look of the case.


So this is it, the case is filled. As you can see, I did not use a dual GPU capable PSU, but that is not the point of a case review anyways. The X2000 has so much space to work with, it really spoils you. After installing components into this case once, you may catch yourself sighing the next time you are standing in front of a normal mid tower, with your friend holding two high-end GPUs in his hand and a large smile on his face. The card lock holds the large 9800 GTX in place flawlessly and also leaves enough space to connect the PCIe power to the card.

Finished Looks

Turning the case on, I was not sure at first if I did. The only reason I was sure of it, was the LED lights up front and that of the optical drive. The fans in the case are quiet - no beyond quiet. On the highest setting the fans are audible, but with such a clean air sound, that it is not disturbing at all. Turn them down to the medium setting and you will have to move you ear within a few inches of the fans to hear them. If you turn the controller down to low, you will need to be about an inch away from the fans, to hear them. And thanks to the large dimensions, the amount of air flow can be considered enough for take-off, even at the lowest setting.


The sides do not hold any surprises. The optical drive looks great, just as expected. Taking a look at the finished rear, all the ports are easily accessible and the layout does not pose any problems at all either - even with a dual or triple GPU setup.

Value and Conclusion

	The Lian-Li Tyr PC-X2000 has an MSRP of $590 US Dollars and should be available in August.
	Compartment design SATA backplates included Complete accessory set included Huge amount of space Not deep at all Three 140 mm intake fans included One 140 mm and two 80 mm exhaust fans included Modern, clean & elegant design Drives can be installed either to open toward left or right Molex and mainboard headers for fans Fan controller to adjust up to four fans. Can easily hold large graphic cards Completely silent operation Awesome airflow Removable mainboard tray Anti-vibration design for hard drives Easily removable side panels Complete front I/O connectivity
	Price Size Location of I/O and power/reset button
9.9	The Lian-Li Tyr PC-X2000 comes close to perfection. With space for up to six hard drives, which can be hot-swapped thanks to the backplates, huge amount of space for even the baddest hardware parts and an insane cooling solution make for a perfect chassis. The company has pulled out all the stops when designing this case and this innovation comes at a price. While the suggested retail price of 590 US Dollars is certainly not something for everyone, the sheer possibilites and performance of this case make you forget the deep hole it will burn in your wallet the moment you turn it on. The size does pose a single problem, as you may be hard pressed to place the case under your desk and still have access to the I/O and power/reset buttons. Lian-Li should have placed these in front or in the side of the case. Besides that, there is really not much else to say. This case is nearly perfect and if you have the space and the money, there is simply no better case with more functionality and expandability out there.