Lian Li V3000 Plus Chassis in the house!

Computers
1

ordered mine from Newegg in Black, it arrived today:

i’m currently in the process of removing various panels from it.

first impression - it definitely feels like the $500 case it is. in fact this is my THIRD $500 computer case and it makes the other two feel cheap by comparison.

it is also my second case from Lian Li. actually i gave my first one to @OldFriendSaysHello way back when we were in college. the one i gave to OFSH was fairly nice but nothing like this V3000 Plus.

this V3000 Plus is really on another level from any other case i have ever seen.

also this chassis marks the death of my plywood computer project as it will house the system that was supposed to go into the DIY plywood chassis.

i have therefore removed the Plywood computer thread ( which was titled " the nightmare begins " ) from the forum.

2

I also have Corsair AX 1600i power supply on hand.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Power-Supply-Units/axi-series-config/p/CP-9020087-NA

I ordered it directly from Corsair and received 2 days ago.

these two will be the foundation of the new build that is meant to power the 8K TV … however i still haven’t picked any other components.

the combination of this chassis and power supply will support basically any hardware configuration unfortunately i can’t afford some of the most interesting configurations it can support and that’s why i still haven’t picked them out.

ordering chassis and PSU was easy - i simply picked the best ones that exist, because even the best of the best are still relatively affordable in the grand scheme of things plus they should last a decade or so.

with processors it gets more complicated because i can’t afford the best of the best ( top of the line Xeon W 3400 series and Threadripper Pro run about $6,000 a piece ) plus no matter what processor i get it will be obsolete in 5 years.

buying a $500 case or Power Supply that lasts 10 years is $50 / year which is reasonable. Buying a $6000 CPU that will last 3 years is $2,000 / year which would be outrageous and i’m absolutely not doing it !

since i can’t get the best CPU now i have to pick from a very large number of models available - and it is an impossible choice ! there are processors as cheap as $300 that will do the job, all the way up to $6,000 and everything in between on both Intel and AMD side - how do you choose ?

but yeah if you want the best Chassis and Power supply - the two mentioned in this thread are it.

although Seasonic has come out with ATX 3.0 version of Prime TX1600 power supply and that one will actually be superior to the Corsair AX 1600i but it is so new it isn’t even on Seasonic’s own website let alone in stores …

but if you’re not building RIGHT RIGHT NOW but rather in a month or two keep an eye out of that Seasonic …

what happened is ATX 3.0 spec came out when Prime TX 1600 was already finalized so they released it as it is - without ATX 3.0 compliance but at the same time they started to redesign it and now some reviewers have started receiving the ATX 3.0 updated version capable of peak output of 3,200 watts ! ! !

the original version of Prime TX 1600 was already world’s second best power supply after Corsair AX 1600i so the version 2.0 could very well beat it …

KEEP IN MIND THOUGH that Corsair AX 1600i is PROVEN while Prime TX 1600 is new and initial reports suggest it may be flakey …

this is why i decided not to wait for the Prime TX 1600 ATX 3.0 version and just went ahead and ordered the Corsair AX 1600i …

3

the V3000 Plus case was too heavy to move around so i figured removing glass panels would make it lighter

i have now removed all six panels

YES I SAID SIX

including the two glass ones …

and it’s still super heavy !

WOW

this isn’t a $200 case with a $500 price tag - this is an actual $500 case

the build quality is just MULTIPLE LEVELS ABOVE what is found in mainstream cases

from size and features to fit and finish and attention to detail to just sheer MASS of construction - i can’t believe i actually considered other cases !

oh yeah - there is NO PLASTIC pretty much anywhere in the case except maybe buttons. everything is tinted tempered glass, brushed anodized aluminum or steel.

and the steel is twice as thick as what an average case would use. when i was ordering the case and looked at weight specs i assumed the weight was in the glass since it has glass on both sides - but nope - the weight is actually in the steel frame.

all the parts you would normally expect to be made out of plastic in this case are made of heavy gauge steel. well not all, there are some plastic parts - but it is kept to absolute minimum.

frankly i wish it was lighter … like twice as light … or three times … but i wouldn’t sacrifice any of its build quality to get there.

of course i can’t review the case until i build a system in it. what you’re reading so far isn’t a review - it’s initial impressions.

4

to be honest i don’t know how i will be able to move it once it has a system in it.

i can barely move the empty case with all panels removed.

but to be honest with you if you’re going to build a full custom watercooling loop your case SHOULD have steel this thick to support the weight of the loop.

i just wish it had wheels or something. dell tower servers which are similarly heavy have optional caster kits.

also for $500 the case included ZERO fans. i actually prefer it this way. if you’re getting a $500 case you’re not going to use cheap fans that are included in most cases - you will want to pick your own fans.

and it goes without saying that power supply wasn’t included. cases haven’t included power supplies in a very long time, which is also my preference and for the same reason.

5

the main reasons i picked this chassis are:

1 - it is new
2 - it is bigger and heavier than most other cases
3 - it comes from arguably the most reputable case manufacturer that has both a long legacy of great build quality as well as a recent surge in excellent designs
4 - it is the new and improved version of the case that is used by EK-Pro for their liquid cooled workstations
5 - it can support THREE full size radiators with no restriction in airflow. almost no other case can do this. V3000 Plus can do it because it can also support a third radiator on bottom side of the case.
6 - it has very subtle lighting effects and overall stylish yet professional aesthetic to match the whole gaming workstation vibe i’m going for with this build
7 - it comes without fans

yes i actually saw it as a major selling point that no fans are included.

to me when fans are included with a case that is a sign of cheapness.

no truly high end chassis such as CaseLabs includes fans.

just like no truly high end amplifier includes a built in radio tuner.

just like Hyundais have more standard features than Range Rovers do.

any product sold on features is a cheap product. a truly high end product is sold on things like heritage / reputation, performance and build quality. and Lian Li V3000 Plus certainly fits that bill.