Lian Li PC-V2120 Review

Results Analysis

With our test hardware installed – and looking comparatively tiny inside the V2120’s cavernous interior – we turned to thermal testing, and the results weren’t as positive as we had hoped considering the five fans pre-fitted to the case.

Under load, the CPU peaked at 53˚C above room temperature, placing the case some way behind the best cooling cases we’ve tested.

GPU cooling was better, no doubt thanks to the internal 140mm fan delivering sustained airflow to the graphics card, with a delta T of 41˚C. This is just 1˚C warmer than the GPU's temperature in the SilverStone Raven RV02 with its low fan speed (see Issue 85, p87). As the V2120’s fan cables aren’t long enough to reach its fan controller, we only tested them at their full speed setting, which means that our results are a best-case scenario for cooling. However, it also meant that the V2120 was rather loud. While the noise-deadening foam of the side panels may have helped to reduce noise, the case was still clearly audible over the background hum of the lab.

Conclusion

Due to the very limited market for super-sized motherboards such as the EVGA Classified SR-2, it’s a credit to Lian Li that the PC V2120 has even been made. However, while the idea behind creating a case of this size is admirable, the execution lacks attention to detail. Despite the V2120 being very well made and having plenty of features, mistakes such as none of the fan cables being able to reach the fan controller, the omission of any 8-pin EPS12V extension cables and an effectively redundant graphics card support bar disappointed us.

These are especially galling when you consider that Lian Li is charging £390 for this basic version of the V2120, and around £420 for the internally anodised model. This makes the V2120 one of the most expensive cases we’ve seen - when you pay this much money for a case, you expect all the extras you might need to be included in the box.

With so many great and cheaper ATX and E-ATX cases, the only reason for considering this case is if you’ve stumped up for the dual CPU delights of an EVGA SR-2 motherboard. However, even then, the single cut-out in the motherboard tray to fit only one of the two CPU coolers is a huge oversight. While the Lian Li V2120 is one of the few cases that will accommodate the SR-2, it doesn’t do so particularly well and lacks effective cooling. As such, it isn't worth considering.

• Cooling
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• -
• -
• 6/10

• Features
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• -
• 7/10

• Design
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• -
• 7/10

• Value
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• -
• -
• -
• -
• 4/10

• Overall
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• x
• -
• -
• -
• -
• 6/10

Score Guide