Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

madchillunited

Efficiency Noob
Sep 4, 2019
5
1

Anyways, you should expect pretty good thermal performance with the L12S even with a slim fan, the only problem being the slim fan can run pretty loud under load. The actual thermal performance would of course depend on how much you overclock it and how good your CPU is, but 4.7GHz or even 4.8GHz (if you can somehow fit the NF-A12x15 in) should be totally fine for daily use.

Now comes the dumb part - I'm sure you have enough common sense to NOT try this yourself - I managed to snap off the heatpipe that connects the two-part VRM heatsink, and only putting back the part over the m.2 slot (which is necessary if you want to install the m.2 drive at all). I can now install the L12S with the stock fan, and the thermals are now superb. I was running the 8700k stable all core 4.8GHz at only 1.18v ('Lucky me!', I thought too soon, see below), and it never runs past 57 degree even during extended gaming sessions, averaging at only 55 most of the time. I was able to past extended stress tests and benchmarks with this voltage/clock combination, and also a slight OC on my 16G Vengeance LPX from 3200 to 3333 @1.35V, same timings.

That is, until I shorted my motherboard, CPU and PSU by wiring the power button wrong (yes, this was my first ever PC build). I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me breaking the VRM heatsink... Or am I? It definitely had nothing to do with undervolting. Putting this aside, the L12S provides excellent cooling for even an 8700k inside the LZ7, and for more powerful CPUs I'd pick it over the new Shuriken even with compatibility issues and the slight price premium.

A harder to implement but probably the best alternative is, as @K888D suggested, to sand 2mm off the VRM heatsink on the ASRock board if you have the tools.

Hi Lilian, thank you for the in depth explanation. Just wondering which exact part of the VRM heat sink will interfere with the stock fan on the L12s? Would it be possible to adjust the fan a little to clear the VRM heatsink by any chance?
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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Question to American buyers. Are you buying from Overclockers UK or the LZ site directly?

EDIT: Nevermind, LZ site doesn't ship to US, so that answers that.

This questions gets asked allot, I have therefore decided to add shipping to the US directly from Lazer3D.

Prices should work out roughly the same, but some of the options are different between OcUK and Lazer3D directly so this gives US customers a bit more choice. The benefit of ordering from OcUK is they have parts in stock ready to ship same/next working day, whereas orders placed through Lazer3D are custom made with around a 2 week lead time from placing the order.
 
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Weredawg

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 5, 2017
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This questions gets asked allot, I have therefore decided to add shipping to the US directly from Lazer3D.

Prices should work out roughly the same, but some of the options are different between OcUK and Lazer3D directly so this gives US customers a bit more choice. The benefit of ordering from OcUK is they have parts in stock ready to ship same/next working day, whereas orders placed through Lazer3D are custom made with around a 2 week lead time from placing the order.

Awesome! Thanks so much for adding the option and for explaining the difference. I also just remembered that SFFLab will be selling your LZ7 as well, how do they operate? Closer to OcUK or to you?
 
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K888D

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Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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Awesome! Thanks so much for adding the option and for explaining the difference. I also just remembered that SFFLab will be selling your LZ7 as well, how do they operate? Closer to OcUK or to you?
We are working on a few different approaches of how we can work together, but cases will likely be shipped direct from Lazer3D so there will be some manufacturing lead time involved.
 
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Sene

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Aug 12, 2017
3
1
Hi,
I'm configuring my LZ7 to build a HTPC config with casual gaming on FIFA 2020. It will be based on a Ryzen 5 3400G but I do not exclude to add a discrete GPU in a year or 2 when the iGPU will be outdated. I'm trying to make it as silent as possible. Based on your tests do you recommend
- DC-DC PSU + Noctua NH-U9S
- SFX PSU + Noctua Noctua NH-L12S

Which DC-DC are syupported by the rear panel and the storage panel ?

Thanks
 

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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I'm trying to make it as silent as possible. Based on your tests do you recommend
- DC-DC PSU + Noctua NH-U9S
- SFX PSU + Noctua Noctua NH-L12S

Personally I would always go for the SFX power supply option, it's just an overall simpler and more straightforward setup without any of the headaches that come with DC-DC builds. You will also be better future proofed for adding more powerful components in the future without having to worry about upgrading the DC-Dc components.

Which DC-DC are supported by the rear panel and the storage panel ?

The DC-DC rear panel supports the HDPLEX 400w DC-ATX model only, but if you do choose to go this route and your looking for absolute lowest temps/noise then I would use the rear panel to instead mount a 92mm exhaust fan in combination with the U9S. I would then mount the 400w DC-ATX to the front DC-DC storage panel as per this layout:


The only drawback to this combination of cooler and PSU is that you require an external power brick:

 
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Sene

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Aug 12, 2017
3
1
Thanks, really clear !
Did you notice a significative noise/temp difference between the 2 types of config ?
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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Thanks, really clear !
Did you notice a significative noise/temp difference between the 2 types of config ?

Here is a link to some testing done with the U9S, the results are compared against the NH-L12. Bare in mind that the L12 used in this particular testing is not the updated L12S which runs roughly 5C cooler in the same conditions than its predecessor:

 
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Trafford Devil

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Dec 21, 2019
3
0
Are you thinking of cutting aluminium panels in the future ?

A Lian Li - esque aluminium version would be sick.

Also any news on price reductions? Read earlier this year that the price might come down, has that happened? Cause it's still pretty dear.
 

K888D

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Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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Also any news on price reductions? Read earlier this year that the price might come down, has that happened? Cause it's still pretty dear.
Thank you for the feedback. We reduced the price by £10 at the start of 2019.

We are working on further developments to reduce the price further that you should start to see throughout 2020.
 
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lasek

Average Stuffer
Feb 22, 2017
68
52
Christmas update, after 2.5 years this case still rocks :
- paint panels in grey anthracite
- change to Vandal front panel
- delid of i7 8700
- add nvme 1To sabrent & remove the 2 SSD

cfg : asus h370 mini, i7 8700 1.2V, noctua L12S, 2*8bg corsair lpx, msi 2070 aero itx, corsair SF450, prolimatech vortex 14

 

lasek

Average Stuffer
Feb 22, 2017
68
52
For custom PSU cables, I've measured the following needed lenghts (sf450, l12s, h370rog)
- 24pin MB : 17cm
- 8 pin EPS : 20cm
- 8 pin PCI : 14cm
Can someone share his custom lengths, because it seems a bit short compared to the estimations I've found on this thread (22/20/20)

Thanks !
 

lasek

Average Stuffer
Feb 22, 2017
68
52
So I ordered the above cables, they could even be 2-3 cm shorter ;


Also I managed to fix the main issue with this build, which is MSI 2070 min fan speed at 40%: bought this adaptor and installed Asus AI suite to pwm it as chassis fan.

Build can probably be set to passive for low loads.
 

Mackan

Airflow Optimizer
Jun 2, 2016
302
160
Will some black 'out of stock' parts be restocked on Overclockers UK? Like the rear SFX PSU panel and some corner pieces? Bought a LZ7 for myself a while ago, and was now thinking to get one for my father as well.
 
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