Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

[masteraleph]

Is the prebuilt version actually wider/longer? Or, put another way- is it possible to orient the standard LZ7 in that direction? I know there are a few pictures sort of like that, but I'd think that would cause a lot of noise from the GPU fan and put strain on that side panel where the motherboard is.

 

[K888D]

Is the prebuilt version actually wider/longer? Or, put another way- is it possible to orient the standard LZ7 in that direction? I know there are a few pictures sort of like that, but I'd think that would cause a lot of noise from the GPU fan and put strain on that side panel where the motherboard is.

The pre-built case is slightly longer, taller and wider, but your only talking by a few mm, the basic shape/proportions are pretty similar.

It is indeed possible to orient the LZ7 stood up, a few people have done this. The fan/dust filter mounting holes on the GPU side panel can be used to mount the feet instead if you want the case stood up. The motherboard panel is strong, its held on by 4 standoffs which are firmly secured into the panel so you don't need to worry about that component being strained.

As you mentioned though, the only downside to standing the case on its side is you do introduce some airflow restriction to the GPU. Your GPU will still perform perfectly fine don't get me wrong, but you may see a couple of extra degrees temp on the GPU when gaming for a given fan RPM.

 

[Phuncz]

Awesome "LZ8" !

Is it still in the works that we can have "upgrade kits" for the first edition LZ7 with 5mm panels and I would expect new 3D-printed pieces ?

 

[K888D]

Awesome "LZ8" !

Is it still in the works that we can have "upgrade kits" for the first edition LZ7 with 5mm panels and I would expect new 3D-printed pieces ?

I think so, I will put the question to them to confirm what is happening about selling the seperate components and get back to you.

 

[Boil]

https://smallformfactor.net/news/silverstone-at-computex-2017-workstation-and-server

Possible future change to the LZ7..?

Would require new side panel & definitely would need to source with shorter cabling...

 

[Boil]

Just thought of this...

Will the vented rear GPU corner piece be standard going forward for the LZ7...?

Also, for those who might want to go vertical, would double-height HiFi feet help with both GPU noise & cooling..?

If so, might double-height HiFi feet be an option...?

 

[K888D]

https://smallformfactor.net/news/silverstone-at-computex-2017-workstation-and-server

Possible future change to the LZ7..?

Would require new side panel & definitely would need to source with shorter cabling..

USB Type-C would be a nice addition, perhaps sometime in the future but no plans at the moment. Type-C is still a rare front connection option on even the latest generation motherboards, so for the majority of users it would be redundant.

Other things to consider are replacement IO connectors sold by companies like Silverstone and Lian-Li usually retail with quite a high price tag.

I should be receiving samples shortly for evaluation of a new custom made IO PCB from a different manufacturer with shorter cables. If the samples are OK then I could potentially look into whether they can do Type-C connectors in the future.

Will the vented rear GPU corner piece be standard going forward for the LZ7...?

No, the vented rear corner piece is for the pre-built systems only.

Also, for those who might want to go vertical, would double-height HiFi feet help with both GPU noise & cooling..?

Yes double height Hi-Fi feet would certainly help to reduce airflow restriction when the case is stood on its side.

According to this airflow testing I carried out 92mm slim fans work best when they are at least 2cm away from a flat surface:

A standard double slot GPU has about 3mm - 4mm gap to the side vents, there is then 3mm panel thickness. So if you can get feet that are around 20mm tall you should have sufficient gap for a 92mm fan to perform well.

If so, might double-height HiFi feet be an option...?

I don't think double height feet will be available as an option, Overclockers UK stock Lian-Li feet which they will be using in the configurator for you to select. If you want double height I would advise selecting no feet with the case and then ordering your own separately.

 

[K888D]

Updated Product Page (work in progress) and Configurator are now live, let me know what you think!

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Please note that some colour and vent design combinations may not be available at launch, we are going to do our best to make the full selection available but its hard to predict which combinations will be popular!

 

[Boil]

Nice...!

No option showing for feet, and the Configurator shows the HiFi feet; so, HiFi feet standard...?

I am torn between the Fan Guard & the Radial vent pattern...!

Right now, leaning towards Fan Guards & sourcing some 20mm HiFi-style feet for a vertical orientation, any suggestions...?!?

 

[iFreilicht]

Very good amount of options, I like that Two things though: On my machine, loading after choosing a new option takes quite long, and you don't get any feedback that it is actually loading, so that's a little confusing at first. And the colours look way to washed out. Choosing white as the main panel colour results in a medium gray and orange corner pieces look more sandstone yellow than anything.

 

[Weredawg]

Hey @K888D I saw on your Instagram that you got your bamboo panels in. Do those "snap" onto the existing acrylic panels? Or can the be used in place of those panels? I love the idea of a wood or partial wood case.

And the colours look way to washed out. Choosing white as the main panel colour results in a medium gray and orange corner pieces look more sandstone yellow than anything.

I had the same issue with the white accents. I know that the whites in real life are true white but for someone who isn't closely following this project like us they may not realize that when using the configurator.

 

[K888D]

Very good amount of options, I like that Two things though: On my machine, loading after choosing a new option takes quite long, and you don't get any feedback that it is actually loading, so that's a little confusing at first. And the colours look way to washed out. Choosing white as the main panel colour results in a medium gray and orange corner pieces look more sandstone yellow than anything.

OK thanks for the feedback, I'll look into that. I did notice the white panels looked grey on my phone compared to my laptop monitor I used to make the images.

Regarding the washed out colours, are you referring to the side panels? The colour tone was purposely turned down for these as the frosted coloured perspex doesn't show the colours vividly unless you are shining light through them. I don't want to mislead people by making the side panels colours really bright when in reality they are slightly translucent and you are looking into a dark case.

Size wise there is a total of 4.5mb of images that make up the all the layers in the configurator, unfortunately you have to use .png files to get the transparency and this file type does not compress anywhere near as well as jpeg. Also I think the host I am using for the website is pretty slow to be honest, my subscription ends in 1 month so I am thinking of transferring the site to another hosting company.

Hey @K888D I saw on your Instagram that you got your bamboo panels in. Do those "snap" onto the existing acrylic panels? Or can the be used in place of those panels? I love the idea of a wood or partial wood case.

​

They would be in place of the Acrylic panels, completely new panels in other words. These were just experimental pannels I ordered to see how it turned out, to be honest the edges came out quite burned and I'm not 100% with the results, however the flipside of the panels were not, it looks like the smoke from the laser stained the top surface around the cuts. Solution would be to mirror the design and laser it back to front so the underside of the panel ends up being the front. Also the actual surface of the bamboo is quite 'splintery', I don't think I would feel confident offering this particular bamboo sheet material as an option.

Some more pictures of how it turned out, the panels were 5.5mm and 3.5mm thick so they don't quite sit flush with the corner pieces which are designed to work with 5mm and 3mm panels, you can also see the smoke/burn stains quite noticeably around the vents:

I have however found a company that sell high quality laser'able' solid wood in the correct thickness and also in a few different finishes including Oak, Walnut and Cherry, they are quite pricey compared to Acrylic though. I'm going to order some sheets to play around with once I get the laser cutter, excited to see how they turn out.

I'm not making any promises these materials will end up being available, I first need to experiment and test to see if they are suitable not just aesthetically but also structurally.

 

[iFreilicht]

Regarding the washed out colours, are you referring to the side panels? The colour tone was purposely turned down for these as the frosted coloured perspex doesn't show the colours vividly unless you are shining light through them. I don't want to mislead people by making the side panels colours really bright when in reality they are slightly translucent and you are looking into a dark case.

No, I'm talking about the colour of the 3d printed pieces. I can only speak for orange, but for that your configurator is not displaying the real colour very well.

 

[K888D]

No, I'm talking about the colour of the 3d printed pieces. I can only speak for orange, but for that your configurator is not displaying the real colour very well.

OK thanks, I will have a look into it.

 

[Boil]

Those bamboo panels are pretty sweet...!

I could see doing the front panel in a lighter colored wood that would have a laser etching on it...

Hmm... Hackintosh in the vertical orientation, wood front panel, ORIGINAL Apple logo laser etched onto same...

 

[jeshikat]

Oh yeah, make sure you get a fire extinguisher. It's not too uncommon to see updates from modding shops laser cutting acrylic where the acrylic caught fire.

Though I'm not sure exactly which fire extinguisher type would be appropriate for this situation.

 

[Boil]

Seems like something that should be integrated into the laser cutter...?

Maybe a Halon system with one or two nozzles & replacement cartridges (kinda like CO2 or NO2 cartridges); hardware / software in the system knows to detect an actual fire & the Halon releases killing the O2 in the unit itself...?

You would definitely want a laser cutter with proper ventilation; both for general health & for venting the Halon after it goes off...

 

[jeshikat]

Seems like something that should be integrated into the laser cutter...?

Maybe nice laser cutters have that, but this is just a basic one made in China.

BTW, don't get a fire extinguisher made in the UK @K888D:

 

[Weredawg]

I think that wood setup looks amazing! IMO anyways. I'm not even mad that it's not flush. I'd totally buy that!

 

[Netzon]

If I mod the Lz7 for using a G-Unique, could I fit in a tall CPU heatsink?