Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

K888D

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Feb 23, 2016
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We're getting tons of feedback and we try to check every idea how to improve the product before the retail. To check something if it will fit or not when the dimensions are "on the edge" you will need that element. Currently we received so many questions, that we do not know where to start, so we're checking most common ideas. One of them was checking if it is even possible to fit this gpu in sentry....
The 1070 version is the same dimensions and is cheaper, you could try that out?
 
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ZombiPL

Airflow Optimizer
DR ZĄBER
Apr 13, 2016
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The 1070 version is the same dimensions and is cheaper, you could try that out?
We thought about it, but we're not 100% sure about that dimensions are identical (we have some bad experience with dimensions given by the manufacturers). Also if people are asking about 1080 we don't want to say, we tested 1070, because manufacturer says it should be the same size. If we won't have any other option, then we will go with 1070, but this is not what we were asked for, even if we predict that the dimensions are the same. True community project is the one where you do what people really want. And unfortunately it isn't always as easy as it looks like....
 

rockyfjord

What's an ITX?
Oct 9, 2017
1
2
I had all of my parts in my Amazon cart, but this makes me think I need to wait a little. All of these options are fantastic.


A few updates on the progress made this week:

Here is the new XL-Vent Top Panel, it uses a series of cutouts that are spaced for compatibility with 80mm, 92mm, 120mm and 140mm fans:


The case has up to 130mm in CPU cooler height clearance when using DC-DC power supplies such as the HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX which can be mounted to the new storage mount panel with dedicated standoffs:


First look at a Solid Oak front panel, I'm still evaluating the material as it's tricky to cut, let me know what you think:

 

Hank0

Caliper Novice
Oct 13, 2017
24
48
I've lurking around here for a couple of months. Really intrigued with this case and dedication of the developer. I will be in London in December and was planning to pickup a case but it is cheaper for me to ship to Canada due to the VAT.

I have all the components as I just built around an SG13 case (Corsair SFX PSU, Short GPU). I'm really torn with strictly air cooled vs an AOI system. I have seen some references on the thread to a water cooled configuration but it looks like the case is too small.

Just a question, how wide the gap from the right panel (with the 140mm fan cutout) to the side of the PSU? I've studied many of the photos and wondering it it would be possible to fit in a radiator/fan that's about 42mm wide (Corsair H50 w/Noctual A12x15). Looks like there is room there. With a Tundra slim radiator and Noctua would be 37mm.

OR, with the new top panel, is there enough space/depth to mount the radiator unit?
 
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K888D

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I have all the components as I just built around an SG13 case (Corsair SFX PSU, Short GPU). I'm really torn with strictly air cooled vs an AOI system. I have seen some references on the thread to a water cooled configuration but it looks like the case is too small.

Once the new panels are released you can fit a 120mm AIO cooler to the top panel when used in combination with a DC-DC (e.g. HDPLEX 400W HiFi DC-ATX). Drawback is you will need an external power brick.

Just a question, how wide the gap from the right panel (with the 140mm fan cutout) to the side of the PSU? I've studied many of the photos and wondering it it would be possible to fit in a radiator/fan that's about 42mm wide (Corsair H50 w/Noctual A12x15). Looks like there is room there.

There is 40.5mm between the right side panel and the SFX PSU, but I think you will struggle to fit an AIO cooler into the gap even if you find components that are slim enough, the cooler will likely foul on motherboard components.

You can however mount the radiator on the outside of the case with a bit of tinkering and a custom side panel, checkout the work @tomnyamkun did here:

https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...et-gaming-cube-pc-case.596/page-36#post-31609
 

K888D

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Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few weeks, I've been concentrating on production in preparation to deliver the second batch of case parts to Overclockers UK including all the new DC-DC panels, Grey panels and Vandal Switch options.

The original delivery target was last Friday, but the laser cutter developed a fault and was out of action for a week. Its fixed now and things are on track for delivery of parts to be made this Friday, it will probably be the week after before they are available to order as the configurator will need updating with the new options.

I'm very excited about all the new options, they really open up the possibilities of what can be done with the case. I haven't had chance to take any proper photos of the new stuff yet, so instead here are some overviews of the new options:

Grey Panels
The main panels and some side panel options will be available in matte finish Mineral Grey.


Vandal Switch Side Panel
Replaces Full IO panel (power + reset button, USB + Audio ports), with a simple Vandal Power Switch, helping to reduce the amount of cables inside the case.

These panels will be available in matte Black, Grey or White, with Open, Aero, Radial, Cylone and slotted (GPU) vent options.


16mm Vandal LED Power Switches
Available with White, Red, Green or Blue LED rings, they come pre-wired with a custom short cable and are provided with motherboard wiring instructions.


Rear DC-DC Panels
An alternative rear panel that replaces the SFX PSU opening with a C14 power connector opening and adds support for a rear mounted 80mm/92mm fan. The panel is provided with a set of C14 adapter plates that allow you to attach a range of different types of DC input connectors including HDPLEX, G-Unique as well as generic round thread and nut types.

Removing the SFX power supply allows for tower coolers up to 130mm tall to be installed in the case, to aid cooling even further a 92mm x 25mm fan can be fitted to the rear of the case for direct CPU heat exhaust. My testing has shown this configuration to provide amazing results.

Alternatively the rear panel is also provided with a set of pre-installed M3 Standoffs that allow you to mount a HDPLEX DC-ATX power supply to the rear panel instead of a case fan.

This panel will be available in Black, Grey or White


Storage Drive + DC-DC Mount Panel
An alternative storage drive panel, allowing you to mount 1x 2.5" storage drive and a power supply. This panel is not compatible with the Full IO side panel, this panel requires the Vandal Switch side panel option to be used.

The panel includes 2 sets of pre-installed standoffs which are spaced to allow a range of different power supply units to be mounted. Including the HDPLEX DC-ATX power supplies, The HDPLEX AC-DC adapters (160w + 300w versions), or the more generic slim and long power boards (usually 154mm long) that use 144mm spaced mounting holes.

This panel will be available in matte Black or Clear.


TOP XL-Vent Panel
An alternative top panel with increased ventilation, provided through a series of specially aligned vent slots that allow you to mount a range of cooling options including a 120mm AIO watercooler.

Depending on your overall system configuration, the Top XL-Vent panel is compatible with 1x 120mm/140mm fan, or up to 2x 92mm fans, or up to 4x 80mm slim fans, or 1x 120mm AIO watercooler*.

*Compatibility of fans and AIO cooler is highly dependent on your overall system configuration, which includes:
  • Power Supply type (SFX / DC-DC / AC-DC Adapter / PicoPSU / etc)
  • Power supply position (mounted to Rear Panel or Front Storage Panel)
  • CPU Cooler height (up to 130mm without top panel mounted fan)
  • The options are limitless, so please approach Top XL-Vent Panel fan compatibility with caution
This panel is available in matte Black, Grey or White.


Using DC-ATX and AC-DC Adapter at the same time:

Something else to note as I'm sure some of you will be curious: Using HDPLEX DC-ATX and AC-DC Adapter at the same time is possible, but unfortunately it reduces CPU cooler height to under 60mm in most instances and is not compatible with AIO coolers either.

However, it should still be possible to mount a slim 120mm to the top panel with this configuration which could provide better overall system cooling performance when compared to SFX PSU setups.
 

Geran Brown

Trash Compacter
Mar 2, 2017
52
25
The original delivery target was last Friday, but the laser cutter developed a fault and was out of action for a week. Its fixed now and things are on track for delivery of parts to be made this Friday, it will probably be the week after before they are available to order as the configurator will need updating with the new options.
 

K888D

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Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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As of right now, I have purchased two cases (my wife and I). Really excited for the cases to arrive and get rid of this large towers.

Looking forward to seeing some photos of your builds!

Any recommendation on length of cables for the hdplex?

I'm not sure you can order custom length HDPLEX Cables? To be honest I found the cables that come with the HDPLEX were a good length for the case.

I just checked www.overclockers.co.uk and it looks like the configurator is updated :).

Yeah its all up and ready to order, how did you find it selecting through the options, was it easy to understand? I'm a bit worried that all the various options will cause confusion for people who aren't quite sure what the difference is between SFX and DC-DC power supplies.

I'm going to make an official announcement about the new stuff shortly, I wanted to accompany it with some new images/diagrams/etc, but unfortunately I've not had chance, very unprepared!

Making all the parts took longer than expected, delivered them on Friday after a week of very little sleep, slept most of Saturday, family time on Sunday, yesterday evening sat down to do some Photoshop work but The Walking Dead distracted me!
 

Geran Brown

Trash Compacter
Mar 2, 2017
52
25
I'm not sure you can order custom length HDPLEX Cables? To be honest I found the cables that come with the HDPLEX were a good length for the case.
I was going to make my own sleeved cables, that's why I asked. If you think the cables that come with the HDPLEX are long enough, I just make ones that length then :)
Yeah its all up and ready to order, how did you find it selecting through the options, was it easy to understand? I'm a bit worried that all the various options will cause confusion for people who aren't quite sure what the difference is between SFX and DC-DC power supplies.

I'm going to make an official announcement about the new stuff shortly, I wanted to accompany it with some new images/diagrams/etc, but unfortunately I've not had chance, very unprepared!

Making all the parts took longer than expected, delivered them on Friday after a week of very little sleep, slept most of Saturday, family time on Sunday, yesterday evening sat down to do some Photoshop work but The Walking Dead distracted me!
The only thing I would possible change is have a way for people to see the final product based on their selections or a link to your old configurator. I was trying to get my wife to build her case and she kept complaining that she wish could see the look of it before making a decision. I had to search for pictures in this thread to give her a general idea but for people that don't follow the thread or that don't want to jump back and forth, it would be good for them.
 

K888D

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The only thing I would possible change is have a way for people to see the final product based on their selections or a link to your old configurator. I was trying to get my wife to build her case and she kept complaining that she wish could see the look of it before making a decision. I had to search for pictures in this thread to give her a general idea but for people that don't follow the thread or that don't want to jump back and forth, it would be good for them.

Thats a very good point and something I will try and get Overclockers to implement. They do actually have there basic visual configurator of the LZ7 on the landing page HERE (separate to the product page), but I think we need to do a better job of linking the 2 together as most people probably don't know the landing page exists.

Regarding the configurator on the Lazer3D website, I'm currently having trouble with the plugin so I've had to temporarily disable it until I can find a workaround. The plugin has recently updated and introduced a new feature which disables the configurator if the product is not available to order!
 

K888D

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Feb 23, 2016
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I am pleased to announce a range of new LZ7 panels enabling DC-DC power supply compatibility are now available to order at Overclockers UK.



WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? In simple terms it means increased system wide cooling potential.

The LZ7 is already a very capable case with excellent cooling potential for its size, but if you don't mind trading an SFX power supply for an external power brick you can open up more space inside the case which can be dedicated to higher performance cooling options, including up to 130mm tall CPU coolers, 120mm AIO watercoolers or extra case fans.


REAR DC-DC PANEL

The first of the new panels is the LZ7 Rear DC-DC panel, this panel swaps the default SFX mounting points for a smaller C14 bracket. Provided with the panel is a set of C14 adapter plates allowing variety of different DC power input connector types to be fitted including HDPLEX, G-Unique and other more generic round connector types:


The SFX power supply opening has been replaced with a 92mm Cyclone Vent compatible with 80mm/92mm x 25mm fans. This fan position is particularly useful when combined with a tower cooler for direct CPU heat exhaust, eliminating heat recirculation:



TOP XL-VENT PANEL
Second of the new panels is an alternative top panel providing increased ventilation.


Without an SFX power supply installed the top panel can be used to mount extra cooling fans (up to 4x 80mm / 2x 92mm / 1x 120mm / 1x 140mm) or a 120mm AIO water-cooler.


STORAGE + DC-DC MOUNT PANEL

A new storage panel is available which trades 1 of the 2 storage drive mounting positions for a series of M3 standoffs which are compatible with a range of DC-DC power supply types, including HDPLEX DC-ATX (300w & 400w models), HDPLEX AC-DC (160w & 300w models) and Generic 12V DC-DC boards (usually 154mm long with 144mm hole spacing):



ANTI-VANDAL POWER SWITCH OPTIONS
Due to the width of some DC-DC boards such as the HDPLEX 400w HiFi DC-ATX you will need to select the Vandal Power Switch side panel and corner options when opting for a DC-DC setup to ensure compatibility:


The Anti-Vandal LED switches come pre-wired with custom short length cables helping to simplify cable management. They are available in a range of LED colours including white, red, blue and green.


DC-DC DRAWBACKS
Although DC-DC setups have the potential to provide increased cooling in the LZ7, they do have some drawbacks compared to the more conventional SFX power supply setup, the most obvious being the requirement of an external power brick which you can rightfully argue increases the overall volume of your system.

SFX power supplies offer an all in one fully integrated plug and play solution, you know exactly what you're getting, plug it into the mains and your done. DC-DC power supplies require a bit more research to make sure you get a suitable board with the correct cabling for your setup and a compatible AC-Adapter with matching voltage and power connectors.

Finally, don't forget to factor in the cost of the AC-Adapter itself, high wattage AC-Adapters can be very pricey, often costing more than the DC-DC board.


COOLING PERFORMANCE RESULTS
Even though you now have the option to install a 120mm AIO watercooler, from my testing I found that the Noctua NH-U9S tower cooler in combination with a rear 92mm exhaust fan outperformed the Corsair H60 AIO in both noise and temps.

The results below were using an i7-7700 + GTX 1070, running Prime95 (2 threads) + Unigine Valley highest settings @ 1080p for a consistent system wide stress, each test carried out for a minimum of 30 minutes:


In summary, if you don't mind using external power bricks then opting for a DC-DC setup can result in an incredibly efficient CPU cooling machine, capable of maintaining temps and noise levels that a case of many times bigger would be proud of.


ULTIMATE COOLING SETUP

 

Geran Brown

Trash Compacter
Mar 2, 2017
52
25
I probably should have bought the DC-DC mount and 2.5" storage panel so I could use the fan on the back. I didn't realize that's what I needed for the fan on the back.
 
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Martix50

Chassis Packer
Oct 17, 2017
18
40
I'm also a happy customer and today the product arrived in all it's beauty. I opted for the DC-DC power supply and I will try to see if it will handle some overclock on my incoming 8600k. I know it sounds somehow wrong to push overclock through a DC-DC psu and in a super tiny case but i want to experiment. I'll keep you guys updated.

I do have one complaint: after I already placed my order I kind of changed my mind on the color of the columns I wanted. i bought them black and later on I thought that black panels with grey columns could also look good, and it could be nice to have both sets and change them around from time to time.
Also, I went with the cyclone right panel but I still don't know how i feel about it as the open one with the L3D grill looks sexy too.
So i went back to overclockers UK and made a cart with just the 4 grey columns ... 101£ !!! Obviously i didn't proceed.

i think one of the greatest features of this case (it has many) is that you are able to customize it: if your new mouse has a grey accent you can go and put a grey accent to your case, if you decide to set all your RGBs to blue u can put blue columns to your case, if your new monitor is red you can buy a red panel to your case, you get what i mean ...

but as it is now the price of the case is made of overpriced little parts which all together result in a fairly priced case. I have no problems with the price of the case but it would be lovely if once you bought it you could then have the option to buy just single parts of it for fair prices.

i do see the fact that this case is modular and people could go and buy just the single pieces for cheap but i think there are ways to counter it, i have a few ideas but this post is already long enough :-)
 
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K888D

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Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
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I'm also a happy customer and today the product arrived in all it's beauty. I opted for the DC-DC power supply and I will try to see if it will handle some overclock on my incoming 8600k. I know it sounds somehow wrong to push overclock through a DC-DC psu and in a super tiny case but i want to experiment. I'll keep you guys updated.

Looking forward to seeing your build and the results of the overclocking. What components have you chosen for your CPU cooling?

but as it is now the price of the case is made of overpriced little parts which all together result in a fairly priced case. I have no problems with the price of the case but it would be lovely if once you bought it you could then have the option to buy just single parts of it for fair prices.

I appreciate the corners are expensive, I wish they were cheaper! Unfortunately SLS 3D printed parts are expensive and make up a significant proportion of the overall case price.

I feel like I need to provide more detail on the costings as pricing is a major criticism of the case, I'll try to explain how the cost of the corners are made up below:

COST OF 3D PRINTED CORNERS
White Corner Set = £40
Colored Corner Set = £42
Grey Corner Set = £44

Custom Made I/O PCB = £6

Assembling I/O PCB = £1 labour time

Each set of corners have 28 metal threaded inserts = £2.80 per set

Each of the 28 metal threaded inserts are hand pressed into the parts (by me) = £5 labour time per set

All associated costs with packaging, labeling and handling = £1 per set

Those are the raw costs which comes to about £60 for a set of grey corners. I then apply a markup to the price which is my profit, Overclockers then add their own markup as well. That all equates to around 40% margin in total, which when you consider is split between 2 companies I think you can see that we aren't overpricing based on the part costings.

That said, I agree that the price is too high and I need to find ways to bring the manufacturing/assembly/raw material cost of the case down.

Future cases will almost certainly have less reliance on 3D printed parts for more competitive pricing.
 

Martix50

Chassis Packer
Oct 17, 2017
18
40
K888D I think the passion you put towards your product is really remarkable and it was definitely one of the reasons why I went with your product. Also, disclosing your costs and markups is admirable and I really appreciate you doing it.

Yes, this product costs an arm and a leg but to me it is justifiable because as it is now this is the only product in the market that has a certain set of features: cooling, thermals, compatibility, volume, interchangeable parts, design, (availability) ... If you want those features you pay, if you don't need them you can go and buy a 30£ case with a little more volume, no one is forcing you to buy this one.
This is how i see it and why I bought this case.


Those are the raw costs which comes to about £60 for a set of grey corners. I then apply a markup to the price which is my profit, Overclockers then add their own markup as well. That all equates to around 40% margin in total, which when you consider is split between 2 companies I think you can see that we aren't overpricing based on the part costings.

Admittedly I didn't think the cost were this high, but I still think there is a big missed opportunity in the after sale customer experience. I'm a marketing guy (up for hire :-) ) and to me the customization is a strong unique selling point of this case. Not being able to further customize/upgrade it after the first purchase, because price becomes prohibitive, shortens the life span of the product and somehow undermines the product itself.

Clearly this is a production cost issue but maybe there are ways around it...
- Have you considered handling the distribution in-house ? that 20% markup gives nothing* to you and makes a big difference in the end price. [*I know there are some benefits on using their platform]
- What about lowering your own margin ? I think that 20% is a really fair margin but maybe the reduction of it could increase your volume of sales and compensate. More customers, more word-of-mouth, more sales...

please don't take my words the wrong way, this really wants just to be constructive criticism, I think the product is awesome and I'm also ok with the current price.

Looking forward to seeing your build and the results of the overclocking. What components have you chosen for your CPU cooling?

U can find my build here: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/GHynbj

I made sure to get the Noctua NH-D9L from a seller which accepts returns so if it doesn't fit i can replace it with the NH-U9S.
 
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