Production Lazer3D LZ7 - Quiet Gaming Cube PC Case

K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
@K888D
Are you going to be offering the LZ7 through SFFLAB.com? I see it on the front page as a new addition and out of stock.

Huh, just confirmed this myself. It's there, so it must be happening. Will the SFFLab site have the same customization options available at the Lazer3D website?

Potentially yes, I believe they are currently guaging interest to see if its a worthwhile addition to the site.

If it goes ahead then it will be the full customisation options made to order and shipped out from the UK. It will likely only be available on SFFLAB to countries outside of the EU as Overclockers UK are the exclusive retailer for Europe.
 

Dark_Rye

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Jan 28, 2019
3
2
Growing Pains.

I just recieved my case from Overclockers UK and I threw my ITX x299, 7940x AseTek LC545 (old version), and GTX 1080 Ti mini at the case.

GOOD: case is beautiful, after removing several standoffs I mounted the 92mm rad ad 25mm noctua fan on the back. CPU is cool under load. NVMe and RAM are also cool without any additional fans. Modded GPU and CPU coolers are inaudible except at full and even then the minifridge in the hall makes more noise.

BAD: Womp Womp. GPU is 211mm and the case supports 186mm. Should really make sure I look at the 1080 Ti not the 1080 specs when I'm glancing at compatibility. NanoATX can't fit inside the case with the DC-DC HDPlex 400 no matter what I do.

SOLUTION: Laser cut four panels identical to the existing bottom, sides, and top except add a few cm extra length so I can fully enclose this build. I might redesign the SSD/DC panel to try to mount both nanoATX and HDPlex, but that might make the case TOO large.

I figure I'd post here to let folks know what's up. When the weekend hits I'll sketch the panels in SW and see how much longer I'd have to make it to mount the nanoATX inside. If anyone has EPS or DWFs of the panels, it would save me 20 minutes of checking dimensions.

 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Growing Pains.

I just recieved my case from Overclockers UK and I threw my ITX x299, 7940x AseTek LC545 (old version), and GTX 1080 Ti mini at the case.

GOOD: case is beautiful, after removing several standoffs I mounted the 92mm rad ad 25mm noctua fan on the back. CPU is cool under load. NVMe and RAM are also cool without any additional fans. Modded GPU and CPU coolers are inaudible except at full and even then the minifridge in the hall makes more noise.

BAD: Womp Womp. GPU is 211mm and the case supports 186mm. Should really make sure I look at the 1080 Ti not the 1080 specs when I'm glancing at compatibility. NanoATX can't fit inside the case with the DC-DC HDPlex 400 no matter what I do.

SOLUTION: Laser cut four panels identical to the existing bottom, sides, and top except add a few cm extra length so I can fully enclose this build. I might redesign the SSD/DC panel to try to mount both nanoATX and HDPlex, but that might make the case TOO large.

I figure I'd post here to let folks know what's up. When the weekend hits I'll sketch the panels in SW and see how much longer I'd have to make it to mount the nanoATX inside. If anyone has EPS or DWFs of the panels, it would save me 20 minutes of checking dimensions.


Thanks for the comments and sharing your build progress, the last 2 images weren't showing properly for me so I've linked them below incase it was the same for anyone else:




I like your ambition! I am however not sure this case is capable of all the things you are trying to do!

Unfortunately HDPLEX discontinued their 300w AC-DC unit in favour of the 400w AC-DC which is quite a bit longer and will therefore not fit inside the LZ7, or many other small cases for that matter. They do however have a 200w AC-DC unit which will fit, but then you are quite power limited on the type of system you can build.

Putting the 92mm AIO on the rear of the case is a nice touch and I would be interested to see what kind of temps you get with this setup. Like you've pointed out though you lose compatibility with the side 140mm fan mount (I think), without this fan your losing out on a large portion of airflow through the case.

If your open to some suggestions you may be better to mount the 92mm AIO to the XL-Vent Top panel instead of the rear panel, this will allow you to still use the side 140mm fan and also mount a rear 92mm fan as well, or mount a DC-ATX PSU to the rear panel freeing up space in the front of the case.

Regarding the GPU, the max GPU length is 186mm which is enough for true ITX length cards but unfortunately not for any of the Zotac MINI cards are they are all at least 210mm long. The second problem with the Zotac cards is they are too tall for the LZ7 due to the PCIe power connector sticking up above the card, so even if you extended the case in length the card would still not fit height wise. The case would need to be about 3mm taller to fit the Zotac MINI cards, it could be possible to use a modified slim/low profile PCIe power connector however.
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Has any one tried the Noctua NH-L9x65 in the LZ7 yet? How does it compare to the NH-L9i/a and the NH-L12S?

I've tried it but didn't really record any data, I just remember being really underwhelmed by it as it didn't give much better results than the L9i. The benefits of having extra heatsink height is probably cancelled out by the fan having less room to breath being closer to the underside of the PSU.
 
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Scottie

Minimal Tinkerer
Apr 25, 2019
3
4
Long time listener, first time caller. I have an LZ7 on order and it's scheduled to arrive on Monday, April 29th (yay!). I'm planning my first PC build as an SFF...what could possibly go wrong? Anyway, with all of the excellent build examples I feel like I have a pretty good plan (READ: mostly copying what other more competent people have already confirmed works). That said, I'm having trouble selecting a motherboard and CPU cooling system. What I'm already set on (I think):

PSU: Corsair SF450
CPU: i5 9600K
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 2060 Mini
RAM: 16GB or 32GB compatible with the appropriate MB
HD: 512GB or 1TB PCIe M.2 compatible with the appropriate MB

It appears the preferred cooling option (Noctua NH-L12S) conflicts (doesn't fit between the PSU and VRM and M.2 heat sinks) with the two boards I planned on choosing between (ASRock Z390 Phantom & ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I). I'm trying to decide between the following solutions:

Use the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs and remove the VRM and M.2 heat sinks on the MB.
Use a smaller fan (scythe 120mm slim?) under the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs to allow the cooling unit to nestle in between the VRM/M.2 heat sinks (per Litian).
Use a different manufacturer's cooling unit (per Vensdale; although the Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B is now $157.72 on Newegg, yikes!).
Use an NH-L9i (smaller unit) in place of the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs.
Use the NH-L12S with a lower end ASRock Z390M ITX/ac MB that does not include VRM nor M.2 heat sinks.
Scrap the whole idea and cry for a few days because my mother coddled me through puberty.

Any thoughts/input? Will the NH-L9i provide sufficient cooling? Are the MB VRM/M.2 heat sinks really necessary with adequate air flow? Will a lower end MB restrict the system now or in 2-3 years if I upgrade the GPU/CPU/RAM? Any competing air coolers that are almost as quiet as Noctua that have proven to fit on the preferred MBs?

Thanks SFF Forum Community!

~Grateful Newbie
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Hey @Scottie welcome to the forum and thanks for purchasing a case!

I think if you are concerned about getting the best performance from your CPU and temps/noise then I would definitely prioritise working with the NH-L12S as your CPU cooler, it is by far the best available cooler for the LZ7 by some margin.

I haven't invested into the latest Intel 9th gen yet, I'm still using the 8700k with the Asus Z370-I which works fine with the L12S, so unfortunately I cannot comment on which are the best Z390 boards for compatibility with this cooler. Does anyone else have any comments on what works well for the 9000 series Intel chips?
 

rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,588
2,701
Hey @Scottie welcome to the forum and thanks for purchasing a case!

I think if you are concerned about getting the best performance from your CPU and temps/noise then I would definitely prioritise working with the NH-L12S as your CPU cooler, it is by far the best available cooler for the LZ7 by some margin.

I haven't invested into the latest Intel 9th gen yet, I'm still using the 8700k with the Asus Z370-I which works fine with the L12S, so unfortunately I cannot comment on which are the best Z390 boards for compatibility with this cooler. Does anyone else have any comments on what works well for the 9000 series Intel chips?

According to Noctua's compatibility guide for the NH-L12S the Asus z390 Strix is mechanically incompatible but they list the Asrock Phantom Gaming as fully compatible. So I am unsure what the problems might be.
 
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W1NN1NG

King of Cable Management
Jan 19, 2017
616
532
Long time listener, first time caller. I have an LZ7 on order and it's scheduled to arrive on Monday, April 29th (yay!). I'm planning my first PC build as an SFF...what could possibly go wrong? Anyway, with all of the excellent build examples I feel like I have a pretty good plan (READ: mostly copying what other more competent people have already confirmed works). That said, I'm having trouble selecting a motherboard and CPU cooling system. What I'm already set on (I think):

PSU: Corsair SF450
CPU: i5 9600K
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 2060 Mini
RAM: 16GB or 32GB compatible with the appropriate MB
HD: 512GB or 1TB PCIe M.2 compatible with the appropriate MB

It appears the preferred cooling option (Noctua NH-L12S) conflicts (doesn't fit between the PSU and VRM and M.2 heat sinks) with the two boards I planned on choosing between (ASRock Z390 Phantom & ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I). I'm trying to decide between the following solutions:

Use the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs and remove the VRM and M.2 heat sinks on the MB.
Use a smaller fan (scythe 120mm slim?) under the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs to allow the cooling unit to nestle in between the VRM/M.2 heat sinks (per Litian).
Use a different manufacturer's cooling unit (per Vensdale; although the Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B is now $157.72 on Newegg, yikes!).
Use an NH-L9i (smaller unit) in place of the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs.
Use the NH-L12S with a lower end ASRock Z390M ITX/ac MB that does not include VRM nor M.2 heat sinks.
Scrap the whole idea and cry for a few days because my mother coddled me through puberty.

Any thoughts/input? Will the NH-L9i provide sufficient cooling? Are the MB VRM/M.2 heat sinks really necessary with adequate air flow? Will a lower end MB restrict the system now or in 2-3 years if I upgrade the GPU/CPU/RAM? Any competing air coolers that are almost as quiet as Noctua that have proven to fit on the preferred MBs?

Thanks SFF Forum Community!

~Grateful Newbie
Love the captain obvious intro there lolz
 

Elerek

Cable-Tie Ninja
Jul 17, 2017
228
165
Long time listener, first time caller. I have an LZ7 on order and it's scheduled to arrive on Monday, April 29th (yay!). I'm planning my first PC build as an SFF...what could possibly go wrong? Anyway, with all of the excellent build examples I feel like I have a pretty good plan (READ: mostly copying what other more competent people have already confirmed works). That said, I'm having trouble selecting a motherboard and CPU cooling system. What I'm already set on (I think):

PSU: Corsair SF450
CPU: i5 9600K
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 2060 Mini
RAM: 16GB or 32GB compatible with the appropriate MB
HD: 512GB or 1TB PCIe M.2 compatible with the appropriate MB

It appears the preferred cooling option (Noctua NH-L12S) conflicts (doesn't fit between the PSU and VRM and M.2 heat sinks) with the two boards I planned on choosing between (ASRock Z390 Phantom & ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I). I'm trying to decide between the following solutions:

Use the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs and remove the VRM and M.2 heat sinks on the MB.
Use a smaller fan (scythe 120mm slim?) under the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs to allow the cooling unit to nestle in between the VRM/M.2 heat sinks (per Litian).
Use a different manufacturer's cooling unit (per Vensdale; although the Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B is now $157.72 on Newegg, yikes!).
Use an NH-L9i (smaller unit) in place of the NH-L12S with one of the preferred MBs.
Use the NH-L12S with a lower end ASRock Z390M ITX/ac MB that does not include VRM nor M.2 heat sinks.
Scrap the whole idea and cry for a few days because my mother coddled me through puberty.

Any thoughts/input? Will the NH-L9i provide sufficient cooling? Are the MB VRM/M.2 heat sinks really necessary with adequate air flow? Will a lower end MB restrict the system now or in 2-3 years if I upgrade the GPU/CPU/RAM? Any competing air coolers that are almost as quiet as Noctua that have proven to fit on the preferred MBs?

Thanks SFF Forum Community!

~Grateful Newbie

The vrm and m.2 will honestly probably be cooler without the heatsinks. They're more for decoration usually than actual performance sadly and that's a downdraft cooler that'll be giving them direct airflow.
 

Scottie

Minimal Tinkerer
Apr 25, 2019
3
4
Hey @Scottie welcome to the forum and thanks for purchasing a case!

I think if you are concerned about getting the best performance from your CPU and temps/noise then I would definitely prioritise working with the NH-L12S as your CPU cooler, it is by far the best available cooler for the LZ7 by some margin.

I haven't invested into the latest Intel 9th gen yet, I'm still using the 8700k with the Asus Z370-I which works fine with the L12S, so unfortunately I cannot comment on which are the best Z390 boards for compatibility with this cooler. Does anyone else have any comments on what works well for the 9000 series Intel chips?

Thanks for making such a wonderful case and investing your time/energy into the project! I'll post some pics of my build next week assuming I can actually produce a functioning system! :)
 
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Scottie

Minimal Tinkerer
Apr 25, 2019
3
4
The vrm and m.2 will honestly probably be cooler without the heatsinks. They're more for decoration usually than actual performance sadly and that's a downdraft cooler that'll be giving them direct airflow.

@rfarmer @Elerek @W1NN1NG , sounds like an ASRock Phantom ITX with the VRM/M.2 heat sinks removed and a NH-L12S is my best option. I'll go that route and THANK YOU for the helpful feedback! Now all I have to figure out is how to actually build the thing...let's hope the PSU comes with directions for which wires go where. :)
 
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masteraleph

SFF Lingo Aficionado
May 28, 2017
91
64
Back to everyone's brickless build question (that does seem to be the holy grail in this case, doesn't it?)

I was wondering if there's any feasible way to squeeze a Flex ATX unit in. Obviously, you run into a couple of issues- you'd need an internal connector of some sort (of the same style as many ITX style cases like the Sentry or S4M use), and probably need to mount with double sided tape. And the dimensions are a pain; standard dimensions are 150mm (plus cables on one side and the power connector on the other)x81.5x40mm. Let's also assume, for the heck of it, that the drive panel is going unused, so you could potentially tape to the front panel directly. I have a suspicion that's just too big, but if there's some way of fitting it, it does solve some of the brick issue.

I'm assuming something like an Enhance 600W, where the fan curve is supposed to be very very quiet up until about 450W.
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
Back to everyone's brickless build question (that does seem to be the holy grail in this case, doesn't it?)

I was wondering if there's any feasible way to squeeze a Flex ATX unit in. Obviously, you run into a couple of issues- you'd need an internal connector of some sort (of the same style as many ITX style cases like the Sentry or S4M use), and probably need to mount with double sided tape. And the dimensions are a pain; standard dimensions are 150mm (plus cables on one side and the power connector on the other)x81.5x40mm. Let's also assume, for the heck of it, that the drive panel is going unused, so you could potentially tape to the front panel directly. I have a suspicion that's just too big, but if there's some way of fitting it, it does solve some of the brick issue.

I'm assuming something like an Enhance 600W, where the fan curve is supposed to be very very quiet up until about 450W.

I think a Flex ATX would be too big to fit in the front of the case unless it was position in front of the GPU as well, but then you lose some GPU length.

It may however fit length wise in the case (front to back) if you mounted it up against the top panel, it would need a new rear panel, or perhaps an adapter plate (SFX > Flex) and probably some supports near the front of the case to stop it drooping. Its possible, but the end benefit would not be much greater than just using an SFX PSU without the hassle.
 
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good_9000000

Case Bender
New User
May 4, 2019
2
2
I am planning on my first built and would like to buy the LZ7, awesome design and love the customization. And i was going to buy it the other day on overclockeruk, but the bottom panel is out of stock and no ETA. Just wondering is there anywhere else i can buy it with stock ready to ship? Thanks.
 
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K888D

SFF Guru
Original poster
Lazer3D
Feb 23, 2016
1,483
2,970
www.lazer3d.com
I am planning on my first built and would like to buy the LZ7, awesome design and love the customization. And i was going to buy it the other day on overclockeruk, but the bottom panel is out of stock and no ETA. Just wondering is there anywhere else i can buy it with stock ready to ship? Thanks.
Welcome to the forum!

We are planning a stock delivery to Overclockers mid next week, which means it will likely show in stock late next week.

I think you are the same guy that has also messaged through our website? If so then New Zealand residents should be able to order either from Overclockers UK or direct through our website, however when ordering direct your case is made to order and we advise a lead time of 2 - 3 weeks.

Overclockers are the only place that actually stock finished parts currently, therefore it may actually be quicker to wait for the re-stock rather than ordering direct with us.
 

good_9000000

Case Bender
New User
May 4, 2019
2
2
Welcome to the forum!

We are planning a stock delivery to Overclockers mid next week, which means it will likely show in stock late next week.

I think you are the same guy that has also messaged through our website? If so then New Zealand residents should be able to order either from Overclockers UK or direct through our website, however when ordering direct your case is made to order and we advise a lead time of 2 - 3 weeks.

Overclockers are the only place that actually stock finished parts currently, therefore it may actually be quicker to wait for the re-stock rather than ordering direct with us.

Yes that was me. Thanks so much for your reply. I think i'll wait for the new stock at Overclockers.
 
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sirpawel

What's an ITX?
Apr 20, 2019
1
1
We are planning a stock delivery to Overclockers mid next week, which means it will likely show in stock late next week.

Hi. It might be good news for me, ordered mine 24th April trough Overclockers. Would be great to have it in less then 1 month.
 
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c00kie

Cable Smoosher
May 8, 2019
8
5
Hi All. First post here.

Got my LZ7 case the other day so figured I should start looking into components. Does anyone have experience with or thoughts on using a dual fan card with this case (slotted GPU panel)? These Galax/KFA2 cards are reasonably priced and I have seen favourable reviews online, but wondering whether the LZ7 was designed specifically with a single-fan GPU in mind.

Galax/KFA2 RTX 2070 Mini - youtube
Galax/KFA2 RTX 2070 Mini - Product Page

I think a Galax/KFA2 RTX 2060 would do better (quieter) in the LZ7 but couldn't find any reviews.

Alternatively, does anyone have recommendations for a quiet and reasonably powerful card? I am looking for the quietest build possible for 1440p/60FPS gaming with an SFX PSU. I am willing to sacrifice some performance if that lowers noise.
 
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