Lian Li’s recently released V3000 PLUS full-tower case is a modified version of the previous V3000 model. While the old model offered a large and straightforward interior, the V3000 PLUS has made better use of the available space. It can now support the installation of two systems, one EEB+ITX, and up to 16 fans. Moreover, the case boasts extravagant features such as the ability to fit 3x 480mm and 1x 360mm water cooling radiators, three installation modes, and room for sixteen 2.5-inch hard drives. The V3000 PLUS case allows for a super multi-modular design, but its sheer size might be difficult to comprehend.
The LIAN LI V3000 PLUS case has the following specifications:
- Dimensions: 678.5mm (D) x 279mm (W) x 674mm (H)
- Color: black
- Material: aluminum, steel, double-sided 4mm tempered glass
- Motherboard support:
- Standard/Rotation mode: EEB, E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
- Dual System Mode: System 1 – EEB, E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX / System 2 – Mini-ITXs
- CPU air cooling:
- System 1 – 198mm
- System 2 – 80mm
- Graphics card support:
- Standard mode – 589mm
- Swivel mode – 358mm
- Dual System Mode: System 1 – 589mm / System 2 – 320mm (within width limit 125mm)
- Power supply:
- System 1 – ATX 220mm
- System 2 – SFX-L/SFX
- Fan mounting positions:
- Standard mode:
- Front: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Above: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm or 2 x 200mm
- Above the power compartment: 3 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Bottom: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Rear: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm
- Rotation mode:
- Front: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Above: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm or 2 x 200mm
- Bottom: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Rear: 3 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm
- Above the power compartment: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm
- Dual system mode:
- Front: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm
- Above: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm or 2 x 200mm
- Above the power compartment: 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm
- Bottom: 4 x 120mm or 3 x 140mm (System 2 without graphics card installed)
- Rear: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm
- Standard mode:
- Radiator support:
- Standard mode:
- Front: 480mm or 420mm
- Top: 480mm or 420mm
- Power compartment top: 360mm or 420mm
- Bottom: 480mm or 420mm
- Rotation mode:
- Front: 480mm or 420mm
- Top: 480mm or 420mm
- Bottom: 480mm or 420mm
- Rear: 360mm or 280mm
- Dual system mode:
- Front: 480mm or 420mm
- Top: 480mm
- Power compartment top: 240mm or 280mm
- Bottom: 480mm or 420mm (System 2 without a graphics card installed)
- Standard mode:
The LIAN LI V3000 PLUS case has the following I/O ports and storage slots:
- Top I/O ports:
- System 1: USB 3.0 x2, USB 3.2 Type-C x1, HD_AUDIO, lights Effect color, lighting mode
- System 2: USB 3.0 x2, USB 3.2 Type-C x1, HD_AUDIO
- Hard drives and storage slots: 8 x 2.5/3.5-inch and 8 x 2.5-inch.
LIAN LI V3000 PLUS full-tower chassis out of the box
It is certain that the V3000 PLUS is a full-tower case, which has an extremely large size of 678.5mm x 279mm x 674mm (length x width x height) and is also quite heavy. It is highly recommended that two people should work together to carry it, even before installation. The same caution applies even afterward since safety should be given utmost importance.
Due to its height of 67.4cm, the front panel of the V3000 PLUS is quite elongated. The brushed aluminum front panel is split into two sections by an RGB light bar that runs down the center line. The perforated screen on the front panel offers ample space for air intake to the interior of the case.
Once powered on, the LIAN LI logo will be projected on the bottom of the front panel. The projection lamp is powered by metal contacts located on the back of the front panel. When removing the front panel, there is no need to worry about accidentally pulling wires. However, users should be careful to protect the pins and contacts.
The removable fan bracket of the V3000 PLUS is secured by two screws located on the left and right sides of the upper part, and there is an internal pressure tenon structure on the top that helps stabilize the fan mounting bracket. To remove the fan bracket, unscrew the screws, press the switch to release the tenon, and then lift the entire mounting bracket above to detach it. This allows users to easily install fans and water cooling systems onto the mounting bracket.
The front of the V3000 PLUS case can accommodate a maximum 480/420mm radiator, four 120mm fans, and three 140mm fans. It is easier to install and fix the fans by using the detachable fan bracket.
The V3000 PLUS features a 4mm thick matte black tempered glass panel that can be easily opened through a side opening. This design is both safer and more convenient to use, and users don’t have to worry about the lock damaging the glass during use. The method for opening the side glass panel is unique as it is rotated by the rear shaft. By pressing the center of the glass panel near the front panel, the side glass panel will automatically pop up via the spring mechanism. If there are issues with the opening and closing of the glass panel or it fails to pop up normally during use, users can manually press the two spring mechanisms to correct it.
In case the glass side panel cannot be opened, there are two hand-turned screws located beside the middle of the front fan mounting bracket that can be used to secure the glass side. These screws can help prevent the glass from accidentally opening during transportation and causing damage to the case. However, once the desktop computer is installed, there is no need to lock these two screws for everyday use.
The V3000 PLUS has ventilation mesh panels installed on both sides of the power compartment, and these panels are secured by tenons. To open them, users can use the rear protruding block for assistance. The front side of the motherboard also features a fan mounting bracket that can be used for expansion. The fan mounting bracket supports both fans and radiators, with a maximum capacity of 480/420mm radiators, and can accommodate four 120mm fans and three 140mm fans, which is the same as the expansion specifications of the front fan bracket.
The rear of the V3000 PLUS case supports the installation of a 12/14cm fan and features eight PCIe device expansion slots. Although there is no dedicated vertical installation position for the graphics card, the slot design features a modular and detachable structure. By removing the PCIe slot screws located near the slot, the entire PCIe module block can be converted into a vertical mode for the graphics card. This means that users no longer need to purchase an additional vertical adapter frame to display the graphics card upright. Instead, they only need to purchase an additional graphics card extension cable and fix it on the accessory base. This can help reduce costs associated with erecting the display card.
The V3000 PLUS case also features a 4mm thick, deep black tempered glass side panel on the back side of the motherboard. This allows users to easily inspect the entire technology setup. The thread management space on the back has a depth of about 4cm and is designed to allow for easy cable management. The case comes with multiple Velcro straps on the back, making the cable management process simple and hassle-free.
The system I/O cables located on the top of the V3000 PLUS case are labeled with blue labels. The cables with blue labels are specifically for system 1, making it easier to distinguish between the I/O cables of each system when planning the entire setup.
The rear cable management space of the V3000 PLUS case is equipped with four wall-mounted 2.5-inch hard drive mounting brackets. These brackets feature a tool-free tenon and clip-fixing solution, which allows for quick and easy disassembly and installation of hard drives.
The V3000 PLUS case features a shield that is closer to the front panel and can accommodate up to four 2.5-inch hard drives. It is important to note that the hard drives are installed on the back of the shield, which means that the installation process is done from the cable management space towards the front panel.
The V3000 PLUS case includes two sets of composite hard disk brackets in the power compartment, providing a total of eight 2.5-inch hard disk installation positions and eight 2.5/3.5 composite installation positions. This means that users can install up to sixteen hard disks, providing ample storage expansion options. The composite hard disk rack located at the bottom can be adjusted based on the usage scenario, which can help provide more space for cable management, water cooling, and fans. This level of flexibility is highly versatile.
The design language of the upper cover on the V3000 PLUS case’s top is similar to that of the front panel. It features a two-piece perforated mesh panel that provides sufficient heat dissipation performance. However, unlike the front panel, there is no RGB light bar on the center line.
The upper fan mounting bracket of the V3000 PLUS case is also a modular detachable structure. After removing five screws, the fan bracket can be completely removed, making it more convenient to install upper water cooling and fans. The top of the case supports a 480/420mm long water-cooling row, while the fan part supports the installation of four 12cm, three 14cm, or two 20cm fans. This is the most expandable part of the cooling device within the entire V3000 PLUS case.
The system I/O set located on the front of the top cover of the V3000 PLUS case is unique in design. The power button, which is marked in the center of the S1, and the I/O on the left-hand side belong to the System 1 (S1) interface. The right half of the I/O interface belongs to the System 2 (S2) interface. The I/O cable belonging to System 1 is marked with a blue heat-shrinkable tube, which should not be confused with the cable for System 2 when installed in dual-system mode.
The V3000 PLUS case includes two I/O interface ports, which provide the same settings including two USB 3.0, USB 3.2 Type-C, Microphone Combo Jack, a power button, and a reset button. This means that the two systems can be used independently, and there is no mandatory binding between the two systems to share a single power supply.
System 1 in the V3000 PLUS case includes an additional front ARGB light bar control button. In addition to setting the Mode (mode) and Color (color), it can also be connected to the ARGB slot of the main board through the 5V 3-Pin ARGB connector. This allows it to be controlled by the main board or lighting control software in the system, providing greater control over the lighting effects.
Core hardware installation space, standard/flip/dual system installation demonstration
When leaving the factory, the V3000 PLUS is set to the standard installation mode, which means it is set up for normal single motherboard installation. In this mode, the case supports EEB, E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX specification motherboard installation. The case also includes holes for wiring in the upper, right, and lower directions of the installation position to allow for various power supplies and connecting wires to pass through.
The core hardware installation space in the V3000 PLUS case supports air-cooled towers with a height of up to 198mm and a graphics card installation length of up to 589mm. This means that there is plenty of room for installing both large air-cooled towers and high-end graphics cards without any issues.
The more complex motherboard installation position in the V3000 PLUS case can be disassembled separately, making it easier to install air-cooling towers or water-cooling heads without encountering any obstructions. However, it is recommended to remove the block before beginning the entire installation process. If the block is not removed and the power supply wires are connected, they may need to be rerouted later on, causing unnecessary inconvenience.
Aside from the graphics card power supply wiring hole, there is also a fan lock hole located on top of the power supply compartment in the V3000 PLUS case. This allows for the installation of a water-cooling radiator and fan and supports a maximum water-cooling radiator and fan installation of up to 420/360mm.
The front section of the power supply compartment can also be used as a bracket for installing a water pump. When using a custom water cooling system, the water pump can be mounted on this bracket. When installed in the power supply compartment, the maximum height limit for the water pump is 275mm. For larger water pumps, the lower hard disk bracket can be removed and the bottom water pump bracket can be used to install the water pump under the power compartment, which allows for the installation of water pumps up to 345mm in height.
Just a small correction: The latest graphics cards are actually the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series and the AMD Radeon RX 6000 series, not the “40 series” and “RX 7900 series.”
With the dual system support of the V3000 PLUS, users can easily install two different systems on the same case, which is especially useful for gamers or professionals who need to switch between different operating systems or configurations. The ability to switch between the two systems is made possible by the modular design of the case, which allows for easy installation and removal of components.
In the dual system configuration of the V3000 PLUS, the graphics card of System 2 needs to be connected to the PCIe slot of System 1 through the PW-PCI-4-24X extension cable, which allows the graphics card to be installed in the power compartment of System 1. This is because the ITX motherboard in System 2 does not have enough PCIe slots for the graphics card to be installed directly on it. The extension cable provides a solution to this limitation and allows the graphics card to be used in System 2.
The available space for hardware support varies slightly between the two systems. While System 1 adheres to the standard model specifications, System 2 can accommodate a 79mm high air cooling tower as well as a 400mm long and 140mm wide graphics card designed for vertical installation.
The V3000 PLUS cabinet comes with numerous accessories arranged from left to right, including an ITX mounting plate for System 2, a display card support frame, a hub mounting plate, a bottom mounting plate for the water pump power compartment, a display card upright base, a dual system power supply and graphics card mounting plate, and two hard disk brackets that are used to secure the strengthening plate.
V3000 PLUS dual system actual installation and thermal performance test
In this test, both System 1 and System 2 are equipped with two Intel platforms that utilize 360mm integrated water cooling to provide optimal heat dissipation for processing. To simulate extreme dual-state temperatures, AIDA64 FPU and Furmark software are simultaneously used, and the highest temperature data is collected and recorded using HWiFO64.
The specifications of each test platform are as follows:
System 1:
- Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
- Radiator: 360mm AIO
- Motherboard: ASRock Z690 Taichi Razer Edition
- Memory: T-FORCE DELTA RGB DDR5 16GBx2 6200MHz
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti Founders Edition
- OS: Windows 11 Home Edition 21H2
- Power Supply: 850W PSU
System 2:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-13700K
- Radiator: 360mm AIO
- Motherboard: ASRock Z790 PG-ITX/TB4
- Memory: Micron Crucial DDR5 5600MT/s UDIMM 16GBx2
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition
- OS: Windows 11 Pro 21H2
- Power supply: LIAN LI SP750 SFX
As a dual system was specifically built for this machine, it is necessary to conduct a stress test simultaneously to assess its performance. Now, let’s examine the cooling performance of the V3000 PLUS full-tower chassis!
Based on the test results, the hardware temperature of System 1 is notably cooler than that of System 2. While System 2 is equipped with the Intel i7 13700K and Z790 platform, the temperature of the 13th-generation processors are slightly higher under the preset voltage. Moreover, System 2’s 360 all-in-one water cooling is installed on the top of the case and serves as the sole exhaust fan system for the entire case. As a result, it is unsurprising that the temperature of the 13700K broke through 100K and the frequency was reduced.
Summary and experience
Compared to the previous generation, the V3000 PLUS features a multitude of practical improvements. Apart from its ample space and volume, it boasts expandability that rivals monster-level cases while making the most out of every inch of space. Through its various modular designs, the case offers users three installation modes, providing the flexibility to install it in any desired configuration. In short, whether you’re looking for a specific layout, the V3000 PLUS has got you covered.
With support for up to 16 fans, a 3x480mm plus 1x360mm water-cooling radiator, and other heat dissipation options, the V3000 PLUS provides unparalleled expandability. Furthermore, the case can accommodate E-ATX and ITX dual systems, and can even support split water-cooling installation for dual systems, making it an excellent choice for high-end players. The V3000 PLUS is currently priced at NT$14,500, a reasonable price for a case with such impressive internal configuration and design. The only caveat is that assembly and handling may require two people to ensure a smooth process.
If the author intends to use the same installation plan that was previously described, which involves two integrated water-cooled radiators and dual systems, it is important to ensure that the length of the water pipes and fan wires for the integrated water-cooled system is sufficient. Installing System 1 above System 2 requires the entire motherboard to be mounted in an upward orientation, resulting in a tight length of the CPU power supply cable from the power supply. While the problem of insufficient cables can be resolved by extending the cable, the same solution cannot be applied to the integrated water cooling component, which poses a more difficult challenge.
The V3000 PLUS does not include wiring holes for System 2 on the power supply compartment. As a result, the 24-Pin power supply and other wires of the ITX motherboard must be routed from the top of the ITX motherboard, which may not be aesthetically pleasing for individuals who prefer tidy wiring. While the V3000 PLUS is a fantastic case with excellent expandability and structure, players must be mentally prepared to plan for wire routing and wire length before installation.
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Title: The LIAN LI V3000 PLUS full-tower case unboxing and dual system installation is sufficient even for a spacious villa that features two bedrooms and a living room