Prototype � Desk Chassis: DK01

[Lian Li Tech]

For desk space, please consider making it 60" lengthwise. Most of us who will afford this will require that working space. Please look at options using PCIE risers/extensions if need be. Silverstone's new Raven RVZ01 is a good reference, please take time to look at how they're trying things with PCIE options to work with spaces: Silverstone Raven RVZ01 - YouTube.

Count me in as an early adopter for your new deskCase.

Thanks for the PCIE riser idea. We will look into it.

[Lian Li Tech]

Dear Lian Li,

Thank you for the great opportunity to comment and post on the DK01 Prototype in order to pass some censure before release to the markets

My first thought was, that this is not an innovation at all as I have seen already something similar as a private case-mod on a German LAN-Party already 10 or 12 years ago. Nevertheless, it's a really good idea for a commercial product which I'd like to touch in reality.

This prototype has potential for some improvements... especially on the appearance as I personally feel it is not minimalistic and clean enough:

a) The combination of three colors at the same time doesn't work for my eyes. The silver dual screen holder has to match with the black glass and become less visible. I agree with earlier opinions, instead of red legs, I would prefer brushed aluminum or chrom-vanadium steel (at least as a more expensive option).

b) No plastic! The rubber feet is not acceptable and looks horrible cheap. It has to be entirely invisible beneath the legs. Please keep the good design element of the two rounded legs instead of typical four pillars. I really like that as it usually gives a lot of stability and is easier to mount together after delivery. However, the legs profile could be wider to make a better fit with the bold case corpus.

c) The case corpus size is odd and doesn't give me a symmetric impression. Honestly, it's the most ugly part on the entire thing. It's way to big in terms of height viewed from the front-side angle. Limit should be max. 140 mm (10 mm + FAN + 10 mm). GPU-Cards following the Industry-Standard reference design is anyway just 107 mm height. Two lying side ways 360 mm radiators is a perfect setup, don't change that but forget to support CPU coolers with 180 mm height. It's not required especially not by enthusiast running a silent water cooling system anyway.

d) Please stick to what you have wrote earlier and remove the front panel and put it on side or better at the back. I don't want to expose that this is a computer. Use monolithic design pattern and turn the Lian Li branding into just a tiny laser gravure next to power button (big letters and the nice & round green-yellow Lian Li logo under the glass next to Motherboard would be way much better). The lock is the typical lousy and easy to hack model. It doesn't make it more safety than a series of torx screws. Take it away, keep the front as clean as possible!

e) The glass is for sure safety glass and resistant against scratches, isn't it? Otherwise I wouldn't buy it. I'm also right to assume, that the case material is solid and thick enough to fabricate the air intake holes much more closer to each other but with a smaller profile to expose less of the interior (that will be for sure put on light).

Best regards
Tobias Topyla

P.S.: Please keep in mind ergonomy and taller humans in Europe (-: A larger glass surface is much appreciated. It should allow me to read a lying newspaper in the large broadsheet format plus a cup of coffee including the saucer while e.g. I'm waiting to load something for example...

Thanks Tobias for your feedback. We are looking into more color options. It seems that many people don't like the red and black. :)

We are also looking into relocating the front I/O.

The glass will surely be scratch resistant. We wouldn't want everything to be scratched up. :)

We are taking in account the " taller humans in Europe"

[Lian Li Tech]

A very interesting concept, and once I consider it I realize just how difficult it is to design such a thing without the price becoming a major problem. Please keep in mind that my comments are not to criticize the concept, but what I see as the real world realities of how such a "PC case" would be truly useful as more than simply a PC case.

The object as it is now is not a desk, it is a table. A desk has multiple drawers, cabinets, book cases, etc. A PC desk has those things, and a keyboard tray. Designing a true desk around the idea of a PC located as it is in the prototype would result in a PC desk with a drawer for a PC, and be at least a $500 piece of furniture. That is not what Lian Li markets, furniture.

On the other hand, after owning a few so called PC desks, they are terrible. I won't use another since I changed to using a table. Far superior to a desk IMO. Call the product a desk if you like, but design it as a table.

Assuming it is a PC table, the table top must be larger, at least twice the size it is now. Or somehow integrate-able with a table. My table is much larger than that prototype, and I have no room to spare. I use monitor arm mounts for two monitors, so monitors are not using desktop space.

A table must have a functional top surface, otherwise it is not a table, it's a display case.

Table legs are meant to be functional, not seen, unless made from wood. Bright colors make it look like a toy or child's item. The current size of the prototype also looks like a child's desk, no business man, lawyer, etc, will be sitting behind that in his office, I guarantee you that! The monitors in the pictures are very small, what would 23" - 27" monitors look like with it?

The space for the outlet strip, etc, is a great idea, keep that if possible.

Quick access to a board's I/O panel will be very difficult to provide, I cannot see that as a major focus of the design, it will compromise to many other features, such as fan/radiator vents and intakes, or the drawer access to the PC. If a person needs constant access to the I/O panel, they need to use a USB hub or buy a few more cables so they don't need to swap them constantly.

Yes, perhaps you are right that it might be better categorized as a table rather than a desk. We are looking into changing the outer aesthics due to the current feedback.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

[bigmahlman]

[Lian Li Tech]

Registered just to give a little input!
I feel like you are trying to make this a server Chassis rather than a desktop case.

Having a keyboard and mouse on top of the desk covering up the desk is shame. Not only that but a mouse is not going to work on the glass unless you have a mousepad. Maybe it should have a pull out of sorts for keyboard and mouse. You could even have some cable routing to the back so it looks super clean! If not then make a windowless version. Also I feel like with the depth of the case it may be weird to sit at.

I would also love to see room for at least 2 5.25 inch drives. Some people still use optical drives and one of the most popular water cooling kits on the market uses a dual 5.25 inch setup. I would buy this thing day of release if it had a keyboard and mouse tray and the 5.25 inch bays.

After looking at some of the pictures some more I agree with some other post that the power button should be on the back, but keep at least two usb ports on the front.

Support for E-atx is not necessary! If you are going to add a keyboard tray you can probably take four inches of the depth of the inside if you don't support eatx. To compensate for taking of some of the depth make the desk a little bit wider. Just have enough room for lets say a 300mm graphics card.

Rather than a slide out tray could you just make the top pop up like the hood of a car.

The lack of cable routing is disturbing. Maybe move the power supply into the bay on the back this will free up room for more hard drives if you and the 5.25 bays.

My ideal setup would be something like a ATX motherboard with single or dual video cards a XSPC Raystorm 750 EX240 Watercooling Kit with an extra 240mm rad for the video card. (so that would take up both of the side fans) speaking of the side fans how do they exhaust it seems like they would just blow back into the case? Enough room for 4 3.5 inch drives should be enough for most people.

I can draw up a diagram if anyone is interested in my vision of this desk. Just let me know.

Thanks for signing up to share your thoughts. The keyboard and mouse tray, as well as the 5.25 inch bays, are some of the things we'll have to consider. Thanks to your detailed descriptions, no diagram is necessary, but we do appreciate you offering :)

[lowguppy]

[destaccado]

[bigmahlman]

[Lian Li Tech]

Any news on an updated prototype?

Still working on it. ;)

[DatGameh]