Internal Design

Something we disliked the NZXT Khaos was that there appeared to be very little inside room for a full size ATX case. This is opposite to what we found on the Tyr PC-X2000 which despite of its lanky stance, seemed very roomy and everything was easily accessible.

For a design that looks very tall, housing the optical drive and power supply at the very top of the case was not an issue either.

The Tyr PC-X2000 is split into three separate zones. The first zone does not include any case fans as it is meant to house a few optical drives and a power supply, which will have its own dedicated fan.

The second zone is smack bang in the middle of the case where the motherboard, CPU and graphics card will be sitting. Because this is the hottest zone it features three dedicated 14cm fans.

The third zone is found at the bottom of the case. This zone is designed to house up to six SATA hard drives and features two 80mm exhaust fans, while a single 14cm case fan is used to draw in cold air. This zone houses one of the case's most impressive features, the hot-swappable drive bays. Like some of the more impressive NAS devices out there, the Tyr PC-X2000 features special drive bays that allow the user to install or remove a hard drive in seconds.

By installing a special aluminum bracket with the provided screws, users are able to install or remove hard drives without having to worry about SATA data or power cables. In fact, Lian Li even provides some nice looking black SATA cables which you can use to connect from the hot-swap bays to the motherboard. Also provided are two extra-long cables that reach all the way up to the top mounted 5.25" drive bays.

The two hot-swap bays only require one 4-pin power connector each, meaning that three drives can be powered using a single 4-pin power connector. Hence, users will only need SATA power cables for their optical devices.

Other useful features include a removable motherboard tray, which can be released in seconds using two thumb screws. The power supply bracket is also removable, making for an easy installation. The standard bracket will allow power supplies as long as 220mm to fit inside the case, while Lian Li also offers an extension kit that will support larger units.

There is a great deal of cable management built into this case and each zone provides a number of access points for cables. These access points have also been fitted with plastic protection tabs to avoid cuts and scrapes when installing hardware. Behind the motherboard tray Lian Li has provided users with 1.5cm (a half inch) of space where they can tuck away and hide excess cables.

Lian Li has also equipped the Tyr PC-X2000 with a server-grade graphics card holder, designed to hold high-end graphics cards in position, helping to avoid bending and possible damage. Should you choose not to use this feature it can be removed in seconds using four thumb screws.

Speaking of which, because the power supply is installed on the top of the case there are loads of spare room here for users to hide any unused cables. The spare space above the power supply will certainly come in handy for those with non-modular power supplies.