Lian Li's PC-90: The Hammer Strikes Hard
by Dustin Sklavos on February 21, 2012 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- Lian Li
Noise and Thermal Testing, Overclocked
As always, our overclocked settings separate the men from the boys. Lian Li's design in the PC-90 acquitted itself admirably in our stock settings, and as you'll see, the two intake fans and single exhaust are more than up to the task of keeping our system cool even when heavily overclocked.
It's virtually a clean sweep for the PC-90. Lian Li is able to do more with less than the competing enclosures are; it still manages to hang with the Cosmos II and it seems clear that the PC-90 can handle the kind of dual-CPU workstation it appears to have been designed for.
Even noise levels are actually decent. While idle noise is less than ideal, a proper implementation of fan control on the motherboard (or even a dedicated fan controller) could probably take the edge off of that. Meanwhile, load noise isn't great, but it isn't terrible either. Despite making no allowances for acoustics the way competing cases like the Level 10 GT, Cosmos II, and SilverStone FT02 do, Lian Li's PC-90 is still able to compete on noise (and flat out win on thermals).
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ckryan - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
Lian Li either makes the most frustrating cases, with serious flaws in design, looks, and execution. Other times, they're a simple, effective, and aesthetically pleasing enclosure. The weird part is, I can't always tell which category a Lian Li is supposed to go in.I think this is perhaps why I like them so much. If they were clearly excellent or clearly abysmal, I don't think they'd interest me as much. There is usually as much to love as to hate, and not very much to be indifferent about.
cknobman - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
I own an old PC-7B I bought way back in 2002 and I still use it to this day.It is the highest quality case I have ever owned.
Lian Li may come up with some weird designs but their quality is unmatched.
yyrkoon - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
Yeah I own a PC G-50 ( which is about 4 inches shorter than this one i think at 15.5 inches if I recall correctly ). As far as other Lian Li cases go it may not be the best, but I love this case, and I also use it to this day. Also the best case I have owned.superccs - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
What CPU cooler are you using, I had a hell of a time getting good airflow with that case and eventually stopped using it.I still have the case just don't know what to do with it.
p05esto - Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - link
Yep, I bought 3 of the classic PC-60 cases and still use them and LOVE them. I made a few modifications like stainless grab handles on the top and top/side blowholes with stainless grill covers. In other words the cases are very high quality and stand the test of time in classic look.I have to say that I don't like the front grill design. I actually didn't like most of the Lian-Li front designs, they only made a few like the PC-60 that I considered elegant and timeless. The version above has too many holes and looks like swiss cheese, ugly IMO.
just4U - Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - link
I also have several PC60s and I'd like to see a return to an updated design with similiar features as the review on this case doesn't impress me at all..It would be so simple to do to.. move to 120mm fan enclosures, (keep the removable motherboard tray) all they have to do is fatten the case up a bit and perhaps change the drive arangement.. but noooo.. they give these odd designs that just don't work for me.
Samus - Friday, May 11, 2012 - link
Silverstone has some doozies too. Not everyone gets it all perfect, that's the risk of innovation.Stas - Thursday, February 23, 2012 - link
meh, I disagree. I love their classy, simple designs - look sexy, serious, formidable. but the only 2 times I was blown away with quality of a case were: CM Cosmos (OG), and SilverStone FT01. Not a sharp edge, not a single useless cutout for the sake of saving material. Lian Li cases are high end, no doubt, but they never exceeded my expectations with 10 or 15 cases I got from them.JohnMD1022 - Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - link
How could they have both "serious flaws in...looks" and be an "aesthetically pleasing enclosure"?This seems to be contradictory
pc_void - Saturday, March 3, 2012 - link
Just the same as when two people say something completely different about the same thing and both are true?