| Lian Li PC-90 Computer Case |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |||||||
| Written by Austin Downing | |||||||
| Tuesday, 30 August 2011 | |||||||
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Closer Look: PC-90 ExteriorThe exterior of a case is what user's sees every day and no matter how functional an enclosure is internally if it is ugly users are not going to want it. Thankfully like many other Lian Li enclosures the PC-90 with its beautiful brushed aluminum exterior, simple, yet beautiful lines and exquisite attention to detail need not worry about ever being deemed ugly.
Right from the get go Lian Li makes it clear that the PC-90 is as much a piece of artwork as it is an enclosure. Just like the rest of the PC-90 Lian Li has crafted the front completely out of aluminum which makes for a very beautiful front face. One thing that users should note is that the PC-90 only includes two 5.25" drive bays and only one of those has a cover so that ODD drives are hidden.
In the rear you can see a very typical Lian Li design with the vented expansion slots, bare aluminum, and ports for water cooling. But what is most amazing is that the PC-90 has ten expansion slots on the back. This is one of the few cases that could comfortably run almost any setup that is thrown at it. Users could effectively SLI tri-slot video cards and still have room for other accessories.
The top of the PC-90 is pure function with only one optional opening for a 120mm fan that when unused is covered giving a nice uniform appearance to the PC-90.
Although many companies opt to use a plastic cover with a brushed aluminum face glued to them, Lian Li on the other hand has opted to use a solid piece of aluminum for the front face of the PC-90. With the metal clips included it is easy to remove the front face for needed maintenance. The dual 140mm intake fans included on the front are also covered with easily removable filters for cleaning when they become clogged with dust and debris.
Lian Li spared no expense when it comes to front panel high speed interfaces. They have provided two USB 3.0 ports, one e-SATA port, and a HD Audio connection for users.
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Comments
Just me, and no slight to you, I'd not have knocked the price too much as aluminum is getting a bit high priced as is the chemical anodizing. Bang for the Buck says the $219 really isn't that bad to me. Looks like Lian Li has done it again.
I guess I look at it is when you go to Newegg over 70% cost less then $200 so that would make it in the top tier of pricing.
Is the left panel vented to aid in air flow over the drives?
It looks like you can't add/change cards, memory, etc without unplugging the drives unless you have lots of slack in the power and SATA cables.
There are no openings on the left panel to aid in the cooling of the drives. But again that should not be a problem for most systems.
Unfortunately changing components will require some disassemble with the PC-90 but I assume that unless you are also a reviewer that many users have fairly static systems.
This is a very interesting case design - not since Silverstone flipped a motherboard 90 degrees have I seen such an exciting-yet-obvious-in-retrospect case design.
I do not think I have ever read a review of a $220 case lacking wire management cutouts, or the room to tuck them behind the motherboard, that did not include a good castigation,impugnme nt, and or admonition. Also as Austin points out " it still lacks the cooling prowess of the Antec 900 or Silverstone RV02."
While acknowledging that looks and style are the definition of subjectivity. This case has what amounts to a Morse code of ...well...slots, much in the same fashion of those found on the back of my microwave. Not to mention that for being an "piece of art, they lack any architectural depth.
Not to be taken as a shot at you Austin. If you liked the case great. I do have to wonder however if this case (and many others by Lian Li) were to show up at sites around the net with the badge replaced with a different moniker. Would the comments and evaluations be so generous.
I think what you are seeing is people understanding that Lian Li walks to its own beat and doesn't follow what the rest of the market is doing. And in every design the build quality is superb.
Some food for thought though. If so many reviewers like Lian Li designs then one of two things must be happening. 1) Lian Li is paying off every major review company out there or 2) Lian Li genuinally makes a great product and that is why they score well almost every time.
You tell me which one is more logical.
Hence "Not to be taken as a shot at you Austin. If you liked the case great."
I did not anywhere question your sincerity.
"Some food for thought though. If so many reviewers like Lian Li designs then one of two things must be happening. 1) Lian Li is paying off every major review company out there or 2) Lian Li genuinally makes a great product and that is why they score well almost every time.
You tell me which one is more logical."
I don't have to think either. I actually meant what I wrote;
"I do have to wonder however if this case (and many others by Lian Li) were to show up at sites around the net with the badge replaced with a different moniker. Would the comments and evaluations be so generous."
I read reviews, and hear people complain about the very same lacking of the Lian Li cases in other brands...and give Lian Li a pass. That was what I said.That is what i am saying. You chose to take it in a different direction.
Go troll somewhere else.
Can you run the power cables for the hard drives from the top over to the back where the drives are? If so, that accounts for a huge number of cables on some systems. On others, it just reroutes a single hard drive power cable, but at least you can do that.
My only problem is 220.00 are you kidding me Li? My Antec Stacker was aluminum and twice the case this is for 290.00. Other than that, I like it.
Nice, clean, easy to read review too.
I look at my PC-60 cases and think hmm.. ok make it a little wider take move things around a little bit to accomadate 120mm fans (or larger) and voila! perfect case.. But no.. Come on Lian-Li!!!
Austin, Yeah my PC60 case has an i7 setup with a hyper 212 in it from coolermaster. Because it's in there I can't get the tray out.. (hense why I said new ones today need to be just a little deeper then the ones from they early 2000s.
I have worked with a couple Lian Li cases and although I have some quips about them I do appreciate their attention to detail.
Earlier this year I bought my PC A77F-B Lian Li which should last...well, until new motherboard standards arrive and I am compelled to buy such new tech.
As always here a BMR, a very thorough, complete review. Keep up the good work!
How hotter do 3 cards in Tri-fire/SLI get in there compared to the RV02-EW?
How much would the side fan improve the cooling?
Would the side fan get in a large heat-sink's way?
Can I buy the same fan Lian Li has in its case?
Secondly there is no place to put a side fan on the PC-90.
I have a silver Lian Li PC 60 (I think) which has served me well, but it was time to get a new one in order to fit in the newer crop of video cards which are getting ridiculously wide.
It's the smallest HPTX case I could find, and I generally follow a rule where any case I buy has to be able to accept any size component. This is because I have a few computers, and I tend to do a bit of 'hand me down' parts replacement. Eg. I can't hand down an e-atx motherboard into a m-atx chassis.
I use this case as a media center PC, located in a living area.
The draw of the look is that it is sedate.
As with all my computers, I want them to not stand out when located in a public space.
The case is also rather compact for the kind of parts compatibility it offers.
It's essentially the same external size as a Lian Li PC-50 (another case I have)(it's a pinkie-thickness wider), and has gobs more space inside.
To me, I see the PC-90 as a 'mid tower'.
Technically, the case is not perfect.
Two changes would make it ideal.
1) The power supply should be on bottom, with a triple 120mm fan array on top for a good radiator.
2) the mainboard should be moved out an inch+, and the drive mounting system flipped to be 'behind the motherboard'.
Also, the 5.25 bays could use a 3rd bay, so you could do this :
1) Optical
2) IO panel / card reader
3) fan controller panel
The cable management could be better with mainboard tray cutouts.
However, there is a reason why they are missing.
The case is built with the presumption that you want a compact HPTX system.
An HPTX motherboard would span the entire back panel, effectively blocking any cutouts should they be there.
Granted an ATX board would make good use of the cutouts...
-scheherazade
I'm not a brand fan of any sort. I simply find a large selection of minimalist appearing cases with Lian-Li, and out of all minimalist cases I've looked at, Lian-Li has just happened to have a setup I like at the time that I was in the market.
A non-Lian-Li case I have is the Aerocool Masstige. Terrific airflow, elegant, and rather cheap.
There are plenty of great cases from many companies.
However, out of the 'good air flow' category of cases, from most companies, the majority of their offerings are just flamboyant.
I don't want crazy colors, crazy grilles, blue lights stuffed everywhere, etc.
So that generally leaves one or two cases per company that I could consider, and a few dozen I could consider from Lian-Li.
Note :
In regards to cooling, I use the top 14cm opening with :
(14cm fan) (14/12 adapter) (12cm radiator) (12cm fan).
It's adequate for a solid overclock, albeit not breakig records.