Lian Li PC-A05N

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Lian Li PC-A05N

Besides SilverStone, Cooler Master, and Antec, another leading computer enclosure manufacturer is Lian Li, which is a brand well known among computer enthusiasts for building some of the best and most unique computer cases that have ever hit the markets. One of the most recent products introduced by Lian Li is the PC-A05N, which may be sized very small, but has a unique layout with its back-to-front design. Rather than pulling air into the chassis from the front and exhausting it at the rear, the Lian Li PC-A05N is designed to pull in the fresh air from the back of the ATX chassis and then the exhaust is at the front, which Lian Li engineers claim will deliver dramatically better performance.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=14019

[frantaylor]

forgive me if I am mistaken here.

This case is small enough to put on a desk, in which case it blows hot air in your face.

Or you can put it under your desk, and the rear-sucking fans will pull all the dust from the carpet into your computer, and this case has no fan filters.

Am I wrong here? This just doesn't seem to be a very practical case.

[M1AU]

Guess you aren't wrong there, but with the right hardware, cooler and a few low turning fans, there shouldn't blow much in your face.

This looks like a extremely well designed case for me, as I'm currently using a modified Apple G5 case also with the power-supply in the front and the board upside-down, I like this one very much.

[linux]

This case looked very appealing to me because I'm looking for something quiet and small. But when I took out a measuring tape and compared it to my current case it wasn't as small as it looks from the pictures.

I'm I missing something? or is this an average size Mid-Tower?

My case measures 18" x 8" x 17" and the Lian Li is 8.26" x 15" x 19.3" as shown on Newegg.

[frantaylor]

This case looked very appealing to me because I'm looking for something quiet and small. But when I took out a measuring tape and compared it to my current case it wasn't as small as it looks from the pictures.

I'm I missing something? or is this an average size Mid-Tower?

My case measures 18" x 8" x 17" and the Lian Li is 8.26" x 15" x 19.3" as shown on Newegg.

I paid $29.95 for a very similar case at MicroCenter. $100 is WAY too much for a case like this.

[grantek]

I paid $29.95 for a very similar case at MicroCenter. $100 is WAY too much for a case like this.

This case is very lightweight at just four kilograms

The price is mainly in the aluminium, partly in the build quality, and partly in the brand name. Having said that, I prefer big heavy steel cases because they absorb noise and vibration a little better, but if you're splashing out for an Al case, you can design a high-end quiet cooling system and use SSDs or silenced HDD caddies. Either that or pimp it out with fans and LEDs and deafen everyone at LAN parties

[grantek]

I just took another look at the photos, and it looks like the air from the PSU vents out the sides of the front bezel, rather than forward out of the case. It's hard to see from the photos though.

[frantaylor]

The price is mainly in the aluminium, partly in the build quality, and partly in the brand name. Having said that, I prefer big heavy steel cases because they absorb noise and vibration a little better, but if you're splashing out for an Al case, you can design a high-end quiet cooling system and use SSDs or silenced HDD caddies. Either that or pimp it out with fans and LEDs and deafen everyone at LAN parties

Who cares how much the case weighs? What matters is the weight of the whole computer. The rest of the parts are still just as heavy. You are talking about a very small weight savings for a rather large amount of money.

And who needs build quality? I haven't laid eyes on the inside of my $29.95 case in over a year. I spent an hour or two building it, and it's done.

I think computer people sometimes end up like car enthusiasts, obsessing over the hardware. To me, hardware is just the stuff you need to make your software run.