Lian Li's PC-09 Combines Two Chassis In One
Lian Li is back again with another tempered glass case, but this time, the company is splitting the chassis into two. The PC-09 looks strikingly similar to the PC-08with its tempered glass front and side panels, but also appears to take design cues from the PC-J60, offering one configuration with red accents.
The PC-09 is, as Lian Li described it, two different cases fused together. The unobstructive tempered glass half showcases (pun intended) your most alluring components, such as your motherboard, graphics cards and cooler. The shrouded half, which sports Lian Li’s signature brushed aluminum finish, isolates the less visually astounding components such as your power supply and hard drives.
The two compartments are isolated down the middle by a strip of aluminum with an LED-lit Lian Li logo. The top of the strip accommodates the power button, three USB 3.0 ports and two audio inputs. The strip trails to the back of the case, where it contains three adjustment knobs for the case’s RGB LED kit. There are two versions of the PC-09: the PC-09WRX, which has a red strip, and the PC-09WX, which has a black strip.
With effectively two cases' worth of interior space, the PC-09 looks particularly impressive with large components. The PC-09 may support ATX motherboards, with 8 expansion slots and 420mm of space for multiple GPUs. The hidden drive cage holds up six 3.5-inch drives and two 2.5-inch drives. The aluminum compartment can also house PSUs of up to 290mm.
It would be a waste if the PC-09’s generous space wasn’t used for water cooling, and Lian Li offers ample choices for users looking to build a custom loop. The tempered glass compartment contains cutouts for two 120 x 360mm radiators, whereas the aluminum compartment boasts space for additional radiators, tubing, pumps and reservoirs. Lian Li provides mounting plates that are compatible with most pumps.
The red PC-09WRX and black PC-9WX will be available in mid-June, but for a steep price; the sleek tempered glass panels and solid aluminum construction will set you back $439.
Alexander Quejado is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s IT Pro. Follow Alexander Quejado on Twitter.
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SylentVyper Misleading title, it's not 2 chassis in one, it's 2 half-chassis in one - like the Corsair Air series.Reply
On a side note, it'll be interesting to see how cooling works here. Looks to be extremely negative pressure, with no filters at least on the back (looks to be a filter on top?) -
lugi20 When the price of your case approaches that of a Case Labs case... you should rethink the price of your case. Unless someone truly prefers the aesthetic of this case, there is no intelligent reason you wouldn't buy a CL for the same money.Reply -
warezme The fan placement seems counter. The fans appear to draw air from the adjacent closed compartment (power supply area) into the motherboard and GPU area. I think Lian Li, has officially run out of ideas.Reply -
SylentVyper Reply17954694 said:The fan placement seems counter. The fans appear to draw air from the adjacent closed compartment (power supply area) into the motherboard and GPU area. I think Lian Li, has officially run out of ideas.
The fans are shown doing the opposite of what you said. -
poxenium ReplyMisleading title, it's not 2 chassis in one, it's 2 half-chassis in one - like the Corsair Air series.
Correction, it is a half chassis and a half fish tank ;)
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Caanis Lupus ReplyIt's like my Corsair carbide case design, but needlessly 4x more expensive!
I have the black a540 and my wife has the white a540, just lacks the rgb kit that I am sure is not $300+... -
beoir This is just too fancy pants. Spend your money on functionality and get a CaseLabs case.Reply -
Malickiez All this case is, at least from what I can see is a slightly modified and much more expensive Corsair Air 540.Reply