Today I am taking a look at the PC-B12 chassis from Lian li, a full aluminium super light chassis from the case company that likes to do things a little differently.
Lian Li have been around now since the early 80′s, in that time they have created many stunning aluminium PC cases that are world renowned for their build quality, design and general engineering prowess, but of course this kind of build quality comes with a price tag to match, with the PC-B12 clocking in at around £110 at retail, not a cheap case by any standards, but Lian Li are not your everyday chassis manufacturer either. So today I will be taking a closer look at just what they have to offer us in exchange for our hard earned money, is this just style over substance, or does something extra lurk within this chassis?
“We are one of the largest and most reputable manufacturer of aluminium PC case in Taiwan . With over twenty years of experience in the computer products field, our dedicated team of engineers, production specialists and administrative staff provide the finest quality accessories available on the market.” – Lian Li Homepage
They take their quality serious at Lian Li, something which was present in our review of one of their other chassis the PC-90, which you can read here. Lian Li have won themselves many award over the years for their design and build quality, so lets start with the specification run down of the chassis, before we move on and take a closer look at the design.
I’m currently building in this case with a Gigabyte Z77 mobo and Sapphire Radeon 7970.
Yes, I’d like an extra front 5 1/2″bay for my fan control panel. Yes, this case aluminum is much thinner than my other Lian Li cases. Yes, I’m considering a set of bolt-on wheels to remind me of LL’s outstanding legacy.
But the important thing is: Lian Li survived the economic debacle. What they’re back with isn’t as important as the fact that they’re back.
This case is 95% of what I want; it’s easy and fun to build in, and if I get crazy I can add everything else I want with a Dremel and an afternoon.
Ask me again in 10 years (with 5-6 intervening mobo swaps) if I missed anything.
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Innovation Award for case which has small cut-out for CPU cooler and not too much place under MB? 😉 I’d prefer Fractal Design Define R4 😉
Fractal Design is a cheap plastic/steel case. It has clever features and it’s great for the price, but it’s still made cheap and that’s how it feels like compared to aluminium cases like Lian Li.