Lian Li PC-9F

The case is very light, surprisingly light actually. I was very careful when working with it as I was afraid to bend it or damage it. I remember reading one member on [H] saying this case felt "flimsy" and I do agree with him. I was checking out the Corsair 700D at Microcenter and that case is built like a tank, my own ThinkStation is also levels stronger. But, it's just the way aluminum of this thickness is, just be careful with it. The fans included with this case are just crap. I have some Gentle Typhoon AP-14s on order to replace the front fans. I replaced the rear with an Arctic Cooling F12 for the moment so I could use the PWM function.

I like the tool-less design, although I must say it is inferior to my ThinkStation D20's ease of use. The 5.25" drive bay design is very good, the 3.5" bays are okay, but not that stellar. I am at a loss that there are no 2.5" bays or adapters. It is 2011 and SSDs have been out for over 12 months.

The case internals are nice and smooth except for the cable routing holes which are a little bit sharp and not sanded down. Cable management on this case is just excellent. After I spent some time planning and organizing my cabling, I realized just how fantastic and easy it is to get excellent looks and superior air flow. I had initially removed the 3.5" bay tower, but noticed that GTX570's temps were no different so I just put it back.

The top panel USB and buttons are actually very clever and make it much easier to use. Although, I dislike the super bright blue LED for power and red LED reset button that doubles as a HDD activity indicator. But these are minor annoyances and it's just me being picky.

Overall I chose this case because it was one of the few that does not look like it was built for a child. I am at an age where acrylic windows and LEDs are actually annoying, I value silence more than anything. I like this case's straight and simple lines along with the cooling capabilities.

Lian Li PC-9F Interior

PC-9F cabling view