Lian-Li was one of the largest PC exhibitors at CeBIT, with a wide booth containing an example of what seemed to be each case in their far-reaching lines. Four new models have been released since CES in January, all of which were evolutions of existing designs rather than new cases entirely.
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The common theme was efficiency: by making a few small changes in the arrangement of various fixtures and features, the overall size of the cases could be reduced. Beyond the obvious benefits of making the cases smaller, the changes also make cooling solutions more efficient and so it’s easy to see why these changes were made.
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One example of this was found in the PSU placement of the A06 – instead of the typical rear top or rear bottom, this model included a PSU oriented vertically at the front of the case at the bottom. The Q02 used a bespoke power supply which took up much less space than a standard ATX PSU. Another example was using a slimline laptop-style optical drive instead of a full size version, a change found in the Q02 and Q03 mini-ITX chassis. Finally, the side and top panels can be removed easily on these new cases thanks to quick-release pop-off connectors.
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Lian-Li seem to be adopting a tick-tock strategy similar to Intel; releasing new lines of cases then iterating upon them at a later date. It’s worked well for Intel, so let’s hope it works well for Lian-Li too. They’re definitely trying to provide options at all sectors of the market too, and I’m sure the enthusiast market will appreciate that.
