Product Name: Lian Li PC-65B Plus Edition
Date: Thursday, November 21, 2002
Author: Joe Di Figlia
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Page: 1 of 1
I am going to take us back to a time when Lian Li's looked like Lian Li's, except we are going to add a little shimmer to the subject. Enter the Lian Li PC-65B - PLUS EDITION. I know you are saying to yourself right now, "The PC-65B, what's so special about that?"
There are only a couple of things that set this case apart from the, dare I say, old PC-65B.
These Are:
- Dual temp sensor mounted in 3.5 drive bay.
- Fan control switch mounted externally on the front of the case (controls front two fans only).
- The ability to increase the number of fan mounts to 6!
The fan adjustment on the front of the case is a welcome addition to those of us who have become familiar with removing the front bezel, which I might add is EXTREMELY easy, and adjusting the fan speeds to Low, Medium, or High. Although, it seems that many of us always seem to leave them on the high setting regardless. This is also beneficial to the longevity of the bezel standoffs (made of plastic).
The addition of the LCD panel up front is also an ingenious little feature for those of us who are anal about temps. The sensors for these stretch a comfortable distance. Now, not only can we monitor our over clocked CPU in style, but we can also keep an eye on our steaming GPU running at warranty voiding speeds.
The side window is riveted in place by solid aluminum clamp plates. The rivets are steel in color, and do not add to the overall aesthetic of the case. It would be much more inviting if these rivets were black in color, this way less attention would be drawn to them, although it wouldn't be too hard to grab a black Sharpie or some model paint and change the color of them.
Also with this version of the PC-65B you are given 4 fans in 3 different locations of the case. The first two fans are up front located behind the filter made of standard course cell foam. This filter doesn't impede airflow much and does a decent job of catching dust (another great feature of these cases). These are 2 ADDA fans model AD0812MB-A76GL which are .15a, ball bearing, and rated at 31.4CFM each - I would have liked to see the addition of the more powerful ADDA fans as they did in the PC-70 (rated at 38CFM) up front, but this is a smaller case, I guess. Up top you are greeted with another ADDA fan model AD0812LB-A70GL at .12a, ball bearing, and rated at 26.2CFM. Finally, the last fan located in the back of the case is another AD0812LB-A70GL (same as top fan). As I said before, I wish there were some more powerful fans populating this case.
 
When you are ready to start looking around the inside of the case you are entranced by a few Easter Eggs. From the interior of the case, there are no differences from that of the standard PC-65B. If you are unfamiliar with the Lian Li line, I will go into some details for you.
First off, the case is completely constructed of aluminum; however, it is sharp in some spots so the manufacturer was kind enough to add some rubber guarding to protect your hands from the sharp spots. In the case of the PC-50, this rubber guarding is neglected for some reason, and with regards to the PC-70, this is a null feature due to its complete lack of sharp edges. I still can't figure out why this company would leave some of its cases with sharp edges only in some spots, and not in others. This is a drawback with regards to attention to detail.
The PC-65B also features a removable motherboard tray, removable PSU mounting system, Removable hard drive rack, and a finally a removable 3.5" rack for floppies and etc. These are wonderful features for those of us who are constantly in our case tinkering around for that perfect setup.
The power supply has to be mounted to the removable plate prior to installing and then slid inside the case from the outside back. This makes for tricky installations when it comes to modified PSU's or larger than normal sizes. Mounting the new Vantec Stealth black aluminum power supply was a bit tight; in fact, I added some nice scratches to it in the process.
If you look closely at the picture below you will also notice that the connections for power, reset, speaker, etc. have a unique feature; it has a clipping mechanism so you don't have to remove all the connections when removing your motherboard. - Good feature Lian Li.
Ok, now you are probably wondering what the case can hold and how big it is. Have you seen the PC-70? No, it's not that big. The case measures only 492(L) x 210(W) x 450(H) mm. In this little case they manage to give you the option for 4 5.25" drives, 3 exposed 3.5" drives, and 5 hidden 3.5" drives. That's a big punch for a little case. It supports P4, ATX, and MICRO-ATX (Max Motherboard Size 12 x 9.6).
Conclusion
All in all, I am roughly impressed with this case, I was much more excited looking at it and anticipating its arrival than when I finally received it. Now don't get me wrong here, I am an avid Lian Li fanatic, but my heart will have to stay with the PC-70 (even without its removable motherboard tray).
Although it won't be easy to look past the sharp edges (which are protected) and wimpy fans (easily replaceable) you might see me purchasing another one of these cases. That is scarce because I would usually never buy the same case twice, except for the PC-70 of course.
If you are in the market for a Lian Li case, and are restricted by space, lack of cash, or don't like large cases, than this is perfect for you.
PCMODS.com prices this case at $149.99 (at my time of purchase).
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