Does Lian-Li still make the best cases?

Best to look up reviews of specific cases you are interested in.

My main system is in a really old Lian Li and I also have a retro rig in a newer Lian Li case.. but the cable management is horrid in that one..
 
Lian li still makes great cases. I have 3 cases personally.

It depends on what features you're looking for. If you are doing custom loop or AIO they have a lot of choices.
 
No.

Lian Li are still considered because they are the only ones that do full alu cases. Other than that their designs and functionality is pathetic for the most part, with glaring problems that only somebody who has never used a computer would do.
 
Depends

I like Lian Li cases. Aluminum makes them very easy to mod, and they are very lightweight compared to a steel case. In general, they are nice cases. I don't know about ~the best~, but consistently good.

That being said, the internals are pretty no-frills, and they do some stupid stuff on some of their models (one uATX case I got from them has 8 little phillips screws per panel to get the side off, rather than a couple of thumbscrews on the back, for instance, which is a royal pain).

I do continue to purchase Lian Li cases, and I have several that are still being used that are, gosh... the oldest is over 10 yrs old now. But I would not give them a blanket PASS grade on every one of their cases. You can end up paying an awful lot for what amounts to an all-aluminum mediocre case if you aren't careful.
 
They're nice enough still, but no they're likely not anymore.
Check out some reviews at the top of the forum here, and you'll see some cases that're better than LL's today.
 
Feature wise they're not at the top anymore. If you're a careful builder then it won't matter that much, but there's not much in the way of cable hiding basements, cable grommets etc.

But quality of materials, fit and finish are still the best.
 
I've been looking at newer Lian Li cases to build a new system and despite the aluminum construction, they aren't the feature filled leaders as they used to be compared to the competition of today. Price wise they are really commanding a premium as well. I've been eying Corsair as of late for "hybrid" al/steel construction. More reasonably priced and feature filled for my money, I'm liking the 750d series for my next build.
 
Yar, I haven't been too interested in a Lian Li for awhile now. I used to view them as the crème de la crème, but now function-wise, they don't excite. I'd even give the nod to NZXT as having superior cases (and they used to be the cheap de la cheap).

The last Lian Li case I saw was in the shape of a luxury boat (iirc). Haven't really paid them much attention since.

And I'd agree with Slade about those Corsair cases. Their *50D series are pretty nice (not garish) and have a lot of nice features. Currently got a 350D myself and will likely get a 750D if (when) I move back to ATX.

I've also been impressed by Thermaltake lately - they're becoming the 'President's Choice/No Name' manufacturer of cases. Lots of functional copy cat designs at affordable prices.
 
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So the RC Cola of cases? :p

In all seriousness, Lian Li is a name of the past. And that's despite using one up to just a year ago (A70A). Too many QoL improvements in *any* modern case, and most cases are low-priced to boot.
 
If I were to go for a Corsair case it would be one of the Air series.

Lian Li cases are not for everyone. I choose Lian Li because of the material they use. Steel cases are cheap and flimsy.
 
Ncase M1 if you're cool with SFF. /done

Enthusiast designed and contracted with Lian Li to manufacture.
 
I still own several Lian Li cases, but for my recent gaming build I went with a Jonsbo. The quality, layout, and overall look is better IMO.

Despite having a "cheaper" build quality, even some cheap Thermaltake, Fractal Design, Phanteks, NZXT, Corsair, etc value line cases have better layouts and features than Lian Li does now. I'm pretty disappointed that they've not been staying ahead of the curve as they once did years ago. That's not to say they still don't make one of the best quality cases, because they still do -- they are just lacking in other areas.
 
w1retap said:
I still own several Lian Li cases, but for my recent gaming build I went with a Jonsbo. The quality, layout, and overall look is better IMO.

Despite having a "cheaper" build quality, even some cheap Thermaltake, Fractal Design, Phanteks, NZXT, Corsair, etc value line cases have better layouts and features than Lian Li does now. I'm pretty disappointed that they've not been staying ahead of the curve as they once did years ago. That's not to say they still don't make one of the best quality cases, because they still do -- they are just lacking in other areas.
Click to expand...

Where did you get your Jonsbo from? I'm in the US.
 
i dont see any brand being single out as the best, but for me lian-li will always be among it
 
Used to buy a lot of their stuff over a decade ago, but they haven't improved much. Their prices have stayed sky high too, especially considering the modern thin panel/stamped and coated steel cases have gotten to be awesome. (full paint inside and out is the only way to go for steel) There are some really amazing cases under $100 now.
 
Case Labs makes the best cases... and it's not even close. In fact, when I got my original M8 some years ago, no other product I've ever had, of any industry (be it cars, electronics, furniture... what have you), came close to the quality that case had. Obviously they are a pretty penny.

I've had Lian Li, Corsair, Silverstone and some of the other major brands with my past cases. Typically high end variants, but none of them offer the quality of what Case Labs does, especially their Merlin, Mercury, and Magnum lines. In fact, the discrepancy in construction quality and materials used is so far above anything else on the market, they don't really have any true competitors. You either buy a Case Labs case or you don't.

Prices run about $300 to $700 for these as they are purely enthusiast items. Yes, pricey, but OP wanted to know the best PC case makers...and there you have it. ;)
 
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Hi All

Cases like keyboards, mice, or monitors are purely subjective. There's no such thing as the best case. There's only the best case for you.
 
"The best"?

Totally subjective.

Lian-Li makes some nice aluminum chassis for someone in the market for a good-looking, no frills case.

If you're looking for modding, or being liquid-cooling friendly? Or anything else outside the Lian-Li purview, you probably want to look at a different vendor who's delivering products in the space you're interested in,
 
They are not the best, but they certainly are iconic. Lian Li has the ability to make cases that look super classy, or super trashy. As stated several times, they dont have many of the features that you find in Fractal Design, Corsair, NZXT, etc. But what they do have are some cases that look like nothing else out there. You will not find the best cable management, cooling, ease of build, and even the construction of the cases isn't as good as it used to be IMO. However if you want a case that really stands out and makes a statement, I think they are second to none. Whether that statement is "I like trains", or "I like fancy yachts and will never be able to afford one, but still want people to think I'm banging", or even "I'm not an apple person, but I kinda want to look like I'm that cool, but in a PC sort of way."

They all LOOK like quality, even if they are garish, have poor airflow, can't hold many components, etc. And there is certainly a market for people who dont care about having the fastest, most overclockable, water cooled computer case. They want something that sits on their cherry inlaid desk and looks like a piece of art but can still let them check their stock quotes and impress their visitors. No one else makes the variety of cases that can make a fashion statement like Lian Li does. Lots of other case makers have some awesome looking cases, (I'm partial to Fractal Design right now because I like cases that function well, look pretty conservative, and have good dust filtration) but no one makes the variety of case designs, and still makes them look like quality, even the ones that look unbelievable tacky, like Lian Li does. I have owned four Lian Li cases, and they aren't perfect, but there is no one else out there like them.
 
I`ve been a long time advocate of Lian li but lately its been form over function. Their new ITX cases look promising however I recently have switched to the be quiet dark pro and also think Inwin are better designed.
 
Lian Li is similar to [H], light weight, minimalistic, simple and clean, high quality materials/content under the hood, does the job.
[H] don’t care about user avatars, animated signatures and Lian don’t care about cable management and cooling features.

The best thing LiLi can do right now IMO, is to offer lots of models around the DAN A4/ Firewolfy's MI-6, Hutsy XS, S4 mini, and hope that one of them will be the next Lian Li A05 that once had the most popular thread here on [H].
 
firas said:
Lian don’t care about cable management
Click to expand...


That right there is my biggest complaint about their new cases.. I mean... is it that hard to give just a tad more space behind the motherboard and actually put the cut out's in the motherboard section in the right freakin place?
 
I'm still a fan of Lian Li. The functionality is certainly lacking but cable management isn't a problem for me. I think hidden cables looks too artificial in a way, and it's simple enough to make them look tidy if you put some effort in.
You should take a look at Phanteks though. If you don't need drive bays, the Evolv ATX and tempered glass versions are built very well and well priced for the features offered.

edit: I'd also like to give the In Win 805 and 904 a spin.
 
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