Lian Li TU-200 "suitcase" is not last year's PC-Q08 with a handle

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hjacobson

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An earlier [H]ard|Forum thread New Lian Li ITX "suit-case" began with a quote from an Anandtech article Computex 2011: The 'suit'-case from Lian Li:
This is essentially the same inside as the PC-Q08 case...
Click to expand...
A look at the Gallery on Lian-Li's TU-200 prototype product page shows that new features of the TU 200 make it more than just a warmed over PC-Q08 with a handle. Call it a second generation PC-Q08. I thought that warranted this new thread about features we may expect of the TU 200 once it enters production.


Compare the front panels: PC-Q08 front panel vs. TU-200 front panel.
  • Power and reset switches are moved to the center of the panel between the drive bay door and grill.
  • Multi-media connectors are moved from the right-hand side to the center bottom.
  • And there's a new eSATA connector on the front panel.

Next, view from the left side: PC-Q08 left side view vs. TU-200 left side view.
  • Gone are the six side panel screws.
  • The TU-200 side panel mounting is tool-less (see "rear panel").

The hard drive mounting cages. PC-Q08 hdd cage vs. TU-200 hdd cage.
  • The TU-200's hard drive cage appears beefier.
  • There's a circuit board that provides power and data connections to the hard drives,
  • eliminating cable clutter.
  • Gone is the 6 hard drive capacity. The TU-200 holds 4 hdds max.

Now the rear panel: PC-Q08 rear panel vs. TU-200 rear panel.
  • Note the latch levers at the top, one each for the left and right panels
  • PCI brackets now secured by tool-less thumb screw

The right panel: PC-Q08 right panel (look through) vs. TU-200 right panel and TU-200 right panel removed.
  • The motherboard is no longer mounted on the right panel rather, on its own sheet of metal which
  • accommodates miniITX and miniDTX form factors and
  • certainly appears to be a more robust construction
  • Note the hard drive cage circuit boards

Top PC-Q08 top vs. TU-200 top. The loss of the top fan in exchange for a carrying handle may turn out to be the most serious design compromise made by Lian Li especially when one thinks about the overclocking that gamers will want to do within the TU-200. Based on many forum threads that top fan provides essential air flow.

Bottom PC-Q08 bottom vs. TU-200 bottom. Rubber feet of the PC-Q08 are replaced by metal.


Where the PC-Q08 comes with an exhaust fan on the top vent and vent openings on the left panel, the TU-200 has neither a top vent nor a left panel vent. One wonders how the Lian-Li designers are dealing with ventilation in a case that will certainly be used for overclocking.

Maybe there'll be two versions of the TU-200:
  • The traveling version
  • The stay-at-home version, with a top vent and fan rather than carrying handle.

Harry Jacobson
Impatient for this gen 2 PC-Q08
 
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I think it's pretty obvious from the pictures that it will not be able to fit a MicroATX motherboard. Even if the board physically fit, you would be sacrificing two expansion slots.
 
Pedantic, but the look is similar to a flight case, not a suitcase.

That the product page is under the µATX group means nothing. Lian Li very recently rejigged their website and all the mini-ITX product pages have similar duplicates under µATX if you google the product name.

PC-Q25 (the plain front mini-ITX without optical bay) is also coming soon, so maybe that's the one that shares some common features with PC-TU200?

I like what they're doing anyway. PC-TU200 probably isn't for me, but Lian Li are refining their mini-ITX concepts nicely and there is a decent range of options now.
 
I think this case is as similar to the Q08 as the V600F is to the A05N. At first glance it looks like they might be based on the same chassis, but upon closer examination you start to see too many improvements for it to be an incremental upgrade.
 
same crappy layout, PSU over CPU, oppening inside the chassic for the front fan mount, circulate hot air inside the chassic, they just never learn

Also the reinforcement for the HDD cage on the lower side might block the power socket for some graphic cards

tu200-05.jpg
 
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The fact that they took out the upper fan and blow hole would keep me from buying it. These cases with just a single fan I find are inadequate from a gaming build standpoint. Better to just buy the Q08 and buy a harness for it. A real shame too because its a nice looking case with a good handle.
 
Pjalchemist said:
Anyone know where there going to be in shops?
Click to expand...
Several weeks ago I emailed Lian Li asking about availability of this case. I was pleased to receive a reply, and was told that it was expected to reach retail availability at the end of September.

Art
 
ArtShapiro said:
Several weeks ago I emailed Lian Li asking about availability of this case. I was pleased to receive a reply, and was told that it was expected to reach retail availability at the end of September.

Art
Click to expand...

Thanks dude. I just bought a Q11B via work for £60. It'll do for now, may end up modding it. Might sit back and see what other make of the case before i make the leap
 
Skott said:
The fact that they took out the upper fan and blow hole would keep me from buying it. These cases with just a single fan I find are inadequate from a gaming build standpoint. Better to just buy the Q08 and buy a harness for it. A real shame too because its a nice looking case with a good handle.
Click to expand...

I have to agree about that...without creating blowholes for my Lian LI A05NB, my video cards would overheat.
 
good looking case but as with all the Lian Li mini ITX towers, the front intake is again short circuited. they really need to improve the airflow somehow.
 
I am curious why nobody releases a case this size where you can remove the hard drive cage (or where it is missing by design)? Do that many people really stuff 4-6 HDDs into these things, especially taken in the context of a portable gaming case? I'd figure most LAN party gamers are either running a single SSD or one SSD plus maybe one larger capacity 2.5"/3.5" HDD.

That would open a lot of room up in the case if you just cut out these ridiculous 6-drive RAID racks. That's great for a fileserver but do you need to put this feature in every model? At the very least make it removable so those who are only running a single drive can open up the space/airflow in their case.

Seems like the more recent cases from Lian Li are a big step backwards in this regard compared to their earlier stuff like the PC-Q08.
 
Lan is a hot place for file sharing, so more HD's mean more data to be gotten and shared!

I've a case on the way to me!
 
Ruahrc said:
I am curious why nobody releases a case this size where you can remove the hard drive cage (or where it is missing by design)?
Click to expand...

Both of the cases mentioned in this thread have removable hard drive cages...
 
I knew about their Q08, I didn't know it was removable here- it's hard to tell from the pictures.
 
I wouldn't of guessed this was from Lian-Li in a million years.
I like some a lot of what Lian-Li has done with it but I really would prefer a top exhaust fan and clean corners that are normally on Lian-Li cases. I also think that $200 is $50 too much but considering its targeted demographic and market share I understand it.
 
Just ordered my PC-TU200B from Newegg (Item#: N82E16811112348) $190 shipped.

Can't wait.
 
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