Lian Li has displayed several new chassis during the Gamescom 2012 conference in Germany, including one shaped like an old steam locomotive. Four of the new cases will launch in August, the fifth has yet to receive a launch date. As we've come to get used to with Lian Li chassis, they're constructed using brushed aluminium panels, which reduce the weight. All models feature at least 2x USB 3.0 and audio in their front panels.
PC-7HX
This chassis is the most traditional on the inside, featuring three 5.25" bays, two 140 mm intake fan, a drive cage for up to four 3.5" disks and a single 2.5" SSD and as power supply positioned on the bottom of the case. The PC-7HX offers room for graphics cards of up to 40 centimetres, with the maximum length for power supplies being 25 centimetres. CPU-coolers have to stay within a height of 17 cm. With eight expansion slots, the chassis can also be used for Quad-SLI or Quad-CrossFireX configurations. The case supports motherboards of up to the ATX form factor and weighs 7 kilograms.
Lian Li PC-7HX (left)
PC-A75
The PC-A75 is similar to the PC-7HX, but offers a lot more space. There are 'only' two 5.25" bays, compensated by the presence of three 140 mm intake fans in the front panel. Because of its large drive cage, up to twelve 3.5" hard disks and three 2.5" drives can be placed in the chassis. Graphics card length is limited to 36 centimetres, with the same amount of space being available for a power supply. CPU-coolers again have to stay within a height of 17 centimetres. This case weighs 11.7 kg and is also compatible with HPTX motherboards.
Lian Li PC-A75
PC-CK101
While the name doesn't immediately give it away, the PC-CK101 is a very remarkable chassis. The case is modeled entirely after a steam locomotive. The dimensions of this train, which has room for mini-ITX motherboards only, are 185 x 258 x 515 millimetres. Because of its limited space, only SFX power supplies can be used. Lian Li bundles a 300 watts version with an 80 Plus certificate with the chassis. Only a single 3.5" hard disk and a slimline optical drive can be installed in the PC-CK101. A lone 120 mm fan is present to keep the components chilled.
Lian Li is very serious about this new 'chassis', as the luxurious Premium version even comes with required materials to make the train ride. Two pieces of rails are also included. Unfortunately, cabling limits the train's motion. The bare version of the case, which includes just the train, is to cost around £175, while the more expensive 'PB Premium' edition with rails and motor will be priced around £270.
PC-D8000
If you have only a single hard disk or SSD, this case isn't for you. With a size of 40.5 x 62.8 x 57.2 centimetres, the case is almost as large as two regular midi-towers, and therefore difficult to move. To fix this issue, Lian Li has added wheels to it. The PC-D8000 supports both ATX and HPTX motherboards and has room for up to twenty 3.5" hard disks. with 11 expansion slots, there's plenty of opportunity to install graphics cards or raid controllers. Up to six 140 mm fans can be installed in the front panel, with an additional four slots in the top panel. On the rear, three more 140 mm coolers and a single 120 mm fan can be installed. Graphics cards are allowed to have a length of up to 41 cm. For both power supplies, a length of 36 cm each is available. Despite its large size, the case only offers room for CPU-coolers with a height of within 16 centimetres. Five 5.25" bays and four front panel USB 3.0 connectors are available on the PC-D8000.
Lian Li PC-D8000
PC-100
The final case, the PC-100, is the model that has yet to receive a release date. This case has a reverse design, where the PCI cards are situated on the front. Cables are attached through a door in the front panel. Two 140 mm intake fans are present on the back of the case. There's room for an ATX power supply, positioned on the bottom of the case, at the same height as the 5.25" bays on the front. The PC-100 supports Extended-ATX and XL-ATX motherboards, but not HPTX. The case has eight PCI slots and room for 40 cm long GPUs, 22 cm long power supplies and processor coolers with a height of up to 16.5 cm.
Lian Li PC-100
