Lian-Li PC-7 SE-B III Aluminum ATX Case Review

Cases & PSU/Cases by jmke @ 2007-12-20

PC-Cooling.de send us an affordable mid-tower case from Lian-Li, this light weight aluminum case comes with three silent 120mm fans preinstalled and lots of tool less features. Let´s find out if a high end system can be kept cool inside.

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Size Comparison & Outside Look

Size comparison

Comparing the Lian-Li PC-7 SE-B III to the other cases we have reviewed in the past it’s no surprise that height wise this mid-tower is one of the smaller contenders. While this does limit the expandability options and/or water-cooling options inside the case, for most systems, the diminutive size will not pose a problem.

Compared to a 1m80 human, here’s how the cases stack up in height and width:

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The remaining size specification, depth, is most important for high end VGA cards and you’ll see here that the PC-7 is far from the smallest:

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Look Outside

The PC-7 series follows the classic Lian-Li design choices, a sober front with nicely integrated power/reset buttons; the side panel reveals an extra in-take.

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The front panel’s top strip features a “carbon-fiber” like finishing, with the camera’s flash it stands out a lot, in natural lighting however it’s hardly noticeable.

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Moving on to the back of the case, we can see the 120mm exhaust fan, PC-7 features classic ATX rules, PSU at the top. Thumbscrews are used for both side panels, the side panel in-take (more on that later) and the PSU mounting bracket.

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Flipping the case on its side, we can see the silver color bottom panel, and four black plastic feet, these are from hard plastic and will transfer vibrations to the underlying surface.

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Last noteworthy feature at the outside are the I/O ports, they haven’t moved place since the PC-7 series was launched, this is unfortunately, because at the bottom of the front panel they are not easily accessible, unless you place the tower on your desk.

You get two USB ports, Firewire and mic/headphone:

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A look inside now ->
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Comment from Sidney @ 2007/12/20
I like the one with F/R fans only; wonder if I can get a side panel without fan hole. I am still using PC-60 with 80mm fans running 7v. Still like the classic look.
Comment from Rutar @ 2007/12/20
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sidney View Post
I like the one with F/R fans only; wonder if I can get a side panel without fan hole. I am still using PC-60 with 80mm fans running 7v. Still like the classic look.
You're not the only one who likes that , but it really does look better in silver as I have it from PC-Cooling (which is one of the cheapest sites to order cooling gear, cases and power supplies, and they have a huge selection).

I am surprised it didn't get a value award because for an all alu case with 3 decent fans (review needs to mention it btw, that is a PC-Cooling special version) this is serious value.
Comment from jmke @ 2007/12/20
Value is debatable, as imho the Coolermaster 690 gives better Value for money (~$70) with more expansion slots and more cooling options; but Mainstream is between Value and High End, which this case certainly is, affordable for most people who are building a PC and want a quality ALU case
Comment from Rutar @ 2007/12/20
CM 690: 10 kg
LL 7 SE III: 5.5 kg

They can both be the best value depending what you look for and mainstream doesn't really do this product justice.
Comment from jmke @ 2007/12/20
for an enthusiast product to get in spotlight of mainstream, that's quite an accomplishment, can only be gotten if price is right AND features are good

Weight isn't everything, you know

 

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