Lian-Li PC-A05 Mid-Tower Case
By Alex Ksiazek
July 11, 2007

Introduction: What can be said about Lian-Li? I have always felt their name was synonymous with quality, style, and shiny brushed aluminum. Lian-Li's own website describes the company as one of the largest and most reputable manufacturers of aluminum PC cases in Taiwan.

And rightfully so. With over twenty years of experience, Lian-Li is a salty dog. The PC-A05 is a new offering, and a departure from previous doctrine 'Big Is Beautiful', which targets the lower segment of the market. The case promises to be very un-big in size while remaining big on features. An ambitious endeavor, but can it deliver?

First Impressions: The first thing I noticed after removing the Styrofoam supports and plastic wrap was the size. I guess I didn't know what I was expecting. Everything I had read online described the overall size as small or tiny. Maybe I have gotten used to the mid-tower frame of most of my previous pre-built systems.

It seemed wider than I expected, an entire inch wider on both sides of the optical drive bays. After looking up the dimensions and realizing this isn't abnormal compared to other cases, I determined that the small vertical height had sort of created an optical illusion, giving the whole case a kind of 'squat' look. So is it big or small?

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