Back when I was a kid, I got soundly trounced for turning our old desktop-style Packard Bell Legend PC on its side to make it more like a then-becoming-popular tower PC. Folks who can't decide whether they want a stand-up or lay-down case will appreciate Lian Li's latest releases, as they can be used either way. The PC-Q50, PC-V320, and PC-V720 cases have their aluminum feet in the form of thumbscrews that can be repositioned on one end or one side of the case. We saw these cases back at Computex, but they're finally finding their way to the market.
Lian Li PC-V720B ATX case
The difference in the three enclosures is primarily their size. The largest model is the PC-V720, which measures 6.7" wide, 15" high, and 18" deep (17 cm x 39 cm x 47cm). As you'd expect from dimensions like that, the case can take full-sized ATX motherboards and power supplies, as well as the longest graphics cards you can find. It's relatively narrow, though; it only has room for CPU coolers up to 5.5" (14 cm) tall. The drive tray can take a pair of 3.5" hard drives, and you can mount a pair of 2.5" drives to it too. While the majority of the case's exterior is made of ventilation grille, Lian Li only put places to mount two fans in the PC-V720. You can mount a 140-mm fan in the top of the case, and a 120-mm in the front. Neither are included.
Lian Li PC-V320B micro-ATX case, open to show front PSU mount
That same configuration extends to the smaller PC-V320, which is nearly identical to its larger brother except that it only has four expansion slots. This micro-ATX design reduces the height of the case to just under 13" (32 cm). This enclosure still takes the same size graphics cards and CPU coolers as its sibling, and has the same allotment of storage spaces. Both these seem stingy on the fan accomodations because of the unusual design that places the power supply toward the front of the case where we'd normally expect to find 5.25" drive bays. This allows the cases to be relatively short considering the hardware they can house.
Lian Li PC-Q50A showing side-mounted feet
The PC-Q50 is quite a bit smaller than its cousins at 6.7" x 11" x 14" (17 x 28.5 x 36 cm). This case can fit Mini-ITX systems with graphics cards up to 12.5" (32 cm) in length. Unlike the other two enclosures, the PC-Q50 requires the use of a smaller SFX power supply. There's only room for a single 120-mm fan, in the top. However, the case still has the same capacity for storage devices (two 3.5" and two 2.5 drivers) as the forementioned enclosures, and it can accept CPU coolers up to 5.5" (14 cm) tall.
Whichever chassis you choose, you'll appreciate the movable feet and front-panel USB Type-C port. Additionally, all three cases can be purchased in either bare aluminum or black-anodized finishes. Lian Li says the enclosures should be available stateside in mid-September, and that it'll be asking $219 for the ATX PC-V720, $189 for the microATX PC-V320, and $149 for the Mini-ITX PC-Q50.
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