Lian Li PC-TU100 Mini-ITX Case Review
by Dustin Sklavos on May 29, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- Lian Li
Conclusion: Still Not There
Reviews like this one are always frustrating to write. Though we don't often act like it, as reviewers we need to assume that the people designing these products know what they're doing and are smarter than we are, and they're aware of the trade-offs being made. Yet my experiences with Lian Li cases often leave me baffled in some respects, and while I like the PC-TU100 for specific tasks, I feel like once again they've missed the boat.
If you like all-aluminum finishes, you're already shopping Lian Li, and the PC-TU100 won't disappoint. Owing to the case's small stature, the aluminum used feels at least a little more sturdy than it typically does even if it's prone to picking up fingerprints and potentially being scuffed. The symmetrical design, the rounded corners, and the handle are actually all attractive choices, though, and I like the way the side panels just pop out. I also appreciate how trimmed down this design is compared to the PC-TU200 that preceded it. Component support is forward-thinking here; Lian Li was right to only support the smallest form factors available, as it cuts down on case volume while still providing a reasonable number of options.
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Assembly was about as easy as it was going to get for a case this small and was a welcome change of pace, but unfortunately that isn't where the buck stops. When we get to actual performance, the PC-TU100 is woefully lacking in both thermals and acoustics. I don't think Lian Li intended any kind of bait and switch with the PC-TU100, but that handle and the small form factor are writing checks that the performance of the case can't cash. The front intake fan seems to be both inefficient and poorly placed, and it's the only cooling the case has.
Could you build a LAN machine using the PC-TU100? Probably. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. The handle is convenient but if you want a case you can easily carry from party to party, the BitFenix Prodigy is in almost every way a superior choice. Lian Li's case is smaller and lighter, but its performance is so poor that you won't be able to put a particularly robust video card inside it without risking a tremendous amount of noise and cooking your SSD. I can see why the TU100 is $109 and I can see where the money is going, but the Prodigy allows for more powerful and quieter builds at $79. More attractive alternatives to the TU100 abound: the SilverStone Sugo SG08 may be $199 but it comes with a power supply and it's far more efficient. The Sugo SG05 can be had with a power supply for less than $150 as well, and is also a better performer. Even the Fractal Design Node 304 beats the TU100, and it does so at $20 less.
This could've been a really good case. The form factor has forced Lian Li to start stripping things down and stripping away complexity, but the thermal design is a total bust. I know Lian Li can do better than this, but unless you have a specific usage scenario that the PC-TU100 would be ideal for, warts and all, I'd advise you to look elsewhere.
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Travis² - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
Hey Dustin,Great review!
I would really like to see all the benchmarks re-run with the sides off.
I could see myself (and other people) bringing it to LAN-party's all buttoned up but taking the sides off once the gaming begins.
I imagine that the noise would increase but it might the increased airflow might make using a more powerful CPU/GPU combo possible.
-Travis
1d107 - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
Seems very similar to PC-Q11. That one is larger, but it takes full-sized power supply, full-sized optical drive, has 140mm fan and mounts for 2x3.5" and 2x2.5" disk drives.Lian-Li has two new cases: PC-Q27 and PC-Q28. Would be nice to get reviews for them.
Overall though it seems that Lian-Li has a few well-designed modules and then tries to throw them together in different combinations. Unfortunately, the success rate is very low. PC-Q11 was a nice exception, if you disregarded tiny side panel screws and lack of internal USB 3 connector.
Alan G - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
"Lian-Li has two new cases: PC-Q27 and PC-Q28. Would be nice to get reviews for them."I'm considering the PC-Q27 for an office computer for my wife. I'll use an i3 chip with integrated graphics so it will not have a cumbersome GPU (which she wouldn't need). Concern is about passive cooling since the case doesn't have a fan.
Grok42 - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
Be sure to checkout the PC-Q25 as well. It's $20 off right now and only $99.Chriz - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
I miss the Lian Li of old, when they had nice features like slide out motherboard trays and the cases were made out of stronger aluminum. They are concentrating too much on making their cases lightweight and visually different, which is sacrificing quality and features. Their innovations of late may look "cool" to some people, but hardly have any functional value. They really need to learn from Fractal Design and Silverstone.Memristor - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
They have smaller cases too which are of excellent quality like the PC-Q12 or even smaller PC-Q05.Dentons - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
Too large. Too expensive.Meh
PatriciaBau42 - Wednesday, May 29, 2013 - link
Aria. even though Phyllis`s report is astonishing, last friday I got a gorgeous Citroλn 2CV since getting a cheque for $7974 this munth and just over ten/k last-month. it's by-far the nicest-work Ive had. I actually started 6 months ago and practically straight away got me over $78, per-hr. I use details from here,, Exit35.comCHECK IT OUTlwatcdr - Thursday, May 30, 2013 - link
Dustin it would be cool if you would include links to the cases that you compair it. I assume that all of those have been reviewed here so links to those would be ideal.stlouis1 - Friday, May 31, 2013 - link
The moment I looked at the pictures and saw where the PSU was mounted I stopped reading and looked at the temp/noise charts. I don't know how Dustin was even bothered to finish reviewing the case from that point. I don't understand how an engineer in the year 2013 re-use a psu mounting design that failed already a decade ago. I thought we had stopped mounting PSU's above the cpu after the Pentium II's?