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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ronmccord - Saturday, September 21, 2013 - link
I think you are being hard on this very small and unique case. First off 50-65 celcius under load is not bad at all considering the case. and 35db not bad at all either. I am coming from laptops that run that and dbs can be higher so I am not as picky. The temps are well under specs and this is a much smaller case the prodigy or sg08 that you speak so highly of. In fact this is one of the smallest itx cases you can buy with a real 450 watt power supply and 760 asus small video card. The prodigy is downright huge and is really an mini atx case. Not only can you pick this up and go easily but it will fit in a backpack or in carry on luggage like a waterproof pelican 1510 which only a couple of other cases will do. The look is quality and unique and you can put it behind a monitor whereas the prodigy and shoebox style cases can take up too much room especially the wobbly plastic prodigy. This is a quality specialist case and My plan is to ditch the optical drive, get a silverstone gold 450 sft modular, one ssd and the new Asus 760 mini. I wll just udate the mini video card every couple of years and be good to go! Would of been nice to have someone really review this with a modular powersupply and getting rid of any excess cables with the new 760.Haravikk - Saturday, April 12, 2014 - link
The review mentions the 120mm fan mount, but would they take a 140mm fan with 120mm mounting holes? I often use the Prolimatech Ultra Sleek Vortex 14 for that purpose; although it's really a CPU cooler it makes a great case fan thanks to being only 15mm thick, provided you're okay with only having a PWM connection.Personally I think this case looks pretty sweet, but I can understand the reviewers issues with it. But assuming you have a video card that is single height, perhaps you could use one of those single-slot GPU cooler blower fans to help keep the heat down? Personally I was thinking of maybe cutting a piece of plastic to direct some of the airflow down towards the GPU.
I'm also hoping Lian-Li may just ditch the optical drive in a future model, as it's a better place to put your 2.5" drive(s), and you could probably do it now if you wanted to keep them away from the GPU. Plus it may open up room for a second 120mm fan on the front; I suppose technically you could even do that yourself on a TU100 right now if you're willing to drill into it, which is one of the hidden benefits of aluminium (it's a lot easier than even thin steel).
You're right though that the attention to detail is a bit lacking, as this could otherwise be a perfect case for small form factor computer, without sacrificing (much) component choice.
n13L5 - Thursday, September 10, 2015 - link
This is a great design, but silly and obvious mistakes being made in the allocation of space.Lian Li's designers have not paid attention to recent component trends (last 5-7 years are wholly ignored). When they do build smaller boxes, space is usually misallocated, leading to limitations that end up sending even Lian Li fans to purchase lower quality Silverstone cases with better layout and cooling strategies.