INTRODUCTION

   Looking back less than 5 years ago i really can't remember of anyone who owned an HTPC system and i can't really say that i remember that many HTPC enclosure solutions either. Today things have obviously changed and so many people choose to have a single HTPC system to use both as a normal Desktop system and as a Hardware Media Player while at the same time skipping the cost of an LCD screen which would in most cases be a lot smaller than their main TV (naturally). Up until today i have to admit that although i do have an small HTPC system i never did like them much mainly because of the tiny interior space which doesn't really allow you to install large and many components. Lian Li has been amongst the very few PC Case manufacturers who have actually designed and manufactured medium-sized HTPC enclosures and their latest PC-V353A might just be one of their best ones to date.

     Lian Li Industrial Co., LTD was founded in 1983. We are one of the largest and most reputable manufacturers of aluminium PC case in Taiwan. With over twenty years of experience in the computer products field, our dedicated team of engineers, production specialists and administrative staff provide the finest quality accessories available on the market. In 1993, Lian-Li Introduced the new lines of computer hardware, including bracket( for case & interfaces), Mobile rack(for H.D.D.), mounting kit(for FDD & HDD), aluminum PC cases, IPC, external cases, server cases and more. We also provide OEM & ODM services, you are assured of designs that will meet your exact specifications, innovative ideas in manufacturing that will give your products an essential market edge. Our outstanding quality has earned us ISO 9001 certification for all of our products. In addition, we back up our quality assurance with a two-year guarantee on most of our products.

   The PC-V353A may not be the largest HTPC enclosure manufactured by Lian-Li but it comes with many useful features such as a high quality aluminum body, 7 fan spots paired with air-filters, 2 optical drive bays, space for two 3,5" and two 2.5" disk drives, room for graphics cards up to 300mm long and CPU Coolers up to 105mm tall, removable mainboard tray, 2 USB 3.0 ports and 4 PCI slots. Generally the PC-V353A offers the kind of features we mostly find in high end midi/full towers however the real question is just how good the final result can be when placing all these in an HTPC enclosure and that's what we are here to see.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product image right next to 7 smaller ones showcasing its main features is placed at both the front and rear of the box.

On the sides we see the color choice (for the product inside the box) and a small list with the specifications of the PC-V353A written in 6 languages.

Two Styrofoam spacers and a plastic bag keep the enclosure safe during transport.

Aside the PC-V353A HTPC enclosure inside the box you will also find a product catalog, two installation guides, mainboard speaker, USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 adapter, two cable ties and 5 small plastic bags with all the necessary screws and standoffs.

THE PC-V353A EXTERIOR

The aluminum PC-V353A measures 286mm in height, 288mm in width and 397mm in depth while weighing a mere 4.13Kg.

The first out of the two 5.25" optical drive bays is present at the top left of the enclosure.

There are also 5 pre-drilled holes right beneath it allowing you to switch from a right side I/O to a left side one.

Almost the entire fascia of the PC-V353A is perforated to allow for maximum airflow for the 4x120mm fan spots placed right behind it.

The power on/off and reset buttons are placed at the center of the fascia.

A large Lian-Li logo is placed right beneath them and is covered by a sticker for protection.

The second 5.25" optical drive bay is designed for optical drives since it comes with an aluminum door (you don't need to mind what bezel your drive is) and an eject button.

The I/O is placed at the right side panel and includes 2 USB 3.0 ports, eSATA port and the usual headphones/microphone mini-jacks.

I was a bit surprised to see that at the rear end of the top Lian-Li has placed two more 120mm fan spots.

I was glad to see that the rear is also the same exact color as the rest of the enclosure (the black version is not all black at the rear).

Something we don't see much with HTPC enclosures is the ability to remove the PSU cover, mount it on the unit and then slide the unit back in. This feature makes the entire installation process a lot easier so naturally i was glad to see it.

The PC-V353A is the first HTPC I’ve used to date that comes with a total of 4 PCI expansion slots.

There's also a 92mm fan spot at the rear of the enclosure (why not yet another 120mm one?).

Lian-Li has used high quality thumbscrews for every part of the PC-V353A.

Four round rubber feet keep the case roughly 2cm from the ground.

THE PC-V353A INTERIOR

The side panels may not feature any noise-absorbing coating but they are held in place via several jointers meaning you can remove them just by pulling.

Well if this isn't spacious enough for an HTPC case i really don't know what is. The only problem some may have is with long cards since the power cables may not be flexible enough to fit/bend beneath the top compartment. However that can be easily rectified by purchasing aftermarket extension cables.

You can't really mount two DVD/Blu-Ray optical drives on the PC-V353A however you can mount for example a card reader and an optical drive and since both bays are movable you can choose where to install which.

Right beneath the two 5.25" bays we find two small drive cages each of which can hold one 2.5" and one 3.5" disk drives adding up to a total of 4. Both cages feature two rubber pieces between them and the main chassis to absorb any vibration coming from the drives.

All six 120mm fan spots (4 front/2 top) come complete with air-filters. Of course there are no fans pre-installed something that may annoy some people but do take into account that people who are willing to spend much for any HTPC Case pre-installed fans are usually the first thing to go.

The PSU area can accommodate units up to 140mm in length (main body) and features almost the same anti-vibration padding as the drive cages.

You can mount any mATX compatible mainboard on the removable mainboard tray including the enthusiast targeted GENE line of mainboards by ASUS.

All of the PCI Expansion slots come with the classic screws to secure your cards.

It is very easy to transfer the I/O from the right side panel to the left one, you just need to remove the screws found on both sides and swap places.

Removing the front air-filters for cleaning is also very easy and only requires you to remove two screws and pull them out as seen above.

Finally the PC-V353A comes with a mainboard USB 3.0 connector something we just recently begun to see with midi and full towers.

CONCLUSION

   Unfortunately since we currently have none of the high-end mATX mainboards here with us i decided to skip the part where i build a system to showcase interior space since a normal mITX board like the ones we have here would be way too small for the PC-V353A. Of course i did some tests with many graphics cards and as mentioned earlier there's a slight clearance issue with mGPU cards like the GeForce GTX 590 and the Radeon HD 6990 but you can resolve that by using one of the many after-market 6/8pin extension cables out there which are extremely easy to bend. Of course using enthusiast mGPU graphics cards such as the ones mentioned above is hardly the goal for any HTPC enclosure but the PC-353A can take it. Overall i can't really say i found anything bad about the PC-V353A by Lian-Li during all the time i was checking it out. First of all it features excellent build quality and an all-aluminum body that weighs only 4.13Kg. Then we have spots for 7 fans (6x120mm/1x92mm), a movable I/O (left/right), two USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port, 2 movable (left/right) 5.25" optical drive bays, 300mm of free length for graphics cards, 105mm for CPU Coolers and a removable mainboard tray which can accommodate even the best mATX mainboards with up to 4 PCI expansion slots. True it comes without any fans pre-installed and that will certainly disappoint some users but I’d never choose a PC Case based on whether it came with fans or not, at least not a feature-rich one like the PC-V353A.

   Excellent quality, feature-rich PC Cases unlike any other in the market has always been the main reason as to why Lian-Li has been held in high esteem over the past decade from enthusiasts around the world. However when one decides to get the best there is (applies for pretty much everything in life) that automatically translates to extra cost and the current price tag of USD170 inside the USA and 159.90Euros inside the EU (Caseking) for the PC-V353A is pretty much proof of that. Of course there are many HTPC cases in the market that cost two, three and even four times more but there are also many cheaper ones. Bottom line if you want an all-aluminum HTPC enclosure with plenty of features and great airflow and you're also willing to pay the extra price premium then you just can't go wrong with the Lian-Li PC-V353A which is why it gets our Platinum award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Design
- Size & Weight
- 7 Fan Spots With Air-Filters
- Two 5.25" Drive Bays (Movable)
- Two USB 3.0 Ports
- eSATA Port
- Movable I/O
- Room For Long Graphics Cards (300mm)
- CPU Cooler Space (105mm)
- 4 PCI Expansion Slots (High-end mATX Mainboards)
- Easy Removable Side Panels
- Can Fit 4 Disk Drives (2x2.5"/2x3.5") 

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- No Pre-Installed Fans
- mGPU Clearance Issues (After Market Cables Recommended)