Lian Li Launches A3-mATX Case with Steel Mesh Panels and Minimalistic Design

Tsing

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Lian Li has partnered with DAN Cases to produce the A3-mATX, a new PC case for M-ATX and ITX motherboards that features side and top panels with steel mesh. Coming in both black and white color options, the new case is available now for $69.99 MSRP at retailers that include Newegg. Caseking, and Overclockers UK.

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Wow! I really like these. I was on the fence with ordering a Sharkoon C20 ITX since it's now on Amazon but for $320(ouch!).

At $70, and capable of even longer GPU plus the AIOs, it's pretty much a done deal. I just need to double check the specs a bit more before I order one. Just checked the Newegg link and it says they don't release until 6/11.
 
Okay so I might actually do this but I'll have to think about it. After checking the Lian Li product page it appears there are about a dozen or more configurations you can do with it but in order to fit this:


and a 360 AIO at the top, I'll have to get this:


@Paul_Johnson did a review of the non-5.0 12VHPWR version that is essentially the same.

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The PSU would set me back an extra $270+tax which hurts a little but the other pros of this case is that despite its minute size I could still add a fan here and there as needed. Otherwise just imagine the CPU/Motherboard/NVMe setup like my other rigs going into it and that's it.
 
The last 2 Lian Li cases I have purchased have been bottom tier junk with a Lian Li logo on the front. No where near the all aluminum, premium quality cases that I remembered back from the 00's. The knockoff Newegg house-brand cases (Rosewill) were seriously much better quality.

Lian Li has partnered with DAN Cases to produce the A3-mATX

I don't know who DAN is, but I'm not exactly expecting much here.
 
Brian_B said:
I don't know who DAN is, but I'm not exactly expecting much here.
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Dan cases has been much bigger in the ITX / toaster scene. This A3-mATX is as much noteworthy for being a new case as it is being larger than most of what they've done.

In this relationship, Lian Li is really just the manufacturer, though probably had input in terms of manufacturability.

Brian_B said:
The last 2 Lian Li cases I have purchased have been bottom tier junk with a Lian Li logo on the front. No where near the all aluminum, premium quality cases that I remembered back from the 00's.
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I had a PC-61 (I think) that was a nice aluminum build, but I think that trend is long past. Cases are pretty light if they're not three sides of tempered glass, and if they are all glass, using aluminum won't make much difference.

I will say that I haven't used anything from them lately aside from my O11-D XL, and I didn't really have any complaints about the case itself other than it not being particularly good for cooling without a custom loop.
 
Niner51 said:
Here is a nice overview of the case
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Thanks! Fantastic video and this was going to be my next step in research and it pretty much nailed all my questions/concerns. I pretty much had figured it all out but it was really nice to see in a video review and more or less agree with everything he covered in the video. Yep, I'm gonna do it!

For reference for anyone wondering, this is going to replace my last Coolermaster HAF case. The end of an era that's spanned almost two decades where I've done more builds in the 932 and X than I can remember. Ironically the HAF X reached its limit when I put the GPU listed above in and the riveted drive cage was in the way and I had to use a hammer/channel locks, and needle nose pliers to bend it to get the GPU in and even then it's not quite right.

I'll take pics when its done and I can't wait. One of the many reasons for doing this is that as I'm getting older it's just too much of a pia to move these things around and while tempered glass is pretty I'm far more interested in mesh on all sides, plus the options for the parts I'm going to use.
 
Peter_Brosdahl said:
One of the many reasons for doing this is that as I'm getting older it's just too much of a pia to move these things around
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That's why I put my 7000X/D cases in storage due to their weight. I've always thought about a SFF build, but man my hands are large and the essential tremors in my hands make putting things together like this harder and harder.
 
Niner51 said:
but man my hands are large and the essential tremors in my hands make putting things together like this harder and harder.
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Mine as well and factor in arthritis and it gets even more fun. I like how this, and some other new smaller cases are in between ITX and ATX now. Lian Li is calling this Micro form factor which I suppose fits since it doesn't quite conform to one or the other. I like how I can stick with using a mATX board, as long as the main PCIe isn't towards the bottom of the board since I really didn't want to have to buy another board on top of everything else plus, for me, the MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi ProSeries have proven to be very good boards so far. This design looks like, with some planning, building in it isn't going to be a huge challenge.
 
I'm so very psyched that it'll be delivered tomorrow! I'm not 100% sure I'll have the energy to do the transfer into it. It'll depend on when it gets delivered but hopefully, I'll have the energy to get it done before the weekend is over and I'll post pics in the PC cases section.
 
Watched the above videos again in prep for this build, along with about a half dozen others but I thought this one was pretty good as well. I liked how it showed a 360 AIO, 4080 SUPER FE, and then used the optional side bracket to add 2 x 240mm fans for intake and, get this, even tested a 14900K!

 
Peter_Brosdahl said:
Watched the above videos again in prep for this build, along with about a half dozen others but I thought this one was pretty good as well. I liked how it showed a 360 AIO, 4080 SUPER FE, and then used the optional side bracket to add 2 x 240mm fans for intake and, get this, even tested a 14900K!

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It would be nice if my local Micro Center had these, cuz I can't get a good idea of a case's size from videos and pics. I'd like to see it in person.
 
DrezKill said:
It would be nice if my local Micro Center had these, cuz I can't get a good idea of a case's size from videos and pics. I'd like to see it in person.
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Heads up, that I posted pics of the complete build in the cases section. I had a blast with this thing and have honestly worked with cases far larger that gave way more grief. I'm tempted to buy two more and transfer my other rigs into them but I'm going to hold off until after the RTX 50 series launches before I commit to that.
 
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