Introduction
We have a couple of Lian-Li chassis to review over the next week and they are both very different. Coming shortly, we’ll have the PC-T60 Test Bench which is a typical Lian-Li chassis, at least in materials used. In today’s review, we will concentrate on the Lian-Li PC-K5 Ebonsteel Mid Tower chassis, which is a very different Lian-Li chassis when compared to the history of their chassis releases, it’s an all steel chassis, for the first time. Lian-Li are not scrapping their aluminium range and going for steel materials, but instead aiming this steel range of chassis at budget system builders, even Lian-Li’s information on this series states “Steel Cases, Lian Li Quality, Excellent Value”.
So diehard Lian-Li fans rest assured, they’re not removing the signature brushed aluminium aesthetic from their range, just opening their range to a broader audience. A sigh of relief for most who know the Lian-Li range well.
It doesn’t stop with the PC-K5, Lian-Li have released a series of steel constructed chassis, so if the PC-K5 isn’t quite what you want, then you can have a look at the PC-K6, and the PC-K6S, probably with more to follow. You also have the option of window or solid side panel on all the models, and we are reviewing the windowed PC-K5WX.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Chassis Type | Mid Tower |
| Manufacturer Number | PC-K5X PC-K5WX with window |
| Material | Steel SECC |
| Net Weight | 4.9kg |
| Motherboards | ATX / Micro ATX / Mini ITX |
| Chassis Dimensions | (W)205mm x (H)450mm x (D)500mm |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| 5.25” Drive Bays | 2 |
| 3.5” Drive Bays | 3.5"/2.5" HDD x4 |
| Air Cooling | Front - 120mm Fan x2 / LED 120mm Fan x2 (PC-K5WX) Top - 120mm Fan x2 (Optional) Rear - 120mm Fan x1 |
| Water Cooling | 120mm x240mm x60mm |
| PSU | Standard ATX PS2 (optional) |
| Max VGA Card Length | 250mm (400mm) |
| Max PSU length | 250mm |
| Max height CPU coolers | 160mm |
| I/O Ports | USB3.0 x1 USB2.0 x2 HD Audio |
The main compromises are internal space, though not by much. The main two system compromises you will have are the graphics card length, 342 mm (465 mm without the HDD cage) down from 250mm (400mm), and no support for an E-ATX motherboard.
The latter is not an issue, if you are going for an extended motherboard you probably won’t be going for a mid-tower chassis. The graphics will compromise some, and we already know we cannot use our normal Zotac GTX 980 Ti AMP! Edition in this review, but we were not compromised much.
Everything else will get you on your way to a first build or a LAN Party chassis very easily. There is also support for optical drives, though we do not test with these, it’s going to appeal to a broader audience. Overall it’s a mid-sized standard chassis with all the features you should expect.
Lian-Li PC-K5WX Ebonsteel Mid Tower Chassis Review
Packaging - 7
Features - 7.6
Build - 7.6
Component Compatibility - 7
Price - 8
Consumer Experience - 8
7.5
This chassis is suited to first time builds, or even if you are a parent building a first time system for your children. It’s also a good LAN party chassis, and carries the Lian-Li name, that’ll carry some weight on its own. If you want to have decent chassis for your first build or the other situations we have mentioned, the Lian-Li PC-K5WX is definitely worth a consideration.