Lian Li PC-V358 Review

Lian Li PC-V358 Review - Performance Analysis

It was a bit of a shame that the Lian Li PC-V358 couldn't house our usual micro-ATX test gear but using our mini-ITX test gear was the next best thing, especially as the CPU was still overclocked and we used a toasty graphics card. The CPU delta T of 54°C was one of the warmer on test and actually slightly worse than the PC-Q28 too. The top spots were held by the Silverstone Sugo SG08 with its fans on high speed and also by the BitFenix Prodigy, both of which were over 10°C cooler.


There's a simple explanation for this too. The motherboard area is split into two distinct sections but despite there being ample cooling with two front 120mm fans and one rear 120mm fan, all of these are located in the bottom section and not the top where the motherboard sits. It would likely have been far more beneficial to have the two front fans in the side of the case, dealing with the hottest area, and leaving the bottom fan to cool the hard disks but whether you decide to do this or install an all-in-one liquid cooler here as well, you'll likely improve the situation dramatically.

Thankfully, the graphics card is well-placed to make use of its close proximity to the large vent in the side panel and the GPU delta T of 53°C was enough to see the PC-V358 rocket to fifth place in the graphs - much better. The fans were clearly made for quiet-running too - even at 12V they were pleasant to sit next to and were inaudible over the CPU cooler and graphics card.

Lian Li PC-V358 Review - Conclusion

The Lian Li PC-V358 certainly isn't the most feature-rich or best-performing micro-ATX case we've ever encountered but overall it's a really desirable one. In addition to its superb build quality and finishing, Lian Li has added some genuinely useful features. First and foremost is that flip-open roof, which is a massive boon when it comes to installing your hardware - it's much easier than the likes of the SilverStone Sugo SG10. Once we'd worked out how to use them we also really liked the clean design of the pop-off side panels.

Internally there is the issue of being limited to a half-height cooler for the CPU but there are a number of decent ones available, such as the Thermalright AXP-100 or better performing and pricier Noctua NH-L12. Also the swing-out fan bracket allows either for extra overall airflow or the use of a half-height 240mm radiator (dual 120mm fan) so all-in-one cooler's, or even custom water-cooling loops, are an option (water-cooling the graphics card too, though, would probably be a squeeze). Elsewhere there's ample cable routing options and plenty of space for storage.

At £130, the PC-V358 is pricey for a micro-ATX case, especially when you consider the Corsair Obsidian 350D is £50 cheaper and that there are now micro-ATX versions of BitFenix's Prodigy, Phenom and Colossus. This is, of course, the perennial debate when it comes to Lian Li cases - is the premium build quality worth the price - and quite often we do find that the features and performance on offer are not enough to justify the extra cost. On this occasion, though, we feel there's enough here to warrant spending the money, if you can afford it. If you want a premium aluminium micro-ATX case the PC-V358 should definitely be on your short list.