Lian Li PC-O5SX Review

Performance Analysis

The CPU delta T was unsurprisingly mediocre, with little by way of assistance being provided to our top-down CPU cooler. Thankfully, while we found at least one all-in-one liquid cooler won't actually fit in the roof, there are many that will. The case has clearly been designed with this in mind and it will obviously provide better cooling that you see here too.


In reality, though, this is the type of air cooler you'll be using if you don't want liquid cooling, as we don't know of any air coolers that are less than 80mm high. There are undoubtedly better models out there, but clearly, though, for an overclocked system an all-in-one liquid cooler is the best option.

The GPU delta T was a little more favourable, mainly because the GPU actually sits at the bottom of the case where it's coolest and also with its cooler just a few inches away from the large vent in the front of the case. Indeed, it mimicked the results of similar cases, such as the Xigmatek Nebula C and Corsair Obsidian 250D, both of which rely on nearby vents to provide the GPU with cool air.
Our dual-slot GPU cooler had plenty of space so triple slot coolers aren't impossible.


Conclusion

With an all-aluminium case and large tempered glass side panel, not to mention an immaculate, well thought-out interior, the price was never going to be low. While the PC-O5SX is practical enough to be used as an every day case, it is, for all intents and purposes, a show case designed to exhibit your shiny hardware. The fact that Lian Li has managed to marry the two is interesting and the obvious competitor is the InWin 901. The latter is equally lust-worthy and certainly more compact.

We'd argue that the PC-O5SX is perhaps better suited to a more powerful system, with room for triple slot graphics cards and a dual 120mm-fan radiator in the roof. The latter is somewhat of a sticking point, though, as you'll need a 30mm-deep radiator and some all-in-one liquid coolers such as Corsair's H105 are larger than this - if you're considering the PC-O5SX make very sure your radiator is no thicker than 30mm else you will have issues.

In summary, we absolutely love the PC-O5SX. It's elegant, good-looking and has gallons of that Lian Li desirability factor - something that's been missing from the company's cases for a while. Being wall-mountable is certainly an added perk too. The price is steep, in fact it's bordering on obscene for a mini-ITX case, but it has quality and uniqueness in abundance. For a select few, we can highly recommend it.