Computer case trends come and go, but wood-trimmed chassis have stuck around for a bit—and will for a little longer, if Lian Li has anything to say about it. Not longer content to be outshone by Fractal Design, Lian Li unveiled the Lancool 217 at Computex 2024, a unique ATX tower featuring subtle wood accents.
As shown, the case gives the vibe of classic high-fi gear, without overtly veering into a mid-century modern look. (Nothing wrong with that—but the Fractal Design North doesn’t blend seamlessly into every home’s aesthetic.) That’s not the case’s only standout feature, either. It comes equipped with two massive 170mm fans preinstalled at the front, ready to move some serious air.
If this understated look isn’t your thing, Lian Li also revealed two other cases. The Lancool 207, which the company describes as a micro-ATX case that fits ATX motherboards, makes the most of its size by allowing those ATX mobos to dip into the space normally reserved for the power supply and cable management. Meanwhile, the O11 Vision Compact lightly downsizes the original aquarium-style case to the O11 Dynamic’s proportions, albeit slightly wider to better accommodate graphics cards and airflow.
Both the Lancool 217 and the O11 Vision Compact will support back-connect motherboards.
For those not interested in a new case, Lian Li also announced two accessory updates that should cause RGB fans to perk up. (I did.) The company’s cable-clutter-killing modular PC fans are getting a third iteration, this time with a focus on controller upgrades. Lian Li says to expect wireless support, and for the units to extend their control to include multiple Unifan generations and other Lian Li products. (That last bit is welcome, since it will further reduce clutter and headache when building with all Lian Li accessories.)
Lian Li is also embedding SignalRGB into a beta version of its L-Connect 3 software, allowing for more unified control of RGB hardware and peripherals, including products from closed systems like Corsair and NZXT.
Of course, this isn’t the only hot news out of Computex 2024—plenty hit during the show’s opening wave of press conferences. AMD announced Ryzen 9000 CPUs and continued support for its AM4 platform; Nvidia is launching an AI gaming assistant; and Arm gave us a peek behind the Copilot+ curtain. This seems a year ripe for juicy announcements—stay tuned throughout the week!
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld
A 14-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.