Introduction Lian Li Lancool 216
Lian Li (Lian Li Lancool 216)has been getting a lot of attention lately because of their cool computer cases. One of their popular cases is the O11, which is great because it’s made of strong glass and keeps the inside cool. But Lian Li has more awesome cases like the Q58, O11D Evo, and the Lancool III.
Their newest case, the Lian Li Lancool 216, is really special among their other cases. It comes with two big fans, a cool bracket for the graphics card, and a place to mount another fan for the graphics card. I thought it might be expensive because of all these cool features, but the regular Lancool 216 costs only $100. There are versions with fancy lights (RGB) for just $15 more. Even though it’s not expensive, there are lots of other cases with similar prices. Let’s take a closer look, test it out, and see if the Lancool 216 is good enough to be on our list of the best PC cases. But first, here are all the details about this case from Lian Li.
Specifications Lian Li Lancool 216
| Case Type | ATX Mid-Tower |
|---|---|
| Compatible Motherboards | Mini-ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, E-ATX |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 19.4 x 9.25 x 19 inches |
| Max GPU Length | 15.4 inches |
| Max CPU Cooler Height | 7.1 inches |
| External Drive Bays | Not Available |
| Internal Drive Bays | 6x 2.5-inch or 2x 3.5-inch |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Front I/O Ports | USB Type-C (10Gbps), 2x USB 3.0 Type A (5Gbps), power, reset, and audio |
| Additional Features | External fan mounting provision |
| Front Fans | 2x 160mm fans |
| Rear Fans | 1x 120mm fan |
| Top Fans | None |
| Bottom Fans | None |
| Weight | 31 pounds |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Pros And Cons Lian Li Lancool 216
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Two 160mm RGB fans | Requires separate purchase of RGB controller and |
| PCIe fan | |
| Dedicated bracket for PCIe/GPU | |
| fans | |
| Excellent cable management | |
| Bridged IO connector |
Features
The Lian Li Lancool 216 is a computer case that’s similar to the Lancool III. When you look at it, you might think they’re the same, but there are important differences. For instance, it has two big 160mm fans in the front, similar to the popular Fractal Torrent case from 2021. These fans help keep your computer cool. What’s interesting is that this case also comes with a special bracket to direct air towards your graphics card.
The front of the Lancool 216 is mostly made of mesh, which is good for airflow. Unlike the Lancool III, which had some problems keeping things cool, this case does much better at keeping temperatures down.
It has a good set of ports at the front: power, reset, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port, and an audio jack. The design is smart because it leaves space for an RGB controller, but it costs an extra $15. While it’s nice to have RGB lighting control, it feels a bit unfair to charge extra for this feature.
Setting up the motherboard in this case can be a bit tricky. You need to move some parts around to make sure everything fits well, especially if you want to use the special cooling feature for your graphics card. It’s a bit of work, but it’s worth it in the end.
One cool thing about this case is the PCIe bracket, which can be turned to make your graphics card stand vertically without pressing against the glass. Even with the graphics card in a vertical position, you can still use the special fan feature for the graphics card.
GPU Cooling Lian Li Lancool 216
Now, let’s talk about the GPU bracket fan mount. The Lancool 216 includes a 120mm fan mount that attaches to the back of the PCIe bracket. The purpose of this bracket is simple: attach a fan to the PCIe bracket below the graphics card to draw away hot air from the GPU. While it’s not commonly found in the market in 2022, this feature significantly benefits those using blower-style GPUs.
The concept of the GPU fan mount is intriguing, but it does obstruct access to any PCI cards beneath the GPU, as shown in the picture below. This might be inconvenient if you have a separate sound card or USB expansion card. However, most people, particularly those purchasing a $100 case, likely only have a GPU installed and wouldn’t be affected much.
I had a few of these brackets available, so I installed one of the new be quiet! Silent Wings 4 fans in the PCIe slot. With its maximum RPM of 2,500, it fit perfectly. Given that graphics cards are becoming more powerful and demanding more power, having a large fan that helps remove the heated air from the GPU is something I truly appreciate.
Internal Layout Lian Li Lancool 216
The Lancool 216 is quite sizable for a mid-tower, measuring at 19.4 x 9.25 x 19 inches (HWD), though a bit shorter than the Lancool III.
You can easily remove the top panel on the Lancool 216 with a couple of screws. This makes it much easier to connect the EPS-12V cable.
Behind the motherboard tray, there are metal tabs to keep your cables organized and an RGB/fan hub. The hub isn’t anything special, but I did notice that one of the male RGB connectors was bending outward, which is worrying. The metal tabs for holding cables are interesting, but they do their job well enough.
The hard drives are located under the PSU shroud in a cage. This cage can hold two 2.5- or 3.5-inch drives. If you don’t use hard drives, this case can accommodate up to six total 2.5-inch drives, with two sleds behind the motherboard tray.
If you’re thinking of using a large air cooler, the Lancool 216 can support up to 180mm (7.1 inches), which is more than enough for very tall towers. It’s the same for GPUs, as this case can fit cards up to 392mm (15.4 inches).
The main highlight of this case is its large front 160mm fans and the PCIe fan bracket. But Lian Li also included mounts for a more traditional setup. You can remove the front fans to install 3x 120 or 2x 140mm fans for radiators. The top of the case can also hold the same configuration. Similar to the Lancool III, the 216 has space for two 120 or 140mm fans on the PSU shroud. Lastly, the rear exhaust can accommodate a 120 or 140mm fan.
Testing Hardware
Our test setup includes Intel’s latest 12th Generation Alder Lake platform. We employ a Core i7-12700KF processor, which stays cool with a Noctua U12s air cooler. For graphics, we rely on a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC, paired with an MSI Pro Z690-A WIFI motherboard.
Acoustic Results
Our sound test has three parts: testing the CPU at its busiest, testing both the CPU and GPU at their busiest, and testing an optimized setting.
When we test the CPU at its busiest, we make sure both the CPU and case fans are working at their fastest speeds. In the CPU and GPU busiest test, we push the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC while setting the fans at 75% speed. We avoid running the fans at 100% because that makes them too noisy, which isn’t typical during gaming anyway.
In the optimized mode, we set the GPU fan speed at 30% and the CPU and case fans at their lowest possible speeds while still spinning.
It’s important to note that our sound tests didn’t involve the PCIe fan because it wasn’t included, and the noise levels could change depending on which fan you choose to install there. However, we did test the Silent Wings 4 fan in that spot for our Thermal tests, as it’s a crucial aspect of the case. Similar to its predecessor, the Lancool III, the 216 tends to be loud. But the larger fans make it bearable for me. Let me clarify, this case isn’t silent, but the good thermal performance outweighs the noise, as I’ll explain next.
Thermal Results
For the thermal tests, I made sure all the fans in the computer case and CPU were running at their maximum speed, which is 100%. The Core i7-12700K processor was set to work at a speed of 4.7GHz and a voltage of 1.3v on all its main cores. This setup ensures that the power used stays consistent during all the different tests we conducted. The GPU, or graphics card, was allowed to run at 75% fan speed. This helped it maintain its power level while keeping the fan speed at a reasonable level, so the only thing that changed was the temperature.
I directly compared two well-known computer cases, the Fractal Design Torrent Compact and the Lian Li Lancool 216. These are the only cases on the market that have 160mm fans. The difference in the temperature of the CPU was very small and fell within the expected range of error. However, there was a clear 10-degree difference in the temperature of the GPU. This shows that the fan attached to the PCIe slot (where the graphics card goes) really makes a difference.
After comparing the Lancool 216 to the best cases available this year, I can confidently say that this case deserves serious consideration. Especially if you care a lot about keeping your graphics card cool while it’s working hard.
Bottom Line
During the last year, many popular computer cases have focused more on airflow rather than fancy glass and colorful lights. But now, a lot of these cases seem similar and a bit dull. However, the Lian Li Lancool 216 is different. It takes some cool features from the Lancool III and O11D Evo and even comes with a helpful PCIe fan in its latest model.
What’s great is that the Lancool 216 is priced at only $100 (or $115 if you want to add a nice RGB controller). This price makes it a strong competitor in a market flooded with options at similar price points. With so many expensive cases released this year (looking at you, Cooler Master), it’s refreshing to see that you don’t have to spend a lot to get great performance and quality. That’s why, despite some small issues, I think the Lancool 216 is truly one of the best cases I’ve seen in a while.
The Lian Li Lancool 216 emerges as an exceptional choice for PC enthusiasts, seamlessly merging innovative features from prior models with a focus on airflow, all at an incredibly competitive price point. Despite minor shortcomings, its remarkable performance and value make it a standout contender among computer cases in today's market.
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