Lancool PC-K65 Case Review

[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

Lancool is a brand that belongs to Lian Li, and is used for cases from this company that are not made entirely of aluminum. Typically, Lancool cases have an aluminum front panel and steel body. Having two separate brands is a two-edged sword. While it helps users to easily identify the material the case is made of, oftentimes resellers list products under the wrong brand. (Case in point: This particular case is listed at Newegg.com as “Lian Li,” not “Lancool.”) In addition, the manufacturer is not clear on its marketing message to the end-user about the difference between the two brands.

The Lancool PC-K65 is a serious-looking mid-tower case, with an aluminum front panel, steel body, eight expansion slots, and an affordable price (USD 90).

Figure 1: Lancool PC-K65 case

Figure 2: Lancool PC-K65 case

The left panel of the Lancool PC-K65 supports the installation of two 120 mm or 140 mm fans. The mesh for these fans come closed with plastic parts, which prevents dust from entering the computer and also reduces the noise level generated by the PC.

Figure 3: Left panel

[nextpage title=”The Front and Top Panels”]

The front panel of the Lancool PC-K65 is made of aluminum and comes with three external 5.25” bays, using solid aluminum covers. The case comes with two 140 mm fans with air filters on the front panel, which cool down the two internal hard drive cages. These fans (Lian Li LI121425QE-4-A) use three-pin fan power connectors, and come with adapters if you want to connect them directly to the power supply. Unfortunately, the manufacturer doesn’t publish the technical specifications for these fans. The fans are installed on the case using rubber rings, which help absorb vibration and, therefore, reduce the noise produced by them.

Figure 4: Front panel

Figure 5: Front fans

The top panel of the Lancool PC-K65 is solid, as you can see in Figure 6. The case comes with one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and the traditional audio jacks on the front part of the top panel, protected by a lid. The USB 3.0 port uses an internal USB 3.0 connector. The case comes with an adapter for you to connect the USB 3.0 port into a USB 2.0 header, in case your motherboard doesn’t have a USB 3.0 header.

Figure 6: Top panel

Figure 7: Buttons and connectors

[nextpage title=”The Bottom and Rear Panels”]

The bottom panel of the Lancool PC-K65 has a mesh with an air filter for the power supply fan. The rear panel and the interior of the Lancool PC-K65 are not painted. While this is a major drawback compared to competing products, it certainly helped the manufacturer to keep the cost of this case below the USD 100 mark.

Figure 8: Bottom panel

On the Lancool PC-K65, the power supply is installed at the bottom of the case.

The product comes with a 120 mm fan installed on its rear panel (Lian Li LI121225SL-4), using rubber rings to reduce vibration and noise. This fan uses a three-pin fan power connector, but it comes with an adapter in case you want to connect it directly to the power supply.

This case has eight expansion slots with vented slot covers.

There are two holes with rubber covers for hoses of liquid cooling solutions, measuring 0.63” (16 mm) in diameter.

Figure 9: Rear panel

The rear panel has a loop for you to install a padlock or a warranty seal in order to prevent unauthorized people from opening the computer.

Figure 10: Loop for padlock or warranty seal

Let’s now take a look inside the Lancool PC-K65.[nextpage title=”Inside the Lancool PC-K65″]

Both panels are attached to the chassis using black thumbscrews. The motherboard tray has a huge hole for you to access the backplate of the CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case, some clips for you to fasten cables using cable ties, and a plastic cable organizer. Places for routing and hiding cables are abundant.

Figure 11: Overall look

Figure 12: A view behind the motherboard tray

In Figure 13, we get another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened using silver thumbscrews. The Lancool PC-K65 supports video cards up to 11.2” (285 mm) long if the top hard drive cage is installed or up to 16.3” (415 mm) if this cage is removed. The reviewed case supports CPU coolers up to 6.3” (160 mm) tall.

Figure 13: Overall look

The power supply is installed at the bottom of the case. It can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down, so you can decide if you want the fan of your power supply pulling air from inside the case or from outside of it. As shown before, there is an air filter for the power supply fan.

Figure 14: Power supply compartment

There are several holes on the bottom panel for you to easily install components of liquid cooling solutions (e.g., the pump and/or the water tank).

Figure 15: Holes for installing components of liquid cooling solutions

[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]

The Lancool PC-K65 has three external 5.25” bays, six internal 3.5” bays, and four internal 2.5” bays. The case comes with tool-less installation mechanisms only on the top two 5.25” bays; if you want to install a device in the bottom-most 5.25” bay, you will need to use regular screws. The 3.5” bays use a tool-less mechanism based on thumbscrews and rubber rings, which help reduce vibration and noise.

Figure 16: Disk drive bays

The six internal 3.5” bays are installed in two cages with three bays each. The 2.5” bays are located at the top and at the bottom of each hard drive cage. You can remove the top cage if you want to install video cards longer than 11.2” (285 mm). In fact, you can remove both cages if you want.

Figure 17: Top hard drive cage removed

Figure 18: Case with both cages removed

Figure 19: One of the hard drive cages

[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]

The main specifications for the Lancool PC-K65 include:

• Style: Mid-tower
• Application: ATX, and smaller form factors
• Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC) body with aluminum front panel
• Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
• Available colors: Black
• Side panel: Meshed with solid covers
• Dimensions: 18.6 x 8.3 x 19.9 inches (472 x 210 x 505 mm) (H x W x D)
• Net weight: 21 lbs (9.6 kg)
• Gross weight: 24 lbs (10.8 kg)
• Bays: Three external 5.25” bays, six internal 3.5” bays, and four internal 2.5” bays
• Expansion slots: Eight
• Maximum video card length: Up to 11.2” (285 mm) or up to 16.3” (415 mm) if the top hard drive cage is removed
• Maximum CPU cooler height: Up to 6.3” (160 mm)
• Fans: Two 140 mm fans on the front panel and one 120 mm fan on the rear panel
• Optional fans: Two 120 mm or 140 mm fans on the left panel
• Extra Features: Loop for padlock or warranty seal, cable organizer
• More Information: https://www.lancoolpc.com
• Average Price in the U.S.*: USD 90.00

* Researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review.

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

The Lancool PC-K65 is a nice case for its price, and if you prefer a more traditional-looking computer case, this can be an option. It brings all you need to build an up-to-date computer, such as plenty of 2.5” bays and a USB 3.0 port. Its only drawback is purely aesthetic, as it doesn’t come with its interior or rear panel painted black. Of course, if you prefer a case with a more unique look, you will have to look somewhere else.

Strong Points

• Air filter for the front and power supply fans
• Rubber rings for the fans
• Left-side mesh comes closed
• Anti-vibration mechanisms for the hard drives
• Eight expansion slots
• Vented slot covers
• Expansion cards are fastened using thumbscrews
• Supports video cards up to 11.2” (285 mm) on its default configuration or up to 16.3” (415 mm) if the top hard drive cage is removed
• A huge hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
• A few holes and plenty of space for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
• Clips for fastening cables using cable ties
• Cable organizer

Weak Points

• Rear panel and interior are not painted