14 DAY TRIAL // User feedback is commonly sought by all companies that produce things, but usually it comes after a trial run, at the very least, was launched into the wild. Lian Li decided not to go even that far though, when it made the PC-A51. It wants to know if you like it first.
The PC-A51 is a wide-body ATX mid tower case. That means that you shouldn't let the pictures fool you. The case doesn't look wide because it's short. It is wider than normal but no less tall than other mid towers.
The whole purpose of the extra width is to allow for the installation of even the largest CPU coolers on the market. The greatest size that can be accommodated is 175 mm / 6.88 inches.
The top graphics card length isn't as impressive. Sure, it's greater than for the CPU cooler, at 280 mm / 11.02, but it's not as great as in other gaming cases, which reach 300 mm / 11.81 inches or more.
On that note, the top power supply length (PSU) is of 160 mm / 6.29 inches.
It's still a lot on both counts though, and raises some amusing possibilities given the motherboard form factor support.
ATX and micro-AT are a given, and so is mini-ITX really, but one has to consider the potential hilarity in installing a puny mini-ITX platform but equipping it with one of those huge, long AMD or NVIDIA high-end graphics cards.
Not that it's likely for that to happen, but Lian Li is known for experimenting with weird designs, so it stands to reason that its customers, especially loyal ones, would share in that mischief.
Speaking of which, the “uncommonness” is not completely absent even here. The Black aluminum case has a clear acrylic side window that shows a metallic red interior.
An unusual color combination to be sure, especially when using, say, a bright blue motherboard and some green, black or even white add-in boards.
Other specs include room for five 3.5-inch bays (ten 2.5-inch bays), two 140 mm top fans, a 140 mm front fan and another such fan at the back. Finally, there is a front I/O panel with USB 3.0 ports (four of them), eSATA and HD audio jacks (audio in / mic).
