Lian Li
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Razer's projector turns your gaming room into a hippie freakout
Razer has packed its full-spectrum lighting system into everything from its headphones to keyboards to mice over the past few years. Now, that 16.8-million-color platform is expanding into third-party products as well, the company announced at CES today.
Engadget Daily: inside the mind of Cortana, a desk/PC hybrid and more!
Today, we give Microsoft's Cortana a psych eval, take a closer look at Lian Li's desk/PC hybrid, go hands-on with the MSI GT70 Dominator and learn about the HP's latest slate, the Pro x2 612. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
Lian Li's new desk is a computer, no, wait, it's a desk, no, wait...
We've seen plenty of modders build gaming PCs into their desks, but what about those of us without any DIY skills? Lian-Li has stepped in, offering the DK-01 and DK-02, a pair of Table PC chassis that straddle the intersection between high-end technology and furniture. The big difference between the 01 and its bigger brother is the 02 can house a pair of PCs instead of just one, so where the former has a quartet of USB 3.0 ports and an audio jack up front, the latter doubles it. Inside, there's room for a HPTX motherboard, as well as a secondary mini-ITX board if you go for the 02, as well as 10 expansion slots for HDD or SSDs. Unfortunately, this technology does come at a price, since the DK-01 will set you back $990, and the larger variant marked up at $1,200 -- even before you start buying components.
Lian-Li designs a moving train PC case, makes plugging in a challenge (video)
Lian-Li is a fan of odd-looking PC cases, but the boxes have usually had a tendency to remain stationary. The CK-101 takes away that one certainty: the design stuffs a fully functioning PC case with hard drive bays, a slim optical drive and USB 3.0 ports into an on-the-move model of a steam engine train. There's more than a few questions about how it works -- including whether or not it needs a battery to stay rolling, and just what's generating the 'steam' -- but it's already apparent from the video (below) that wired peripherals won't be much fun if you're chasing your computer down the tracks. There's a chance that Lian-Li will be selling a considerably more fixed-in-place version; we'll know more when the CK-101 is shown off at Computex in early June, where there will also be a show-specific, SUV-like Q15 case to sate your appetite for very literal car computers.
Lian Li PC-U6 Cowry desktop case hands-on
As usual, Taiwan-based Lian Li showed up at Computex with a whole bunch of desktop chassis, and this year's highlight is none other than the eccentric PC-U6 Cowry. From our brief hands-on, we'd say that this seashell-like case looked even more gorgeous in real life than in its renderings, especially how the internals and the spiral grooves were lit up by the red LED strip. As expected, the widest part of the Cowry can indeed house a single 310mm (12.2-inch) graphics card, so multi-card enthusiasts will have to get the internal measurements right before ordering the components. Alternatively, maybe our hands-on photos below will give potential buyers a rough idea to start off with, before they drop a cool $349 on Lian Li's doorstep. %Gallery-125009%
Lian Li PC-U6 Cowry case: an aluminum seashell to keep your PC looking stylish
It takes quite a bit to get us excited about desktop case designs these days, but Lian Li's voluptuous new PC-U6 Cowry would seem to qualify pretty easily. It's fashioned after a seashell, giving it an appearance that's remarkably fresh and novel for such a well developed market, but it's also functionally useful -- the deepest part of the case is exactly where graphics cards would be expected to reside, permitting it to accommodate a video card as long as 310mm. There are also two 120mm side-mounted fans, a red LED kit, room for a full-sized power supply, and tool-free mounts for three 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch storage drives plus an external 5.25-inch ODD. All that goodness is encased in an aluminum body and coming at you later this month for $349. How could you possibly resist? Video of the Cowry follows after the break.
Lian Li's T1 Mini-ITX Spider case shakes it real good at Computex (video)
Lian Li's T1 Mini-ITX Spider case just started shipping to those with a thing for oddities in late May, and the strangest PC enclosure since the Thermaltake Level 10 made its way to Taiwan this week for Computex. 'Course, the Gigabyte system loaded onto it was fine and dandy, but it's the moves it made that truly stole the show. Hop on past the break to see a chassis shake the thing its momma gave it. Yeah, you read that right.
Lian Li's T1 Mini-ITX Spider case escapes on May 21
The Lian Li T1 Spider is not meant for the average consumer. Then again, you aren't the average consumer are you? The T1 is an open-air test bench for quickly assembling and disassembling Mini-ITX systems for benchmarking purposes. As such, it's built to handle components like a standard Mini-ITX motherboard on the top, a 5.25-inch slim CDROM, 3.5-inch hard disk, and an ATX PS/2 power supply unit. But man, we think it's a fine looking creature regardless. Available May 21st for an expected ¥13,800 (about $149) in black or ¥15,800 ($170) in fire-ant red.%Gallery-93027%
Lian Li's PC-T1R Spider case crawls towards a release
Custom computer cases that look like spiders aren't generally the sort of thing that are available to public, but Lian Li's new PC-T1R case is one big exception to the rule, and it's now edged a bit closer to a release. Previously only seen in a teaser video, a nearly final version of the case has now landed in the hands of the folks at techPowerUp, who have provided us with our first hands-on look at it. What's more, the site also says that the case should sell for "around €150" (or just over $200) when it's released, and that it will be available in black in addition to red. Of course, there will be some assembly required -- hit up the link below to see what's in store.
Lian Li masters PC chassis marketing, gets our attention with T1 'Spider' video
It's a well known fact ('round these parts, anyway) that Lian Li is one of the more creative PC chassis manufacturers on the planet, but who knew the company responsible for crafting a case in the likeness of Dubai's own Burj Al Arab had a top-notch marketing staff, too? In the video past the break, the company's innovative new open-air Mini-ITX benchmarking case is revealed to the world, and while the device itself is a fantastic creation, it's the pitch that really sells it. Essentially, the highly flexible T1 Pitstop "Spider" is made for hosting smaller systems for limited amounts of time, making it easier to test and benchmark a litany of systems without having to crack open a traditional case with each setup. We're still trying to determine whether or not Lian Li truly expects to build and sell this thing, but whatever the case, the clip awaiting you below is totally worth a watch.
Lian-Li intos low profile PC-C39 HTPC chassis
Still teetering on which Lian-Li chassis to put your next HTPC in? Hope you're kosher with one more option to make things even more difficult. On the real, the PC-C39 aims at a very specific niche: those who want low profile and are willing to deal with the limitations attached. Said case, which arrives in black or silver brushed aluminum, supports micro-ATX motherboards, includes an anti-vibration HDD cage, a pair of 70mm extraction fans, folded elements to prevent sharp edges and four low profile expansion slots. Too bad it'll set you back $210, huh?
Lian-Li introduces PC-C33 and PC-C34F HTPC enclosures
Honestly, there aren't too many empty HTPC cases hitting the streets these days, so it's quite refreshing to see Lian-Li pumping out a new duo for those still holding tight to true American values. Er, DIY values -- same difference, right? Anywho, both the PC-C33 and PC-C34F were designed to house micro-ATX / ATX form factors and boast plenty of room for internal HDDs, fans and a nice array of ports. The latter checks in with just a bit more room inside, not to mention a front-mounted, lockable HDD cage with a hot swap HDD capability. Hop on past the break for the full specifications, and since we know you're wondering, you'll be looking at $160 (C33) / $255 (C34F) for these when they ship in May.[Via HotHardware]
Lian-Li's "Burj Al Arab" PC-888 chassis eyes-on
We didn't set out to find Lian-Li's Burj Al Arab-in-PC-case-form at CeBIT (okay, we did, so sue us), but the best part of finding the PC-888 wasn't the case itself. Rather, it was the fellow who spotted it just behind us for the first time ever. We can't replicate in words the amount of glee in his voice, as he obviously has spent at least one night in Dubai's most iconic hotel. Needless to say, we're guessing he left Hannover with one of these in his checked bag.%Gallery-46779%
Lian Li's PC-V351 HTPC chassis makes us want to build
There goes Lian Li, making us drool all over our keyboards again. The company famous for making cases that you'd actually pay good money for is back, and this time it's after the HTPC crowd. The PC-V351 HTPC chassis is made from brushed aluminum and comes in black, silver or red -- the latter of which should only be considered by those who truly are more awesome than anyone else they know. There's plenty of room for a micro-ATX motherboard, three fans, a number of PCI cards, loads of ports, a few terabytes of HDD space and a TV tuner or two, naturally. There's no mention of price, but we'll go ahead and tell you it'll be expensive (and worth every dime).%Gallery-45494%
Lian-Li's PC-888: if the Burj Al Arab were a PC chassis
We're not sure what percentage of each PC-888 sale goes straight to the owners of Dubai's Burj Al Arab, but it better be a lot. Lian-Li's latest eye-popping PC chassis looks pretty much exactly like the aforesaid hotel, and it's constructed from a significant amount of blue anodized aluminum. As you can probably tell from just looking, you can fit practically anything you'd ever need (as far as PC internals go) in here, with the case measuring in at 11.6- x 29.1- x 18.1-inches. A price has yet to be publicly disclosed, but a quick search brings up figures in the high $400s. Yeah, ouch.[Thanks, John]%Gallery-42894%
Modded XB01 case quiets your Xbox like a RROD (without all the failing)
Not merely content with the noise-reducing XB01 Xbox 360 chassis, Swedish modder Janne Ström decided to throw in a pair of heavy-duty Noctua NH-U9DO coolers (usually intended for AMD Dual Opteron server processors) to see if he could even further eradicate the console's aural annoyances -- and indeed, it sounds (or rather, doesn't) like it worked. For those not following the scene, the XB01 is a voluminous case made by Lian-Li you can put your Xbox 360's guts into for a decidedly less noisy experience, so think of this as a mod-within-a-mod. It won't make disc drive any quieter, but with the New Xbox Experience's disc installation option, that noise can be avoided. The extra fans also doesn't make the case any easier on the eyes, of course, but anyone interested in the XB01 probably isn't putting style points high on their list of priorities. Go ahead and listen, very closely, to the results in the video after the break.
Lian Li XB01 Xbox 360 case unboxed and put to the test
Correct us if we're wrong, but the Lian Li XB01 chassis for the Xbox 360 marks a notable departure for the case mod industry. Far from making the 360 "more badass" or "more laptopy," the Lian Li XB01 merely aspires to make the 360 what it should've been out of the gate: cool and quiet(er). The folks at bit-tech.net put one through its paces, and have discerned that it "looks pretty pimp." They do note that the $150 case isn't built with quite as high of standards as Lian Li is known for, and there were a few minor quibbles, but once they tossed the Xbox 360 innards inside and booted her up, it became clear what the XB01 is all about: the 360 run silently without a disc, and only makes a bit of noise with a DVD in. Unfortunately, as soon as you toss a game in the drive noise is once again deafening. Oh well, maybe next year we'll get a 360 that doesn't require earplugs to play... and at least hard drive-based games are right around the corner.
Lian Li's Xbox 360 RRoD-relief chassis now shipping
It'll take some DIY muscle, but if you're tired of sending your Xbox 360 back to Microsoft after suffering yet another Red Ring o' Death seizure then this custom case is for you. Designed specifically for the Xbox 360, the $150 PC-XB01 chassis from Lian Li is now shipping globally with the promise of a silent, vibration-free, and cooler running gaming experience. And really, besides a bag of chips and 100mg of Guarana, what more could you ask for? Oh right, a warranty extension.%Gallery-29620%
Lian-Li's Tyr X2000 HTPC / gaming chassis towers in black
Whether this gem is as sexy as OrigenAE's LCD-equipped chassis is certainly debatable, but there's no denying at least some level of hotness here. The towering Tyr X2000 enclosure was designed to keep your gaming / HTPC components safe and net favorable glances from those privileged enough to enter your abode. The unique design enables owners to access optical / hard drives from the sides, and there's plenty of room to store those Family Guy re-runs with six hot-swappable RAID SATA bays. You'll also find a few more absurd specifications such as room for eight PCI cards, enough fans to cool a small dorm room and support for a water cooling system. Mum's the word on pricing, but c'mon, you can't look at this thing and honestly believe it'll be anything near cheap.[Via HotHardware] %Gallery-25986%
Lian Li replacement Xbox 360 case said to be "just weeks away"
It's definitely not for everyone, but if you're looking for something decidedly larger and less flashy than the usual Xbox 360 replacement case, it looks like you'll soon be able to get your fix courtesy of case-maker Lian Li, which is apparently set to release its Lian Li 360 case in just a few weeks. Among other things, this one promises a quieter operation courtesy of some air cooling and a 120mm fan, and relatively easy access to the internal components, although that of course does come at the expense of your warranty. No word on a price just yet, but Lian Li is apparently at least working to keep costs down, opting simply for aluminum side panels and standard screws instead of the more expensive thumbscrews it had originally planned.
