A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Lian Li Lancool 207 is certainly a compact case. While it is smaller than an ATX chassis, it may be a tad bit larger than some mATX variants. In other words, the enclosure sits somewhere in-between in terms of its dimensions. From a build quality perspective, it feels alright, but some of the panels with venting were slightly bent out of shape, and we had to gently straighten them out. As the chassis came double-boxed and there is no exterior damage, this seems like something that must have happened at the factory. If you look closely, you may also notice that the plastic is more of a dark gray, while the metal components have that traditional black hue. That is not a big deal either as the case still looks great overall, but it is worth noting.


The major portion of the front is essentially one large mesh panel. It may be removed without the need for any tools as it is held in place by magnets, to reveal the two 140 mm fans. You can't see it, but these are actually 30 mm thick units. Lian Li has designed the Lancool 207 with these in mind, so the brand does not offer an option without these. In the rear, the layout of the interior seems traditional except for the missing PSU bay - but more on that later.


The main side panel sports a glass panel which has a similar design to the Lancool 216, as it sits atop a mesh panel which allows for airflow into the chassis. The opposite side is made of steel, but also offers a mesh component for the same purpose. Both panels are held in place by clips and can easily be taken off the case body. Only once the glass is removed would you be able to unscrew the two thumb screws and remove the metal mesh cover.


In the back, starting at the bottom where you usually find a PSU bay, there is just a large vented section. If you look closely, you can see it is dented a little bit. Having such an open design is great for airflow, but also makes the case a bit more susceptible to these kinds of issues. Fortunately this can be fixed rather easily and is purely cosmetic. This part of the case is clearly where the Lancool 207 manages to reduce the overall height, as the PSU is actually installed in the front of the case. Above that, there are the seven reusable expansion slots. Each of these is held in place by large thumb screws. Thanks to the bridgeless design, you can install universal vertical GPU mounts as well. In the very top, you may install a fan and ensure that it lines up with your components within nicely, thanks to the elongated mounting holes.


The entire top of the Lancool 207 is dedicated for cooling purposes and the metal panel also acts as a dust filter. It may also be removed without the need for any tools, revealing mounting possibilities for three 120 mm or two 140 mm fans. Alternatively, this is also where you will be installing your 280 or 360 mm AIO. IO at the front edge of the case, embedded into the plastic frame of the front panel consists of the usual set of USB-C, USB-A and audio ports. In the center there is the power button, but Lian Li forgoes all LEDs as well as a reset button.


Taking a peek at the underside of the Lian Li Lancool 207, there is just the dust filter, which may be pulled out the front of the chassis for easy cleaning. If you look closely, you can see the hooks and screw holding two hard drive trays in place on the floor of the case. The fact that there is a dust filter in the front of the chassis means that this is also where your ATX PSU will go.