A Closer Look - Outside

Well, what can one say about a case that looks like a snail house? I can see the case fit perfectly in a large lit room with a wall mounted TV, surrounded by sculptures and antique furniture. In such a setting the PC-U6 will come across as a piece of art itself. That said, the chassis will be a head turner at an event you would take it to, that is for sure.


The round belly of the chassis looks interesting when viewing the PC-U6 from the front of the chassis, as it has been combined with straight lines of the drive bays. In the rear things look much different, as the round look and feel is completed by a cover above the mainboard expansion bays.


Both sides of the chassis feature fine, metal mesh windows in that unique circular shape. The mesh is finer than that of most implementations found on mainstream enclosures. Each panel is held in place by a single screw sticking out the rear end of the chassis.


You will find the I/O embedded in the front foot of the case. It includes two USB 3.0, one eSATA and the usual pair of audio plugs. The fact that there are no traditional USB 2.0 connectors makes the included adapter cable a necessity. The round part of the front has one function: it is an air vent. Due to the shape there is no fan behind it, but Lian Li has included a dust cover nonetheless. Above that you will find the power and reset buttons and the single 5,25" drive bay. It would have been great to have a built in card reader under the drive bay, as there is no expansion bay to put one - especially as most will probably use such a case as a HTPC.


Turning the chassis around, the PSU bay in the bottom is implemented in a unique way as you need to slide the power supply into the bay due to the shape of the case. Above that, behind the cover, are the four mainboard expansion slots and a spot for an 80 mm exhaust fan. Lian Li has also included a fan controller for up to four units in this area.