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- Lian Li bundles 4x 140mm PWM fans with both versions of the LanCool III.
- The LanCool III houses room for 12x HDDs/SSDs and still manages to retain space for 6x additional cooling fans on top of the included 4x.
- Mesh filters make up a significant part of the LanCool III with Lian Li also throwing in a removable dust filter at the bottom as well for simplified maintenance.
Airflow, airflow, and airflow.
While that may not be Lian Li’s motto for manufacturing PC Cases, it surely is mine when it comes to testing them. As you might very well know, Lian Li is no stranger when it comes to crafting some of the most beautiful PC Cases in the world.
Therefore, it is only logical that I share my hands-on experience with one of their flagship Mid-Tower ATX cases, i.e., the Lian Li LanCool III Airflow after a full year of extensively using it in a hardcore fashion.
A Multitude Of Fans
As underscored above, the concept of airflow is central to the Lian Li LanCool III’s design language.
Lian Li bundles the LanCool III with 4x 140mm high airflow PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) fans which are rated at 83.5 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) of airflow and 2.3 mm-H2O of static pressure.
While these fans can vary between a speed of 200-1800 RPM, it’s important to remember that three of these are mounted on the front intake whereas the last one is mated to the rear exhaust for an ideal airflow pathway.
At this maximum speed, these fans exhibit identical figures of 83.5 CFM and 2.3mm-H2O for airflow and static pressure, respectively speaking.
All About The Passive Airflow
Mesh, mesh, and mesh. Quite literally.
Lian Li has outfitted the LanCool III with mesh panels wherever it was possible. That means the front, top, and both bottom side panels of the Lian Li LanCool III exhibit mesh filters for supreme passive ventilation.
According to Lian Li’s claims, the front panel rocks a porosity figure of 51% meaning that it gives way to a sufficient, direct fresh air intake. I’m pleased to say that the temperatures I’ve yielded from my LanCool III support these substantial assertions.
That’s not all. If you decide to splurge and throw in a few additional cooling fans above the PSU shroud, these two bottom side panels will provide ample cooling for your GPU, keeping things nice and cold. Furthermore, the LanCool III also features a dust filter mounted within the bottom in the form of a tray for easier cleansing down the road.
How About Some Drives And Even More Fans?
Fasten your seatbelts because the LanCool III can support up to 12 2.5” SSDs/HDDs in all sorts of unimaginable places.
Additionally, Lian Li has blessed this absolute banger of a PC Case with the space to accommodate 3x 120mm/140mm fans around the front, another 3x 120mm/140mm fans on the top, and again another trio of 3x 120mm fans above the PSU chamber.
Oh, wait. I wasn’t done. The LanCool III can still mate an additional 120mm/140mm fan to its rear.
This makes the Lian Li LanCool III ideal for custom water-cooling setups as it can handle 360-420mm radiators as far as its front and top is concerned with support for a 360mm radiator around the rear.
Classic Lian Li Build Quality
Of course, this is a Lian Li PC Case I’m talking about.
On that note, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that the LanCool III has been blessed with brushed aluminum pillars in addition to tempered glass panels on both sides of the casing.
While contributing to the overall aesthetics of the PC Casing, the Lian Li LanCool III’s 2x 4mm removable side panels can be removed by pulling the aluminum handle on the front.
The dimensions aren’t meant to be mistaken for an SFF (Small Form Factor) Mini PC Case either because the LanCool III is sized at 526mm x 238mm x 523mm bringing it into the heart of the Mid-Tower ATX category.
The rest of the case is built using SGCC (Steel Galvanised Cold Commercial) which definitely contributes to the collective luxe appeal of the LanCool III.
The Downsides
What’s the drawback to such fabulous passive cooling (by way of the numerous mesh filters) and spectacular active cooling (thanks to the room for 10x fans and 3x radiators)?
It’s that the Lian Li LanCool III struggles immensely to maintain a reasonable acoustic output, unfortunately.
On top of that, while the brushed aluminum pillars may contribute to the LanCool III’s appeal, they definitely do not help when it comes to resisting irksome smudges and fingerprints.
Best Bang For The Buck
Honestly, the Lian Li LanCool III is pretty darn flawless for the price tag it carries, i.e., $130 to $150 these days, depending upon whether you get the plain or the RGB version.
As far as I’m concerned, in the realm of PC Cases, for under $150, it doesn’t get better than the Lian Li LanCool III Airflow, even in 2024.
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[Editor-in-Chief]
Sajjad Hussain is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech4Gamers.com. Apart from the Tech and Gaming scene, Sajjad is a Seasonal banker who has delivered multi-million dollar projects as an IT Project Manager and works as a freelancer to provide professional services to corporate giants and emerging startups in the IT space.
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Sajjad is a passionate and knowledgeable individual with many skills and experience in the tech industry and the gaming community. He is committed to providing honest, in-depth product reviews and analysis and building and maintaining a strong gaming community.
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