The 216 is a chassis from Lian Li that is designed to act as a blank canvas, offering PC builders the option to exploit this case’s unique features to create truly custom PCs. We will look deeper at this case’s custom features later in this review. I added 2 x 140mm fans in the slots below the GPU which is mounted traditionally, keep my 3090 well fed with fresh air. To ensure adequate airflow is provided to the system, the LANCOOL 216 features mesh at the front, top, and on the PSU shroud’s side*. The front mesh extends to the top for a continuous mesh panel. With the LANCOOL 216, housing specialist Lian Li offers a modern and functional midi tower with an attractive price-performance ratio. The case is based on a sturdy steel construction with a fully removable front cover. The tempered glass side panel provides a view of the inside of the case so that the installed hardware can be admired.

A reversible front I/O allows users to re-position the front panel from the top of the case to the bottom left-hand side. This means that users with floor-mounted or desk-mounted cases can have easy access to the front I/O.The GPU placed at the top of the expansion slots in air cooling mode opens up the possibility to add a 120mm fan at the rear of the case without obstructing the GPU I/O. This is also possible with a vertically mounted GPU in both air-cooled and water-cooled mode. The additional 120mm fan provides better cooling for the GPU and a greater intake/exhaust balance for the system. KitGuru says: The Lian Li Lancool 216 is an impressive chassis for its price point. There is some tough competition in that sector of the market but Lancool 216 is up there with the best of them, what do you guys think?

Our testing hardware uses Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake platform. We’re using a Core i7-12700KF, cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Our graphics card is a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and our motherboard is the MSI Pro Z690-A WIFI. Acoustic Results for the Lian Li Lancool 216 After comparing the Lancool 216 to the best-performing cases from this year, it’s safe to say that this case is worth strong consideration, especially if you want impressive GPU thermals. Bottom Line Another factor that’s worth noting about the Lian Li 216 is that it supports a range or accessories, which include an ARGB/USB expansion module, a PCIe riser cable for vertically mounted graphics cards, an a optional dust filter that can allow PC builders to take their dust management to the next level. We see a lot of PC chassis here at KitGuru but we don’t often come across anything genuinely unique. Most of the time, new cases offer improved looks, but not necessarily any improvement on the usual features we have seen for decades which means that finding cases with useful new features is a rarity. The Lian Li Lancool 216 is the exception to that rule, but what has Lian Li got up its sleeve in this new mid-range chassis? Let’s find out.Our acoustic test consists of three scenarios: We run the CPU at full load, the CPU and GPU at full load, and an optimized mode. The CPU full load test runs the CPU and case fans at their maximum speed. For the CPU and GPU full load acoustic test, we also stress the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and set the fans at 75% speed, because in gaming, the fans never run at 100 percent and are far too loud when they do. Extensive cable management is provided by three large cable straps in the central channel, an additional cable management channel to the right of the motherboard tray includes three clips for CPU EPS power cable routing while multiple cable cutouts are placed in handy locations. Other than this minor inconvenience, the Lian Li Lancool 216 is an excellent mid-range chassis. Installing a system inside the case is easy, the adjustable motherboard mounting position makes motherboard components at the top of the case accessible when in water cooling mode with a top-mounted radiator and for those who want to air cool the system the motherboard can be lifted to create more space for bigger bottom fans and large CPU air coolers while still being able to mount a big graphics card vertically.