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Overall, the Lian Li PC-C50A is a great HTPC case with very few flaws. The silver aluminium finish looks even better in the flesh than it does in our photos but for those who don't like it, Lian Li also offer it in black-anodized aluminium. One of the nicest design touches is the optical drive bezel which means you aren't forced to have an ugly black optical drive ruining the visage of this beautiful design.
It is perfectly sized to fit under your TV and has a plentiful selection of front panel connections including three USB3.0 ports and an SD card reader. Thankfully Lian Li haven't tried to make the C50 too small, causing compatibility problems with many components. This means you don't have to compromise on the hardware you decide to use and can easily build a very powerful system without physical restrictions.
Although there isn't a huge amount of headroom for a decent CPU cooler, it is possible to fit in a factory-filled watercooler like the CoolIT ECO providing that it isn't too thick. This means that you could overclock your system if you use a decent Micro ATX motherboard. But, with a Mini-ITX motherboard like the Zotac H55-ITX Wi-Fi, we couldn't recommend overclocking as the motherboard simply isn't designed to handle it.
We're sure that the reason that many people don't choose to use a high-end HTPC case is that they usually carry a high price tag. We had a look around the internet and couldn't find the silver version of the PC-C50(A) for sale in the UK but did find the black version (PC-C50B) for sale at Overclockers for £160 inc. VAT. This is quite expensive considering you can purchase a well-featured ATX case for around the £100 mark. But for those who are willing to part with the cash, we are confident the C50 won't disappoint.
KitGuru says: A great HTPC case, let down only by it's high price.
