PC-9300 Aluminum: Lian Li Enters the Small Form Factor Race

Uniquely Small

Since the PC-9300 is so small, the MicroATX form factor is the only form factor capable of fitting in such an enclosure. Compared to other small form factors, including VIA's mini-ITX and Shuttle's SFF, the microATX factor is fairly large.  Unfortunately, that is demonstrated by the PC-9300, as it is a little wider than any of the SFF Shuttle systems.  At Comdex, we got a brief look at VIA's newer mini-ITX boards which are smaller than both microATX and SFF.  Unfortunately, the drawback of these mini-ITX boards is that they only accept C3 processors.

Drive Bays

Previously noted were the 4 expansion bays, 2 external, 2 internal.  This really does not leave much room for expansion.  If you plan on using a floppy drive, one of the 5.25" external bays must be converted using the included bay mount.  Unfortunately, this only leaves room for one DVD or CD-RW drive.  Upgraded versions of the PC-9300 (which we saw at Comdex) have more room for expansion. 

Click to Enlarge

The main difference in using the PC-9300 compared to other cases is the micro-ATX, or SFX, power supply unit (PSU).  Most SFX power supplies are only capable of 200W or less.  This prohibits the use of demanding hardware.  Most new cases do not typically ship with power supplies and the Lian Li PC-9300 continues this trend.  Since SFX and microATX PSU's are harder to find, we would have liked to have seen this case ship with one.  This is stressed particularly because there are multiple types of microATX supplies, and if Lian Li sent us a PSU with the case, the doubt of which unit to buy would be removed.

Click to Enlarge