Lian Li Announces Alpha Series Mid-Tower Chassis: Tempered Glass Panels Plus RGB
by Joe Shields on November 7, 2017 3:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- Lian Li
Lian-Li has announced the release of a new series of cases, the Alpha series. The Alpha line of cases brings users steel internal frame and tempered glass surfaces allowing for a better look at what is going on inside the Mid-Tower chassis. The Alpha 330 has a total of three glass panels while the Alpha 550 RGB comes with all four sides made of tempered glass. New to Lian-Li cases are integrating RGB LEDs. The 550 RGB uses BORA 120mm RGB LED fans along with a hand-held RF remote for control over the fans and included RGB accent lighting. Both chassis offer flexible configurations for both air cooling and water cooled systems with a wide range of radiator support; up to 420mm x 140mm on the front and an additional up to 360mm radiator on top.
The Alpha series cases use SECC steel structure and tempered glass panels instead of their typical brushed aluminum. The glass gives the cases a high-end, clean appearance. The tempered glass panels have black edges framing out the front of the case where the fans are, as well as the side of the case where all the hardware will be shown off. The right panel has two levels of transparency which helps clean the look up by hiding wires on the darked out bottom and the innards more visible up top.
Dust filters are found on both the top (magnetic) and bottom (slide out) of the case helping keep the internals clean. The fans in the front are mounted to a fan/radiator rack for easier installation, maintenance, and removal. Cable management is uniquely handled by a hinged panel on the back covering a channel for cable routing. Front Panel connectivity consists of a power button, two USB 3.0 ports, audio jacks, as well as the latest USB Type-C port, all hidden behind a flip-down panel at top front part of the case on the 550 RGB while the 330's controls are exposed. Both the 330 and 550 have support for a vertically oriented graphics cards, up to 400mm in length, to better display the hardware through the glass panels.
Internally, both Alpha Series cases have seven drive bays; two 3.5-inch and five 2.5-inch mounting areas; drive cages and mounts on the back of the motherboard panel. The detachable front panel will hold 3x120mm fans, the top 3x120/140mm and one 120mm fan on the rear. The 330 includes a single 120mm fan on the rear while the 550 RGB includes the three BORA120 RGB fans on the front, a (non-RGB) 120mm on the rear, and the RF remote control. The 550 also integrates an RGB strip below the front panel, also controlled by the remote. Motherboard support ranges from Mini-ITX up to E-ATX and CPU heatsink support is up to 170mm tall. The Power supply is hidden under a cover on the bottom with the chassis supporting up to 250mm long units.
Lian-Li Alpha 330 and Alpha 550 Mid-Tower Chassis | ||
Model | Alpha 330 | Alpha 550 |
Case Type | Mid Chasis | |
Dimensions | (W)230mm x(H)517mm x(D)540mm | (W)230mm x (H)546mm x (D)450mm |
Color | Black / White | |
Front/Side Panel | Tempered Glass | |
Body Material | SECC | |
Net Weight | 12.4kg | 13.2kg |
External Drive Bays | None | |
HDD/SSD Bays | 7 (2 x 3.5" + 5 x 2.5") | |
Expansion Slots | 7 | |
Motherboard Type | ATX | |
System Fan | Front: 3x 120mm (Optnl) Top: 3x 140/120mm (Optnl) Rear: 1x 120mm |
Front: 3x 120mm (Digital LED fans with controller) Top: 3x 140/120mm (Optional) Rear: 1x 120mm |
I/O Ports | 2x USB3.0 HD Audio USB 3.1 (Type-C) |
|
VGA Card Support | (L)400mm x (D)170mm | |
CPU Cooling Support | (H)170mm | |
PSU Support | ATX PSU,(L)250mm | |
Radiator Support | Top: 240mm x 120mm |
The Lian-Li Aplha 330 for $109 while the Alpha 550 RGB is priced at $179. Availability was not mentioned but we should see these available soon.
Related Reading:
- Lian-Li Releases PCQ-38 Chassis: Small and Versatile
- Lian-Li Reveals PC-V3000: Full-Tower Aluminum Chassis
- Lian-Li Releases PC-Q39 Tempered Glass Mini-ITX Tower
- Lian-Li PC-Q37 Announced: Two-Stage Mini-ITX Chassis with Tempered Glass
Source: Lian-Li
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Morawka - Tuesday, November 7, 2017 - link
That’s actually a pretty good price considering good RGB fans are about $30 each and this case comes with 3 Plus the case and the glass for under $125austinsguitar - Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - link
^ he is right.... can't believe lian li made a price case. shockedScarabMonkey - Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - link
Looks like a cheap knock-off of the Corsair 460X RGB: http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/landing/crystal460xmilkywayer - Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - link
God those USB ports look so darn cheap. Why can't they make them premium looking with a better finish?hlm - Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - link
Very nice, is has room for a 360 radiator at the top.Hxx - Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - link
This is everything I wanted in a case. tempered glass done well (no edges or gaps or whatever) , GPU riser option, a good quality craftsmanship. Too bad Ive settled for the Thermaltake view 31 (which is an awesome case btw albeit lacking the psu shroud) so I guess for my next build I will def. go with the alpha 330.Hurr Durr - Thursday, November 9, 2017 - link
I will never understand why some want their cases to have WINDOWS in them. It's a goddamn pile of PCBs and fans. It stays below the desk. Who cares how it looks?vladx - Thursday, November 9, 2017 - link
One word: RGB.logamaniac - Friday, November 10, 2017 - link
God yes, whenever I go perusing for cases online I am amazed by the sheer amount of quality looking cases ruined by forcing either glass or acrylics when I just want a quality box. At least give me the option to go windowless, it shouldn't be hard when they can just reverse the opposite panel.