Lian Li PC-V355 review

As it’s aluminium, the PC-V355 is incredibly light, but it can also feel a little flimsy in places. The panels are thinner and flex much more than we’d like. It also occasionally emits a high-pitched squeak that’s sonically reminiscent of a short, sharp scratch on a school blackboard, which isn’t pleasant.

The PC-V355’s front panel has two USB3 ports and separate microphone and headphone ports. The higher transfer speeds of USB3 make the ports perfect for transferring media to and from your build. The USB3 ports are well spaced, too, so you shouldn’t have trouble inserting two large USB drives side by side.

To cool components, the PC-V355 has two 120mm preinstalled intake fans attached to the front panel. Handily, these are protected by metal grilles to minimise the risk of something getting caught in the fans and impeding rotation. One fan blows air over the 3.5in drives and the other blows air straight over the expansion cards. There’s no preinstalled exhaust fan, but there is a mount for an 80mm fan, although we would’ve preferred a mount for a larger, low-rpm fan.

Conveniently, the PC-V355 has a three-speed fan switch located just behind the front panel that can be accessed when you remove the right-hand side panel. We normally prefer fan switches to be mounted externally so that we can tweak them without opening them up, but it does mean you can’t change the setting accidentally, which could be handy if it’s kept in a living room full of clumsy or ‘tactile’ people. The fans were quiet, even on the fastest setting.

The PC-V355 accommodates microATX and Mini-ITX motherboards, and up to four expansion cards

The Lian Li PC-V355 is large for a media PC chassis, but its looks mitigate its size. It has room to expand, which means it’s wasted if used purely as a media centre and is best suited to those looking for a living room-based gaming and media PC. We like the PC-V355, but it does feel a bit flimsy and its easily detachable sides mean it isn’t best suited for households with small, curious children. If you’re looking for a stylish microATX chassis with enough room to accommodate powerful components, the PC-V355 is for you.