LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: + Clean lines and brushed aluminum give it an elegant, refined look.
+ Easy to work inside this case. Both side panels, the top panel, and both 3.5" drive racks can be removed for easy access. The front panel is spring mounted with no switches or wires mounted to it, so it's easily pulled off and put back on.
+ Sturdy and light weight. The construction of the case with the fully attached motherboard tray and the side supports create a very sturdy case for an aluminum one. Also, the aluminum is a bit thicker than you would find on aluminum cases from some other manufacturers.
+ The orientation of the hard drive rack from front to back and the open top design allow for better airflow than the side to side orientation found in most cases today. With the side to side orientation, the hard drive cage restricts airflow. With front to back, air flows unobstructed over the hard drives, assuming the fan is blowing in from the front.
+ The door over the front mounted usb and audio ports keeps dust out of them and gives a cleaner look to the front. The front USB ports on my other machine, by contrast, are full of dust.
+ This case can be enhanced with matching accessories from Lian Li (see other thoughts).
+ The two external 3.5" drive bays are usefull for adding additional front mounted ports, fan controllers, or light switches (see other thoughts).

Cons: - The bottom 3.5" drive rack doesn't have anti-vibration grommets. I use this area for SSDs, so that doesn't matter to me.
- The two grills on the rear exhaust fan restrict air and add noise. Both the silver fan grill inside the case and the black fan grill on the exterior should be removed and thrown away. Replace them with a standard 120mm fan grill (N82E16811988017) on the exterior only.
- Doesn't come with a filter for the front fan, but there is plenty of room behind the front panel to install any 120mm fan filter. I use this one: N82E16811988015.

Overall Review: * I recommend getting the Lian Li HDD Internal Rack Mount Kit, EX-36B1 with this case. It will convert three of the 5.25" drive bays into a rack for up to four 3.5" hard drives with grommets and a 120mm fan. That will free up the bottom rack for SSDs.
* I also recommend the Lian Li CD Bezel, C-02. It works and will keep the front looking consistent.
I replaced the side panel with the Lian Li windowed side panel, PC-65B, which fits perfectly.
* I also mounted the SYBA USB 3.0 Bracket Cable (N82E16812186177) and the Kingwin eSATA Bracket Cable (N82E16812226003) on the external 3.5" drive bay covers, using the bracket as a template for the cutout. Because the covers are aluminum, they are easy to cut with a drill and a nibbling tool. Alternatively, you can buy one of the many front panels for 3.5" drive bays.

Pros: Good lookin, conservative case. Has everything I need for a simple yet powerful system. Every switch and cable worked, and worked flawlessly. Coulda been a 5 star item

Cons: I have checked, rechecked, removed and reinstalled everything and tightend and retightend, and the thing vibrates like a wash machine out of balance. Ok, maybe not that much, but it is embarassingly loud. I built this for my brother telling him of LIan LI's quality, and now I feel like a dumb***

Overall Review: I suppose I got a bad one, or things got bent out of shape on the way over from where ever, whatever. Vibrates like a 20 pound cell phone. Oh my. I have the stock fans in place, and unplugging those helps somewhat. Both panels are very loose, as pressing on them also helps out. Nobody is goinog to compute on this thing while holding the side panel so it does'nt make so much racket. So, I am very dissapointed. 3 stars because it had potential to be a 5 star winner.