Since picking up the iBuyPower RDY Y40 Valorant VCTA R003, I've been living my best pre-built PC life. Performance and appearance-wise, there's a lot to love—though, after a few months in this machine's company, it turns out there are a few things I would also love to change.
Jacob praised the ready-made machine's performance and price point in his iBuyPower RDY Y40 Valorant VCTA R003 review, though he did have a few small criticisms. Namely, the GPU tends to get a wee bit toasty and, despite not the greatest thermal regulation, the fans were pretty loud too. While far from world ending, it's certainly enough to motivate my eyes to wander—and land upon this deal for the Lian Li Lancool 216 mid-tower case, which is now only $112 from Amazon.
If airflow and thermals are a concern, then the Lancool 216 is well-versed in the name of the game. The 216 offers two internal orientation modes depending on whether you want to use air or liquid cooling. The 160 mm custom fans on the front are also removable, though they are kind of the case's main selling point; 118.85 CFM of airflow is nothing to sneeze at.
Now, don't misunderstand, I do like the Hyte Y40 case that came with my prebuilt machine. Our Zak praised it for presenting a modern, fishtank look at a reasonable price point in his Hyte Y40 review.
While I enjoy how the wrap-around glass panelling lets all my RGB components shine, I'm really not getting the most out of it with my current office setup; due to having a teeny tiny hutch-style Micke desk from Ikea, I've had to stash my desktop out of sight on the floor. So, what's the point of having the Hyte Y40's glass panelling if I'm not going to be looking at it on the regular? Might as well go for something less head-turning, but better on the thermal management front like the Lancool 216.
The Lancool 216 does offer a lil' glass panelling for showing off your carefully selected innards. However, it's easily put to shame by its big brother, the Lian Li O11 Vision Compact, which is also our top pick for the best fish tank PC case in our best PC cases guide. That said, even though we love the O11 Vision Compact, it's worth highlighting the fact it keeps its price point reasonable by shipping without a single fan included—conversely, the Lian Li Lancool 216 case is all about its two included custom fans.
It's also worth noting that the white case colourway is pretty striking even without fishtank-style glass panelling. Speaking of style worth a second glance, the version of the 216 case I'm highlighting today also comes with both RGB lighting and an RGB fan controller module that can be optionally installed on the front of the case. You can get the Lancool 216 in black too, but the version with the RGB fan controller module is a bit pricier at $133 at Amazon. If you're deadset on a black PC case though, the version without the control module is mega cheap, at only $103 at Amazon.
1. Best overall: HP Omen 35L
2. Best budget: Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
3. Best compact: Velocity Micro Raptor ES40
4. Alienware: Alienware Aurora
5. Best mini PC: Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT
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