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This week Lian Li announced a very cool replacement case for the Xbox 360. It’s called the PC-XB01. Since the Xbox 360 is basically a computer and it has all the problems of a small form-factor system (overheating, cramped layout, etc) this is actually a pretty cool move. Plus the case is just as great looking as all over Lian Li’s gear.

Improved thermals, quiet operation, better looking, nicer design… so what’s the problem? Why not put your 360 in a cool aluminum case?

1. You have to completely take apart your Xbox 360. Not just remove the case either, but completely dismantle it. Here is page one of the five pages of instructions. You better have a Torx 6 handy, as well as an hour or two.
2. In case there was any question about it, this will void your warranty. In fact, this is the warranty-voidingest thing I can think of that does not involve purposefully destroying the console.
3. The case looks pretty big, so forget about putting the Xbox next to your TV or on a tight shelf.
4. Like many of Lian Li’s more open cases, this looks like it’s a dust magnet. You will definitely have to open it and do some cleaning every few months, especially if you use your Xbox a lot.
5. The case is $150, so that about half the cost of a new 360.

So who, aside from hardcore modding fans, is going to buy into this? I’m not really sure, but the only people I could see going for it, is someone with an older Xbox 360 that has not died or RRoD’d yet. The improved cooling could save your Xbox and if the warranty is already up than that is not a factor. The 360 has been out long enough that there is a significant number of people that fall under this category, but the number of them that will want to roll the dice and piece apart their console is probably not very large.

So it’s a cool move for Lian Li, and it’s great too see some carry-over from the PC world into consoles (which are becoming much more PC-like every generation), but I’m not sold on the idea. If it came with a warranty (would require a factory installation) and was, say, $100 over the price of a standard Xbox 360 Pro, I could see myself going for it, but considering that the new units are running cooler and quieter I probably won’t be making the upgrade to the PC-XB01 any time soon.

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