Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a really sleek and stylish case for your HTPC Mini-ITX setup this case is definitely it. It not only looks cool, but has a lot of great features. Inside you have room for 6 hard drives! This is perfect for HTPC users and they will want to pack a lot of media into their system. The case also supports USB 3.0 so you can transfer files to the system very quickly if need be.
The cooling system is this case is great and is all you will really need for a Mini-ITX setup. On thing I would have liked to be able to do is turn the LED’s off on the front fan. If this case is going to be in your home theatre then those LED’s could get annoying, especially while watching movies.
My big beef with this case is actually 2 things. The biggest is that Lian Li does not list the dimensions of acceptable power supplies. All they say is that it fits a standard ATX power supply. A standard ATX power supply can mean many things and some can have larger modular conenctors which may not fit. Our power supply the Cougar SX850 850W did not fit in the case at all and we were unable to complete the installation process. Another thing is that it takes 6 screws to remove the side panels. This is not the biggest deal, but it is quite annoying if you need to get into the system.
Overall though if you don’t mind the few issues we encountered this is a great case for a HTPC machine, especially if you are looking for stylish case with a lot of storage space. This case sells for $119 at my favorite online retailer which is not that bad considering the quality and features you get. ThinkComputers gives the Lian Li PC-Q08 Mini-ITX Cube Case an 8 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Sleek and stylish design
– Room for 6 hard drives
– Great cooling
– USB 3.0
Cons:
– 6 screws to remove the side panel
– No where do they tell you what actual size power supply will fit
