PC-Q30: A New Curved Mini-ITX Chassis from Lian Li with an Acrylic Window
by Ian Cutress on May 14, 2013 4:19 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- Lian Li
For many users who have gone to a large LAN event, taking stock of all the crazy PC builds is part of the experience. Some users modify the case for a particular styling, and then insert a water cooling system with just the right amount of LED lighting. Last year at Computex, Lian Li showed us a mini-ITX chassis in the form of a train, and even put an engine inside it instead of a PC to show it could actually function as a train. This time around, we get a case to show off all the mini-ITX goodness without too much effort.
The PC-Q30 is a little different to say the least. We are dealing with a curved aluminum chassis adorned with an acrylic window. Lian Li believes the styling befits any PC location – as a HTPC in the living room, as a small gaming machine, or just as an under the desk work machine.
Aside from what is visible from the window, the chassis can hold a dual slot GPU up to 7.8 inches (200mm, or just above mini-ITX spec), making it ideal for the ASUS GTX670 Mini as shown above, or something like a stock GTX460. The space below the motherboard is for up to four 2.5” hard drives in a removable cage, but there is no space for any optical drive.
Ventilation comes in the form of a rear 140mm exhaust fan, along with apertures at the top and sides for intake vents. Power supply options are limited to those of 125mm in length, so we are really looking at something like the Silverstone SFX or Seasonic SFX series PSUs.
Other features on board include a power button that lights blue at idle and red while loading, as well as the IO panel to the left hand side. This includes a pair of USB 3.0 and front panel audio, although the motherboards IO does stick out of the top just in case you need any more ports.
Retail price is $149, with expecting shipping in June. The website for the case can be found at this link.
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IanCutress - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Apologies, I *did* post it with a gallery of Lian Li stock shots, it somehow disappeared. Readded :)Torashin - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Oh God! It's hideous!anonymous_user - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Does anyone else think it looks like a front-loading washer?DesertCat - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
My question is whether that power supply slot is SFX only or if it is an ATX-sized slot but with only a 125mm depth. Nexus has had a couple of compact ATX PSUs (NX-5000 Rev 3 - 530W & NX-6000 Rev 3 - 630W) available for a few years that are only 125mm deep. They aren't modular, so a person might have issues tucking all of the cables away, but they should fit if the only real restriction is the depth. Visiting the Nexus website, I only see the newly revised NX-5000 - 550W model now, but it still has the 125mm depth.Xvi - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
The Q28 was the first good ITX case they've done in a while, now they follow it up with this? Ugh..Lian-Li, more practical stuff, please. Your mATX lineup especially needs a refresh with some practical innovative thinking.
warezme - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 - link
Looks like my grandmas humidifier.NARC4457 - Thursday, May 16, 2013 - link
Wow, I guess I'm the only one here who thinks it looks interesting. I'm not sure that I would pick one up for $150, but at least it's unique for today's cases.I could see that window getting dusty/dirty on the inside though and end up looking bad. Taking off screws to clean it is bad design.
cyberguyz - Monday, May 27, 2013 - link
Sorry Lian Li, but that case is just plain fugly.edmoncu - Wednesday, July 3, 2013 - link
One hell of an ugly case. Lian Li cases are highly overrated cases. Both expensive and uninspiring. I get that they're using aluminum components, but that's beside the point. The reason of going ITX is because of its smaller form factor. However, in this, Lian Li wasted lots of valuable ITX space. The glass window is only good if you're going to show off what's inside (say: if you're going water cooling or how elegant you can cable groom -- if you can have the lights inside to show it)... otherwise, if it's just a glass and 'go figure the rest', it's a waste! And we're not anymore living in an era where transparent iMacs and PowerMacs are trending. Simply ugly. There are way better looking and cheaper casings than this.