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Lian-Li PC-Q08B Aluminum Mini Tower PC Case
Since Zotac launched the first mini-ITX H55 motherboard I've been seeking for a decent PC case for my new HTPC system. For almost 1 year I've tried 4 different solutions including Cooler Master, Thermaltake & Antec, but none of them support a decent GPU, which means I'm stuck with integrated or low-end graphic solutions. That would be enough if I just wanted to watch HD movies and online videos, but as a gamer I want the ability to play some games from time to time without being deceived with a poor performance system.
Luckily we've got a pair of offers in the market giving us compatibility for full-sized GPUs. One of them is the Silverstone SG-07 Mini ITX case, and of course the second one is the PC-Q08 from Lian-Li. The PC-Q08 bundles some interesting features making it very attractive; including 6 bays for 3.5" HDDs/SSDs, 1 bay for 2.5" HDDs/SSDs, 2 full sized PCI slots for a high-end GPU and a pair of fans to improve cooling. The PC-Q08 even includes a motherboard tray and USB 3.0 ports. All that paired with a nice-look and a fairly decent price make the Lian-Li PC-Q08 a case to consider for our next HTPC.
Lian-Li is known for making very nice looking styles, and including high-quality aluminum for every case they ship, avoiding users to get hurt while building their PCs and enjoying the experience at the same time. Hopefully, I'll also enjoy the experience of building and using the PC-Q08. Since many users want to build mini-ITX/micro-ATX PCs to avoid suffering and pain when going to a LAN, this time I made an exception and went to a LAN with the PC-Q08 (and a full-tower case) so I could share my experience with our readers. Benchmark Reviews will start with Lian-Li's features and specifications.
The Lian Li PC-Q08 case comes in three different colors: Silver, Red and Black. The sample we received from Lian Li is the PC-Q08B, which means it's black anodized aluminum, and it'll be the one you'll see in the next sections in our review.
Manufacturer: Lian Li Industrial Co., LTD
Product Name: Mini-Q PC-Q08
Model Number: PC-Q08B
Price As Tested: Available from NewEgg for $119.99 in Black, Silver, and Red.
Full disclosure: The product used in this review was supplied by Lian-Li.
Mini-Q PC-Q08 Features
- Standard PC Components
- USB 3.0 Multi-media I/O ports
- Case Stand: Four aluminum pegs to increase airflow beneath the case
- Two full size PCI Slots
- Thermal Flow: One 140mm LED fan (front) and one 120mm fan (top) keep hot air from damaging you hardware
- Six 3.5" and one 2.5" drive bays
- Standard ATX PS/2 PSU (supports PSU with 120mm cooling fan)
- 300mm Maximum Video Card Size (When HDD cage is removed)
- 5.25" drive bay
PC-Q08 Specifications
- Dimensions (mm): 227 x 345 x 272
- Material: Aluminium
- Available colours: Black (reviewed), silver, red
- Weight: 2.73kg
- Front panel: 2 x USB 3, stereo, mic, power and reset buttons
- Drive Bays: External: 1x 5.25in. Internal: 6x 3.25in, 1x 2.5in
- Form Factor(s):mini-ITX
- Cooling: 1 x 140mm front fan mount (fan supplied), 1 x 120mm roof fan mount (fan supplied)
- CPU cooler clearance 100mm
- Graphics card dimensions supported 300mm long, dual slot, full height
Features and specifications provided by Lian-Li Co.
Now that we're done with features and specifications let's move to the next section where I'll give you a closer look to the exterior and interior details.
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Reviews: 
Comments
Don't get me wrong, it's great that the modding community started the whole trend of cramming desktop-level components into Mini-ITX builds and now manufacturers are catering to this niche market, but to focus your product range entirely on this?
The Q07 was too big because of the full-sized PSU and optical drive (yet could only fit a single-slot graphics card, so what's the point in a full-sized PSU). Now the Q08 is even bigger, and the Q11 is about the same size.
Oh and it being Lian Li the price is too much - the Q08 on its own is only about £15 less then a Sugo SG05-450, and that comes with a 450W 80Plus Bronze PSU (which is powerful enough to run any graphics card that can actually fit inside).
Silverstone got it right with the SG05/06 and event though the SG07 is pushing it a bit, it's still an obviously Mini-ITX case and about the right size.
The GPU goes right below the PSU, so imagine the GTX 460 I showed in the picture with the PSU installed. And as long as the GPU measures 300mm long or less, it will be able to be installed.
I mentioned larger PSUs might have problems with the HDD cage at the middle, but you can remove it and still install 2 x 3.5" HDDs. I don't think many people will install a 1000 watts super-large PSU on this chassis. A 600 watts PSU should be fine for any GPU.