For mini-ITX cases, people want a compact setup that can deliver performance while still keeping all the components cooled without too much noise. Cougar believes it can deliver on all fronts by announcing the QBX, its latest mini-ITX case.
The QBX measures 178 x 260 x 368 mm, which won't take up too much space on your desk. Even with its size, you can fit a graphics card up to 350 mm in length, and it also allows enough space for up to five drives (HDD or SSD) for ample storage.
Although it's becoming more of a rarity in PC builds, the QBX does come with a slim optical disc drive. Cougar's release materials say that it has USB 3.0, which we presume to mean that it has at least one front USB 3.0 port.
The case supports ATX PSUs up to 140 mm long. Additionally, the PSU has a dedicated airflow route so that the heat surrounding the unit doesn't spread to other components.
For overall cooling, Cougar claims that it has the best cooling setup "for a case of its class." It supports up to seven fans, but if you want liquid cooling, the QBX supports radiators up to 240 mm long.
The company plans to release the QBX in late April, but there was no mention of price when it was announced. We reached out to Cougar for more details regarding the case specs, and we'll update the story when we hear back from the company.
But from what's been revealed, it seems like the QBX could be an interesting product. The company is targeting gamers for the case, and it certainly meets the needs of players who still want to have a powerful PC in a small form factor.
Update, 3/17/15, 9 am PST: Cougar got back to us; we finally have a few more details and images of the QBX, which we now know will cost $59.90. The case supports up to seven fans for cooling, and now we know the exact fan measurements for each location in the case. There are two 120 mm fans for both the top and bottom of the case. An 80 mm fan can be placed in the front, and a pre-installed 90 mm fan is placed at the back.
The left panel of the case allows for one 120 mm fan. If you decide to take the route of water cooling, the left panel supports a 240 mm radiator with a single 120 mm fan or a 120 mm radiator with a 120 mm fan. Due to the size of the case, flex tubing is recommended for water cooling.
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