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Lian Li's PC-Q30 Is Small, Special, And Stylish (But Also Practical)

Lian Li PC-Q30 Case Review: A Mini-ITX Chassis With Flair
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I like the PC-Q30's unique style and well-executed design so much that I just had to go the extra mile and include a guide to building your own system with it. The case’s shape is undoubtedly going to be loved by some and hated by others, but there's no question in my mind that Lian Li deserves a call-out for designing something unique, far-removed from the mainstream, and still executed perfectly. Really, my only complaint is that the stock 140 mm rear case fan is way too loud and needs to either be slowed down with a 5 V adapter or replaced altogether. Otherwise, my always-critical eye couldn't find anything wrong. The build quality is top notch, Lian Li's design is great, and the case is as practical as I could have hoped.

The company managed to design a case that allows a low-profile heat sink like Thermalright's AXP-100 to keep a hot APU like AMD's A10-6800K nice and cool. As long as you research the components more than you otherwise would to avoid compatibility issues, you get a really nice entry-level gaming box. 

Lian Li PC-Q30

If you legitimately enjoy the PC-Q30's aesthetic angle, then you really can't go wrong with it. Go the AMD route and drop in an APU, or take an Intel CPU for a spin (with discrete graphics, we'd recommend). The chassis performs equally well in both applications. Whatever you put in it, the case shows that equipment off, which is going to be worth the price of admission for many hardware enthusiasts. And if you're like me, you'll even add some lighting to make the effect even more eye-catching.

Lian Li's PC-Q30 doesn’t just get the looks right, though; it’s also very practical. I’d like to thank Lian Li for having the courage to design and produce a product like this. The company shows, yet again, that you don't always need a slightly different take on the same old mini-tower to be successful.

For demonstrating creativity, pulling it off expertly, and offering the PC-Q30 at a reasonable price, the case earns our Smart Buy award. We don't have a problem replacing the case fan that's too loud and overlooking this one shortcoming.

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Top Comments
  • 13 Hide
    gofasterstripes , November 19, 2013 12:20 AM
    Lian Li proving, again, that they're a little less sane than everyone else...

    I kinda like it, nice concept. There's too many boring PC cases!
Other Comments
  • -1 Hide
    afrobacon , November 18, 2013 10:54 PM
    It's hideous.
  • 13 Hide
    gofasterstripes , November 19, 2013 12:20 AM
    Lian Li proving, again, that they're a little less sane than everyone else...

    I kinda like it, nice concept. There's too many boring PC cases!
  • 8 Hide
    jimthenagual , November 19, 2013 12:23 AM
    Doesn't quite do it for me. Good for them for trying something new, but it's not something I'd buy.
  • -3 Hide
    monsta , November 19, 2013 12:49 AM
    Yuck....
  • -3 Hide
    bemused_fred , November 19, 2013 2:20 AM
    Ugh. How incredibly gauche.
  • 4 Hide
    jimthenagual , November 19, 2013 2:23 AM
    It makes me want to play donkey kong on the screen.
  • 3 Hide
    killerclick , November 19, 2013 4:21 AM
    I like it. Then again, everything is better than a laptop.
  • -4 Hide
    JohnMD1022 , November 19, 2013 4:36 AM
    Ugly with a capital UG !!
  • 4 Hide
    vertexx , November 19, 2013 5:45 AM
    Does that thing dispense Bitcoins? It looks like it should be dispensing something....
  • 4 Hide
    rolli59 , November 19, 2013 6:24 AM
    Definitely a matter of taste.
  • -2 Hide
    edmoncu , November 19, 2013 7:39 AM
    UGLY! I don't understand the 'uniqueness' of this being a thing of beauty. it's a total opposite! Being different is not just about being different!
  • 2 Hide
    clonazepam , November 19, 2013 9:03 AM
    So a designer at Lian Li was sitting around feeling all nostalgic about his Macintosh (1984-1993), and was looking at all the interesting slideshows of said computers that had been turned into fish bowls, or just a hideout for cute cats. Then the idea for this came to him/her.

    It's not something I'd do for myself. I can see how plenty of people would appreciate the design. I know my 8 yr old daughter would absolutely love that fan. Get some software to turn your monitor into a strobe light, and you have a party in the making! lol

    Igor's awesome. Good job. Could a 140mm fan be rigged up to that CPU(APU) cooler?
  • 1 Hide
    warezme , November 19, 2013 9:22 AM
    Tell your grandpa, it's a new fangled microfiche, he'll get it.
  • 0 Hide
    g-unit1111 , November 19, 2013 9:26 AM
    It looks like an airport or store kiosk.
  • -1 Hide
    ta152h , November 19, 2013 10:11 AM
    Whoever thought this was an attractive case should not be allowed to do any decorations in the house.

    It's ugly as Hell. Different is easy. Different and attractive is difficult. This is different, sure, because no one else wanted to build something so ugly.

    Their train is different and pretty. They normally miss, that's for sure, but every now and then they get it right. I have the train,and love it. This ugly thing? I'd sledgehammer it. It would look better that way.
  • 2 Hide
    g-unit1111 , November 19, 2013 10:23 AM
    Quote:
    So a designer at Lian Li was sitting around feeling all nostalgic about his Macintosh (1984-1993), and was looking at all the interesting slideshows of said computers that had been turned into fish bowls, or just a hideout for cute cats. Then the idea for this came to him/her.

    It's not something I'd do for myself. I can see how plenty of people would appreciate the design. I know my 8 yr old daughter would absolutely love that fan. Get some software to turn your monitor into a strobe light, and you have a party in the making! lol

    Igor's awesome. Good job. Could a 140mm fan be rigged up to that CPU(APU) cooler?


    Actually I'm thinking more some designer at Lian Li travels a lot and was thinking "Hmm...... how can I get my PC to have the feel of that machine at the airport that prints out your boarding pass?" :lol: 
  • 0 Hide
    cobra5000 , November 19, 2013 10:58 AM
    Lots of negative posts but I think its pretty cool. A case like this, demands a stylish cooler and gpu, if you add one. I have been itching to do a small form factor..
  • -1 Hide
    nekromobo , November 19, 2013 11:54 AM
    Any suggestions whats the cooler of choice to replace that case-fan? Something like Noctua NF-A15 ? For that absolutly silent service.. :) 
  • 0 Hide
    RedJaron , November 19, 2013 2:17 PM
    I don't mind the look of this. The cooling solution doesn't make much sense to me, though. The exhaust fan is effectively under the board. That means the flow has to go past the edges, but not across. That seems really inefficient, and possibly eddy inducing right above the board. And I'd forget trying anything but a blower-fan GPU in that case ( though that should work quite well considering the fan intake is right up against the case vent. The passive cooled card's fins are right next to the vent too, but they're not inline with how the air wants to flow.

    It just seems clumsy from a thermal/airflow perspective.
  • 0 Hide
    DanglingPointer , November 19, 2013 3:53 PM
    Get the most powerful Kaveri and pair it with a 7850 next year! Or whatever the most powerful GCN card that can fit!

    Mantle enabled games that are multi-gcn-gpu aware will be able to take advantage of assymetric AFR (assymetric crossfire rendering)!!!! Then you'll be able to play BF4 on high quality on 1080p!

    But that's only if Mantle lives up to the hype! It is still all theory on slides from AMD and DICE.
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