Introducing The Lian Li PC-Q30
Lian Li's PC-Q30 chassis is specifically designed to show off the guts of your PC in a place where everyone is going to see them. It boasts a unique shape, a large window, and, surprisingly, more space than you would think a small chassis could offer. At the very least, it's a conversation piece.
Because of its unique form factor and purpose, we thought we'd do more with this case than simply list off its pros and cons. With a little bit of effort, you can turn this thing into a striking little example of how proud you are to be a PC gamer.
The Lian Li PC-Q30 is built around the mini-ITX form factor. Of course, this limits the amount of technology you can shove inside. But don't underestimate the enclosure's roominess, either. We approached this build with AMD's most powerful APU, effective cooling, and a mind for aesthetics. We're going through each component and how to get it installed. If you want to build a system like this, you'll be able to walk through with us.
This case will never be the final resting place for all of your gaming gear. But since it does accommodate discrete graphics, we're also looking at some add-in options. At the end of the build, though, I ended up yanking all of the cards I tried and stuck with just the APU. Even still, it was interesting to see how fast this system could go (hint: it's further than you might think after a cursory glance). Fortunately, AMD's processor is quick enough for light gaming, and I wasn't trying to build something high-end. It might even turn out that Lian Li's PC-Q30 is a good foundation for a do-it-yourself Steam Machine.
Packaging
You (and whoever delivers your package) will immediately marvel at how light the PC-Q30 really is. It comes in a familiar brown cardboard box that's thick and sturdy enough to protect the aluminum contents from even the most mean-spirited couriers.
Inside, the PET foam used to hold the case in place is far superior to the Styrofoam we're accustomed to. You don't end up with a bunch of small white chunks to clean out of your carpet. This really should be standard packing material for all cases.
The case’s acrylic window has a sheet of recycled paper in front of it to prevent scratches.
In The Box
Apart from the case, the box contains everything else you need. There's even a piezo speaker included, which is far from expected these days. In addition to the usual screws, cable binders, and manual, Lian Li also includes a USB 3.0-to-USB 2.0 adapter that allows the case to be used with older motherboards.
