Lian Li PC-Q08 Mini ITX Case

External Design

As you can see from the photographs below, you would struggle to miss the PC-Q08 on the shelf of a hardware store. The manufacturer and model name is labelled very clearly and most importantly, the background of the box design revolves around the chassis itself. Also note the tick boxes that denote the colour of the Q08 you're buying; be sure to check this before purchase!

Opening the box from the top, you will be able to see the top of the chassis and it should be held in place by two blocks of moulded polystyrene. The case is protected from scratches by a light polythene based wrapping.

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dull enough to carry on describing the packaging material so let's have a word about the case itself.

First of all, yes it may appear to be somewhat bland. That might be true but it's the Q08's understated design that makes it so ideal for its target usage. After all, this particular case hasn't been made to stand out like a sore thumb, but instead to subtly integrate itself with any contemporary designed room.

Much like the rest of the Lian Li product range, the Q08 is made entirely from Aluminium. As such you would not be surprised to find that the case is very light. All exterior panels feature a matted and "brushed" finish, which adds to the perceived build quality of the chassis.

Something you should have noticed is the amount of ventilation that the case affords; the front, rear, bottom and left side panels feature large areas of perforated metal. Further, there are two fans located at the front (140mm intake) and top (120mm exhaust) of the case. It would certainly seem that the correct foundations have been laid down for a high end system to be accomodated.

For ease of access, both side panels are removable. On the next page we will take a closer look at the internal specification of the PC-Q08 chassis.