Lian Li Releases PC-Q38 Chassis: Small and Versatile mITX Case
by Joe Shields on September 29, 2017 2:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Lian Li
- mITX
Lian-Li has announced their latest small form factor (SFF) chassis, the PC-Q38. Lian-Li calls the full aluminum, windowed Mini-ITX case one that focuses on performance per liter, offers liquid-cooling potential, and for those who find the PC-Q37 is too big for their needs. Outside of being smaller than the ITX supporting models surrounding it, the styling has changed. A single power button surrounded by a blue LED sits in the middle of the gray (or silver) brushed aluminum face The edges are rounded lending it to a more classic and subdued look.
The PC-Q38 looks the part of an HTPC and does not take over the room with a flashy appearance. Due to its moveable rubber-padded aluminum feet, it is able to be oriented both vertically, with the windowed panel to the left, or laid horizontal with the window on top. All panels, excluding the front and windowed panel, have long holes cut into them for ventilation purposes while all are easily removed for cleaning. Dust filters were not included, so more frequent cleanings may be required.
The front panel is located on the top (while standing up) and has two USB3.0 ports as well as 3.5mm front panel microphone and speaker plugs. Though many of the latest mITX motherboards will have USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-C port on their back panel IO, I would have liked to see it on the PC-Q38’s front panel as well considering motherboards are offering front panel connections in the latest chipsets already.
Specifications show support for 2x 120mm fans up top and what looks to be another on the back. The top of the case is able to house up to a 240 x 120mm radiator, or if air cooling is the plan, a CPU cooler up to 145mm tall can fit. Graphics card support is up to (L)315mm x (D)142m (over 12.75” long); Enough room for most high-end GPUs. Users are able to mount three HDDs inside the case, two 2.5” and one 3.5”, which should be adequate for many users, particularly those using an M.2 drive. By default, the PC-Q38 requires a SFX based power supply up to 140mm. Lian-Li will offer an optional bracket in order to use the more common ATX form factor units. And with their footprint also coming down in size, options are available.
| Lian-Li PC-Q38 Mini-ITX Chassis | |
| Model | PC-Q38 |
| Case Type | Mini Chassis |
| Dimensions | (W)180mm x(H)295mm x(D)372mm |
| Color | Black / Silver |
| Front/Side Panel | Aluminum / (L/R) Acrylic |
| Body Material | Aluminum |
| Net Weight | 2.5kg |
| External Drive Bays | None |
| HDD/SSD Bays | 1 x 3.5", 2 x 2.5" |
| Expansion Slots | 2 |
| Motherboard Type | Mini-ITX |
| System Fan (Optional) | 2x 120mm(top) |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB3.0, HD Audio |
| VGA Card Support | (L)315mm x (D)145mm |
| CPU Cooling Support | (H)140mm |
| PSU Support | SFX PSU,(L)140mm |
| Radiator Support | Top: 240mm x 120mm |
The Lian-Li PC-Q38 is available at Newegg for $109.99. The SFX to ATX PC-Q38-1 PSU kit will be available soon (price was not mentioned).
Related Reading:
- Lian-Li Reveals PC-V3000: Full-Tower Aluminum Chassis
- Lian-Li Releases PC-Q39 Tempered Glass Mini-ITX Tower
- Lian-Li PC-Q37 Announced: Two-Stage Mini-ITX Chassis with Tempered Glass
Source: Lian-Li
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sharath.naik - Friday, September 29, 2017 - link
QBX case is better and 1/3 the price at the same size. Its better looking and more flexiblehttps://www.anandtech.com/show/9757/the-cougar-qbx...
Wardrop - Saturday, September 30, 2017 - link
Better looking is very subjective. I much prefer the look of the Lian Li and superior metal finish.DavidBrees - Friday, September 29, 2017 - link
An ugly version of the NCase M1.jwcalla - Saturday, September 30, 2017 - link
Continuing the fad of gigantic mini-ITX cases.DanNeely - Monday, October 2, 2017 - link
Because such cases are the growth segment and medium term future of the mITX market segment. The smaller at any cost users who created it are being drawn off to NUC type microboxes. From the other direction mITX boards have gotten feature rich enough and the price premium has gotten small enough that they're looking attractive to people who previously built single GPU mATX boxes. Even cases like this are significantly smaller than their old case; so they're happy with the size reduction. At the same time they're not interested in compromising on being able to use oversize GPUs and big tower coolers or CLC watercooling while still being able to overclock and have enough room to comfortably work on their build.Sticknmove - Saturday, September 30, 2017 - link
I hope these guys sell the case only soon, it is perfectly tiny (230 x 146 x 241.5 mm):https://www.logicsupply.com/mc850-50/#specs
DanNeely - Sunday, October 1, 2017 - link
With a 40mm PSU fan I'd advise against the offered GTX 1060 GPU; never mind a larger card. 40mm fans can't move much air without being obnoxiously fast and loud.1_rick - Saturday, October 7, 2017 - link
A $900 Celeron with no discrete video card? Ridiculous.Ej24 - Sunday, October 1, 2017 - link
Wow Lian Li cases are not looking very good lately. I'm still waiting for a newer version of the PC-Q01. Their case ls used to be mostly single pieces of aluminum over a frame, that created a unibody look that was very sleek and looked very high quality, sort of like a MacBook looks sleek and premium. But this looks like 4 aluminum sheets slapped on a frame... Just like any other basic pc case ever. Also, acrylic? Not glass? Really? If they're not doing proper glass, there at least a version without a window?Kakti - Sunday, October 1, 2017 - link
Looks like it would blend in nicely with stereo equipment. I can dig it.