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The new Lian Li PC-Q21 is a tiny but spacious mini-ITX chassis

By Koh Wanzi - on 10 Sep 2015, 10:49am

The new Lian Li PC-Q21 is a tiny but spacious mini-ITX chassis

The Lian Li PC-Q21 is available in both black and silver. (Image Source: Lian Li)

Lian Li has announced the PC-Q21, a mini-ITX brushed aluminium case that is designed to occupy a minimal space footprint while still allowing for relatively powerful desktop parts inside.

The chassis measures just 149(w) x 257(h) x 224(d)mm, and Lian Li has done its best to make the most efficient use of the space inside with a range of creative mounting methods.

For instance, there’s space for up to two 3.5-inch drives or three 2.5-inch drives. Users will have the option of mounting a single 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SSD/HDD on the inside of the front panel.

Image Source: Lian Li

Additional mounting options are found at the bottom of the cases, where the HDD tray can accommodate up to two 2.5-inch SSDs. Alternatively, the tray can be removed to make room for a 3.5-inch drive or a bottom-mounted 120mm fan. The bottom intake also comes with a dust filter should you choose to mount an intake fan there.

The bottom hard drive tray can be removed to make way for a 3.5-inch HDD or 120mm fan. (Image Source: Lian Li)

The top of the case has space for a slim, 5.25-inch slot-in optical drive. There is just a slim cut-out on the front panel, so a slot-in design is a must. But given that many people don’t really see the need for an optical drive these days, Lian Li says you can also use the space for an additional 2.5-inch drive. Two USB 3.0 ports and the power button round out the front panel design.

Of course, only mini-ITX motherboards are supported in a chassis this small. There’s support for a maximum graphics card length of 170mm, but Lian Li has designed the case such that there’s actually room for cards that take up more than two slots.

CPU cooler options are more limited, with space for coolers up to 60mm in height only. The case will also only fit SFX power supplies, with the length capped at 170mm.

Image Source: Lian Li

The side panels themselves utilize a tool-free, pop-off mechanism that should help ease the entire installation process. You may have noticed the lack of air intakes on the front panel, but the left side panel makes up for this with a series of ventilation holes along the bottom and side. 

The Lian Li PC-Q21 is available in silver and black and is slated to be available any day now for US$74.99.

Source: Lian Li

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