Introduction and Specifications
An ASUS ROG-enfused mini-ITX case
The PC-Q17 WX is a compact, all-aluminum mini-ITX enclosure designed to appeal to gamers, and it features certification from ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers). As with so many mini-ITX cases on the market there is room for a full-length graphics card, allowing the case to house a powerful gaming build.
The PC-Q17 WX is smaller than the mini-ITX cases I have looked at recently, with the trend for larger, micro-ATX sized designs prevalent in the last year or two. It is still quite a bit larger compared to the smallest designs on the market, with the NCASE M1 the smallest I have reviewed thus far. There is always an advantage in component support from a slightly larger case, and this case boasts full-length GPU and ATX power supply compatibity – though you will need a compact PSU to fit both of those concurrently (more on this later in the review).
As expected from Lian Li, this small chassis doesn’t just feature aluminum, it is all aluminum, making it ultra light with a premium feel. Getting to your components is easy thanks to side and top panels that simply snap in place with the company’s push pin style connectors, and there is a large acrylic window to show off your mini-ITX build. If you like its looks the only thing left is too see what fits inside and find out how it performs!
Before we continue here are the specifications from Lian Li:
Specifications
- Model: PC-Q17 WX
- Case Type: Mini Tower Chassis
- Color: Black
- Front bezel Material: Aluminum
- Side Panel: Aluminum
- Body Material: Aluminum
- Expansion Slot: 2
- MB Type: Mini-ITX
- HDD bays:
- 3.5" HDD x3
- 2.5" HDD x5
- 5.25" drive bay (External):
- 1 Slim ODD (Slot-In)
- (optional: 1x 3.5” or 1x 2.5” HDD)
- System Fans:
- Rear: 80mm x2 (Optional)
- Top: 140mm / 120mm x1 (Optional)
- Base: 120mm x2 (Optional)
- I/O Ports: USB 3.0 x2, HD Audio
- PSU Type: ATX /SFX
- Maximum Compatibility:
- VGA Card length: 270mm
- CPU cooler height: 140mm
- PSU length: 150mm
- Dimensions (WxHxD) 201mm x 276mm x 407mm
- Net Weight: 2.7kg
- Current U.S. availability and pricing: $189.99, Microcenter.com
First Impressions
The PC-Q17 has a brushed finish that looks lighter in these photos under the bright lights than the black color it will appear in most environments.
The front panel offers a pair of USB 3.0 and 3.5 mm audio ports
The case has a sharp, angular design when viewed from the side.
The top panel also functions as an external radiator mount, and there are cutouts for the liquid cooling hoses that work with standard all-in-one units as well.
While this enclosure design is too small for a standard 5.25-inch bay, there is actually optical drive support from a slot up top.
This requires a slot-loading notebook drive to mount to the included bracket, and (as I found with the Lian Li-constructed NCASE M1) this implementation works well if you require optical media support.
Around back you can see there is no PSU cutout, as this is mounted internally and the power routed to the rear with an integrated extension cable. The pair of expansion slots support dual-width graphics cards (length of up to 270 mm supported), but the case does not support 120 mm fans – in the back. More on fan/radiator support on the next page.
On the bottom we see hard drive mounts and the four rubber-bottomed feet.
The accessory package includes all needed hardware (including plenty of rubber hard drive mounts), an ATX to SFX power supply bracket, and there is a pair of red LED lighting strips which can be used to illuminate the ROG logo (or placed anywhere else), if desired.
Next we’ll take a close look inside the PC-Q17 and then look at a quick gaming build.
I’d compl3etely forgotten
I’d compl3etely forgotten about that bloated Ncase knockoff. That giant plastic wedge on the front containing a large cavity of completely wasted space really is embarrassing.
Lian Li built the NCASE M1.
Lian Li built the NCASE M1. That wedge up front is aluminum, not plastic, and it allows for additional HDD/SSD storage or a slim optical drive's installation.
Have you ever built in an
Have you ever built in an ncase? Especially without custom cables, that area becomes really tight really fast, so no it’s not a waste at all. What’s embarrassing is writing a comment before reading the whole review. Besides plastic and lian-li doesn’t happen often if ever.
thanks sebastian
have been
thanks sebastian
have been bothering you for some time about doing a review of an aluminum case and you have come through
just wish I could find a mini itx am4 board, preferable one that is spec’d similar to the asrock taichi
My next case review is
My next case review is all-aluminum as well, so stay tuned! (And yes, I'm awaiting the mITX AM4 boards as well.)
Is the ROG logo RGB? To me it
Is the ROG logo RGB? To me it seems like a perfect match with one of the new ASUS boards with the RGB header built in.
Sebastian, have you seen any mATX or mITX cases with tempered glass and a vertical GPU mount? I am really liking the vertical GPU mounts and think when I retire my H440 I will find a case with tempered glass and a vertical GPU.
The ROG logo isn’t RGB; uses
The ROG logo isn't RGB; uses a pair of red LED strips for illumination. I have yet to encounter a small form-factor case (mITX or mATX) with both vertical GPU mounting and tempered glass. And now I want to find one!
Do you happen to know if
Do you happen to know if they’ll release a non rog variant
Not sure about the PC-Q17,
Not sure about the PC-Q17, but the PC-Q10 is essentially the non-ROG version of the case.