Lian Li PC-Q27 review

The Lian Li PC-Q27 is a Mini ITX case that’s tall and narrow rather than squat and deep like some Mini ITX PC cases, such as the Lian Li PC-V355 (see Reviews, Shopper 301). This makes it look more like a proper PC than a piece of home cinema equipment, so the PC-Q27 is better suited to the building of a discreet and compact PC than a media PC.

Opening the PC-Q27 is easy, you must remove just one screw and then slide the side panel off. The motherboard can then be installed on the back of the opposite side panel. Due to the positioning of the power supply slot you only have 70mm between the motherboard and the power supply, so a stock or low profile processor cooler is a must.

Due to the location of the motherboard and the cramped working space, we recommend using a magnetic screwdriver with a long shaft when installing the motherboard. You can install a 5.25in drive with thumbscrews, and there’s a novel way of installing 3.5in and 2.5in drives.

The PC-Q27 can accommodate up to three hard drives: one 3.5in drive and either one 2.5in drive and a 3.5 drive or two 2.5in drives. One 3.5in drive and the 2.5in drive must be attached to the bottom of the case and a 2.5in or 3.5in drive must be attached to the side of the case.

To attach a drive to the bottom of the case slot you must screw rubber grommets to the drives. The bottom of the case has four holes into which you can press a drive and pull it down to secure it to the case. You can attach a 3.5in or 2.5in drive to the case in this way. If you’re using a 3.5in drive, you can attach rubber grommets to its sides and slide it into a pair of drive rails. You must use this method if you want to attach both a 2.5in and 3.in drive to the base of the unit. Although it may sound confusing, it’s incredibly easy to install the drives.

The PC-Q27 uses a passive cooling system, so there are no fan mounts, unless you want to forfeit the 3.5in drive mount at the bottom of the case. We’re not too happy about this, and prefer some means of installing a large, quiet fan in it.

We’d also like to see more connection ports, especially 3.5mm audio ports, although we are pleased with the two USB3 ports on its right-hand side.

The PC-Q27 is a likeable case, we like the drive-mounting options and it’s well priced, but it’s a little too bland to be a case you’ll love and enjoy seeing. If you want a case for a media PC then the Lian Li PC-V355 is a better option.