Cougar QBX Ultra Compact Gaming Case Mini-ITX

Product Information

The case could be a bit more flexible and allow more common 160mm PSUs, although the cables attached to those power supplies would likely block a long graphics card from fitting in the case. I had a look and checked it wasn't a cable from an SSD, it wasn't the SSD itself, the fan wasn't hitting anything. One other tidbit: the top panel of the case is removable, and you can fit two more 120mm fans up there. The base of the chassis is really sturdy and has two full-length feet with rubber grips, giving the QBX great balance.

This is a attractive, solidly built, inexpensive case with excellent features, cooler clearance, and airflow that I can strongly recommend, with one caveat. If I could change anything it would be the horizontal clearance between the PSU and the motherboard. I take the trades to put NH-C14S to cool my 5GHz 8700K inside a tiny case, also since I don't need many storage drives so I can live with it. If the cage is removed, a 240 mm liquid cooling radiator will fit but only one fan can be installed.The front top fan would not fit with the psu adapter cable going toward the back of the case being in the way so I used spacers for the SFXL psu to create more depth (making the psu hang lower than previously) so that the fan would fit appropriately. However, this might not work if you're installing an optical drive, which is a bummer because as it turns out, finding the right size PSU with a compatible plug orientation isn't easy, especially if you rule out generic (read: low-quality) units. I would hope an updated version of this would include changes for a more friendly watercooling/custom loop option. I have spoken to someone who said you can stuff a non-modular PSU into the case, I'm skeptical but thought i'd take up this challenge.

There aren't any flashing LEDs or other design choices that scream, "Hey, look at me…I'm a gaming PC! It was a tight squeeze, but the build was a success, and I came away impressed by a few of Cougar’s clever design decisions for this mini-ITX case. inch hard drive, you can use the space for a 240mm radiator, though as previously mentioned, you can use only one 120mm fan to cool it. Cougar is a relatively young PC-gaming-gear maker based in Germany, and it has ramped up its efforts in the United States only recently.While the QBX only plays nice with mini-ITX motherboards, it's willing to mingle with some standard-size components. And quiet, especially—this case is small enough to sit on a desk, and I don’t want to hear its CPU fan whirring flat-out to stay cool. You could easily get away with placing the QBX in a professional setting where a louder aesthetic wouldn't be appropriate. The QBX comes bundled with all of the screws and fittings you’ll need, as well as a screw in mesh for one of the extra fan mounts; nothing fancy, but it’ll get us through the build. I've only worked with the Fractal Design Define R4 and R5, so I can't comment on their other products.