LIAN LI Black Aluminum PC-Q09FNB Mini ITX Media Center / HTPC Case

Pros: It can hold one 3.5 and two 2.5 hard drives.
Power supply is very quiet.
Looks excellent on my projector theater setup.

Cons: The only thing I can think of is if you are installing a 3.5 hard drive you must have a very low profile cpu cooler or otherwise the fan will hit the hard drive. I would recommend just using the 2.5 hard drives and removing the 3.5 hard drive's bracket to be able to have a big cpu fan and heatsink. I'm saying that because my amd cpu cooler was so freaking loud and I did replace it with a quiet one. I do not remove an egg because of this con because anybody who wants a small case for htpc should know that the space in the case is limited.

Other Thoughts: Just becareful for someone trying to get a 3.5 hard drive in there. the way to go is with the 2.5 hard drives.

Pros: LIAN LI has updated this case to include a USB 3.0 header INSIDE the case. There is no need to buy a separate adapter like I did. THANKS LIAN LI for this!! Newegg has not updated the description or case pictures for this.

Putting together the entire system was very easy. The snap on top and bottom makes this case very easy to get into. It looks better in person. The photos on here don't do it justice.

I use this case for an HTPC system and it runs at low temps.

Cons: The PSU is noisy. There is no way to adjust it so the only way to solve the problem is to buy a Pico PSU.

The noise is not unbearable and when you watch a TV show or movie you don't hear it, but you can't say it is "silent" and if you want complete silence the PSU will have to be replaced.

There are not many SFX form factor PSUs to choose from... so a Pico PSU is the best option.

Pros: SIZE
style
up to date
quiet

Cons: feet of case are not rubber/soft
case does not build itself
power/hdd led might be bright for some

Other Thoughts: so... im not sure why there are such low marks for this case. one can clearly see the layout/anatomy if this case in the pictures prior to purchase. this case is virtually silent, save for the whisper of the one case fan. a slim slot-load dvd or bluray burner fits seamlessly. it has all the newest technology built in (2.5" ssd mounting, USB3 front ports), and i LOVE the toolless access to the case; simply pop the snap-on top off. the only unforseen inattention on this case was in the feet of its base. the sharpish-tipped metal feet should have been felt or rubber; these scratch a wooden desk in a really bad way.

Pros: Beautiful looking case and the materials used are excellent. All aluminum and comes with vibration free mounts for the 2.5" hdd. Can't find a better looking little case

Cons: Not well executed. There's room wasted in this small case by having a ps that doesn't fit well. There's room for one low profile expansion slot, but none was provided. Also, the motherboard stand off holes don't line up with the holes in ANY mini-ITX motherboard, they were obviously put in the wrong place. Only off by afew mm, but enough to make installation a nightmare. Because the stand offs are in the wrong place, the back connections don't line up properly with the cutouts in the I/O shield. Really a fail. because of this total lack of attention to detail.

Other Thoughts: Too bad about the sloppy elements of design and execution, ruins a good looking case made of great materials.

Pros: Lian-li quality (excellent)
Screws included
Power supply seems solid and 24+4
120mm fan, cool

Cons: Front USB actually routes through the case and has to plug into the back of the motherboard. Why make the effort to go USB3 an a sleek case, but take the cheap route?
The large middle bracket really probably won't be needed in most installs, however they make it necessary due to the fact that's where the DVD blank is attached. Non-DVD would have a big hole in the front
All the cables are ridiculously long, like they came from a full tower. USB, motherboard, etc. If they would have taken a bit more effort and custom created ones for this case, they could cut down on clutter big time as well as materials.
Even though this is a purpose built case, most mini boards still have a PCI-E slot. There was room for this in the case easily, but those choose to not even allow it. I didn't really look close enough (who would imagine that a case manufacture wouldn't put this in) and would probably get a different case if I did it again. At this rate, I can't even put in a card if needed.

Other Thoughts: Lian-li quality but clearly not well thought out.