Cougar QBX Ultra Compact Gaming Case Mini-ITX

Product Information

After that I reassemble the GPU as normal and took off those 2 120mm fans, then everything runs normally, the GPU runs as cool as when it was inside the Evolv ITX, maxed out at low 60C with +230 MHz Core +550 MHz Memory.

Throughout building I constantly thought about the quality and intuitiveness that went into building the QBX. Sliding the card into its slot was no problem, but snapping the two tiny cables onto their connector nubs to link out to the antenna. According to the company's documentation (below), PSUs with the receptacle facing upwards are not compatible with the QBX. Cougar advise however if you are going to use a 240mm then only one half of the radiator can be cooled due to the close proximity of the PSU.there's always one thing that utterly ruins the case, requiring some extreme modding and wasted time to work around. So today we are putting the QBX to the test to see for ourselves where the new case excels and where it falls short. If the cage is removed, a 240 mm liquid cooling radiator will fit but only one fan can be installed. In fact, that’s a major theme of the QBX: it’s almost entirely toolless, and doesn’t need screws in most of the places I expected them. I've only worked with the Fractal Design Define R4 and R5, so I can't comment on their other products.

It slides back about half an inch to reveal a slim optical-drive bay, for a laptop-style slimline optical drive only (not the big, ordinary kind that goes into a desktop 5.There are very few ultra-compact ITX cases out there that allow for long GPUs and CPU coolers above 100 mm in height, but the Cougar QBX tries to make both of those two attributes mainstream by offering them in a compact, affordable chassis. There aren't any flashing LEDs or other design choices that scream, "Hey, look at me…I'm a gaming PC! However, the top panel also needs to be removed for the installation of the PSU and that requires the use of a typical Philips PH2 screwdriver. The layout is smart for the most part, although the radiator mount and cable management are lacking in execution. Here you can see most of the planned components of the build, with the Cougar QBX already opened up.

Today I wondered if maybe someone has the curiousity about how the slim ODD is ejected out of the QBX looks like. And as advised by a friend I can confirm that a non-modular, longer than specified PSU does fit in the case without any other sacrifices. From top to bottom, there's a power button with an integrated LED, a drive-activity LED, two blue color-coded USB 3.For liquid-cooling setups, you have the option of installing a 240mm radiator or a 120mm radiator, though if you do go with the bigger of the two, you'll have to sacrifice a fan and compromise cooling performance.

Then I realized that I didn’t need them, since the QBX’s metal chassis was had riser globes already punched out. Only ever got to build into one of these and still dream of the day I can afford one for my own system. I was worried that i can't put the side panel on, but surprisingly it's no problem for the side panel to be installed.

The artwork of the box follows the orange/black color theme of the company and is mostly based on pictures of the case itself. com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission.