My, how desktop PCs have shrunk. What once required a massive gray box can now be fit into a case small enough to hide on a bookshelf. This is largely thanks to the Mini-ITX format, which was developed originally by Via Technologies, maker of numerous processors and chipsets including the Nano processor, which is a competitor to Intel's Atom. Mini-ITX is not a new format, as it has been around since 2001. But the development of numerous new low-power processors combined with falling prices has finally made the Mini-ITX board practical. The best Mini-ITX boards now can be found with integrated wireless, respectable Nvidia or ATI integrated graphics, and the same audio and ethernet technology you'd expect on a full-size motherboard.
Of course, you'll need someplace to put your Mini-ITX board once you buy it. This market has historically been plauged by cases that were either flimsy or too expensive, but the recent entry into the market by companies with histories of building quality PC cases has resulted in some fine products.
It is no surprise that Lian-Li has entered into the Mini-ITX case market with the PC-Q7. Lian-Li is well known for using aluminum cases, which makes them lighter than most competing enclosures. While lighter than steel, the quality construction also allow Lian-Li to produce strong cases with less metal, resulting in an interior which feels more spacious. Given that weight and space are extremely important for Mini-ITX cases, Lian-Li seems to be entering the market with a natural edge.
The PC-Q7 is a small, rectangular case which measures a foot tall and eight inches deep. It is available in the traditional Lian-Li choices of silver or black. Like all Lian-Li cases, the exterior is impressive but not flashy, making it a good choice for a home theater. Inside there is room for one 5.25" external drive, one 3.5" internal drive, and a small video card. By far the largest component in the case will be the power supply, which consumes much of the interior space. This is an unavoidable problem for a case of this type and will remain a problem until something is done to reduce the standard size of a PC power supply.
The only downside to the Lian-Li PC-Q7 is the lack of audio ports on the front. This can be troublesome when the case is used as a small desktop computer. That said, the Lian-Li is an obvious choice for a small, high-quality PC enclosure. And at a price of about $75 dollars, the PC-Q7 is not unreasonably priced. It is certainly more expensive then cases made of lower-quality material, but the extra money puts the case into an entire different category of quality.