Lian-Li PC-Q03 Questions

[RobertDiffin]

I absolutely love this case and am working on a build for it. I have some cooling and some compatibility questions.

Thus far it looks like this:

PCPartPicker part list: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - PCPartPicker
Price breakdown by merchant: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - Price Breakdown By Merchant - PCPartPicker
Benchmarks: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - Benchmarks - PCPartPicker

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.78 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87I-DELUXE Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($185.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($164.95 @ Mwave)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($0.00) Already own one.
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) Mini ITX Tower Case ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.31 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A9SH-01 DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($97.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1261.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-25 16:57 EST-0500)

First of all, are there any incompatibilities which might have been missed by PCPartPicker? (I think I need a cable adapter of some sort for the Optical Drive.)

Cooling:

1. Will have suffer overheating problems if I O/C this as is?
2. Will I suffer overheating problems with this build as is without overclocking?
3. Are there ways to install some cooling fans to this unit without ruining the beautiful aesthetic of this case?

Any other pieces of wisdom are very welcome.
This build is for photography editing, hence the large, but somewhat slow HDD.

Thanks

[parsec]

Re: Lian-Li PC-Q03 Questions

Wow, a Haswell CPU (known to run hot) and a video card in a very small case with zero intake or exhaust fans, and no way to add any?

This case's size is: 7.83" x 9.65" x 8.27" (W x H x D)

Other specs: Maximum Compatibility
- VGA Card length: 180mm
- PSU length: 160mm
- CPU cooler height: 60mm

CPU cooler height is less than three inches, barely 2 1/2". A CM Hyper 212 will never fit.

Video card length is seven inches max.

If you must have the components you listed, great, but get a real PC case.

If you must have the case, start over on your part selections.

[Lian Li Tech]

Re: Lian-Li PC-Q03 Questions

I absolutely love this case and am working on a build for it. I have some cooling and some compatibility questions.

Thus far it looks like this:

PCPartPicker part list: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - PCPartPicker
Price breakdown by merchant: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - Price Breakdown By Merchant - PCPartPicker
Benchmarks: Intel Core i7-4770K, EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) - System Build - Benchmarks - PCPartPicker

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($299.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($32.78 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z87I-DELUXE Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($185.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive ($164.95 @ Mwave)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($0.00) Already own one.
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q03A (Silver) Mini ITX Tower Case ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($104.31 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A9SH-01 DVD/CD Writer ($25.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($97.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1261.94
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-25 16:57 EST-0500)

First of all, are there any incompatibilities which might have been missed by PCPartPicker? (I think I need a cable adapter of some sort for the Optical Drive.)

Cooling:

1. Will have suffer overheating problems if I O/C this as is?
2. Will I suffer overheating problems with this build as is without overclocking?
3. Are there ways to install some cooling fans to this unit without ruining the beautiful aesthetic of this case?

Any other pieces of wisdom are very welcome.
This build is for photography editing, hence the large, but somewhat slow HDD.

Thanks

Hi Robert,

The PC-Q03 is meant for an small office PC. I actually use the PC-Q03's little brother, PC-Q02, for my office PC.

This case only has one expansion slot, so it would not fit your double slotted EVGA card. Even, if modded to make an additional slot, the card would be too long for this case. Also, the CPU cooler would not fit. If you want to go with these similar components, and still want to go mini-ITX, I would suggest the PC-Q28. With this case, however, you would have to go with a CPU cooler under 100mm. There are many good choices for low profile coolers with the Noctua NH-L9i being one of them.

You could also look into mini-ITX options.