The Cougar QBX Mini ITX Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on November 13, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- Cougar
- Case
Cougar originates from Germany and originally specialized in advanced computer peripherals. During the past few months we have looked at several of their high end peripherals and mice. The company however produces more than just keyboards and mice, having diversified towards PC power supply units and cases. Cougar however is not particularly well-known for their cases, even though they have nearly a dozen designs available. One of their most recent releases is the their first Mini-ITX case, the QBX, which was unveiled at Computex and even won a design & innovation show award in the process. This is the case that we will be reviewing today.
Cougar's marketing is making some very bold claims regarding the performance and capabilities of the QBX. "Powerful Graphics". "Massive Storage". "The Best Cooling of Its Class". And then we notice a $53 price tag, which makes everything sounding a little bit too good to be true. So today we are putting the QBX to the test to see for ourselves where the new case excels and where it falls short.
11.2 oz Coke can for size comparison
| Cougar QBX | ||
| Motherboard Size | Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | One slim ODD (slot-loading only) |
| Internal | 1 × 3.5" 4 × 2.5" |
|
| Cooling | Front | 80 mm (optional) |
| Rear | 92 mm (included) | |
| Top | 2 x 120 mm (optional) | |
| Sides | 120 mm (optional) | |
| Bottom | 2 x 120 mm (optional) | |
| Radiator Support | Front | - |
| Rear | - | |
| Top | - | |
| Sides | Up to 240 mm (only one 120 mm fan) | |
| Bottom | - | |
| I/O Port | 2× USB 3.0, 0× USB 2.0, 1× Headphone, 1× Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 105 mm |
| PSU | 140 mm | |
| GPU | 350 mm | |
| Dimensions | 291 mm × 178 mm × 384 mm 11.46 in × 7.01 in × 15.12 in |
|
| Prominent Features | · Expandible: Powerful Graphics · Expandible : Massive Storage + ODD · The Best Cooling of Its Class |
|
| Price | $53 incl. shipping | |
Packaging & Bundle
Cougar supplies the QBX in a relatively small (but tall) box that hints the proportions of the case. The artwork of the box follows the orange/black color theme of the company and is mostly based on pictures of the case itself. The main features of the case are clearly printed on the sides of the box. Inside the box, the lightweight case is well protected with Styrofoam and wrapped inside a nylon bag.
The bundle supplied with the QBX is very basic, which was not unexpected considering the retail price of the case. Inside the small cardboard box we found only a very basic leaflet with installation schematics, black screws and mounting hardware, two small cable ties and one nylon filter for a 80 mm fan.
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zodiacfml - Monday, November 16, 2015 - link
Good job. I also love the conclusion which includes this " one that experienced builders should find rewarding."akdubya - Thursday, November 19, 2015 - link
Very happy with this case. It's perhaps overkill for my ultra-low-power NAS/Media Server/HTPC project but I just couldn't resist. The internal power cable comes in handy when you're going the PicoPSU route and want to mount the power brick inside your case. My original plan was to buy some econobox to hide away in my media center but this beauty sits right out in the open.