If you’re looking to enter the small form factor (SFF) PC community of builders, or perhaps looking to build a budget mini ITX PC – then the Cougar QBX case is a great option for you to embark on your next SFF journey.
The Cougar QBX mini-ITX case comes in at just 19.9L and below the considered 20L definition of ‘small form factor’. At just $50 for this fantastic SFF case, the Cougar QBX is often seen as a cheaper alternative to more premium mini ITX cases such as the NCase M1, LOUQE Ghost S1 or Dancase A4 SFX. It follows a similar layout internally to the Ncase M1, and provides very impressive airflow and cooling performance for its extremely affordable price.
In this guide, we will show you the best-suited components for Cougar QBX builds, including our recommended CPU coolers, Case fans and Power Supplies that many SFF builders recommend to go for when building with this case – and get the maximum performance and value out of your next Cougar QBX build in 2020.
Recommended components for Cougar QBX builds
| Component | Design | Recommended part | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cooler |  | Cryorig M9 |  |
| Power Supply |  | Corsair SF450 Gold | |
| Case Fan |  | Corsair ML120 | |
Best CPU Cooler for Cougar QBX
The Cougar QBX supports a large range of air coolers thanks to its coolers of up to 105mm in height supported. Popular AIO coolers SFF builders typically choose to pair with the QBX include the Noctua NH-U9S which offers best in class performance and great AMD/Intel compatibility, as well as the Noctua NH-L12S.
Due to the Cougar QBX being a budget SFF case aimed at entry-level builds – the CPU cooler we recommend is, in fact, the Cyrorig M9. This CPU cooler offers the best performance to price ratio and is appropriate for this $50 SFF case.
If you don’t mind dropping a few extra bucks to improve thermals, then we would recommend the Noctua NH-C14 or the NH-U9S – but
Best Power Supply (PSU) for Cougar QBX
It can be argued that the power supply is one of the most important components to get right in a build, to help build a stable setup with adequate power delivery and minimise any potential problems. With the QBX being focused for budget builders, we recommend a 450W or 600W SFX format PSU that is gold-rated, and well-rated from experts such as JohnnyGuru.
The best PSU for the Cougar QBX that we recommend that ticks all these boxes
Best Case Fans for Cougar QBX
When picking a case fan from one of the top manufacturers (Corsair, Noctua, Be Quiet!), it’s difficult to go wrong nowadays and most case fans will be adequate and perform well in the QBX. A popular 120mm case fan pairing with the Cougar QBX is the Corsair ML120, a great value 120mm case fan with superb performance with minimal noise. Note the ML120 does have a high RPM range so we would recommend to adjust the curve range should you pick the Corsair ML120 for your next Cougar QBX build.
Summary
| Component | Design | Recommended part | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cooler | | Cryorig M9 | |
| Power Supply | | Corsair SF450 Gold | |
| Case Fan | | Corsair ML120 | |