The first thing I thought was "are you sure your components are operating properly?" The results are outstanding, for sure. My personal experience with cases has been to either buy the most basic, affordable POS with its own PSU or go big and spend extra to get something really nice. There's not much in between.
Well, it's not completely true. For example, The CM N200 is a good microATX case (decent aestetics too, however it's subjective) that costs half the case in this review and can handle pretty powerful systems on air and liquid.
I tried a Bitfenix Prodigy ITX about a year ago, and the case was simply awful. It weighed a ton, the panels were unnecessarily heavy, which directly correlated to poor thermals. It was like an oven inside, even with a 200mm intake and 120mm exhaust fan. The memory modules were too hot to touch. The 200mm fan was useless...even after replacing it with a coolermaster fan, it was apparent the problem was the air holes for the fan. There were 6 of them, and they are dime-sized. The intake system was starved. The appearance of these cases leads you to believe they are well designed, when in fact they are just a crap covered in glitter. The icing on the cake is the price. They are twice as expensive as competing models from Coolermaster, Antec, and Corsair, companies vastly more experienced in case manufacturing and design.
Stay away from Bitfenix. If you're going to spend this level of money on something, get a "real" case from Lian Li, Silverstone, or a high end product from another established manufacture.
"I tried a Bitfenix Prodigy ITX about a year ago, and the case was simply awful. It weighed a ton, the panels were unnecessarily heavy"
I have a Prodigy, and I agree, it's heavy for its size.
"which directly correlated to poor thermals"
It sounds like you got a model with the solid faceplate. The mesh faceplate models give excellent thermal performance, and I have no issues with mine. Even the AnandTech review of it gave it an Editors Choice award. The fact that the panels are heavy don't contribute to poor thermal performance.
While not as good at conducting heat as aluminum, steel isn't really an insulator so I doubt having a little thicker panels is going to trash cooling performance. I've used some really stout cases, including oldschool Lian Li cases that were built out of what seemed like 1/4" thick steel. They worked great even though they had panels that were "unnecessarily heavy". Airflow is much more important and it sounds like the particular model you bought suffered from poor airflow. Based on what I've seen and heard it would Bitfenix has at least some good models out there. Also Coolermaster makes a variety of fans and depending on the model it may not push significantly more air especially in a restrictive case (perhaps due to poor static pressure - if they don't publish this number it probably isn't very good).
Currently on Amazon the N200 is around $50 - as is the cheapest Neos. So not half the price. In Finland where I shop the N200 will cost a bit more than the Neos. Seems like a nice case and better for a gaming system but it is for a microATX board unlike the Neos that takes a full size ATX board. The Neos also has place for two 5.25 drives and not just one. (I don't think that many needs two optical drives but the 5.25 place could be used for something else. I usually have my 3.5 HDDs put into the 5.25 places to eliminate the amplification of vibration and seek noises by the case.)
There is no debate about it. Bitfenix makes crap. Anybody who says otherwise either hasn't touched one of their piece of crap products, or unfortunately owns one and is in the deeper stages of denial but will eventually reach acceptance that they do in fact own a piece of crap.
There are various Corsair and Coolermaster cases that may not be that much cheaper ($30-$40 such as the Elite 110, Elite 361 and the Corsair Carbide Spec-01) and not much of a looker, but are significantly better at actual cooling.
I've had Rosewill cases that cost $20 and actually work, in that they house and cool components properly. Bitfenix is basically picking up old SECC tooling equipment on the cheap, hiring flunkie engineers to design what looks good, and selling them for bottom-dollar prices based on looks, not functionality or performance.
Their opinion sounds like it is clouded by selecting a Prodigy model with a solid faceplate that blocks airflow. They should have got a mesh faceplate model.
Yeah, because the mesh faceplate on the model Anandtech just reviewed made such a difference...I really don't think people understand what negative/positive pressure is and how hard it is to properly design an enclosure with zoned cooling.
Hard? If by Hard, you mean needing an elementary understanding of thermodynamics.... It's a desktop computer people... Not a flipping datacenter with 80,000+ nodes and a staff of 70 generating 40 Megawatts needing 12,000 tons of cooling capacity.
I'm sorry you are the proud owner of a shitty Bitfenix product, hughlle. Please stop spreading propaganda. To recommend one of these cases to someone is like pushing them off the subway platform...it's something both of you will regret for the rest of your lives. Anyone who lived through the 80's and 90's with the evolution of AT & ATX\BTX will immediately recognize how poorly engineered Bitfenix cases are. It's like buying a Hyundai in the 90's...they'll come around but now is not their time. They're just rebadging Mazda engines and stealing to the best of their ability other manufactures designs. Anything that is actually designed in-house is utter garbage because they clearly don't employ anybody qualified to design cooling enclosures.
Firstly, i have been a long time shuttle owner, and for large cases tend to go for silverstone for the aesthetics, currently owning a TJ07 and one of their HTPC cases. I have avoided the prodigy because it was in my opinion, ugly.
Secondly. As i mentioned earlier, i'm not too fussed about your opinion which seems driven by resentment, not reality. When the majority of respectable review sites are giving it rave reviews, and 1 nobody is telling me it's like being pushed off a subway platform, i wonder which opinion i'll believe?
You don't like your case, i've no problem with that, but it is readily apparent that your opinion of it is not the accepted opinion of it.
Actually the Bitfenix was more of a test than anything. All of my personal cases are Lian-Li or Silverstone, with the FT03 and FT03-mini making up my two primary PC's and the ML03B (a $50 SECC case) making up my HTPC. Although in no way the same style, the ML03B demonstrates a quality SECC design whereas the Bitfenix Prodigy demonstrates everything you shouldn't do with a SECC chassis (heavier/thicker panels, poor quality edges, improper cooling channels and vents and so on.
I've used Coolermaster cases with inexpensive builds for friends, such as the Elite 360 ($50) and the SECC quality is there. Bitfenix just doesn't have "it".
I'm a long-time Shuttle user as well, since the Athlon XP days. I've had a K48 Core 2 Duo KPC hosting my Bitcoin miners for years...and before that it was my HTPC. Another quality SECC design. Again, Bitfenix doesn't have it.
I build systems for over 10 years, and twice systems in Bitfenix Prodigy. Unfortunately, I can confirm the deficiencies mentioned elsewhere, and could add more to the list. A problem I see with case reviews is that they must get published and consequently cannot discover/report problems that occur over time. Sincerely, I wished that Bitfenix gave more attention to quality, it would make their customers loyal and not disgruntled. I appreciate the critical review by anandtech, those reviews elsewhere just singing glory are a waste of time reading.
I think there's an error in the "testing and results" page, when u compare the "neos" with other cases with charts. Both charts are labelled with 850W loads - I think u meant 850W and 450W
I missed that too, I looked at them for a minute and I couldn't find what the temperature was referred to. I went back to look at it now and I finally saw it.
'Midi tower' is a term in common use. It means the same as 'mid-tower' but is more used outside of US. The same tower cases that are classified as 'mid towers' on amazon.com are classified as 'midi tower' on amazon.co.uk. Even on amazon.com many descriptions calls a case a 'midi tower' although it is named a 'mid tower' in the big title. So maybe 'midi tower' is the proper term and 'mid tower' is what came of it after Americans butchered it?
For computer components, a large number of terms originated in the US market so we could hardly have "butchered" it, right? Anyway, given E. is located in Europe his use of "midi-tower" is completely acceptable, but for our US readers I went ahead and changed it to "mid-tower". Midi files... does anyone still use those? I remember back in the late 80s and early 90s where high quality Midi sound modules like the Roland MT-32 were the best way to listen to Midi. Good times! (And my MT-32 only cost about $600 all told. Ouch. So no, I don't miss those days.)
it's like they looked for a chinese factory that's not done a single upgrade since the 90s and made them make a case that looked decent.
I mean, you could sell cases without expansion slot covers to PC companies that build computers which are not meant to be further tampered with, but if you're selling a case directly to users it needs to be a bit more future proof.
Great review. I would suggest adding a 250W thermal load, corresponding to a mid-level machine with something like a 750Ti and a 65W CPU. Also, I would be curious to see when the case reaches equilibrium. I don't know if technical reasons require a failsafe cut-off, but I think you could maybe let it run up to 100C or try a cooler environment.
I would suggest an even lower thermal load to simulate systems that are not build for gaming. I have my computer in a quite similar sized case. Kill-a-watt shows that it is drawing 60 - 110 W. The idea of testing every case like it is meant to house a 850W or 400W gaming monster and then judge them based on their obvious failings is silly.
The graphs compare the case to other better cases without mentioning that they are at least 50% bigger in size and probably also at least as much pricier. Those facts alone might make the Neos a better choice for those who are not planning to put in it anything even close to 850 or 400 Watts and wants a decent looking case . (Actually many cheap cases look really bad - they either look like toys for prepubertal boys or black and silver plastic cases for workplaces or people that do not care at all about the looks of the case.) The difference in thermal performance compared to to bigger and pricier gaming cases probably will not have any practical meaning when going to the sub 200 W range. The Neos is clearly not meant for gamers or overclockers so it should not be evaluated like such a case. The noisy fan is a real bummer but it could be replaced with a better fan, and there is place for 2 more 120mm fans on the front of the case if a bit better thermal performance should be needed. The only practical information in this review for someone like me who might actually consider this case, is that the metallic mesh might easily be damaged, that the expansion slot covers are what they are and I probably would have to change the fan for a less noisy. What about the HDD noise?
In the shop that I usually buy from the cheapest midi/mini case (for full ATX-motherboards) is 33€ (LC-Power 3001B). Neos (without a window) is 41€. Scrolling the list down from cheapest to more costly, the Neos is the first to give some aesthetic pleasure because its color options. That could decide it for some. You can choose a case that fits the room it will be in. Cable management is not really so important if you have a low wattage system in a windowless case. (I don't really understand the window option on a case like Neos.)
A lower thermal load would yield correlative results, just at a lower magnitude and over a significantly longer period of time. That is why every comparison of cases using either the 850W and 400W load charts always ends up the same. Regardless of the thermal load, given that we are talking about a passive load, if case A is better than case B, it will always be better than case B - only the magnitude of the results changes.
We are using the 400W load only because there are some cases (like this one) that cannot handle a very high thermal load at all without starting a fire. With the 400W load requiring a time of at least seven hours to give usable results, testing with a lower load is unfeasible - it would take days and I cannot keep the ambient conditions stable for that long. Furthermore, a very low load would bring the results of many cases very close together, making them look virtually identical, because of the shrinkage of the scale. My equipment can tell the difference between 41°C and 42°C, but not between 20°C and 20.02°C.
Thank you for your answer - and for the review. You are right that it makes sense to test in the way you do. The problem is more in the conclusions that seems to be derived from that - or maybe just the emphasis on that one fact. At a low thermal load the case will still be worse thermal wise than the bigger and more expensive comparisons - but in practice the difference won't matter much. Other factors will easily overrun that drawback for a potential buyer who is not interested in building a gaming rig into the case.
It seems that you did not like the looks of the case. I have not seen it in person so I can't make a comment. Still, it has several color options to choose from whereas probably every else case in the same form factor and price group comes without such choice. I, for one, would easily pay 50% more (or accept other drawbacks) to get a case in the most pleasing color option. It will be a part of the furniture for some years so the exterior appearance, in the context of the room where it will be sitting in, is very important. I don't know if BitFenix was the first to offer cases with color options - more than a black and a white option, or a black and an aluminium/silver option - but they are currently very prominent in that - and I really appreciate that.
This is a fine-looking, solidly built case for a basic PC with a quad core CPU and a single GPU, i.e. a 450 watt system. I built one last month. Not every case has to be designed to support overclocking and radiators or monstrous heatsinks. If you want that, there are plenty of other cases to choose from, and stop kidding yourself, you're not going to buy a $60 case anyway.
The problem is, there are $60 cases (Corsair 200R, NZXT Source 220, and probably some others) that can take radiators or bigger heatsinks, and look like decent options even for overclocking.
If you want to overclock, and want radiators/big heatsinks, and can get a case that supports that for $60 or even less, why not do that?
If you know you want to overclock and think the possibility of radiators or big heatsinks is in your future, you should probably choose a case that reflects that.
This case isn't for that. It doesn't (to the best of my knowledge) claim to be that. This is the sort of case for the build you do for a parent, sibling, or significant other that is built once then not touched for years. The sort of build where the looks of the case are more important than the convenience of the cable management.
Any chance we could get some comparisons using some fans installed in the front 120mm fan slots? I wouldn't expect anyone to be putting 850W worth of components into a case like this without utilizing more of the fan mounting options.
I wouldn't expect anyone to be putting 850W worth of components into this case. At all...
We always test cases with their stock cooling options only. There is a virtually limitless number of possible cooling configurations for every single case out there, it is not possible to showcase them all. For instance, you requested the installation of two 120mm fans - which fans? 550 RPM silent fans or 5200 RPM Delta "jet engines"?
For what it's worth, the windowed version of the case comes with an additional front fan. So it would be "stock" if you had got that version. Maybe for the sake of comparison you could try this version with a 120mm front fan?
Here's the deal with Bitfenix, they released the Prodigy in 2012 and took the mini-ITX PC crowd by storm. And then we have this.... they truly are a one-hit wonder
You mean they made a mITX case that is almost as large or even larger than mATX cases. Case aesthetics are subjective that much I will admit, but I never understood their appeal from a pure functionality point of view because the entire point of the mITX is to f***ing save space.
And it's such a cramped case as well, despite being so large. If you fit a decent heatsink or a radiator, you can't have a DVD drive anymore. It's got 2 fan mount locations. I see so much wasted space.
Very uninspiring case; rather than being minimalist it manages to be ugly, and its internal layout is very bog standard and doesn't seem great. It would only take a tiny tweak on behalf of the designer to make mounts for 2x 140mm fans at the front, then another few to make them suitable for mounting a radiator; then we'd be looking at something more serious.
However, as usual the design is badly hampered by the unnecessarily common 2x optical bays and a heap of sideways drive bays that hardly anyone will actually use entirely. If you're going to do side-mounting drive bays then why not put them in a line horizontally like the old Mac Pros? As long as airflow passes under them they'll stay plenty cool, throw in a slot-loading optical bay instead and you can save tons of space at the front, freeing you to make the unit shallower (from front to back). Then we'd be looking at something interesting or new, instead it's just a carbon copy of 99% of tower cases with some not very good styling; I'm all for minimalist design, but this one manages to make less look like less.
I used the purple model of this for my wife's build. It wasn't too bad to work with, though the cable management certainly could have been better. I don't see any thermal throttling or heating issues, either, with a 4690 and an R9 290. I think if it was the case for my PC and I was having to get into it to tinker more often then it would be more annoying, but in a "set it and forget it" setup I'm not too mad.
Really though, I chose it primarily for aesthetic reasons. Purple cases are tough to come by.
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maecenas - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Wow, probably the most searing Anandtech review I've seen. Thank you for your honesty, I'll steer clear of this product....nathanddrews - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
The first thing I thought was "are you sure your components are operating properly?" The results are outstanding, for sure. My personal experience with cases has been to either buy the most basic, affordable POS with its own PSU or go big and spend extra to get something really nice. There's not much in between.sfuzzz - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Well, it's not completely true. For example, The CM N200 is a good microATX case (decent aestetics too, however it's subjective) that costs half the case in this review and can handle pretty powerful systems on air and liquid.drainplugofideas - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I have that case! I really like it overall.Samus - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I tried a Bitfenix Prodigy ITX about a year ago, and the case was simply awful. It weighed a ton, the panels were unnecessarily heavy, which directly correlated to poor thermals. It was like an oven inside, even with a 200mm intake and 120mm exhaust fan. The memory modules were too hot to touch. The 200mm fan was useless...even after replacing it with a coolermaster fan, it was apparent the problem was the air holes for the fan. There were 6 of them, and they are dime-sized. The intake system was starved. The appearance of these cases leads you to believe they are well designed, when in fact they are just a crap covered in glitter. The icing on the cake is the price. They are twice as expensive as competing models from Coolermaster, Antec, and Corsair, companies vastly more experienced in case manufacturing and design.Stay away from Bitfenix. If you're going to spend this level of money on something, get a "real" case from Lian Li, Silverstone, or a high end product from another established manufacture.
Gigaplex - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
"I tried a Bitfenix Prodigy ITX about a year ago, and the case was simply awful. It weighed a ton, the panels were unnecessarily heavy"I have a Prodigy, and I agree, it's heavy for its size.
"which directly correlated to poor thermals"
It sounds like you got a model with the solid faceplate. The mesh faceplate models give excellent thermal performance, and I have no issues with mine. Even the AnandTech review of it gave it an Editors Choice award. The fact that the panels are heavy don't contribute to poor thermal performance.
Alexvrb - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
While not as good at conducting heat as aluminum, steel isn't really an insulator so I doubt having a little thicker panels is going to trash cooling performance. I've used some really stout cases, including oldschool Lian Li cases that were built out of what seemed like 1/4" thick steel. They worked great even though they had panels that were "unnecessarily heavy". Airflow is much more important and it sounds like the particular model you bought suffered from poor airflow. Based on what I've seen and heard it would Bitfenix has at least some good models out there. Also Coolermaster makes a variety of fans and depending on the model it may not push significantly more air especially in a restrictive case (perhaps due to poor static pressure - if they don't publish this number it probably isn't very good).SleepModezZ - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Currently on Amazon the N200 is around $50 - as is the cheapest Neos. So not half the price. In Finland where I shop the N200 will cost a bit more than the Neos. Seems like a nice case and better for a gaming system but it is for a microATX board unlike the Neos that takes a full size ATX board. The Neos also has place for two 5.25 drives and not just one. (I don't think that many needs two optical drives but the 5.25 place could be used for something else. I usually have my 3.5 HDDs put into the 5.25 places to eliminate the amplification of vibration and seek noises by the case.)Samus - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
There is no debate about it. Bitfenix makes crap. Anybody who says otherwise either hasn't touched one of their piece of crap products, or unfortunately owns one and is in the deeper stages of denial but will eventually reach acceptance that they do in fact own a piece of crap.There are various Corsair and Coolermaster cases that may not be that much cheaper ($30-$40 such as the Elite 110, Elite 361 and the Corsair Carbide Spec-01) and not much of a looker, but are significantly better at actual cooling.
I've had Rosewill cases that cost $20 and actually work, in that they house and cool components properly. Bitfenix is basically picking up old SECC tooling equipment on the cheap, hiring flunkie engineers to design what looks good, and selling them for bottom-dollar prices based on looks, not functionality or performance.
hughlle - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Unfortunately your opinion is completely and utterly contradicted by almost every review on the internet. So clearly there is a debate about it.Gigaplex - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Their opinion sounds like it is clouded by selecting a Prodigy model with a solid faceplate that blocks airflow. They should have got a mesh faceplate model.Samus - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Yeah, because the mesh faceplate on the model Anandtech just reviewed made such a difference...I really don't think people understand what negative/positive pressure is and how hard it is to properly design an enclosure with zoned cooling.HungryTurkey - Monday, January 26, 2015 - link
Hard? If by Hard, you mean needing an elementary understanding of thermodynamics.... It's a desktop computer people... Not a flipping datacenter with 80,000+ nodes and a staff of 70 generating 40 Megawatts needing 12,000 tons of cooling capacity.Samus - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
I'm sorry you are the proud owner of a shitty Bitfenix product, hughlle. Please stop spreading propaganda. To recommend one of these cases to someone is like pushing them off the subway platform...it's something both of you will regret for the rest of your lives. Anyone who lived through the 80's and 90's with the evolution of AT & ATX\BTX will immediately recognize how poorly engineered Bitfenix cases are. It's like buying a Hyundai in the 90's...they'll come around but now is not their time. They're just rebadging Mazda engines and stealing to the best of their ability other manufactures designs. Anything that is actually designed in-house is utter garbage because they clearly don't employ anybody qualified to design cooling enclosures.hughlle - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Firstly, i have been a long time shuttle owner, and for large cases tend to go for silverstone for the aesthetics, currently owning a TJ07 and one of their HTPC cases. I have avoided the prodigy because it was in my opinion, ugly.Secondly. As i mentioned earlier, i'm not too fussed about your opinion which seems driven by resentment, not reality. When the majority of respectable review sites are giving it rave reviews, and 1 nobody is telling me it's like being pushed off a subway platform, i wonder which opinion i'll believe?
You don't like your case, i've no problem with that, but it is readily apparent that your opinion of it is not the accepted opinion of it.
Samus - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Actually the Bitfenix was more of a test than anything. All of my personal cases are Lian-Li or Silverstone, with the FT03 and FT03-mini making up my two primary PC's and the ML03B (a $50 SECC case) making up my HTPC. Although in no way the same style, the ML03B demonstrates a quality SECC design whereas the Bitfenix Prodigy demonstrates everything you shouldn't do with a SECC chassis (heavier/thicker panels, poor quality edges, improper cooling channels and vents and so on.I've used Coolermaster cases with inexpensive builds for friends, such as the Elite 360 ($50) and the SECC quality is there. Bitfenix just doesn't have "it".
I'm a long-time Shuttle user as well, since the Athlon XP days. I've had a K48 Core 2 Duo KPC hosting my Bitcoin miners for years...and before that it was my HTPC. Another quality SECC design. Again, Bitfenix doesn't have it.
hlan - Friday, January 23, 2015 - link
I build systems for over 10 years, and twice systems in Bitfenix Prodigy. Unfortunately, I can confirm the deficiencies mentioned elsewhere, and could add more to the list. A problem I see with case reviews is that they must get published and consequently cannot discover/report problems that occur over time. Sincerely, I wished that Bitfenix gave more attention to quality, it would make their customers loyal and not disgruntled. I appreciate the critical review by anandtech, those reviews elsewhere just singing glory are a waste of time reading.Sushisamurai - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I think there's an error in the "testing and results" page, when u compare the "neos" with other cases with charts. Both charts are labelled with 850W loads - I think u meant 850W and 450WSushisamurai - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Oops, never mind, it's CPU and GPU, my eyes are getting too old to read the fine print hahaMurloc - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I missed that too, I looked at them for a minute and I couldn't find what the temperature was referred to.I went back to look at it now and I finally saw it.
YoloPascual - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Outclassed by the Corsair 100R.mischlep - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Minor typo, page 3: "nearly as much as a generic low cost Midi-Tower case"Should probably be a "Mid-Tower case"
mr_tawan - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
This case might target digital musician :-).SleepModezZ - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
'Midi tower' is a term in common use. It means the same as 'mid-tower' but is more used outside of US. The same tower cases that are classified as 'mid towers' on amazon.com are classified as 'midi tower' on amazon.co.uk. Even on amazon.com many descriptions calls a case a 'midi tower' although it is named a 'mid tower' in the big title. So maybe 'midi tower' is the proper term and 'mid tower' is what came of it after Americans butchered it?JarredWalton - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
For computer components, a large number of terms originated in the US market so we could hardly have "butchered" it, right? Anyway, given E. is located in Europe his use of "midi-tower" is completely acceptable, but for our US readers I went ahead and changed it to "mid-tower". Midi files... does anyone still use those? I remember back in the late 80s and early 90s where high quality Midi sound modules like the Roland MT-32 were the best way to listen to Midi. Good times! (And my MT-32 only cost about $600 all told. Ouch. So no, I don't miss those days.)SleepModezZ - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
You are right, I forgot to put a smiley after my last sentence.dragosmp - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I imagine a bottom-mounted extra fan would help quite a bit, but for the money they ask this case should be betterMurloc - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
it's like they looked for a chinese factory that's not done a single upgrade since the 90s and made them make a case that looked decent.I mean, you could sell cases without expansion slot covers to PC companies that build computers which are not meant to be further tampered with, but if you're selling a case directly to users it needs to be a bit more future proof.
FriendlyUser - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Great review. I would suggest adding a 250W thermal load, corresponding to a mid-level machine with something like a 750Ti and a 65W CPU. Also, I would be curious to see when the case reaches equilibrium. I don't know if technical reasons require a failsafe cut-off, but I think you could maybe let it run up to 100C or try a cooler environment.SleepModezZ - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
I would suggest an even lower thermal load to simulate systems that are not build for gaming. I have my computer in a quite similar sized case. Kill-a-watt shows that it is drawing 60 - 110 W. The idea of testing every case like it is meant to house a 850W or 400W gaming monster and then judge them based on their obvious failings is silly.The graphs compare the case to other better cases without mentioning that they are at least 50% bigger in size and probably also at least as much pricier. Those facts alone might make the Neos a better choice for those who are not planning to put in it anything even close to 850 or 400 Watts and wants a decent looking case . (Actually many cheap cases look really bad - they either look like toys for prepubertal boys or black and silver plastic cases for workplaces or people that do not care at all about the looks of the case.) The difference in thermal performance compared to to bigger and pricier gaming cases probably will not have any practical meaning when going to the sub 200 W range. The Neos is clearly not meant for gamers or overclockers so it should not be evaluated like such a case. The noisy fan is a real bummer but it could be replaced with a better fan, and there is place for 2 more 120mm fans on the front of the case if a bit better thermal performance should be needed. The only practical information in this review for someone like me who might actually consider this case, is that the metallic mesh might easily be damaged, that the expansion slot covers are what they are and I probably would have to change the fan for a less noisy. What about the HDD noise?
Oxford Guy - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
You can get a case for $25 that can be used for a low wattage system. Why spend so much on this? It doesn't have good cable management, etc.SleepModezZ - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
In the shop that I usually buy from the cheapest midi/mini case (for full ATX-motherboards) is 33€ (LC-Power 3001B). Neos (without a window) is 41€. Scrolling the list down from cheapest to more costly, the Neos is the first to give some aesthetic pleasure because its color options. That could decide it for some. You can choose a case that fits the room it will be in. Cable management is not really so important if you have a low wattage system in a windowless case. (I don't really understand the window option on a case like Neos.)E.Fyll - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
A lower thermal load would yield correlative results, just at a lower magnitude and over a significantly longer period of time. That is why every comparison of cases using either the 850W and 400W load charts always ends up the same. Regardless of the thermal load, given that we are talking about a passive load, if case A is better than case B, it will always be better than case B - only the magnitude of the results changes.We are using the 400W load only because there are some cases (like this one) that cannot handle a very high thermal load at all without starting a fire. With the 400W load requiring a time of at least seven hours to give usable results, testing with a lower load is unfeasible - it would take days and I cannot keep the ambient conditions stable for that long. Furthermore, a very low load would bring the results of many cases very close together, making them look virtually identical, because of the shrinkage of the scale. My equipment can tell the difference between 41°C and 42°C, but not between 20°C and 20.02°C.
SleepModezZ - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Thank you for your answer - and for the review. You are right that it makes sense to test in the way you do. The problem is more in the conclusions that seems to be derived from that - or maybe just the emphasis on that one fact. At a low thermal load the case will still be worse thermal wise than the bigger and more expensive comparisons - but in practice the difference won't matter much. Other factors will easily overrun that drawback for a potential buyer who is not interested in building a gaming rig into the case.It seems that you did not like the looks of the case. I have not seen it in person so I can't make a comment. Still, it has several color options to choose from whereas probably every else case in the same form factor and price group comes without such choice. I, for one, would easily pay 50% more (or accept other drawbacks) to get a case in the most pleasing color option. It will be a part of the furniture for some years so the exterior appearance, in the context of the room where it will be sitting in, is very important. I don't know if BitFenix was the first to offer cases with color options - more than a black and a white option, or a black and an aluminium/silver option - but they are currently very prominent in that - and I really appreciate that.
Antronman - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Scorching review. All you need is some obscene language and I'd think Chef George Ramsay wrote this.Antronman - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Fuck Gordon Ramsay wtf was I doingmakerofthegames - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
tl;dr version: BitFenix finally fucked one up.wbwb - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
This is a fine-looking, solidly built case for a basic PC with a quad core CPU and a single GPU, i.e. a 450 watt system. I built one last month. Not every case has to be designed to support overclocking and radiators or monstrous heatsinks. If you want that, there are plenty of other cases to choose from, and stop kidding yourself, you're not going to buy a $60 case anyway.chlamchowder - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
The problem is, there are $60 cases (Corsair 200R, NZXT Source 220, and probably some others) that can take radiators or bigger heatsinks, and look like decent options even for overclocking.If you want to overclock, and want radiators/big heatsinks, and can get a case that supports that for $60 or even less, why not do that?
lazymangaka - Saturday, January 24, 2015 - link
If you know you want to overclock and think the possibility of radiators or big heatsinks is in your future, you should probably choose a case that reflects that.This case isn't for that. It doesn't (to the best of my knowledge) claim to be that. This is the sort of case for the build you do for a parent, sibling, or significant other that is built once then not touched for years. The sort of build where the looks of the case are more important than the convenience of the cable management.
GzeroD - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Any chance we could get some comparisons using some fans installed in the front 120mm fan slots?I wouldn't expect anyone to be putting 850W worth of components into a case like this without utilizing more of the fan mounting options.
E.Fyll - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
I wouldn't expect anyone to be putting 850W worth of components into this case. At all...We always test cases with their stock cooling options only. There is a virtually limitless number of possible cooling configurations for every single case out there, it is not possible to showcase them all. For instance, you requested the installation of two 120mm fans - which fans? 550 RPM silent fans or 5200 RPM Delta "jet engines"?
CosmonautDave - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
For what it's worth, the windowed version of the case comes with an additional front fan. So it would be "stock" if you had got that version. Maybe for the sake of comparison you could try this version with a 120mm front fan?vred - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
"flashback to the 90s for those of us that are old enough"Great. Now I feel old. :D
Doomtomb - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Here's the deal with Bitfenix, they released the Prodigy in 2012 and took the mini-ITX PC crowd by storm. And then we have this.... they truly are a one-hit wonderStrangerGuy - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
You mean they made a mITX case that is almost as large or even larger than mATX cases. Case aesthetics are subjective that much I will admit, but I never understood their appeal from a pure functionality point of view because the entire point of the mITX is to f***ing save space.Antronman - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Yeah I have to agree.And it's such a cramped case as well, despite being so large. If you fit a decent heatsink or a radiator, you can't have a DVD drive anymore. It's got 2 fan mount locations. I see so much wasted space.
StrangerGuy - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Bitfenix Prodigy mITX = 24.9cm x 40.4cm x 35.9cm = 36.1LAerocool Dead Silence mATX cube = 26.5cm x 38.1cm x 41.1cm = 41.5L (only 14% larger)
Coolermaster N200 mATX tower = 37.8cm x 44.5cm x 20.1cm = 33.8L (Prodigy is LARGER by 7% despite being mITX only!)
I bet tons of a Prodigy just went "Oooooo mITX here" without doing the math for dimensions relative to form factor.
piasabird - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
The metal mesh seems to have too small of holes. Probably makes the fans ineffective.ImSpartacus - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
How long have the graphs used that gradient style?It looks like something an 8th grader would produce while they are still learning all of the features of Excel.
I don't know what visualization package you guys use, but you can do better. Sometimes less is more. This is Anandtech, not just some site.
graffight - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Page 2 - '3.5" audio jacks’. Assuming you mean 'mm' else that's some propriatory sh*t right there ;DHaravikk - Friday, January 23, 2015 - link
Very uninspiring case; rather than being minimalist it manages to be ugly, and its internal layout is very bog standard and doesn't seem great. It would only take a tiny tweak on behalf of the designer to make mounts for 2x 140mm fans at the front, then another few to make them suitable for mounting a radiator; then we'd be looking at something more serious.However, as usual the design is badly hampered by the unnecessarily common 2x optical bays and a heap of sideways drive bays that hardly anyone will actually use entirely. If you're going to do side-mounting drive bays then why not put them in a line horizontally like the old Mac Pros? As long as airflow passes under them they'll stay plenty cool, throw in a slot-loading optical bay instead and you can save tons of space at the front, freeing you to make the unit shallower (from front to back). Then we'd be looking at something interesting or new, instead it's just a carbon copy of 99% of tower cases with some not very good styling; I'm all for minimalist design, but this one manages to make less look like less.
lazymangaka - Saturday, January 24, 2015 - link
I used the purple model of this for my wife's build. It wasn't too bad to work with, though the cable management certainly could have been better. I don't see any thermal throttling or heating issues, either, with a 4690 and an R9 290. I think if it was the case for my PC and I was having to get into it to tinker more often then it would be more annoying, but in a "set it and forget it" setup I'm not too mad.Really though, I chose it primarily for aesthetic reasons. Purple cases are tough to come by.
camohiddendj - Monday, February 16, 2015 - link
Just as clarification... While this article says you are not able to use an AIO inside this case, I have a Corsair h80i mounted in one just fine.