BitFenix Neos Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 21, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- Case
Conclusion
BitFenix designed the Neos to be a low-cost yet stylish option for the average consumer that wants to build a simple system. It is a sound concept, as the vast majority of computer users will not be buying a case more expensive than $80-100. BitFenix offers the Neos for $50 to $75, depending on the color combination. A side panel window will cost the user an extra $18-20, bringing the minimum cost up to $70, pushing the boundaries of what most users would consider an acceptable price for a low-cost product. Still, the Neos would be an interesting choice as a stylish case for the casual user.
However, the Neos simply fails to deliver. Their aesthetic value is limited to the choice of a chassis/faceplate color combination. The neutral, minimalistic design is based on a low-cost SECC steel chassis, leaving the Neos without much to be proud of. With design being its major selling point, the Neos is certainly not faring very well. That however is just the tip of the iceberg formed by the cons of the Neos.
The chassis that the Neos is based on is, mildly put, archaic. We would not expect to see it used for anything other than the cheapest of cases nowadays. There is no clearance behind the motherboard tray and the cable/cooler cutouts appear to have been created with little thought for utility. No cages are removable and the use of destructible expansion card covers is nearly comedic (flashback to the 90s for those of us that are old enough). There is no top panel ventilation, it is not possible to use AIO liquid coolers, and the narrow chassis limits the selection of the CPU cooler as well, severely impeding the thermal management options.
The selection of the cooling fan is questionable as well. It would seem that BitFenix tried to balance the poor thermal performance of the Neos by installing a rather powerful 120mm fan... unsuccessfully. If it would help the Neos achieve good thermal performance, we could let this slide for a case of this price range, but the noisy 120mm fan is not enough to turn this outdated design into a competitive model.
Even for the price of the most basic model, the BitFenix Neos seems unable to face the competition. It would be able to house a typical PC without any issues, but there are many other and significantly more reasonable options within its price range. With its very poor thermal performance and virtually nonexistent versatility, it would be hard to recommend the Neos to any users, with the sole exception of those that simply really like its design.
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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?