BitFenix Neos Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 21, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- Case
Introduction
Naturally, most manufacturers are inclined to have their best products reviewed, as a high-cost product is less likely to have many flaws and it's easy to leave the average user awestruck, promoting the company name. However, the bulk of the revenue of most companies comes from their "mainstream" products, where the target market is many times larger than that of enthusiasts and highly advanced users. In the past several months, we've had the chance to have a look at several advanced cases, some designed for performance while others were meant for special applications. Today we are going to have a look at a standard Mid-ATX case with a price tag of about $60, the BitFenix Neos.
BitFenix is no stranger to AnandTech. Many of their products have been through our labs, from the $39 Merc Alpha to the $159 Shinobi XL, each with its own target group, strengths, and weaknesses. The BitFenix Neos that we are reviewing today aims to be an affordable, simple, and stylish case. It can be found selling from about $50 to $75, depending on the color configuration. Two chassis are available, either black or white, but there is a large selection of faceplate/mesh colors for either chassis, including black, white, red, bronze, silver, gold, blue, and purple.
12 oz. Coke can for size comparison.
| >BitFenix Neos Specifications | ||
| Motherboard Form Factor | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | 2 x 5.25" |
| Internal | 3 x 3.5" (front drive cage) 3 x 2.5" (front drive cage) | |
| Cooling | Front | 2 x 120 mm (optional) |
| Rear | 1 x 120 mm (included) | |
| Top | - | |
| Left Side | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| Radiator Support | Front | - |
| Rear | 120 mm | |
| Top | - | |
| Side | - | |
| Bottom | - | |
| I/O Port | 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 155 mm |
| PSU | - | |
| GPU | 310 mm | |
| Dimensions | 429 mm × 185 mm × 470 mm (H×W×D) 16.89 in × 7.28 in × 18.5 in (H×W×D) | |
| Prominent Features | Front Dust Filter PSU Dust Filter Tool-Free Drive Locking | |
| Price | $50 to $75, depending on the color configuration | |
Packaging and Bundle
BitFenix supplies the Neos in colorless, brown cardboard boxes. Illustrations on the box depict the most important features of the case. Inside the box, the lightweight case is very well protected by thick styrofoam slabs and a nylon bag. As for the bundle, we are not going to delve much into it, simply because there is virtually nothing noteworthy supplied with the Neos. With the purchase of this case, the user will only receive a basic manual and the necessary screws in a small nylon bag.
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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.