BitFenix Neos Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 21, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- Case
BitFenix Neos Exterior
As we mentioned on the previous page, the Neos is available in multiple chassis/faceplate color combinations. BitFenix supplied us with both the black and white chassis of the Neos, shipping us a black/black and a white/white model of the case. The company also supplied us with the corresponding windowed side panels of each model.
Aesthetically, the Neos is based on a very simple, straightforward, and clean design. The chassis is just an ordinary SECC steel body, without any aesthetic modifications, while the faceplate basically is a metallic mesh on a plastic frame. The only aesthetic improvement is the rounded edges of the faceplate and the metallic mesh. This does not mean that the Neos is bad looking – a minimalistic design actually is much better than an extravagant "aggressive" appearance for most users.
Structurally, the Neos makes use of a thin (0.7-0.8 mm) SECC steel chassis, which is adequate for a case of this size and acceptable considering the price range of the case. The plastic frame of the faceplate seems good as well. The metallic mesh however can be an issue, as it can be easily disformed or damaged, especially when handling the 5.25" covers if you're not careful.
Aside from the aluminum company logo, the faceplate of the Neos is entirely plain. BitFenix moved the I/O ports and buttons to the top of the plastic faceplate frame. From left to right, we can see a round power on button, a rectangular reset button, the 3.5" audio jacks, two LED lights (power and disk activity), one USB 2.0 port, and one USB 3.0 port. (Note that providing a single USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 is a bit odd, as they usually come in pairs so effectively you lose one of each with this arrangement.) The positioning of the I/O ports and buttons limited the number of 5.25" bays to just two, but they should be more than sufficient for most users.
The removal of the faceplate reveals two filters. First, a foam-type filter is right behind the metallic mesh of the faceplate – this is sure to get dirty very easily. The second filter is a nylon net-type filter, covering the 120mm intake fan openings.
A look at the back of the case reveals that the Neos has its PSU compartment down at the bottom of the case, as well as two rubber grommets for the tubing of liquid cooling setups. These openings can also be used for cables, if required. The feet of the case are nearly 2.5 cm tall, which is a forced requirement as the intake of the PSU is below the case. A nylon net filter can be found there, removable towards the rear of the case, limiting the amount of dust that will be introduced into the PSU.
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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.