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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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.