BitFenix Pandora - Style Without Limits

BitFenixUK · 18 Sep 2014 at 11:08

Hello everyone!

Introducing our latest case, the Pandora; the one Pandora’s box you DO want to open!

You can grab the full article here - goo.gl/9EA3Fs

The video trailer can be found here - http://youtu.be/D9Qt6e9B10g

So what do you all think? Do you like the design? What about the brushed aluminium finish? We appreciate all feedback, good or bad

Straz · 18 Sep 2014 at 11:14

Very nice, bit of a change from your usual cases. Very sleek.

LePhuronn · 18 Sep 2014 at 12:26

Style without limits? I'd say no 240mm rad in the roof was a pretty big limitation, especially as it looks like there's nothing in the case that would impede a 2nd 120mm fan up there.

So then, if you're going to put a 240mm rad/AIO in the front either in push-pull or with a thick rad (like the Corsair H105) you're chopping a big chunk off the maximum graphics card length you can fit in.

Also, I'm not quite sure what qualifies as "thoughtful cable management" in the promo video, because it looks like you just dump everything at the bottom of the case and use an SSD to hide the bundle. I appreciate that in the drive to get the case down to 160mm wide, you can't have 25mm gap behind the motherboard tray to route cables. But by the same token, a beautiful wrap-around aluminium body implies you're thinking carefully about aesthetics, so the lack of decent cable management is a bit short-sighted.

Overall it looks like a promising case, but I think an extra 30mm height would allow for a 240mm rad in the roof, and an extra 20mm width would allow for much better cable management behind the motherboard tray, and even allow for 140mm fans to be used up top. Could probably use an exhaust fan option in the back too.

darth.mader · 18 Sep 2014 at 12:33

Case looks cool. I wonder how the LCD works?

Fulax · 18 Sep 2014 at 12:47

Veeeery sexy. I love the customisable logo - great idea.

Cooling looks like it would be a problem, though. How come there is only room for one 120mm fan in the roof?

Simon Belmont · 18 Sep 2014 at 16:58

I like

avrc · 18 Sep 2014 at 17:16

Simply put I love it and want one. Only just bought a 250D but this looks much nicer.

Legend · 18 Sep 2014 at 18:03

VERY nice looking case indeed, and well priced it seems. When are they expected in stock?

darth.mader said:
Case looks cool. I wonder how the LCD works?

"...connect the USB cable to your motherboard, download the software from the BitFenix website, and drag your picture file onto the software. In seconds, your image file will be displayed in full colour"

Cooper · 18 Sep 2014 at 18:33

Legend said:
"...connect the USB cable to your motherboard, download the software from the BitFenix website, and drag your picture file onto the software. In seconds, your image file will be displayed in full colour"

Hope they've got the tech locked down tight for that otherwise I can see it being the cause of many a RMA...

colinmcr · 18 Sep 2014 at 20:33

Really like the looks, the front which covers the vents is lovely piece of design it looks very slick. I found the gallery images on the website and looks like a good case for a m-atx build. The brushed aluminium is really class act. Would love to see one up close.

Legend · 18 Sep 2014 at 21:21

I'm guessing this is some kind of error...?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-200-BX&groupid=2362&catid=1850
vs
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-194-BX&groupid=2362&catid=1850
vs
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-199-BX&groupid=2362&catid=1850

The description also says it can take expansion cards up to 50mm haha!

Would OC honour the cheaper price for the windowed if pre-ordered now I wonder?

Fulax · 18 Sep 2014 at 21:28

The 'Core' version doesn't come with the customisable logo thing, which is why it is cheaper.

Legend · 18 Sep 2014 at 21:36

Ah OK, I did not realise that, my bad. Hopefully not too long until this is available. Would love to see some reviews soon.

Mal X · 19 Sep 2014 at 13:16

LePhuronn said:
Style without limits? I'd say no 240mm rad in the roof was a pretty big limitation, especially as it looks like there's nothing in the case that would impede a 2nd 120mm fan up there.

So then, if you're going to put a 240mm rad/AIO in the front either in push-pull or with a thick rad (like the Corsair H105) you're chopping a big chunk off the maximum graphics card length you can fit in.

Also, I'm not quite sure what qualifies as "thoughtful cable management" in the promo video, because it looks like you just dump everything at the bottom of the case and use an SSD to hide the bundle. I appreciate that in the drive to get the case down to 160mm wide, you can't have 25mm gap behind the motherboard tray to route cables. But by the same token, a beautiful wrap-around aluminium body implies you're thinking carefully about aesthetics, so the lack of decent cable management is a bit short-sighted.

Overall it looks like a promising case, but I think an extra 30mm height would allow for a 240mm rad in the roof, and an extra 20mm width would allow for much better cable management behind the motherboard tray, and even allow for 140mm fans to be used up top. Could probably use an exhaust fan option in the back too.

it still has roof fans, but its big problem is that at 160mm it's way too slim...

you want a small case to be shorter, not as tall, but still about the same width.... it should be 225 mm wide... cooler height !!!!!!

colinmcr · 19 Sep 2014 at 15:29

Am I correct in saying this will accept gfx cards up to 350mm?

I've ordered dual EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SC ACX's and they are 241.3mm

Think a build in that black case would be awesome along with the EVGA m-atx x99, although I'd be worried about airflow into the lower card with the PSU there.

avrc · 20 Sep 2014 at 08:54

Any news on when they're expected to be in shops?

LePhuronn · 22 Sep 2014 at 16:11

Mal X said:
it still has roof fans, but its big problem is that at 160mm it's way too slim...

you want a small case to be shorter, not as tall, but still about the same width.... it should be 225 mm wide... cooler height !!!!!!

Totally disagree with you there. Shorter and wider just moves the case back towards "standard" case proportions. 160mm is more or less OK because it gives plenty of space to throw a 240mm AIO up there, but you need more height to prevent the rad and fans interfering with the motherboard and RAM. I'd only want a bit more width to accommodate better cable management behind the motherboard, not to fit large heatsinks.

Strapping a kilo of metal to your motherboard in 2014 is just archaic in my opinion

but each to their own.

Mal X · 24 Sep 2014 at 11:41

LePhuronn said:
Totally disagree with you there. Shorter and wider just moves the case back towards "standard" case proportions. 160mm is more or less OK because it gives plenty of space to throw a 240mm AIO up there, but you need more height to prevent the rad and fans interfering with the motherboard and RAM. I'd only want a bit more width to accommodate better cable management behind the motherboard, not to fit large heatsinks.

Strapping a kilo of metal to your motherboard in 2014 is just archaic in my opinion but each to their own.

this case is only for Water Cooling, because all top end Air coolers wont fit...it's 160mm minus the motherboard to the back panel....at least 25mm, so your final dimension might only be 135mm......that is really thin

the GPU/PSU is very close to the front panel, this gives you a reduced air flow/ internal volume.

yea' this case is no good for air cooling...... it's a disaster.......water only !!

can you imagine putting a 7990 in there !!!! it would melt the window ......lol

LePhuronn · 24 Sep 2014 at 12:15

Mal X said:
this case is only for Water Cooling, because all top end Air coolers wont fit...it's 160mm minus the motherboard to the back panel....at least 25mm, so your final dimension might only be 135mm......that is really thin

the GPU/PSU is very close to the front panel, this gives you a reduced air flow/ internal volume.

yea' this case is no good for air cooling...... it's a disaster.......water only !!

can you imagine putting a 7990 in there !!!! it would melt the window ......lol

I always enjoy seeing other people's perspectives on things because to me it's a wonder how different people can perceive the same thing in different ways.

Every argument you just made to support this being a watercooling case are the very things I'd say to discount water!

If you can't fit a 240mm radiator up in the roof you're limited to a 240mm in the front, which is not sufficient for a CPU and GPU (and why waste money on a custom loop if you're only going to do the CPU?).

Looking at some hi-res pics from Computex, it looks like the demo builds did get a 120mm AIO in the forward half of the roof, so a 240mm radiator can fit up there, however it's so close to the front of the case you then cannot fit a 240mm in the front too!

So no, this isn't a watercooling case either. You can't get big air in it, you can't fit enough rads in it, so really this is a pretty case for low to mid-range builds that don't require high-levels of cooling. Which begs the question why make sufficient space to fit top-end graphics cards?

It's nice to see Bitfenix branching out with some different styling, but I don't think this case has been properly considered and isn't ready for market in this form. Which is a shame since it's now a production model.

Does the Bitfenix rep care to discuss?

Legend · 24 Sep 2014 at 12:38

This is a case with an identity crisis. The more I look at it, the more it puzzles me. It's shape and design looks like it aims to appeal to those people wanting a well designed PC in their living room... which will be unlikely to be a super high spec... yet the window and some of the other elements such as the ability to take a top-end GPU, are clearly aimed at a different type of consumer. IMO a bigger version of this case with better cooling options would have been more on the money.