Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Sep 2012
- Posts
- 4,275
- Location
- Derby
Well, I have a little bit of a soft spot for the original Pandora, it wasn’t the best case in the world by any stretch of the imagination and it had quite a few little flaws but I really enjoyed working on it and my “Pandora’s Purple Box” build got a lot of attention all over the world! When I was looking for my next review, I was asked if I could take a look at the new BitFenix Pandora ATX. It was a no brainer for me, I wanted to see if BitFenix had moved their brand forward since the original Pandora and check if they took on board any of the criticisms from the from the first release. So, let’s get straight into it shall we?
The box is pretty plain, nothing out of the ordinary, but it does do the job. The front just has a simple image of the case with the usual BitFenix branding.
The back of the box is a little more interesting, we start to see what the Pandora ATX actually has to offer. We now get a PSU cover, a reservoir bracket and pump bracket, as you can see, the last two do say “Pandora ATX only” which did confuse me for a moment, but then I realised that BitFenix have also released an ATX Core version that does not come with these extras. We also have the optional ICON display and you can also see that the Pandora ATX has support for up to 360 radiators!
So, since we have already seen some of the spec and the differences between the Pandora ATX and the Pandora ATX Core lets take a look at some of the other differences shall we? well, not that many, we lose a few drive bays and the front 140mm fan but other than that it is very similar. I like how BitFenix have given the two options again, sure, it can be confusing to the customer, but at least there is the option to save some money.
Upon opening the box, we get the usual two bits of styrophome, nothing special about the packaging at all, it does its job though, the case arrived to me from OcUK in perfect condition.
Inside the box we have a little instructional pamphlet, this is actually quite useful, it gives you some excellent information on how to change the ICON logo and also what the case has to offer.
I found this box loose inside the PSU cover of the case, it is a little strange that it isn’t sealed or wasn’t fixed to the case at all, but then again, nothing fell out of it during transport and nothing was damaged, so what is in the box?
All these bits and bobs! We have the usual screws for the motherboard, PSU, SSDs and HDDs. We also have some extras that you don’t always see such as the anti-vibration rubber washers, the badge and some cable ties to ensure your cable management is as good as possible. We also get a piece of metal. This attaches to the back of the case to give the Pandora ATX a nice symmetrical look.
So, that is the packaging and accessories out of the way, let’s have a look at the case!
Exterior
So, straight into it with the case, as you can see it looks remarkably like the original pandora, however, the window is now a full square rather than the reverse ‘P’ shame of the original came with. The case seems to have grown up substantially, the original Pandora did feel somewhat cheap in comparison to the Pandora ATX. The finish seems to be far nicer on this and the case does feel more sturdy.
The front IO panel is again similar to the original Pandora, this time, we see two USB 3 ports and two USB 2 ports, this is a little bit of a double edged sword, it would be nice to see all 4 ports USB 3 but a lot of motherboards would then need an adapter as some still don’t support more than one USB 3 cable. It does show that BitFenix have actually thought about this case. The power and reset buttons are also here as well as front audio ports.
Now, this is a massive improvement on the original Pandora, thumb screws! YES! Although the front of the case still has ball socket type latches the back has screws, this ensures panels don’t fall off when you are trying to carry it, for most this probably isn’t such a problem, but I have almost dropped my whole build when lifting it onto a display stand for ASUS! Luckily it was caught and everything was ok, but it is certainly nice to see this addition.
Oh no, taking the rear side panel off the case wasn’t a problem at all and it was sturdy enough, however, the windowed side panel is very flimsy, there just doesn’t seem to be enough metal to keep it from flexing. I have tried to take a picture of this, but it was hard to capture, you can certainly see that it is somewhat twisted though.
Underneath the case we have a dust filter for the PSU and also some nice little feet to ensure that airflow can circulate without brining in too much dust.
Interior
Inside the case we have 2 fans already installed, a 120mm fan at the rear and a 140mm fan at the front. The 140mm doesn’t come with the core version according to the above spec so this is a nice little extra for those who buy the Pandora ATX.
At the rear of the case right below the fan, we have the rear PCI-e slots, with a total of 7 we know BitFenix are ensuring most users will have plenty of space to expand.
So, now we can see the PSU cover, it has been very well done, it is simple, has a grommet on the top to allow for any cables through that you would like to go to the headers on the motherboard and it also has a nice space cut out of the front so that radiators will fit in nicely. On the top of the PSU cover we can see the first SSD/HDD mount as well as the pump mount. The pump mount has a sponge top, which will reduce vibrations, and also plenty of holes for us to attach all the common pumps that are on the market, this is a really nice addition to the case.
Speaking of spaces for storage, we also have 2 SSD mounts inside the case, these use a nice thumb screw system so you can mount the SSDS to the bracket, then just attach the bracket to the motherboard tray. A lot of companies are using this system now and I really do like it.
Around the back of the motherboard tray, we can see yet 2 more SSD brackets (a total of 4 in the case) and also in the PSU area we can just about make out 2 more SSD/HDD brackets, plenty of space for storage! We can also see that BitFenix have used velcro straps in this case too to ensure that cable management is a breeze, we also have 20mm to work with. The original Pandora does lack in the cable management area so it is great that the Pandora ATX has addressed these issues.
The top of the case still has the nice quick release filter, just push on the near edge and it will pop up, here my lego man is holding the top for me to ensure a good picture!
![IMG_0237.jpg](http://s23.postimg.org/m0[COLOR="Yellow"]*[/COLOR][COLOR="Yellow"]*[/COLOR][COLOR="Yellow"]*[/COLOR]4st7/IMG_0237.jpg)
Oh, wow! I wasn’t expecting this, underneath the cover we have a huge space for your radiators and fans. Water cooling support is always nice to see and this is great thinking.
his area has enough room for a 360mm long, 40mm thick radiator as well as a standard 25mm fan, I have mounted them this way just for the picture, but you can use any orientation. Thicker radiators would not fit here unless you moved the fans to the inside of the case.
The front of the case also has room for another large radiator, this also has a filter to ensure that your beautiful build won’t get dusty.
fter doing a very simple mock-up build into this case I am impressed by what I see, the only downside I spot during the build was that long GPUs may block the pump mount.
Unfortunately I don’t have any spare air coolers so I can’t finish my mock build however there is ample space so most coolers on the market should fit in fine.
So they are the basics, let’s have a little look at the Pandora ATX and the Pandora M-ATX side by side and also take a look at the ICON display.
I want to show you the difference between the two cases in terms of size. It just so happened I had a spare Pandora up the loft. Ok, it’s a little dusty but we can easily use it.
Straight away we can see a huge size difference the original Pandora had the following dimensions: 160 x 420 x 465mm and the one we looked at today is 203 x 510 x 558mm.
awwww, it is like a father and son!
I didn’t talk too much about the ICON display on this case and that is because it is very gimmicky, having said that I do like playing with it. so, the rear of the display looks like this. All that we need to be concerned about are the pins on the left-hand side of the picture, ensure these are plugged onto an internal USB header on the motherboard and we are up and running.
To change the image on the front of the ICON display, you will need to download a small bit of software from BitFenix, once you have done this it is very easy to change the picture to whatever you like.
Once you have downloaded the software, all you need to do to change the ICON display is drag the picture you want to use onto the BitFenix ICON logo. Do not double click the BitFenix ICON logo, if you do, nothing will happen, simply drag and drop and wait a short while.
After a second or so, the ICON will change, very nice!
Conclusion
Well, there we have it, the BitFenix Pandora ATX. I hadn’t checked the price of this case until I started to write the conclusion and I was very surprised at how well priced it was. The case is on offer at £86.99 at www.overclockers.co.uk with the usual price being £99.99. Even at full price I honestly believe that this case would suit the majority of users. To take a look at the OcUK page for this case please click Here.
The BitFenix Pandora ATX for me is everything that the Pandora should have been. Pretty much every issue I had with the Pandora has been resolved, I know I have been writing this whole article like this is the replacement to the original Pandora rather than an alternative, but I really wouldn’t bother with the Matx version when this is available. The improvements are vast and many, we now have proper space for cable management, the side panels won’t pop off because they actually have thumb screws and we have plenty of cooling options. Full sized GPUs will fit without any modding and the whole case just feels more grown up. I don’t know how much BitFenix monitor the community, but I don’t think it is an accident that they have addressed all the issues that were present with the first Pandora. They have taken a beautiful case and made it usable for the masses.
Pros
Multiple mounting options for storage devices.
Great liquid cooling support.
PSU cover.
3 fan filters (PSU, top and front).
Better cable management.
Cons
The windowed side panel is very flimsy.
Large GPUs may foul pump bracket.
Rating
I still don’t have any kind of award system, so I am going to stick with my ratings.
Categories:
Design: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Features:4/5
Total: 22/25
Final words
“If you are looking for an ATX case with Liquid cooling support for under £100, look no further. BitFenix have given us the Pandora ATX and it ticks all the boxes. It is a beautiful case with plenty of liquid cooling potential.”
A huge thank you to www.BitFenix.com and www.Overclockers.co.uk for this hardware sample
The box is pretty plain, nothing out of the ordinary, but it does do the job. The front just has a simple image of the case with the usual BitFenix branding.
The back of the box is a little more interesting, we start to see what the Pandora ATX actually has to offer. We now get a PSU cover, a reservoir bracket and pump bracket, as you can see, the last two do say “Pandora ATX only” which did confuse me for a moment, but then I realised that BitFenix have also released an ATX Core version that does not come with these extras. We also have the optional ICON display and you can also see that the Pandora ATX has support for up to 360 radiators!
So, since we have already seen some of the spec and the differences between the Pandora ATX and the Pandora ATX Core lets take a look at some of the other differences shall we? well, not that many, we lose a few drive bays and the front 140mm fan but other than that it is very similar. I like how BitFenix have given the two options again, sure, it can be confusing to the customer, but at least there is the option to save some money.
Upon opening the box, we get the usual two bits of styrophome, nothing special about the packaging at all, it does its job though, the case arrived to me from OcUK in perfect condition.
Inside the box we have a little instructional pamphlet, this is actually quite useful, it gives you some excellent information on how to change the ICON logo and also what the case has to offer.
I found this box loose inside the PSU cover of the case, it is a little strange that it isn’t sealed or wasn’t fixed to the case at all, but then again, nothing fell out of it during transport and nothing was damaged, so what is in the box?
All these bits and bobs! We have the usual screws for the motherboard, PSU, SSDs and HDDs. We also have some extras that you don’t always see such as the anti-vibration rubber washers, the badge and some cable ties to ensure your cable management is as good as possible. We also get a piece of metal. This attaches to the back of the case to give the Pandora ATX a nice symmetrical look.
So, that is the packaging and accessories out of the way, let’s have a look at the case!
Exterior
So, straight into it with the case, as you can see it looks remarkably like the original pandora, however, the window is now a full square rather than the reverse ‘P’ shame of the original came with. The case seems to have grown up substantially, the original Pandora did feel somewhat cheap in comparison to the Pandora ATX. The finish seems to be far nicer on this and the case does feel more sturdy.
The front IO panel is again similar to the original Pandora, this time, we see two USB 3 ports and two USB 2 ports, this is a little bit of a double edged sword, it would be nice to see all 4 ports USB 3 but a lot of motherboards would then need an adapter as some still don’t support more than one USB 3 cable. It does show that BitFenix have actually thought about this case. The power and reset buttons are also here as well as front audio ports.
Now, this is a massive improvement on the original Pandora, thumb screws! YES! Although the front of the case still has ball socket type latches the back has screws, this ensures panels don’t fall off when you are trying to carry it, for most this probably isn’t such a problem, but I have almost dropped my whole build when lifting it onto a display stand for ASUS! Luckily it was caught and everything was ok, but it is certainly nice to see this addition.
Oh no, taking the rear side panel off the case wasn’t a problem at all and it was sturdy enough, however, the windowed side panel is very flimsy, there just doesn’t seem to be enough metal to keep it from flexing. I have tried to take a picture of this, but it was hard to capture, you can certainly see that it is somewhat twisted though.
Underneath the case we have a dust filter for the PSU and also some nice little feet to ensure that airflow can circulate without brining in too much dust.
Interior
Inside the case we have 2 fans already installed, a 120mm fan at the rear and a 140mm fan at the front. The 140mm doesn’t come with the core version according to the above spec so this is a nice little extra for those who buy the Pandora ATX.
At the rear of the case right below the fan, we have the rear PCI-e slots, with a total of 7 we know BitFenix are ensuring most users will have plenty of space to expand.
So, now we can see the PSU cover, it has been very well done, it is simple, has a grommet on the top to allow for any cables through that you would like to go to the headers on the motherboard and it also has a nice space cut out of the front so that radiators will fit in nicely. On the top of the PSU cover we can see the first SSD/HDD mount as well as the pump mount. The pump mount has a sponge top, which will reduce vibrations, and also plenty of holes for us to attach all the common pumps that are on the market, this is a really nice addition to the case.
Speaking of spaces for storage, we also have 2 SSD mounts inside the case, these use a nice thumb screw system so you can mount the SSDS to the bracket, then just attach the bracket to the motherboard tray. A lot of companies are using this system now and I really do like it.
Around the back of the motherboard tray, we can see yet 2 more SSD brackets (a total of 4 in the case) and also in the PSU area we can just about make out 2 more SSD/HDD brackets, plenty of space for storage! We can also see that BitFenix have used velcro straps in this case too to ensure that cable management is a breeze, we also have 20mm to work with. The original Pandora does lack in the cable management area so it is great that the Pandora ATX has addressed these issues.
The top of the case still has the nice quick release filter, just push on the near edge and it will pop up, here my lego man is holding the top for me to ensure a good picture!
Oh, wow! I wasn’t expecting this, underneath the cover we have a huge space for your radiators and fans. Water cooling support is always nice to see and this is great thinking.
his area has enough room for a 360mm long, 40mm thick radiator as well as a standard 25mm fan, I have mounted them this way just for the picture, but you can use any orientation. Thicker radiators would not fit here unless you moved the fans to the inside of the case.
The front of the case also has room for another large radiator, this also has a filter to ensure that your beautiful build won’t get dusty.
fter doing a very simple mock-up build into this case I am impressed by what I see, the only downside I spot during the build was that long GPUs may block the pump mount.
Unfortunately I don’t have any spare air coolers so I can’t finish my mock build however there is ample space so most coolers on the market should fit in fine.
So they are the basics, let’s have a little look at the Pandora ATX and the Pandora M-ATX side by side and also take a look at the ICON display.
I want to show you the difference between the two cases in terms of size. It just so happened I had a spare Pandora up the loft. Ok, it’s a little dusty but we can easily use it.
Straight away we can see a huge size difference the original Pandora had the following dimensions: 160 x 420 x 465mm and the one we looked at today is 203 x 510 x 558mm.
awwww, it is like a father and son!
I didn’t talk too much about the ICON display on this case and that is because it is very gimmicky, having said that I do like playing with it. so, the rear of the display looks like this. All that we need to be concerned about are the pins on the left-hand side of the picture, ensure these are plugged onto an internal USB header on the motherboard and we are up and running.
To change the image on the front of the ICON display, you will need to download a small bit of software from BitFenix, once you have done this it is very easy to change the picture to whatever you like.
Once you have downloaded the software, all you need to do to change the ICON display is drag the picture you want to use onto the BitFenix ICON logo. Do not double click the BitFenix ICON logo, if you do, nothing will happen, simply drag and drop and wait a short while.
After a second or so, the ICON will change, very nice!
Conclusion
Well, there we have it, the BitFenix Pandora ATX. I hadn’t checked the price of this case until I started to write the conclusion and I was very surprised at how well priced it was. The case is on offer at £86.99 at www.overclockers.co.uk with the usual price being £99.99. Even at full price I honestly believe that this case would suit the majority of users. To take a look at the OcUK page for this case please click Here.
The BitFenix Pandora ATX for me is everything that the Pandora should have been. Pretty much every issue I had with the Pandora has been resolved, I know I have been writing this whole article like this is the replacement to the original Pandora rather than an alternative, but I really wouldn’t bother with the Matx version when this is available. The improvements are vast and many, we now have proper space for cable management, the side panels won’t pop off because they actually have thumb screws and we have plenty of cooling options. Full sized GPUs will fit without any modding and the whole case just feels more grown up. I don’t know how much BitFenix monitor the community, but I don’t think it is an accident that they have addressed all the issues that were present with the first Pandora. They have taken a beautiful case and made it usable for the masses.
Pros
Multiple mounting options for storage devices.
Great liquid cooling support.
PSU cover.
3 fan filters (PSU, top and front).
Better cable management.
Cons
The windowed side panel is very flimsy.
Large GPUs may foul pump bracket.
Rating
I still don’t have any kind of award system, so I am going to stick with my ratings.
Categories:
Design: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Features:4/5
Total: 22/25
Final words
“If you are looking for an ATX case with Liquid cooling support for under £100, look no further. BitFenix have given us the Pandora ATX and it ticks all the boxes. It is a beautiful case with plenty of liquid cooling potential.”
A huge thank you to www.BitFenix.com and www.Overclockers.co.uk for this hardware sample
