Today I am reviewing the Raider case from Bitfenix, thanks to kul1 (Bitfenix rep and OcUK forum member) who provided me with a review sample. I apologise in advance for some of the photos, but I was so keen to get it up and running that I never thought to change to my nifty fifty earlier! Oh and I hope it looks good on your screen, as I have set it perfectly for mine @ 1680x1050.
Here's the blurb from the Bitfenix website about the Raider...
The juicy details...
The packaging...
The case was supplied in a really sturdy plain cardboard box. It has well printed monochrome logos, images of the case itself and other information regarding the Raider's features. Yes it’s fairly plain, but it looks professional and it highlights the main features of the case well. For an all steel case, it feels surprisingly light.
Let’s get it out in the open then...
The first thing that catches your eye upon opening the box is the case manual. Again, it’s monochrome. It looks good and contains some well detailed line drawings of the case with clear instructions to follow. The case is wrapped in a clear plastic bag and is very well protected from bumps and knocks in transit by a generous amount of polystyrene. Once you open the case itself you will find a little accessories box. This contains the case feet, a speaker, 10 cable ties and various screws and fittings. It’s nice to see that all the supplied screws and fittings are black.
The star of the show...
Once out of the packaging it becomes clear that this is a case designed for airflow. Mesh is the order of the day here, and lots of it! The mesh panel extends from almost the very bottom front of the case, curving up onto the roof and continues all the way to the rear of the case, which itself is a fairly standard affair with an opening at the bottom for the PSU (which can be mounted face up or down).
Either side of the mesh are SofTouch™ sections. This smooth rubbery like material feels a little unusual for a PC case, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it and it feels luxurious. The side panels are both solid black. They are very well finished and use the standard slide forward to close style mechanism, secured with thumbscrews.
Up top and to the left there are 4 USB 3.0 (which can be wired as 2.0) ports along with microphone and headphone jacks. Over to the right are the power and reset buttons, power and activity lights and a nifty little sliding fan controller which controls the speed of all three supplied fans (there are even 2 spare sockets behind the motherboard tray). These are fitted into the SofTouch™ sections of the case, whilst a beautifully machined metallic Bitfenix logo adorns the lower front of the mesh panel. Altogether it’s a nice sleek look with very clean lines.
So what's under the hood...
The top and front panels are very easily removed by nothing more than a simple tug. The top panel should be removed first, pulling from the opening at the rear, followed by the front panel, pulling from the opening at the bottom. The front panel mesh has a thin foam filter behind it. The foam doesn’t appear too restrictive, but it is not easily removable, which is a shame as it may prove to be difficult to clean. The mesh on the top panel however is unfiltered, which concerns me as this could potentially allow a lot of dust into the case. I think I would like to see some sort of filter in place here.
Take the sides off the case and it reveals a completely black interior, which is a very nice touch considering there is no window on the side panel. There’s an array of well finished cables from the top panel poking through one of a selection of well-placed cut-outs, each finished off with a soft grommet. On the motherboard tray there is a large cut-out for CPU cooler back plates, and all PCI slots are constructed of a nice quality mesh and secured with thumbscrews.
There is a 120mm Spectre fan at the upper rear and 2 of the same at the lower front. Whilst the fans are not braided, their cables are all black, and they look very sleek. There are also options to install a 200mm fan in the roof of the case and another on the front (in place of the two 120mm fans), but there is no option to install 120mm fans in the roof, which is a bit of a let-down.
Look behind the motherboard tray and you’ll find a large area to hide your cables. This area is so deep (23mm to be precise!) that you are unlikely to have a bulging side panel with even the thickest of cables in there. There are also several tie-down points here to further aid with cable management.
There are 4 very simple tool-free 5.25” bays along with 6 equally simple tool-free hard disk bays, each of which will accept either a 3.5” or 2.5” disk (although the 2.5” requires the use of screws). You can also remove the left side of the top section of hard disk bays if you have a long graphics card – the case supports cards up to 38cm long!
There are rubber bumpers for the PSU to rest on to help reduce vibrations. The PSU is also filtered, this time with thin gauze like material. There is a space for a 120mm fan in front of the PSU (not supplied), which again is filtered with the same material. Both filters are very easily removed by sliding them out from below the case.
Lets get a system installed then...
Putting a system together in the RAIDER really was a fairly simple process. The tool-free bays and thumbscrews make installing devices really easy. The selection of well-placed cut-outs takes the hassle out of cable management and makes for a clean setup. Even with the 2 IDE optical devices used in this setup, it still looks nice and clean. However I did have some difficulty getting the thicker rounded IDE cables to pass through the cut-outs without dislodging the rubber grommets. Some patience is definitely required here.
Also, perhaps it’s my review sample, but the motherboard IO plate was a little bit difficult to install, and it bulges out a bit at the back. Not a big problem really, but ideally it shouldn’t happen.
Better look at one of the case feet, which are self-adhesive. Be sure to clean the bottom of the case thoroughly with something grease-free prior to sticking these on. Personally I used lighter fluid and the feet haven’t budged at all. Here’s also a closer look at the USB 3.0 plugs and the very handy little adaptor which you place on top of the motherboard standoffs to allow you to tighten them with a Phillips screwdriver!
The basic test system used consisits of an Abit IP35 Pro XE, Intel E6320 CPU @ 2.8ghz, nVidia 8800GTS, 2gb OCZ Ram and Samsung 160gb HDD. All powered by a CoolerMaster 520w PSU. I'm not going to bore you with lots of tests as your mileage will vary, but suffice to say that even with the system running Intel Burn Test the peak CPU temps never rose above 60c, and that was with the CPU cooler running at low RPM. That seems pretty impressive to me.
So what’s the lowdown...
Outside
The finish is excellent – from the metal side panels, to the mesh panels and SofTouch™ sections and beautifully crafted Bitfenix logo. If I had to complain it would be that the SofTouch™ marks easily if your hands are sweaty – a minor niggle really. 8/10
Up top
The controls are spot on. The buttons are a good size and easily distinguishable. The little simple fan controller works a treat – simplicity at its best here! If I had to complain I would say that the LEDs are a little bit too bright, so much so that the power LED lights up the inside of the case enough for the top of the optical drive to be visible through the mesh! 8/10
Inside
The case is well thought out too, again it’s well finished with a good variety of cut-outs for cables, including soft rubber grommets and a good size cut-out for CPU cooler backplates. If I had to complain here I would say that the cable cut-outs are a little bit narrow, making it difficult to get thicker cables through. 7/10
Tool-free
These sections of the case are great. There really is nothing to complain about here at all. Again, this is simplicity at its best. Even the top and front panels require little effort to remove. I noticed some of the thumbscrews were a little bit tight when the case arrived, but once loosened with a screwdriver, they worked perfectly by hand. 8/10
Fans
The three supplied 120mm Bitfenix Spectre fans are a welcome addition. Whilst they maybe don’t move a huge amount of air (43.5 CFM ±10%), they are certainly quiet (<20db) even at full speed, and at low speed are almost inaudible. The only improvement I would suggest here is to have the option to buy the case with both 200mm fans included. 7/10
Filters
The front filter should really be easily removable, which it isn’t. There is no filter on the top of the case, which may cause a lot of dust to enter the case. Both bottom filters are easily removed, although both are a little bit flimsy. 6/10
Others
The supplied screws and other parts being black was a nice touch. The case feet look great, but perhaps there could be an option to screw them on. The supplied adaptor for screwing in the motherboard standoffs is great! Also there are lots of great little touches to aid with cable management including several tie-down points on the rear of the motherboard tray. 7/10
Overall
The Bitfenix Raider is a great case. Given that it is designed with airflow in mind it would seem to be aimed purely towards the gamer, however it’s such a stylish, sleek looking case that it should appeal to a much wider audience. It also has some great features, like the built in fan controller. Okay I’ll admit, it’s not without some problems, but I would still happily recommend it at its current price point. 7/10
My thanks again to kul1 and Bitfenix
Here's the blurb from the Bitfenix website about the Raider...
The juicy details...
The packaging...
The case was supplied in a really sturdy plain cardboard box. It has well printed monochrome logos, images of the case itself and other information regarding the Raider's features. Yes it’s fairly plain, but it looks professional and it highlights the main features of the case well. For an all steel case, it feels surprisingly light.
Let’s get it out in the open then...
The first thing that catches your eye upon opening the box is the case manual. Again, it’s monochrome. It looks good and contains some well detailed line drawings of the case with clear instructions to follow. The case is wrapped in a clear plastic bag and is very well protected from bumps and knocks in transit by a generous amount of polystyrene. Once you open the case itself you will find a little accessories box. This contains the case feet, a speaker, 10 cable ties and various screws and fittings. It’s nice to see that all the supplied screws and fittings are black.
The star of the show...
Once out of the packaging it becomes clear that this is a case designed for airflow. Mesh is the order of the day here, and lots of it! The mesh panel extends from almost the very bottom front of the case, curving up onto the roof and continues all the way to the rear of the case, which itself is a fairly standard affair with an opening at the bottom for the PSU (which can be mounted face up or down).
Either side of the mesh are SofTouch™ sections. This smooth rubbery like material feels a little unusual for a PC case, but it certainly adds a different dimension to it and it feels luxurious. The side panels are both solid black. They are very well finished and use the standard slide forward to close style mechanism, secured with thumbscrews.
Up top and to the left there are 4 USB 3.0 (which can be wired as 2.0) ports along with microphone and headphone jacks. Over to the right are the power and reset buttons, power and activity lights and a nifty little sliding fan controller which controls the speed of all three supplied fans (there are even 2 spare sockets behind the motherboard tray). These are fitted into the SofTouch™ sections of the case, whilst a beautifully machined metallic Bitfenix logo adorns the lower front of the mesh panel. Altogether it’s a nice sleek look with very clean lines.
So what's under the hood...
The top and front panels are very easily removed by nothing more than a simple tug. The top panel should be removed first, pulling from the opening at the rear, followed by the front panel, pulling from the opening at the bottom. The front panel mesh has a thin foam filter behind it. The foam doesn’t appear too restrictive, but it is not easily removable, which is a shame as it may prove to be difficult to clean. The mesh on the top panel however is unfiltered, which concerns me as this could potentially allow a lot of dust into the case. I think I would like to see some sort of filter in place here.
Take the sides off the case and it reveals a completely black interior, which is a very nice touch considering there is no window on the side panel. There’s an array of well finished cables from the top panel poking through one of a selection of well-placed cut-outs, each finished off with a soft grommet. On the motherboard tray there is a large cut-out for CPU cooler back plates, and all PCI slots are constructed of a nice quality mesh and secured with thumbscrews.
There is a 120mm Spectre fan at the upper rear and 2 of the same at the lower front. Whilst the fans are not braided, their cables are all black, and they look very sleek. There are also options to install a 200mm fan in the roof of the case and another on the front (in place of the two 120mm fans), but there is no option to install 120mm fans in the roof, which is a bit of a let-down.
Look behind the motherboard tray and you’ll find a large area to hide your cables. This area is so deep (23mm to be precise!) that you are unlikely to have a bulging side panel with even the thickest of cables in there. There are also several tie-down points here to further aid with cable management.
There are 4 very simple tool-free 5.25” bays along with 6 equally simple tool-free hard disk bays, each of which will accept either a 3.5” or 2.5” disk (although the 2.5” requires the use of screws). You can also remove the left side of the top section of hard disk bays if you have a long graphics card – the case supports cards up to 38cm long!
There are rubber bumpers for the PSU to rest on to help reduce vibrations. The PSU is also filtered, this time with thin gauze like material. There is a space for a 120mm fan in front of the PSU (not supplied), which again is filtered with the same material. Both filters are very easily removed by sliding them out from below the case.
Lets get a system installed then...
Putting a system together in the RAIDER really was a fairly simple process. The tool-free bays and thumbscrews make installing devices really easy. The selection of well-placed cut-outs takes the hassle out of cable management and makes for a clean setup. Even with the 2 IDE optical devices used in this setup, it still looks nice and clean. However I did have some difficulty getting the thicker rounded IDE cables to pass through the cut-outs without dislodging the rubber grommets. Some patience is definitely required here.
Also, perhaps it’s my review sample, but the motherboard IO plate was a little bit difficult to install, and it bulges out a bit at the back. Not a big problem really, but ideally it shouldn’t happen.
Better look at one of the case feet, which are self-adhesive. Be sure to clean the bottom of the case thoroughly with something grease-free prior to sticking these on. Personally I used lighter fluid and the feet haven’t budged at all. Here’s also a closer look at the USB 3.0 plugs and the very handy little adaptor which you place on top of the motherboard standoffs to allow you to tighten them with a Phillips screwdriver!
The basic test system used consisits of an Abit IP35 Pro XE, Intel E6320 CPU @ 2.8ghz, nVidia 8800GTS, 2gb OCZ Ram and Samsung 160gb HDD. All powered by a CoolerMaster 520w PSU. I'm not going to bore you with lots of tests as your mileage will vary, but suffice to say that even with the system running Intel Burn Test the peak CPU temps never rose above 60c, and that was with the CPU cooler running at low RPM. That seems pretty impressive to me.
So what’s the lowdown...
Outside
The finish is excellent – from the metal side panels, to the mesh panels and SofTouch™ sections and beautifully crafted Bitfenix logo. If I had to complain it would be that the SofTouch™ marks easily if your hands are sweaty – a minor niggle really. 8/10
Up top
The controls are spot on. The buttons are a good size and easily distinguishable. The little simple fan controller works a treat – simplicity at its best here! If I had to complain I would say that the LEDs are a little bit too bright, so much so that the power LED lights up the inside of the case enough for the top of the optical drive to be visible through the mesh! 8/10
Inside
The case is well thought out too, again it’s well finished with a good variety of cut-outs for cables, including soft rubber grommets and a good size cut-out for CPU cooler backplates. If I had to complain here I would say that the cable cut-outs are a little bit narrow, making it difficult to get thicker cables through. 7/10
Tool-free
These sections of the case are great. There really is nothing to complain about here at all. Again, this is simplicity at its best. Even the top and front panels require little effort to remove. I noticed some of the thumbscrews were a little bit tight when the case arrived, but once loosened with a screwdriver, they worked perfectly by hand. 8/10
Fans
The three supplied 120mm Bitfenix Spectre fans are a welcome addition. Whilst they maybe don’t move a huge amount of air (43.5 CFM ±10%), they are certainly quiet (<20db) even at full speed, and at low speed are almost inaudible. The only improvement I would suggest here is to have the option to buy the case with both 200mm fans included. 7/10
Filters
The front filter should really be easily removable, which it isn’t. There is no filter on the top of the case, which may cause a lot of dust to enter the case. Both bottom filters are easily removed, although both are a little bit flimsy. 6/10
Others
The supplied screws and other parts being black was a nice touch. The case feet look great, but perhaps there could be an option to screw them on. The supplied adaptor for screwing in the motherboard standoffs is great! Also there are lots of great little touches to aid with cable management including several tie-down points on the rear of the motherboard tray. 7/10
Overall
The Bitfenix Raider is a great case. Given that it is designed with airflow in mind it would seem to be aimed purely towards the gamer, however it’s such a stylish, sleek looking case that it should appeal to a much wider audience. It also has some great features, like the built in fan controller. Okay I’ll admit, it’s not without some problems, but I would still happily recommend it at its current price point. 7/10
My thanks again to kul1 and Bitfenix
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Much prefer it to the Antec P182 cable management.
