Introduction
The budget market is incredibly competitive these days, there are loads of great chassis from many of the top manufacturers that won’t cost the earth. Not every system builder is on the market for a £200 one-of-a-kind behemoth of a case, some people not only lack the finances for a crazy build, but also don’t really care for anything too crazy anyway. When it comes to building a system on a tighter budget you need a chassis that will at the very least hold all the components you want to install; cheaper cases are often a smaller form factor such as the mATX one we are reviewing today, so they’re likely not going to be ideal for AMD 295X2 graphics cards and eATX motherboards.
“Aimed squarely at builders on a budget, Comrade delivers high-end features at an incredibly competitive price point. Available in two classic colours, Comrade brings a sleek, no-nonsense design that’s ideal for the first-time builder. Dedicated 3.5″ and 2.5″ drive racks offer ample expansion possibilities, as well as room for long graphics cards up to 30cm in length. Tool-free drive locking mechanisms make installing storage a breeze, while dual dust filters enable quick and easy cleanup. A high-speed USB 3.0 port has also been included to save you time during file transfers. Adorned with premium touches like a powder-coated interior and an aluminium-finish BitFenix badge, Comrade is a trusty mid-tower design and an unprecedented value.”
The BitFenix Comrade is not only affordable, but also fairly capable given its price range as it will hold a graphics card of up to 300mm, mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards, plenty of storage, three 120mm fans and a standard ATX PSU; it’s not a huge amount, but that’s more than enough to fit a pretty decent gaming rig.
Packaging is pretty standard stuff, just a simple box with the BitFenix logo on the front.
Around the back you’ll find three images that break down some of the major selling points, including the bottom and front dust filters, USB 3.0 ports on the front panel and cable routing options. In the box you’ll find a small plastic bag containing a few screws for installing all major components.
