BitFenix Shinobi Chassis Review
Andy Ruffell / 14 years ago
Exterior
The first glance at this case leaves you speechless if i’m honest as you get a certain idea about BitFenix and the products they produce to be quite wild and out there, but the Shinobi has an office feel about it with its sleek lines and simple layout.
The case is classed under the medium sized tower range and therefore is an adequate size for most users.
The first thing you’ll notice about the front of the case is the SofTouch surface treatment which acts as a rubber material which is particulary handy if like me, you tend to knock into your case quite frequently as it will prevent major damage, just don’t try throwing it out of your window.
The front of the Shinobi features three 5.25″ drive bays for your optical drives and what not. You’d normally find four on a case of this size, but BitFenix seemed to have taken note that the majority of users only use ONE drive. You are also able to use the 5.25″ to external 3.5″ drive bay cover if you so wish and are free to do some in whichever of the three bays you like.
Just below this is a cut out aspect of the case which has been filled with a metal style BitFenix logo. We would have liked to have seen this with an LED backlight, but sadly it hasn’t got this feature, but still looks stylish none the less.
The left hand side of the case has a part window design, but this case is also on sale without a window if you prefer. The window is made from a plastic which is perfect for weight reduction and to give a little bit extra flare to the case.
The right side of the case includes the standard solid design and no window is present here. Both sides are held on by black thumbscrews.
The back of the Shinobi has a simple layout that we would expect on a case of this size and shape. It includes a first view of the included 120mm fan which can be taken out and changed for a slightly smaller 92mm fan if you wish.
The top carries the rubber texture along from the front and also features a mass amount of ventilation holes for housing 2 x 140mm or 2 x 120mm optional fans and also shows us the front panel buttons and connectors.
Included is a power and reset button, activity LEDs, microphone and headphone 3.5mm jack plugs and 4 x USB 2.0. Whilst USB 3.0 would have been nice, it would have bumped the price of this case up slightly into a segment that BitFenix didn’t want to cater for with this case.
The bottom of the case features four raised areas to which the self-adhesive rubber feet can be attached that come included with the other accessories. Being rubber will aid in vibration and keep noise to a minimum whilst the self-adhesive method is perfect for a simple installation. There is also the first view at the top removable dust filters.
