BitFenix Raider Case Review: All These Little Things

Conclusion: Needs a Revision

The BitFenix Raider is a case I almost desperately want to like. I've had a personal, vested interest in BitFenix for a while now as a small manufacturer that produced some really great stuff, and I've wanted to make sure other people knew it. Their breakout product has probably been the Prodigy (which got picked up by almost every boutique under the sun), but really, they've had great stuff for a while now. I still think the Mercs are among the best budget cases money can buy.

BitFenix does a lot right with the Raider. However I feel about the case's quirks, you can't really deny it's a good-looking case, and it's pretty sturdy on top of that. The SECC steel used for the side panels is a little bit thin, but the rest of the body is very solid. Thermals and acoustics are both pretty middle of the road, and even though it's mostly useless in the stock configuration, I do appreciate the inclusion of a fan controller if for no other reason than that you won't have to add one later should you need it. The USB 2.0 headers coming out of the internal 3.0 headers are also a minor convenience I wish more manufacturers would include.

Where the Raider falls apart is when all the little details are taken together. What BitFenix really needs to do is take their baseline of this case and revise it. All the ideas are sound, but the execution has been fudged. Enlarge the cable routing holes, use twist ties on the included cable bundle (and route it through the tray closer to the top of the case to avoid blocking the top 5.25" bay), and loosen that bundle. Ship the thing with feet already installed that are bolted through the bottom of the shell. Allow for mounting a 240mm or 280mm radiator in the top of the case instead of just a 200mm fan, but include a pair of 200mm fans in the front and the top as well. The fan controller gives you an opportunity to choose between high performance and low noise, so take advantage of it with powerful fans.

Finally, there's the price tag. NewEgg currently has the Raider for $99, and at that price it's a bust, flat out. Users who want a more powerful case and don't mind mediocre build quality (or questionable aesthetics) will get their money's worth and then some from Antec's $59 GX700. When the Nanoxia Deep Silence 2 starts shipping stateside it'll eat the Raider alive at $99, offering good looks, good noise, and good performance. The $99 price tag is also within striking distance of Antec's devastating Eleven Hundred. There's one version of the Raider available for $79 on NewEgg right now, and that's really where the case ought to be at present.

There's potential for the Raider to be a great case, but BitFenix's designers need to take it back to the drawing board. Unless you're married to its looks (and admittedly I can understand that), there are better deals for better cases to be had elsewhere.