BitFenix Raider Case Review: All These Little Things
by Dustin Sklavos on February 28, 2013 12:01 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- ATX
Noise and Thermal Testing
Honestly, by the time I was done assembling the BitFenix Raider, I wasn't sure how to feel about the case itself, let alone have any expectations as to how it might perform. As it turns out, there's a reasonably potent enclosure design hiding out here if you're willing to extract it.
Ambient temperature during testing was around 22C. The Raider was tested with the middle drive cage's panel removed, and with the analog fan controller at both its lowest and highest settings.
The Raider's low fan setting doesn't move a heck of a lot of air and the case puts in a mediocre showing as a result, but running the fans at full bore produces pretty competitive thermal results.
Despite all the hemming and hawing I do about fan controllers, the BitFenix Raider runs into the same "issue" Nanoxia's cases do: the fans included are so quiet and efficient on their own that cutting their speed is pointless. The Raider's Spectre fans are almost inaudible at their highest setting and produce far superior airflow, so there's no real reason to turn them down.
The Raider was able to produce competitive if not spectacular performance with our stock testbed, so naturally I was a little more curious to see how it would handle the increased thermal load of our overclocked bed.
The Raider's not great, but it's still competitive if you ignore the low fan setting.
Once again, the "quieter" fan setting turns out to have the opposite effect, while the higher one produces noise results that are competitive without being exceptional.
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Death666Angel - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Someone is a busy little bee! :D Keep up the good work Dustin! :)Gonna read the review now, just wanted to say that first.
rwei - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
@Dustin - With this many case reviews...I assume that you must have enough of these things sitting around to build a fort.So what gives? Where is the fort? I believe that I represent the readership when I assert that you are underserving our needs.
In case you need inspiration, I would invite you to consult the following image:
http://asilentbob.deviantart.com/art/Box-fort-1454...
ilihijan - Sunday, March 3, 2013 - link
I just got paid $6784 working on my laptop using these simple steps leaked on this web page. Make up to $85 per hour doing simple tasks that are so easy to do that you won't forgive yourself if you don't check it out! Weekly payments! Here is what I've been doing Epic2.c(om)Locktile - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Bought and built in a Shinobi a few days ago. The current iteration has rectified some of the earlier problems - the rubber feet are now screwed in from the factory. 2 USB 3 ports at the top. Still at the same price.So hopefully this case will get the same treatment after a while.
Good work as allways Dustin!
abhaxus - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
I was fortunate enough to get this case for a steal at $69. Overall I really like it, although as reviewed I agree that it is a few touch ups from being a case I would use again. One thing I didn't see mentioned in the review is the intake fan placement on the bottom of the case. My power supply (Coolmax 1000w) is too large to allow me to use a 120mm fan in that bottom intake. Seems like a small oversight. Because there is no side fan blowing directly on my GTX 480, even a throttled 80mm fan mounted (rigged up) here lowers my temps on the card by about 10c.I mounted bitfenix 200mm fans in the front and top, the thermal performance increased quite a bit with them.
For 70
thesavvymage - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
It amazes me how no company has hired Dustin to help design their casesfutrtrubl - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
I am quite sure he would design an awesome case. It would also be a case that could never be made due to patents.Pbryanw - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Yes, it would be awesome but if it it was an ATX case it would only be able to fit mATX motherboards (sorry I'm only joking :) ) But in reply to thesavvymage, can some case manufacturer make it so.Dustin Sklavos - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
HA!I ain't even mad. :)
ezridah - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Thanks you for finally reviewing this case Dustin! I've been eyeing it for about a year now and am thinking about starting a new build soon. This would have been a case I considered, but given the issues with it I'll probably pass on it now.If they revised it with all the suggestions Dustin had I would buy it immediately. Your move BitFenix.