BitFenix Shinobi: The Budget Ninja
by Dustin Sklavos on June 22, 2011 12:45 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- bitfenix
- shinobi
Noise and Thermal Testing, Stock
The stock settings for our platform are fairly representative of a mid-to-high-end configuration, the upper perimeter of the kind of build we'd expect users to install in a case like the BitFenix Shinobi. Going into this testing I wasn't sure what to expect; there are certainly concerns about the hard drive and video card blocking air from getting to the processor heatsink. Note that both the NZXT H2 and Antec Sonata IV have selectable fan speeds with their built-in fan controllers, while the In-Win BUC and BitFenix Shinobi both use the motherboard fan controls. The H2 and Sonata IV results included here are from their "medium" fan settings which produced a good balance between thermal performance and noise.
Unfortunately the thermals are less than ideal. Once again In-Win's BUC pulls a victory, a testament to its slick design (and probably the extra fan it includes). The Shinobi features some of the highest idle temperatures, but load temperatures are at least on par with if not better than the Antec Sonata IV and the air-starved NZXT H2.
On the flip side, the Shinobi winds up being the quietest of the cases we've tested at idle, so while the temperatures are a bit higher, they're nowhere near dangerous and the Shinobi is able to keep things running silently. Under load it's still in good shape, hanging out in the same neighborhood as the well-ventilated BUC and the soundproofed H2.
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superpenguino - Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - link
I formally second this proposal.StevePeters - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
After going back and re-reading the In-Win BUC review I saw that it had an additional case fan. For the temperature results to be meaningful I really think a 'case as supplied' and a 'case with a standard fan configuration' is needed.After the praise for the ease of the build with BitFenix, I really do not understand why you needed to disadvantage their thermals as you did. I would really like to see bast configuration, not worst configuration comparisions for the results to be useful.
Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
The BUC has an additional case fan that ships WITH the case. It comes with two mounted and then they give you a third one that you can mount anywhere.cjs150 - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
By Fractal Designs Midi/Min arc admittedly at a higher price pointSpending a bit extra on a case pays dividends.
After saying that I like Betfenix. More competition in case design is a good thing
Zoomer - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
Any idea how thick the steel panels are? Comments on structural stability / solidity?I hope the rubbery plastic doesn't make it hard to clean dust off it.
JohnMD1022 - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
I can't understand the use of such photos when a few seconds work would make them viewable.I used PhotoShop Elements 2.0,
To see what the interior of this case actually looks like, here's the result of less than 15 seconds with the Brightness/Contrast variables:
http://www.picpaste.com/s-internal-1-ridRiit0.jpg
maxg - Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - link
More like a lousy computer monitor... Your display must be getting old or not set up properly. The article's photos look just fine on all three of my displays, and your "fixed" version, umm, well, just looks bright and grey with poor contrast.DaveSimmons - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
I'd really like to see an update where you show the noise and temperature when the HDD is placed more sensibly.Mumrik - Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - link
It looks horribly cheap in these pictures and I hate all these half-assed windows we're seing lately, but at least it got the drive bays right. Three 5.25" bays should be three times as many as most need and eight 3½" bays is awesome. So many higher end cases only have six or less.Dustin Sklavos - Thursday, June 23, 2011 - link
Honestly the texture of the plastic used for the build really needs to be seen in person to be appreciated. I've seen cheap-looking cases, and the Shinobi isn't one.