BitFenix Merc Alpha: Just How Much Can $39 Buy?
by Dustin Sklavos on October 5, 2011 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- bitfenix
Noise and Thermal Testing, Stock
Honestly I'm not expecting miracles from the BitFenix Merc Alpha. It has one whole fan, a 120mm exhaust fan, and then ventilation in the side and top panels. That said, there's nothing about the internal layout that strays too far off the beaten path, so hopefully the fairly sensible design pays off.
That one exhaust fan is doing the best it can and by and large, the Merc Alpha's middle-of-the-pack thermals really aren't bad at all. Ambient temperatures look to be a bit high, but at least the Merc Alpha can hang.
Noise is in the same category. Surprisingly that single 120mm fan responds well to the fan control of our test motherboard, and is remarkably quiet on its own. Individuals looking for a quiet enclosure on the cheap might actually be well served by the Merc Alpha's slightly more closed off twin, the Merc Beta.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
35 Comments
View All Comments
dac7nco - Thursday, October 6, 2011 - link
Agreed. By the time I'm done a $150 case is $300.Daimon
mrcaffeinex - Thursday, October 6, 2011 - link
to the Thermaltake V3 Black Edition that I picked up for my wife's desktop not too long ago. They are in the same price range (the V3 was $29.99 from the Egg a month or so ago, usually $39.99 or $44.99). There are some nice improvements on this one over the V3 though: the motherboard doesn't require standoffs to be installed for normal installations, the PSU can be mounted normally or inverted, and I think I prefer the simplicity of the front panel design on this one a bit more.JonnyDough - Thursday, October 6, 2011 - link
"At just $39 it would be reasonable not to expect much, but as you'll see this case can hang with enclosures at twice the cost or better."We've been trying to tell computer case reviewers this for years...we don't need $200 cases to house our PCs. It isn't worth it when you replace a PC every 3 years. Yesterdays prized system is tomorrow's too slow to use piece of junk.
Zoomer - Saturday, October 8, 2011 - link
How about adding in numbers for the antec 300? It'll be useful as a basis for comparison.On that note, how about asking Antec when they'll update the 300?
EthanW - Thursday, October 13, 2011 - link
I don't understand why everyone likes the Merc. I've messed around with one and the front is very plasticky (it's not the same soft-touch the other cases had), while the guts aren't anything special. Don't get me wrong, I love Bitfenix cases. It's just that the Outlaw puts the Merc to shame for about $10 more. The Outlaw has the proper soft-touch finish, an inverted motherboard and nicer build quality - not to mention how much better the outside looks.Guys, if you can talk Bitfenix into it, review an Outlaw, instead. You'll be pleasantly surprised.