BitFenix Prodigy Review: The Affordable Performable Mini-ITX
by Dustin Sklavos on June 1, 2012 1:55 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Mini ITX
- bitfenix
Noise and Thermal Testing, Dedicated GPU
With our dedicated GPU testing, I decided to mix things up a bit with the BitFenix Prodigy and put the screws to it a little more. BitFenix designed this case to be able to support high end gaming systems, so I tested it with the usual Zotac GeForce GTS 450 Eco; however, I also tested with the ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti we ordinarily use for full ATX enclosures.
Thermals for the Prodigy are still quite good, but the 560 Ti does push it a little. Temperatures for the CPU go up substantially with the increased thermal load of the faster GeForce. Still, we're talking about the graphics card itself only hitting about 69C under load.
The fan speeds are still pretty good, though. It's reasonable to suggest there's a healthy amount of headroom in the Prodigy, just like it was designed for. Even though the GTX 560 Ti is raising temperatures across the board, the card itself isn't starving for air.
And here's the Prodigy's big win. Even with a substantially more powerful graphics card and having to contend with more heat, the Prodigy remains measurably--noticeably--quieter than the other mini-ITX cases we've tested. Thermal performance is competitive with the other cases, but BitFenix is able to do it all while generating less noise.
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B3an - Saturday, June 2, 2012 - link
LOL! Thats exactly what i'm talking about. Thats one seriously ugly case, but SO many PC cases often look like that.piroroadkill - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
Very nice. I love the idea of a small machine being very powerful, yet fully DIY and standard. Lovely case..EnzoFX - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
No pics with the card installed?This case's basic design is one I've been asking for a long time now. Glad someone finally did it. The great price just throws it over the top. Wish there was a silver version =P.
Dustin Sklavos - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
Unfortunately, only black and white versions. :| It really is an awesome case, though.Daller - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
I wish some of these "bigger" ITX cases would be tested with proper hardware.This case is obviously designed with bigger tower coolers in mind. Shove an i7-3770K in there at 4.5 GHz and a high-end GPU instead of this mainstream stuff.
A SFX powersupply in a case designed for ATX PSU - who on earth would ever do that?
'nuff said.
Daller - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
They got the idea:http://www.caseking.de/shop/catalog/images/product...
Menty - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
"A SFX powersupply in a case designed for ATX PSU - who on earth would ever do that?"Someone who was unable to fit in an ATX PSU, as is the case here? :P
Daller - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
He tried with a modular PSU - they require more space. High quality non-modular PSU are readily available - and better than any SFX unit i know of.xbournex - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
160mm PSU's will fit. As with all PSU's, each company will use different thickness cables. Some will use thin black cables with no color, some will use sleeving bundled together to make huge inflexible cables.DragonMantis - Friday, June 1, 2012 - link
Does installing the dedicated GPU require removal of the middle drive cage? How long a card can be accommodated?