BitFenix Shinobi XL Case Review: Something is Lost in the Process
by Dustin Sklavos on June 26, 2012 2:40 AM EST- Posted in
- bitfenix
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Conclusion: Lost in Translation
Let me first come clean and say the BitFenix Shinobi XL is by no means a bad enclosure. Performance is at least reasonably competitive, and while it doesn't achieve Corsair levels of ease of assembly, it's nowhere near as difficult as some of the more elaborate Lian Li and SilverStone cases can be. People looking for a good water-cooling enclosure are definitely going to want to check it out, as the case is capable of supporting a cumulative 1080x120mm of radiators. In many ways this is what Corsair was gunning for with the Vengeance C70, but I think BitFenix has done a better job here.
The problem is that if you're not planning on doing any serious water-cooling, the Shinobi XL loses a lot of its luster. Acoustically it's among the worst of the cases we've tested; it's noisy even under idle conditions, and that noise doesn't come with commensurate thermal performance. As a big fan of the original Shinobi, I feel like the XL causes the brand to lose a little bit of its luster. This is now basically BitFenix's premium offering (alongside their Colossus), but their generally excellent performance south of $100 is nowhere to be found here.
On a more subjective note, I also feel like the Shinobi XL isn't as aesthetically appealing as its smaller sibling. The design language just doesn't scale up quite as well, and in many ways I don't feel like the aesthetics and design are competitive with other cases in this price class.
I'd say if you're looking for a good case to do a custom water-cooled build inside, the Shinobi XL is probably worth considering. Users planning on doing air-cooling or using smaller closed loop coolers need not apply, though; the much less expensive Antec Eleven Hundred is going to be both quieter and cooler.
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Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
I've thought about it a few times. It's just a matter of one of the case manufacturers being crazy enough to let me come up with something. ;)romany8806 - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
Hey Dustin, I enjoy your reviews more and read them more thoroughly than any others on Anandtech, despite not currently being in the market for anything you've covered.I don't suppose you have a CM690-II in your review backlog do you? I'd love to know how my case compares with those that have gone through your new test suite. If you have any anecdotal experience to share I'd be happy with that.
Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
I wish I did, but for some odd reason CoolerMaster stuff can be a bit hard to come by around here and I don't have any business requesting new kit until I've cleared out my (massive) backlog.So unfortunately no anecdotal experience, but just from looking at it I'd expect it to perform comparably to Antec's 1100, albeit probably a bit louder.
I sincerely appreciate the kind words, though. The internet breeds negativity, so it's always nice when someone chooses to put something positive out there. :)
Darkhynde - Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - link
I have to agree with his high opinion of your reviews. It saddens me to hear that the Cooler Master stuff is hard to come by as I am in the early stages of researching parts fro a new build I want to by myself for my birthday in about two months and had my eyes on the Cooler Master HAF XM. My current case is an OLD OLD OLD Thermaltake Kandalf circa 2003 that has served me well through my last two or three builds since then.Out of curiosity, just what do you consider massive when you mention this massive backlog of yours? Can We get a ballpark figure of how many cases are in your backlog?
One other question. What do you do with the cases once they are reviewed and the data recorded for future use. Do you have a room stock piled with cases or do you ship them back to the vendor that supplied them?
Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - link
Right now my backlog is about six cases deep, so basically about two months worth of reviews. Also keep in mind that as new cases are released, they get moved to the front of the line, so unfortunately when something is sitting at the back...it tends to sit at the back for a long time, potentially indefinitely. I do my best to keep up on my workload, though, and maintain contact with the vendors.And also keep in mind that, as you've seen, cases aren't the only thing I handle around here. They keep me busy. :)
JarredWalton - Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - link
Silence, slave! Back to work! [Cracks whip]Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - link
Yes sir! Right away sir!xaviergzz - Thursday, June 28, 2012 - link
"as the case is capable of supporting a cumulative 1080x120mm of radiators"what does that mean???
1080x120mm...1080mm X 120mm ...3 three foot long rad???
Galcobar - Thursday, June 28, 2012 - link
The key phrase is "cumulative."Dustin's not explicit about the location of the radiators -- as far as I can read -- but if fan mounts = radiator mounts, then three 120 mm x 120 mm across the top, three across the front, two on the bottom and one at the back.
120 x 9 = 1080 mm. So nine radiators, 120 mm wide, lined up would produce a 3.5-foot-long radiator.