BitFenix Neos Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on January 21, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- Case
Conclusion
BitFenix designed the Neos to be a low-cost yet stylish option for the average consumer that wants to build a simple system. It is a sound concept, as the vast majority of computer users will not be buying a case more expensive than $80-100. BitFenix offers the Neos for $50 to $75, depending on the color combination. A side panel window will cost the user an extra $18-20, bringing the minimum cost up to $70, pushing the boundaries of what most users would consider an acceptable price for a low-cost product. Still, the Neos would be an interesting choice as a stylish case for the casual user.
However, the Neos simply fails to deliver. Their aesthetic value is limited to the choice of a chassis/faceplate color combination. The neutral, minimalistic design is based on a low-cost SECC steel chassis, leaving the Neos without much to be proud of. With design being its major selling point, the Neos is certainly not faring very well. That however is just the tip of the iceberg formed by the cons of the Neos.
The chassis that the Neos is based on is, mildly put, archaic. We would not expect to see it used for anything other than the cheapest of cases nowadays. There is no clearance behind the motherboard tray and the cable/cooler cutouts appear to have been created with little thought for utility. No cages are removable and the use of destructible expansion card covers is nearly comedic (flashback to the 90s for those of us that are old enough). There is no top panel ventilation, it is not possible to use AIO liquid coolers, and the narrow chassis limits the selection of the CPU cooler as well, severely impeding the thermal management options.
The selection of the cooling fan is questionable as well. It would seem that BitFenix tried to balance the poor thermal performance of the Neos by installing a rather powerful 120mm fan... unsuccessfully. If it would help the Neos achieve good thermal performance, we could let this slide for a case of this price range, but the noisy 120mm fan is not enough to turn this outdated design into a competitive model.
Even for the price of the most basic model, the BitFenix Neos seems unable to face the competition. It would be able to house a typical PC without any issues, but there are many other and significantly more reasonable options within its price range. With its very poor thermal performance and virtually nonexistent versatility, it would be hard to recommend the Neos to any users, with the sole exception of those that simply really like its design.
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Oxford Guy - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
You can get a case for $25 that can be used for a low wattage system. Why spend so much on this? It doesn't have good cable management, etc.SleepModezZ - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
In the shop that I usually buy from the cheapest midi/mini case (for full ATX-motherboards) is 33€ (LC-Power 3001B). Neos (without a window) is 41€. Scrolling the list down from cheapest to more costly, the Neos is the first to give some aesthetic pleasure because its color options. That could decide it for some. You can choose a case that fits the room it will be in. Cable management is not really so important if you have a low wattage system in a windowless case. (I don't really understand the window option on a case like Neos.)E.Fyll - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
A lower thermal load would yield correlative results, just at a lower magnitude and over a significantly longer period of time. That is why every comparison of cases using either the 850W and 400W load charts always ends up the same. Regardless of the thermal load, given that we are talking about a passive load, if case A is better than case B, it will always be better than case B - only the magnitude of the results changes.We are using the 400W load only because there are some cases (like this one) that cannot handle a very high thermal load at all without starting a fire. With the 400W load requiring a time of at least seven hours to give usable results, testing with a lower load is unfeasible - it would take days and I cannot keep the ambient conditions stable for that long. Furthermore, a very low load would bring the results of many cases very close together, making them look virtually identical, because of the shrinkage of the scale. My equipment can tell the difference between 41°C and 42°C, but not between 20°C and 20.02°C.
SleepModezZ - Thursday, January 22, 2015 - link
Thank you for your answer - and for the review. You are right that it makes sense to test in the way you do. The problem is more in the conclusions that seems to be derived from that - or maybe just the emphasis on that one fact. At a low thermal load the case will still be worse thermal wise than the bigger and more expensive comparisons - but in practice the difference won't matter much. Other factors will easily overrun that drawback for a potential buyer who is not interested in building a gaming rig into the case.It seems that you did not like the looks of the case. I have not seen it in person so I can't make a comment. Still, it has several color options to choose from whereas probably every else case in the same form factor and price group comes without such choice. I, for one, would easily pay 50% more (or accept other drawbacks) to get a case in the most pleasing color option. It will be a part of the furniture for some years so the exterior appearance, in the context of the room where it will be sitting in, is very important. I don't know if BitFenix was the first to offer cases with color options - more than a black and a white option, or a black and an aluminium/silver option - but they are currently very prominent in that - and I really appreciate that.
Antronman - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Scorching review. All you need is some obscene language and I'd think Chef George Ramsay wrote this.Antronman - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
Fuck Gordon Ramsay wtf was I doingmakerofthegames - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
tl;dr version: BitFenix finally fucked one up.wbwb - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
This is a fine-looking, solidly built case for a basic PC with a quad core CPU and a single GPU, i.e. a 450 watt system. I built one last month. Not every case has to be designed to support overclocking and radiators or monstrous heatsinks. If you want that, there are plenty of other cases to choose from, and stop kidding yourself, you're not going to buy a $60 case anyway.chlamchowder - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - link
The problem is, there are $60 cases (Corsair 200R, NZXT Source 220, and probably some others) that can take radiators or bigger heatsinks, and look like decent options even for overclocking.If you want to overclock, and want radiators/big heatsinks, and can get a case that supports that for $60 or even less, why not do that?
lazymangaka - Saturday, January 24, 2015 - link
If you know you want to overclock and think the possibility of radiators or big heatsinks is in your future, you should probably choose a case that reflects that.This case isn't for that. It doesn't (to the best of my knowledge) claim to be that. This is the sort of case for the build you do for a parent, sibling, or significant other that is built once then not touched for years. The sort of build where the looks of the case are more important than the convenience of the cable management.