BitFenix Outlaw: When Inexpensive Doesn't Mean Cheap
by Dustin Sklavos on December 23, 2011 5:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- bitfenix
Introducing the BitFenix Outlaw
A lot of our case reviews lately have been for enclosures that hover around the $99 price point and then range below. The big, expensive ones are exciting and ultimately many of them are definitely worth your hard earned money, but what about the friend who's on an extreme budget? What if you're on an extreme budget? The case is often one of the easiest and safest places to cut money out of the cost of a custom build, and BitFenix has been diligently serving the cash-strapped for a while now. Today we have on hand the new Outlaw, and we'll show you just how much case you can get for fifty bucks.
From the moment the BitFenix rep showed me the Outlaw right up until I finished assembling it, all I could think was "I can't believe this thing is so cheap." Of course, when I say "cheap" I do mean "inexpensive," a distinction I made a few times during my recent review of the Rosewill Ranger. The Outlaw has a lot in common with my favorite Micro-ATX case, SilverStone's Temjin TJ08-E. The Temjin is a royal hassle to put together, but it does pay dividends: it runs cool and it runs quiet. BitFenix had to be a little more flexible in designing the Outlaw (and hitting a price point that's half the Temjin), but there's a lot to like here.
| BitFenix Outlaw Specifications | ||
| Motherboard Form Factor | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | |
| Drive Bays | External | 3x 5.25" |
| Internal | 4x 3.5", 1x 2.5" | |
| Cooling | Front | 2x 120mm fan mount |
| Rear | 1x 120mm exhaust fan | |
| Top | 2x 120mm fan mount | |
| Side | 2x 120mm/140mm fan mount | |
| Bottom | 1x 120mm fan mount | |
| Expansion Slots | 7 | |
| Front I/O Port | - | |
| Top I/O Port | 4x USB 2.0, mic and headphone jacks, power and reset buttons | |
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearance | 10.5" (Expansion Cards), 170mm (CPU HSF), 180mm (PSU) | |
| Weight | 14.33 lbs. | |
| Dimensions | 7.09" x 18.82" x 17.24" (180mm x 478mm x 438mm) | |
| Price | MSRP $49 | |
As a $49 case you're stuck largely with the basics when it comes to the Outlaw; about enough room for garden variety configurations, a bunch of fan mounts with no fans installed, and strictly USB 2.0 connectivity in the enclosure itself. But there's a lot more going on with BitFenix's design than appears at first glance.
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Sgt. Stinger - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
BitFenix is definitley an interesting company. They seem to be a very small operation, and thats probably why they get to these amazing price points.BTW, what happened to this review earlier today? Saw it at work, but when i tried to continue to the next page, the review was down... Puzzled me a bit :)
JarredWalton - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
Someone changed the post time to later in the day, probably to give another article time at the top.Andrew Rockefeller - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
I'm a fan of the left-handed mount arrangement. TBH, I've thought that everyone has been doing it wrong all these years. The next step is to abandon multiple 5.25" bays in mid-towers.know of fence - Saturday, December 24, 2011 - link
Current case designs may very well be outdated in a year or two.Abandon the ugly, stupid drive bays (in favor of external drives), ditch ALL front interfaces and move USB, audio and the power switch to the top of the desk (like a docking bay). It's a no-brainer.
Andrew Rockefeller - Saturday, December 24, 2011 - link
For my own needs, I couldn't agree more. I do however accept that would make it just a little too niche right now. 2 years, absolutely.Strangely, I actually sketched up an external front panel remote a few years back. Glad to hear that there are others out there thinking along the same lines.
...which makes me think. What if someone designed a case with an external slimline optical enclosure which included the standard front panel functions?? We might finally get rid of gaudy plastic fascias altogether. The external enclosure could even be a standalone product connecting back to a PCI bracket.
StevePeters - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
Am I seeing the photos correctly - it looks like there is no space at all between the tray and side cover (and none is needed)? I am starting to think that the guys at BitFenix must actually use they cases themselves - they sure look like they know what works!JonnyDough - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
"BitFenix has opted for a negative pressure design instead of a positive pressure one, with the exhaust fan pulling air out of the back of the case instead of placing a fan in the front and letting the fan in the heatsink do the rest of the work."Preferable. Reason? Noise.
jwcalla - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
Do people still buy cases this big?colmiak - Saturday, December 24, 2011 - link
this is kind of an unimportant detail but i'll ask anyway.. ;pis the logo seen on the bottom of the case on microcenter's site removable?
i dont see it on your review case and it looks much nicer like that!
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results....
Dustin Sklavos - Saturday, December 24, 2011 - link
It's not removable; it's not affixed to begin with. ;)