BitFenix Shinobi (anandtech review)

[andymcca]

BitFenix Shinobi:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4460/bitf ... dget-ninja

Any thoughts?
It's priced at $60 USD without the window. Seems like a great budget option for all the features & drive space (8x 3.5" internal bays).

[Dr. Jim Pomatter]

It's priced at $60 USD without the window. Seems like a great budget option for all the features & drive space (8x 3.5" internal bays).

I think it looks good, but the metal is thin. The door really needs a layer of sound dampening material. You can use sheets that are meant for cars, or you can buy sheets made for computers (FrozenCPU, AcoustiPack, Nexus DampTek, etc.). This will cost you $20-60.

Windows are a source of noise, but this case may need one. Without the window, you do not have any direct exhaust for the video card. I would not install a 6970 or a 560 video card without some plan to vent heat from the card area.

Good cards for this case should be easy to spot, as they do not have the PCI-E 6 or 8-pin power connector. Video cards that consume less then 75 watts do not need to get direct power from the power supply.

The hard drives in this case are poorly mounted. They are mounted in a tool-less fashion, and they are not isolated with rubber bands or brushing. Noisy hard drives will transmit vibration and noise to the case.

If you get a foam sheet (or two), a low-er power video card (like the HD 6670), and avoid 7200 rpm hard drives, then this could be a good case.