Bitfenix Comrade Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 09.04.14
With Comrade, BitFenix offers an ATX case with a low price perfect for everyone that is looking for an affordable and entry-level solution. The design is pretty simple with classic lines, but there are inside elements and solutions that you can find in higher-end models. At this point we're rather curious to see if this case is capable of convincing us.
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Today we have the latest Bitfenix case in our lab, the Bitfenix Comrade, and we will try our best to show you the strengths and weaknesses of it.
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
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Preview
Specifications
| Model | Comrade |
| Case Type | Mid tower |
| Dimensions | 185 x 428 x 470 mm (W x H x D) |
| Material | Steel, Plastic |
| Color | White |
| 5.25'' drive bay | 3 |
| 3.5'' drive bay | 3 |
| 2.5'' drive bay | 3 |
| Expansion slots | 7 |
| Form factors | ATX, mATX |
| Cooling | 2 x 120 mm Front (included x1) 1 x 120 mm Rear (included) |
| I/O ports | 1 x USB 3.0 1 x USB 2.0 Audio in / out |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
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Front
Overview |
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| The front is pretty simple and attached to the chassis of the case through five clips and hide a generous dust filter. In this area you can install two 120 mm fans which will take care of the hard drives and internal components cooling. There are no additional ventilation holes. |
Back
Overview |
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| The rear part of the Bitfenix Comrade uses a classic design so the power supply is located at the bottom part while at the top there is a place for a single 120 mm fan and two rubber grommets. It has seven PCI slots and covers are not reusable once removed. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
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Right Side
Overview |
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| Despite the fact that this is a budget case, after removing the side panel, you will notice that there is some good space inside. The space behind the motherboard tray is enough to get a good cable management, even with thicker cables. Another point that you will soon notice (and will definitelly appreciate) is the big "hole" behind the CPU socket area, so the installation of the backplate for most high-performance large air coolers will not be a problem. The motherboard tray features several grommets and eyelets with squeeze clamps that will help you maintain a clean and orderly configuration. The I/O connections are located in the front and in this case we find a USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0, audio in-out, and power/reset buttons. |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
[pagebreak]
Left Side
Overview |
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| Like the right part, the interior of the left side of the case is of the same good quality. Both side panels do not have windows or mesh and despite being made from steel are stil very thin and easy to deform. All drives can be installed without using any tools at all, just the tool-less rails that Bitfenix includes in the bundle are needed. As you can see from the pictures, the package includes only three standoffs for mounting the motherboard. Despite some initial problem due to the absence of an explanatory manual, we were able to mount our system without the standoff. The tray includes a couple of standoffs which are pre-installed. Despite the small size of the Comrade and his target market, we were able to mount a tower heatsink without running into any compatibility issues. |
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| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
[pagebreak]
Top
Overview |
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| The upper part is quite simple since there is no housing for fans or mesh. We would like to see at least one slot for a 120 mm fan to increase the airflow for the internal components, especially the CPU. |
Bottom
Overview |
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| BitFenix Comrade stands on four solid rubber feet. Under the area dedicated to the power supply, you can find the easily removable and washable dust filter. | |
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |
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Conclusion
| General | + | - | |
| The overall quality is on a rather good level, especially if you consider the starting price. However, if we look at what is currently available on the market, we would have liked to see a bit more additional features for the Comrade. BitFenix used a good quality materials and finish. The Comrade is able to accommodate up to a maximum of three 120 mm fans and the bundle includes two fans which are pre-installed in the front and back of the case. We have had some problem during the installation process since there are only three standoffs included and the case actually comes without any manual. | - Price - Fans - Build quality | - Design
- Bundle - Features |
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| Manufacturing quality / Ergonomics | + | - | |
| Although the case is aimed at entry-level market, within the Comrade we found good quality finish with rounded corners and edges. The build quality is good and we enjoyed the presence of two dust filters with two included 120 mm fans. | - Build quality - Dust filters | ||
| Design | + | - | |
| The design of Comrade is quite simple and in some ways reminds us small old office case. The outside is pretty classic, but inside the chassis we find the recognizable BitFenix touch, like tool-less system, space for a tower cooler or high-end graphics card. However, we would like to find a bit better cooling solution, such as a fan or a mesh on top of the case. | - Design - Cooling | ||
| Recommendation | + | - | |
| BitFenix Comrade has a starting price of 36 euro excluding shipping costs on Geizhals.eu. The price is very low and definitely very interisting, however, we would have liked to see a better design by Bitfenix. | -
Low-end Gaming-PC - Office build - Price |
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| Rating | |||
| The Bitfenix Comrade gets good 2.5 out of five stars. | |||
| Page 1 - Introduction | Page 5 - Left side |
| Page 2 - Preview | Page 6 - Top / Bottom |
| Page 3 - Front / Back | Page 7 - Conclusion |
| Page 4 - Right side |