BitFenix Raider Case Review: All These Little Things
by Dustin Sklavos on February 28, 2013 12:01 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- bitfenix
- ATX
Testing Methodology
For testing Micro-ATX and full ATX cases, we use the following standardized testbed in stock and overclocked configurations to get a feel for how well the case handles heat and noise.
| ATX Test Configuration | |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-2700K (95W TDP, tested at stock speed and overclocked to 4.3GHz @ 1.38V) |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 |
| Graphics Card |
ASUS GeForce GTX 560 Ti DCII TOP (tested at stock speed and overclocked to 1GHz/overvolted to 1.13V) |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3-1600 |
| Drives |
Kingston SSDNow V+ 100 64GB SSD Samsung 5.25" BD-ROM/DVDRW Drive |
| CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo with Cooler Master ThermalFusion 400 |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider Plus 750W 80 Plus Silver |
Each case is tested in a stock configuration and an overclocked configuration that generates substantially more heat (and thus may produce more noise). The system is powered on and left idle for fifteen minutes, the thermal and acoustic results recorded, and then stressed by running seven threads in Prime95 (in-place large FFTs) on the CPU and OC Scanner (maximum load) on the GPU. At the end of fiteen minutes, thermal and acoustic results are recorded. This is done for the stock settings and for the overclock, and if the enclosure has a fan controller, these tests are repeated for each setting. Ambient temperature is also measured after the fifteen idle minutes but before the stress test and used to calculate the final reported results.
Thank You!
Before moving on, we'd like to thank the following vendors for providing us with the hardware used in our testbed.
- Thank you to Puget Systems for providing us with the Intel Core i7-2700K.
- Thank you to Gigabyte for providing us with the GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 motherboard.
- Thank you to Crucial for providing us with the Ballistix Smart Tracer memory.
- Thank you to Cooler Master for providing us with the Hyper 212 Evo heatsink and fan unit.
- Thank you to Kingston for providing us with the SSDNow V+ 100 SSD.
- Thank you to CyberPower for providing us with the Samsung BD-ROM/DVD+/-RW drive.
- And thank you to SilverStone for providing us with the power supply.
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26 Comments
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Death666Angel - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Someone is a busy little bee! :D Keep up the good work Dustin! :)Gonna read the review now, just wanted to say that first.
rwei - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
@Dustin - With this many case reviews...I assume that you must have enough of these things sitting around to build a fort.So what gives? Where is the fort? I believe that I represent the readership when I assert that you are underserving our needs.
In case you need inspiration, I would invite you to consult the following image:
http://asilentbob.deviantart.com/art/Box-fort-1454...
ilihijan - Sunday, March 3, 2013 - link
I just got paid $6784 working on my laptop using these simple steps leaked on this web page. Make up to $85 per hour doing simple tasks that are so easy to do that you won't forgive yourself if you don't check it out! Weekly payments! Here is what I've been doing Epic2.c(om)Locktile - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Bought and built in a Shinobi a few days ago. The current iteration has rectified some of the earlier problems - the rubber feet are now screwed in from the factory. 2 USB 3 ports at the top. Still at the same price.So hopefully this case will get the same treatment after a while.
Good work as allways Dustin!
abhaxus - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
I was fortunate enough to get this case for a steal at $69. Overall I really like it, although as reviewed I agree that it is a few touch ups from being a case I would use again. One thing I didn't see mentioned in the review is the intake fan placement on the bottom of the case. My power supply (Coolmax 1000w) is too large to allow me to use a 120mm fan in that bottom intake. Seems like a small oversight. Because there is no side fan blowing directly on my GTX 480, even a throttled 80mm fan mounted (rigged up) here lowers my temps on the card by about 10c.I mounted bitfenix 200mm fans in the front and top, the thermal performance increased quite a bit with them.
For 70
thesavvymage - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
It amazes me how no company has hired Dustin to help design their casesfutrtrubl - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
I am quite sure he would design an awesome case. It would also be a case that could never be made due to patents.Pbryanw - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Yes, it would be awesome but if it it was an ATX case it would only be able to fit mATX motherboards (sorry I'm only joking :) ) But in reply to thesavvymage, can some case manufacturer make it so.Dustin Sklavos - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
HA!I ain't even mad. :)
ezridah - Thursday, February 28, 2013 - link
Thanks you for finally reviewing this case Dustin! I've been eyeing it for about a year now and am thinking about starting a new build soon. This would have been a case I considered, but given the issues with it I'll probably pass on it now.If they revised it with all the suggestions Dustin had I would buy it immediately. Your move BitFenix.