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BitFenix Phenom mITX Case Review
By Tom Jaskulka
Manufacturer: BitFenix Co., Ltd.
Product Name: Phenom ITX Case
Model Number: BFC-PHE-300-WWXKK-RP
UPC: 886027003220
Price As Tested: $79.99 (Newegg / Amazon)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by BitFenix Co., Ltd.
When the BitFenix Prodigy was released last year, it expanded on the idea of how much performance could fit in a small case. There were some users (me included) that felt the original Prodigy was just a little too big for an ITX box – responding to customer feedback, BitFenix wanted to provide a more streamlined option for those users that wanted all that the Prodigy had to offer in a more compact package. With essentially the same internal layout as the original Prodigy, the new BitFenix Phenom (model BFC-PHE-300-WWXKK-RP) caters to those that want something a little more minimalistic with airflow taking a backseat to looks and finesse. Benchmark Reviews is ready to look inside and see how much of the Prodigy legacy stays intact with the BitFenix Phenom ITX case.
I’ll just get this out of the way – this is the ITX version of the Phenom, which has the same internals as the first Prodigy case. Even though the Phenom was conceived as a quieter, slimmer Prodigy I won’t be doing any objective sound testing; the results would essentially be meaningless (unless you happened to own the exact components I’ll be installing into the Phenom in this review, and place it in a room with similar dimensions and the same number of sound sources). I’ll be focusing on what building a system in the Phenom is like, and highlighting anything that I find along the way. So let’s get started!
Features & Specifications
| Materials | Steel, Plastic, SofTouch™ |
| Colors (Int/Ext) | Black/Black, White/White |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 250 x 330 x 374mm |
| Motherboard Sizes | Mini-ITX |
| 3.5” Drive Bays | x 6 (5 + 1 using included adapter) |
| 2.5” Drive Bays | x 11 (5 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 using included adapter) |
| Cooling Top | 120mm x 2 (optional) |
| Cooling Front | 120mm x 2 (1 included) or 140/180/200/230mm x 1 (optional) |
| Cooling Rear | 120mm x 1 (included) or 140mm x 1 (optional) |
| PCI Slots | x 2 |
| I/O | USB 3.0 x 2, HD Audio |
| Power Supply | PS2 ATX (bottom, multi direction) |
| Extras | Tool-free drive locking mechanisms, SofTouch™ surface treatment, filtered intakes |
1 comment
David Ramsey
18 December 2013 at 8:58 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’ve always like the internal design of the Bitfenix mITX cases, but this modern conceit of putting the I/O panel on the side of the case continues to annoy me. Sure, you get a sleek front panel, but it reminds me of all the stupid things Jobs used to do at Apple in the name of aesthetics (1-button hockey-puck mouse, anyone?)