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BitFenix Comrade BFC-COM-100-WWXS1-RP Computer Case

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#1 ·
BitFenix Comrade BFC-COM-100-WWXS1-RP Computer Case

Description:
BitFenix Comrade BFC-COM-100-WWXS1-RP White Computer Case

Details:
DetailValue
ManufacturerBitFenix Co. Ltd.
UPC886027003336
Conditionnew
Model NumberBFC-COM-100-WWXS1-RP
ClassificationCases (Computer Cases - ATX Form)
 

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#2 ·
BitFenix Comrade Review. White cases are not always ugly

review by melek-taus

Introduction:

Recently I received a new computer case, a white Bitfenix Comrade.

As I already built a new computer with a Bitfenix Ronin case the Comrade will be used to house my little brothers computer. My little brother recently build a new computer in his older USB 2.0 case, as the Comrade is equipped with USB 3.0 my little brother agreed to the replacement. In this review you will find my experiences with the white Bitfenix Comrade and of course some nice pictures of the case. The Comrade is also available in black and with a window.



Specifications:

The Comrade is a white metal case with a plastic front.



The case is very light meaning it is made from thin material, due to this the perforated parts might feel weaker but this will have no disadvantages in use. On the right side of the front panel you will find a mic, audio jack, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port. More USB ports on the front panel would not be necessary, I only use these for an external HDD and smartphone so 2 are enough.

The case can house 3 x 120 mm fans of which 1 is already included. In the case it is also possibly to place an extra 120 mm and 92 mm fan against the HDD and SSD bays (with tayrips)

In the case it is possible to place 3 x 3.5 "HDDs, 3 x 2.5" HDDs/SSDs and 3 x 5.25 ?. So there is enough room for HDDs, SSDs and ODDs.

There are no separate brackets needed for the SSDs as 3 x 2.5 " bays are present. This is a big advantage of the casing most cases only have 3.5 " or make use of special SSD brackets.

This case does not come with special features like other Bitfenix cases, but for this price it already comes with more than I expected. What I do want to highlight is that the case comes with detachable dust filters, something you don't often see in a case at this price and it also comes with tool-free brackets for the HDD and ODD.

There are also enough accessories, a booklet is included, there is a bag with black screws and standoffs, black tayrips are present, and a removable PCI slot bracket is also included.



The specifications below are as they can be found on the website of Bitfenix.

Materials Steel, Plastic
Color (Int/Ext) Black/Black, White/White
Dimensions (WxHxD) 185mm x 428.55mm x 470.5mm
Motherboard Sizes Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX
5.25? Drive Bays x 3
3.5? Drive Bays x 3
2.5? Drive Bays x 3
Cooling Front 120mm x 2 (optional)
Cooling Rear 120mm x 1 (1 included)
PCI Slots 7
1 x USB3.0, 1 x USB2.0, HD Audio
Power Supply PS2 ATX (bottom, multi direction)
Extra Front Dust Filter, PSU Dust Filter, Tool-Free Drive Locking

http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/comrade#specs

Packing:

From experience Bitfenix always packs their products very decently. The case comes in a brown box with the Bitfenix logo and the specifications of the case printed on it.



Open the box and the first thing you see is the front panel with the Bitfenix logo.



The case is wrapped in plastic and is protected by styrofoam.



Looks outside:

White cases are not always ugly.

Initially I didn't know what to expect. A white case, when I think of that I can only think of those old yellowed Pentium 3 cases. In real life this white Bitfenix case looks very neat. I myself would never purchase a white case, but this one leaves me with a bit of doubt. I never expected it would look so beautiful, especially the black Bitfenix logo at the front looks great on the white case.



This is a fairly simple rectangular case with a plastic front panel. The front panel is completely straight with a curve at the bottom. The front has a black Bitfenix logo and notches. The three notches on both sides of the front panel do not have any functions other then looks, at first I thought this was meant for airflow but the notches are completely closed. I would have liked the other to be open for better air flow. The front panel fans gets air from the bottom of the front panel where a small opening can be found. The front also has 3 5.25 "Drive Bays. The case does not have softtouch but it feels sturdy and smooth.





On the right side of the front panel we find the USB, audio connections and power/reset buttons. The buttons feel good and are easy to press, they are not too small like on many other cases.



The rest of the case is pretty simple as said, it is a rectangular case with black plastic feet. The case is quite high on the feet, about 2.5 cm which provides enough fresh air for your power supply.



At the back we see the I/O ports, external water cooler holes and a type of plastic protection for the PCI ports. The perforated metal behind the fan feels very weak, this probably is due to the thin material.



The bottom features perforation for the power supply and there is also a filter present. The filter can be simply be removed and placed back.







The front panel can be taken off by pulling the bottom notch of the front panel, for this not much force is needed. The front panel is not equipped with cables, the front connections are fitted on the case itself.





Behind the front panel we see a large dust filter for 2 x 120 mm fans. The dust filter is fixed with 4 tabs and can easely be taken of. The fans can be placed directly on the dust filter.





All in all I think this is a great case, it is very pretty, looks professional and would look great on many desks.

Looks inside:

The inside of the case is also completely white with some black parts/ accents , this really looks great.





First we of course see the drive bays which are equipped with tool-free brackets. Place the HDD / SSD in the bracket and snap it in the drive bay.











The ODD bays are fitted with a twist and click locking mechanism. Turn the handle to unlock it, put the ODD in and turn the handle the other way to lock the ODD.





The mainboard tray has a big hole, which makes it possible to install heavy aftermarket coolers with a bracket at the rear side of the motheboard. The hole is big enough and I did not encounter issues placing a bracket.





The power supply can be placed with the fan downwards so that fresh air can come in from the bottom. The power supply is held in place by two metal tabs at both sides.





There is room for a graphics card up to 30cm.



The PCI slots are covered with non-reusable plates. These plates need to be broken and thus cannot be reused. This is a disadvantage because when you place a PCI card and then remove it there is always an opening at the back. For one PCI slot, this can be solved by the in the specifications mentioned reusable PCI slot bracket that comes with the case.







After checking the width / depth of the case, I found out that the combination of my brothers motherboard and CPU cooler would not fit in the case. The maximum space for a CPU cooler in this case is approx. 155mm. On the picture you see it measured from the motherboard tray, remove 6 a 7mm for the standoffs and motherboard.



Installation:

I cannot build a complete working system with this case ase I do not have a CPU cooler that fits. I will place a different motherboard and power supply for this review.

During installation of the motherboard, I encountered no further problems. The motherboard tray has been fitted with standoffs for ATX, this in the form of standoffs in the tray itself. The motherboard fits perfectly, there are plenty of black screws provided. For Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, there are three extra standoffs included.





The tool-free HDD brackets do their job very well. Click the bracket apart and place the HDD then click the bracket back together and push it into the bay.











The power supply can be placed very simple and firmly. As seen in the pictures the tabs ensure that the power supply cannot slide.



Trying to connect the front panel connectors, I found a problem, the HD audio cable from the front panel is too short. The audio connector can be found on the motherboard's bottom left as with most motherboards, however, the cable is about 2 to 3 cm too short. For me this is not a major drawback as I never use the front panel audio jacks, however this is obviously a very big problem since the front panel audio connectors are unusable. After having contact with Bitfenix there are extension cables for the front panel audio connectors. The cable in this case is too short for older motherboards, with many newer motherboards the onboard audio connector can be found in the middle of the motherboard and then it should fit without any problems.





While trying to connect the 8 pin CPU power supply cable, I found a second problem. The hole is too small for an 8 pin CPU cable. In no way could get the 8 pin CPU cable through the hole. I would advise using the big hole for the CPU cooler bracket, however in my case the motherboard is already installed. I do not know if every 8 pin CPU cable is just as big as it also depends on the power supply plug. Fortunately the 8 pin CPU plug of this Corsair power supply can be split into 2 x 4 pin which I could get through the hole.







Behind the motherboard tray there is little room for cable management, the 24-pin cable needed to be fold behind the HDD bays twice. The rest of the cables can hardly be placed behind the motherboard. You cannot place unneeded cables here as there is no room for connector. This also means that the connectors of sleeved extensions cannot be fitted behind the motherboard tray as there is not much room between the side panel and the motherboard tray. There are of course alternatives as there are enough holes in the motherboard tray and behind the HDD bays is also a lot of room.











As you can see I placed a 120mm fan against the HDD bays this was fairly easy to install using a few tayrips Against the SDD bays you can place a fan up to 92mm. If you think your system is not cooled good enough then it is possible to add more fans this way.





Cooling and noise:

Because I could not build a working system, I do not have the opportunity to test cooling and noise.

Conclusion:

All in all I think this is a very decent casing for estimated price of 35 Euro. For this price I do not think you can expect much of the case, but there are more than enough features and there are plenty extras such as dust filters, tool-free connectors and even a 120mm fan. Thus, it is possible to place large video cards, SSDs can be installed without tools and the case even has USB 3.0 on the front panel.

So if you looking for a cheap and neat looking case with enough features then this might be the case for you.

Good points:
? Expandability
? Dust filters
? Tool-free
? Price
? Possibility of placing large graphic card (30cm)

Bad points:
? Front panel audio cable is too short for older motherboards if the audio connector is not in the middle, there are extension cables available for this.
? 4/8 pin CPU cable hole in the motherboard tray too small
? No reusable PCI slot brackets

ProsCons
Expandability, Dust filters, Tool-free, Price, Possibility of placing large graphic cards (30cm)4/8 pin CPU cable hole in the motherboard tray too small, No reusable PCI slot brackets,

Ratings
Overall4
 
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