BitFenix Aurora Review

BitFenix Aurora Review

Manufacturer: BitFenix
UK price (as reviewed): £89.99 (inc VAT) - Includes free BitFenix Alchemy 2.0 30cm RGB LED strip (worth £17.99), only when purchased at Overclockers UK.
US price (as reviewed): Currently unavailable

Standing out in the crowded mid-tower market is no easy task but, with its new Aurora chassis, BitFenix is looking to make a splash by cottoning on to two recent trends in hardware: tempered glass and RGB lighting.


Available in black or white, the Aurora is outfitted with two tempered glass side panels: the left one is translucent, giving you a view into the case but only through a particularly heavy tint, while the right one is blacked out completely, which is a nice touch and will nearly always look better than seeing straight through to a mess of cables. They're very thick and look great, giving the Aurora a premium quality that few cases in this league have.

Unfortunately, the tempered glass appears to have been used at the cost of material quality elsewhere, as the thin plastic on the roof and front is redolent of cases that cost considerably less. The matt finish isn't bad, but the panels just feel weak and cheap.


The buttons on the front I/O panel also feel flimsier than normal, and the USB ports aren't quite properly aligned either. That said, you do get a solid selection of ports as well as an LED control button, the function of which is detailed over the page.

While the roof and front panels look solid, in both instances there are sections of mesh and holes for ventilation. In both sections you can house a pair of 140mm or 120mm fans, although the rear 120mm fan mount is the only one that comes filled by default. Oddly, there's also a pair of holes filled with rubber grommets, presumably for external water-cooling setups, but, honestly, who still uses these?


Examining the bottom reveals that BitFenix is using foam rather than rubber-tipped feet; again, something you'd normally expect on cheaper cases. You get a slide-out dust filter for the PSU, but it's stiff and there's not enough clearance so using it is fussy. There is filtering material for the front and roof, but it's built directly into the panels themselves rather than on individual filters.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 215 x 520 x 490 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic, tempered glass
  
• Available colours Black, white
  
• Weight 10.58kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, stereo, microphone, LED control
  
• Drive bays 4 x 3.5in, 3 x 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) E-ATX, ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX
  
• Cooling 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (fans not included), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (1 x 120mm fan included), 2 x 140mm/120mm roof fan mounts (fans not included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 160mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 400mm
  
• Extras Removable dust filter, SSD RGB lighting bracket, reservoir bracket, BitFenix Alchemy 2.0 30cm RGB LED strip (only when purchased at Overclockers UK)