BitFenix Raider Review

[section_title title=Conclusion]Conclusion

Without further ado, it is time for my final thoughts on the BitFenix Raider. Was my time with it enjoyable? Well, I think I have already answered that but let’s have a little recap to see how I really feel about it.

Jumping into the performance aspect and I cannot fault it one bit! The 3x included fans, 2x front intake and 1x rear exhaust do a great job of providing airflow throughout the case and kept my test system well within acceptable temperatures. This could also be in part to the mesh/ventilated area that runs from the front of the bottom to the back which when you think about it, is around 66% of the air accessible area available if you don’t count the side panels of course. If you need more performance though BitFenix have allocated space for a couple of 200mm fans, one in front, and one in the top to allow for a bit better airflow with less noise.

Considering the design and BitFenix have done a pretty solid job with the Raider, though it does still have a couple of minor downfalls but we’ll talk about those in a minute. For the good, the Raider features the BitFenix SofTouch along the edges of the front and the top which when paired with the mesh area in the middle leaves it looking quite elegant yet functional at the same time.  The Raider is definitely designed to offer good performance and that it does.

When moving to the inside of the case, the design is still quite nice though it does come up short in one major aspect in my opinion. There is plenty of room for components and space for cable management, something which is always welcome and great to see. The one place I feel the Raider falls short is when it comes to fan options in the top, for which there is only room for a 200mm fan. This is a big let-down and means that users who are looking to install any type of AIO cooler are pretty much out of luck if they want to put it in the top, unless of course they want to get creative. BitFenis really need to switch the design up and put some mounting in for a couple of 120mm and/or 140mm fans which would also allow users to install either a 240mm or 280mm AIO cooler.

When considering the value for the money, the Raider has quite a bit going on for it and while it may have a couple of minor downfalls, overall it is a great case. The Raider personally has the best cable management options I have seen from a BitFenix case which is a great step forward in my opinion. The design is top notch and as such, the performance out of the box is amazing and there will be no shortage of airflow inside the case which means gamers will be able to make the most out of it and get straight to those long gaming sessions.

The BitFenix Raider is an exceptionally designed case and downfalls aside, it is still a very worthy purchase and was a pleasure to build in. If you are not looking to add an AIO cooler to the top of the case this is definitely one worth considering!

I would like to thank BitFenix for sending the Raider in for review and look forward to seeing more from them in the future.