By David Shields
Manufacturer: BitFenix Co. Ltd.
Product Name: Comrade
Model Number: BFC-COM-100-WWXS1-RP
UPC: 8602700333 EAN: 716779444834
Price As Tested: $49.00 (Newegg / Amazon)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by BitFenix.
“Aimed squarely at builders on a budget, Comrade delivers high-end features at an incredibly competitive price point.”
The BitFenix Comrade Mid-Tower case is the latest case out of BitFenix, a manufacturer known for building high quality cases such as the Colossus Full-Tower and Prodigy Mini-ATX and ITX cases. The Comrade is BitFenix’s attempt to enter the budget case market with a case that possesses a number of features generally expected in more expensive cases, such as removable dust filters, USB 3.0, and tool-less installation, while still keeping a low price line to match many other popular budget cases such as the NZXT Gamma.
Features & Specifications
| Materials | Steel / Plastic |
| Color (Int/Ext) | Black/Black, White/White |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 185mm x 428.55mm x 470.5mm |
| Fully Filtered Ventilation | Features mounting points for up to 3x 120mm case fans, and features removable dust filters on top and bottom intakes. Includes one 120mm case fan |
| Easy Tool – less expansion | Tool-less 5.25 and 3.5 bays, pre-installed motherboard standoffs. |
| USB 3.0 Ready | Features 1x USB 2.0 and 1x USB 3.0 |
| Compatibility | Fits both Mini ITX/ATX and ATX motherboards, as well as GPU’s up to 300mm in length. |
| Storage Capacity | Space for 3x 3.5inch HDDs, 3x 2.5inch SSDs, and 3x 5.25inch ODDs. |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Accessory Kit | Includes kit with HDD, SSD, and ODD screws, zip ties, and motherboard screws. |
The BitFenix Comrade is certainly not a case that is designed for show, but rather a simple, low key design that ends up being rather appealing. The front of the Comrade features 3x 5.25 drive bays, a standard BitFenix logo, and three small decorative indents along the side. The entire front panel is made entirely of plastic, and is fairly sturdy. My only concern might be the edges, which I feel could potentially snap off if sufficient pressure is applied, especially when pulling the panel off.
The side of the case is completely unmarked on both sides, with the only difference being the addition of the I/O ports on one side. The ports are actually separate from the panels, meaning that unlike other budget cases such as the NZXT Gamma. you can remove the front panel without having it hang by the cables. The side panels are removed by simply removing the thumbscrews, and while made of steel and solid, they are rather flexible.
The bottom of the case is supported by 4x plastic feet latched into the bottom of the case. They provide nice clearance for the PSU fan, which also gets it’s own removable dust filter that easily slides out from the bottom for cleaning. The small gap between the front panel and the bottom is the only place the front fans can draw air through, and as you can see, the front filter obstructs the gap slightly, further restricting airflow.
The back of the case features your standard assortment of one IO panel, PSU slot, 7 PCI slots, and two holes with rubber grommets for water cooling tubes.
Removing the plastic front panel reveals the 5.25 inch drive bays, with one bay already open for easy installation. The front dust filter is easily removed by pinching the tabs on each side, and features mounting points for 2x 120mm case fans. BitFenix generously provided a couple extra 120mm case fans to demonstrate the mounting system. Unfortunately, like I showed earlier, the only place the fans can draw air through is via the small gap at the bottom, and this limits overall airflow into the case.
Here’s a closer look at the external peripherals, power switch, reset switch, microphone / headphone jacks, and one USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 each, with internal headers provided for each port. It’s nice to see 3.0 on a case in this price range, but I can’t help but think that it would have been more attractive to buyers to have two 3.0 ports instead of one each, considering that several other cases in this price range range do feature two 3.0 ports, such as the Apevia X-Sniper and the Silverstone PS10B.
The interior of the Comrade is very user friendly to build in, especially for novice builders who would most likely be starting with a budget case such as this. Featuring tool-less bays for HDDs and optical drives, installing components is simply a matter of opening or unlocking the bays and sliding the drives in. The CPU cutout is a tad small, only approximately 4.5 inches across, meaning that you’ll likely need to remove the motherboard to install large aftermarket coolers in the Comrade. The motherboard has standoffs already built in, so there is no need to install them yourself, although BitFenix still includes 4x motherboard standoffs in the accessories kit.
Installing you HDD’s is also painless, simply remove the tray and pull it apart, place the drive in then snap it back in place to hold the drive. My only complaint is that as you can see in the picture, the trays do not stay perfectly flat and are a tad bit on the flimsy side.
The SSD trays unfortunately are not tool – less. Drives are inserted into the tray then secured using the included screws from the accessory kit.
This is designed as a budget case, and does not feature very practical cable management. Behind the motherboard tray you have roughly 1/4 of an inch to stow cables, but behind the drive trays you actually have 3/4 of an inch. BitFenix includes 4x cable ties in the accessory kit to help with cable management. The interior itself is quite roomy however, featuring room for CPU coolers of up to 6 inches, and even room for graphics cards up to 300mm in length thanks to the smaller SSD bays.
I think BitFenix hit a number of the right notes with this case. The price is on the higher end of the spectrum for sub $50 cases, but it includes a number of attractive features that make this case a good choice for those looking to build their first system. My main wish is that BitFenix had included better cooling, as intake airflow is pretty restricted. I think that top mounts might have been a good choice here and would not have added much to the price.
The case is fairly attractive overall, and white is not a common color for cases in this price range. It steps away from the more angular design of other budget cases like the Apevia X-Sniper and the popular NZXT Gamma and instead towards a more refined and simple shape such as the Silverstone PS10B.
For a budget case, the build quality is not bad. I think the biggest issue I have is with the plastic drive bays, which seem a little on the flimsy side to provide adequate support for mounted drives. But the exterior is pretty sturdy, and the front panel will only likely break if you apply excessive pressure.
BitFenix was looking to create a case that offered the functionality of a more expensive and feature laden case with the price of a basic budget case, and I would say they accomplished this quite well. Tool – less drives and intake filters are always nice to see on any case, but especially one in the sub – $50 market. Again, the limited airflow options is a bummer, and you may want to take that into consideration when planning your build. The case can potentially support a rear mounted 120mm radiator, so that may be a potential option to explore.
At it’s price point, the BitFenix Comrade is an excellent choice for budget builders, especially those looking to construct their first system. Currently the case retails online for $49.00 (Newegg / Amazon). In my opinion, I would not pay more than $50.00 for this case, because after that point it starts losing its ground to other options, such as the Zalman Z-11.
Overall, I think that the BitFenix Comrade best caters to a novice builder looking to construct their first build, or maybe even upgrade from a cheaper case such as the NZXT Gamma. The lack of cooling options is a bit of a bummer, and I think that may be one of the biggest considerations when choosing this case. The build quality is similar to other sub $50 cases, while the interior design makes installing components a simple and painless process. For a budget build, the BitFenix Comrade is definitely an attractive option, and it lives up to it’s namesake.
Pros:
+ Mostly tool-less design.
+ Nice looking for a budget case.
+ Included removable dust filters for intakes.
+ Roomy interior for large CPU coolers and graphics cards up to 300mm.
Cons:
– Limited cooling options, only 2x 120mm front intakes that have limited intake flow via the bottom, no top mounts.
– Tool – less bays are a bit on the flimsy side.
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Performance: 7.00
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Appearance: 9.25
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Construction: 8.00
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Functionality: 9.25
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Value: 9.00
Recommended: Benchmark Reviews Seal of Approval.
