BitFenix Aegis Micro-ATX Tower Chassis Review

Introduction, Specifications and Pricing

BitFenix seems to be on the move when it comes to case design. While their start was sort of slow with a few designs that really made customers take notice, it now seems they feel more free to design things a little outside of the box when it comes to chassis design. Case and point, it seems that ever since they released the Prodigy chassis, things have gotten more rounded, and they seem like they are indeed trying to innovate. Once we got a look at the Pandora, we got the pleasure of a customizable TFT screen on the front, and harking back to the Thermaltake Armor series of cases, the side panels had "wings" that wrapped around the front of the chassis to offer yet another way of smoothing out chassis design.

As we are seeing more and more as of late, the move now is to angles, not only in the trim, but the front bezels as well as the tops of cases seem to all be taking the same line when releasing their newest cases, much like we saw from NZXT. BitFenix keeps the TFT screen that users seemed to really like, but we are seeing a new interior layout. Of course, this chassis sticks to a compact design with its Micro-ATX chassis specification, but the reality is that smaller boards are just as capable as their larger ATX brethren these days, so no real complaints there.

What we are going to be looking at today is the Aegis from BitFenix. This chassis is compact, offers a bit of modularity to the design inside, and with the version we were sent, and the many color options available, we feel the aggressive exterior design may indeed be something the masses will really take to. There is even more that this chassis offers, but if you would like to see what that is, you will need to continue reading, as we take a detailed tour around the BitFenix Aegis Micro-ATX tower chassis.

The specifications list for this compact Aegis is quite extensive, and begins by stating that this chassis is already currently offered in black, white, red, blue, and yellow, and as the Prodigy did, there may be more options on the way. We next see mention of the 2.8" TFT screen that displays the BitFenix logo by default, and via software you can edit the 240 by 320 pixel screen to show anything you wish it to. There is also a built-in fan controller to accommodate four fans, and uses 4-pin headers for fan power and a Molex plug to power the controller. Of course, this chassis houses a Micro-ATX board as its maximum compatibility, but also users can opt for Mini-ITX boards as well. The next things we run into then are the limitations of this chassis where we see 170mm of CPU clearance, room for 380mm worth of video cards, and the PSU can only be 220mm long, with cables included.

In and around the chassis there four 3.5" drive positions, two of which are removable, and it also has a room for up to four 2.5" drives, two in a cage, one by the PSU, and another next to the motherboard. There are also dust filters for the top, front, and bottom of the chassis to keep fans and the interior clean. Speaking of fans, the cooling options are pretty robust as well. The front will take a pair of 120mm or 140mm fans, as well the top of the chassis. The floor of the chassis offers room for a single 120mm or 140mm fan option, while the back offers room for a 120mm fan, and is the only one included from the factory. Of course with this design, there is also ample room for water cooling, and radiator support in all locations fans can be installed.

Finishing up with the chart, we are shown the front I/O panel contents other than the fan controller, and the dimensions are listed. We also see that the construction is steel for the frame and panels, and ABS plastic used on the top and front of the chassis. Then we are told the chassis weighs 14.8 pounds empty, and finishes with a list of all the extras found in, on, and around the Aegis.

Venturing over to Amazon, at the time of writing, we found the white version of the BitFenix Aegis on sale for $119 including free shipping. The blue version is the same price, and the other colors are priced higher. Of course, there are a few things you won't find in a $50 chassis, but BitFenix has a serious hill to climb in this review to warrant such pricing in our minds; so let's see if they can do just that, shall we?