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The BitFenix Shinobi is the first product we have ever examined from this company, so we really didn't know what to expect. Luckily, BitFenix managed to impress us with the Shinobi as both the interior and exterior were well designed, solidly constructed and had only minimal flaws.
The exterior of the case uses a solid black color scheme that is paired with brushed aluminum accents and mesh fan filters, giving the case a nice, clean look. In addition, the Shinobi also includes a technology called the BitFenix SofTouch Surface Treatment, which makes the surface of the case less prone to smudging and collecting finger prints. This is an issue that many budget cases suffer from, so it is nice to see BitFenix address it head on.
The inside of the case was cleverly designed, and during our installation testing the Shinobi had ample room for high-end components including our XFX HD 6970. It also had excellent cable management and could accommodate up to eight hard drives, including a single SSD. That is more storage than most people will even need, so in terms of future expansion the Shinobi is well equipped.
We did run into a slight issue with the hard drive bays though. Graphics cards over 10" in length will not have the necessary clearance needed when a hard drive is installed in the upper three or four 3.5" internal drive bays. There will be even fewer expansion options if multiple graphics cards are installed, limiting the available HDD space down to just two or three bays.
Setting the clearance issue aside, the Shinobi is an excellent case that has plenty of expansion options, good cable management, easy installation and looks good to boot. The Shinobi has an MSRP of $69.99 if you opt for the model with the side window. The non-windowed version has a slightly lower MSRP of $49.99.
And, overall, a nice little round-up. I was looking to buy the NZXT case for 2nd build, but I already have a brand new Shinobi won in an online contest. I was planning on selling it and buying the NZXT case, but since they're identical, there's no need to! LOL
Yeah, they both use a very similar internal design, with the only real difference being the tool-less mechanisms are slightly different. I found the NZXT to have a somewhat better tool-less design because the HDD locking knob on the Shinobi can fall out when the clip is not secured to the HDD cage.