BitFenix Pandora ATX Case Review

Final Thoughts
This is the first BitFenix case that I’ve taken a look at in quite some time. I have to say that I am very impressed and BitFenix has really done a great job with the Pandora ATX. With the success of the original Pandora it was not surprise that BitFenix came out with a larger ATX version.

The curved front of the case is what really sets this case apart from most. It has a really sleek and elegant design to it and looks just awesome sitting here on our desk. The ICON display compliments the front of the case very well and that fact that you can put any image on it is really awesome. We had some fun changing the ICON display to our logo, an NVIDIA logo, AMD logo and more. Not only will the sleek design of the case bring attention to it, but so will the ICON display.

This case is definitely water cooling ready with room for 360 mm radiators at the front and top. BitFenix has made sure you have room for some pretty thick radiators as well. On top of room for radiators the case ships with a pump mount bracket and reservoir mount bracket. So if you are thinking about doing your own custom water cooling loop this is definitely a case that is ready for you.

One of the biggest things we try and focus on when it comes to cases is ease of installation. Installing our hardware inside of the Pandora ATX was extremely easy and I did not run into any major issues. With that said our motherboard was pretty tight inside the case, which made connecting all of our headers at the bottom of the board harder than normal. Also if you are going to be installing cooling in the top of the case you should install it before your motherboard as heatsinks and other components on your board might get in the way when you trying to screw in your fans / radiator.

Since the case is divided into two chambers that really helps with keeping things nice and neat inside. We had no issues routing cables, and keeping the inside of our case looking clean. The included velcro ties really help and it is great that they are included with the case. Remember if you have a clean case it makes for better airflow too. Since there are no drive bays at the front of the case that gives you quite a lot of room to work with inside so long graphics cards should not be an issue at all in this case.

BitFenix is offering this case in a normal version (Pandora ATX) and a Core version (Pandora ATX Core). The core version is stripped down a bit and has less drive mounts and comes without the water cooling pump and reservoir brackets. Right now we were able to find the normal version on our favorite online retailer for $149. We expect the core version to be $20-30 cheaper. Overall ThinkComputers gives the BitFenix Pandora ATX Case a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!

rating9 10 small TC award recommended small

Pros:
– Sleek and unique design
– Easy installation
– ICON Programmable display
– Lots of room for water cooling and water cooling accessories
– Room for up to 7 hard drives
– Room for long graphics cards

Cons:
– Motherboard has a snug fit

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