RGB lighting is becoming more and more important. Many gamers want ever more complex lighting concepts in their housings. With the Enso, BitFenix has launched a midi tower that even supports ASUS Aura Sync. Can the case convince for about 85 Euro?
Design
BitFenix is known for its eye-catching designs combined with its quality and reasonable price. Even the Enso doesn’t stop there. Tempered glass and RGB lighting are currently very trendy and affordable for everyone, so we find exactly the same in the case. The front of the BitFenix Enso stands out from the rest of the case. There are four LED strips in the front and the generally angular appearance is quite impressive.
The hard disk cage as well as the power supply area are completely separated from the hardware area, so that many requirements can be placed on the case. For a good airflow, a total of five fans can be installed, two of which are already pre-installed. In addition to the two 120 mm fans at the front and rear, two more fans can be installed in the lid and another one in the front. The housing is also suitable for a large 280 mm radiator mounted in the front. Furthermore, it is possible to mount two 3.5″ or 2.5″ hard disks in the hard disk cage and three 2.5″ SSDs on the backplate.
The top and bottom of the BitFenix Enso also have special features. At the bottom we find four massive feet, which are provided with rubber strips. So the housing is stable. On the top side we have the choice whether we close the case with a magnetic cover or install a magnetic mesh – advisable if fans are installed in the cover.
Scope of Delivery & Workmanship
When it comes to workmanship, BitFenix is, as always, at a high level. The material has been saved and a lot of plastic is used, but the workmanship is consistent. No sharp edges or production errors, at least almost.
Dust filters are installed to protect against dust. In the front there are two and for the power supply there is also one installed. This is not easy to remove. If you want to free your dust filters from the enemy of every fan more often, I am sure that this dust filter will not do its job for long. As you can see on the picture, the workmanship here is not 1A either. The rest of the workmanship is excellent as mentioned.
As accessories there are again all kinds of mounting material in small plastic bags. Screws, cable ties and spacers are all part of the game, everything a hobbyist’s heart desires. Of course, a manual must not be missing.
| Housing type | Midi Tower |
| Dimensions ( H x W x D) | 210 x 489 x 454 mm |
| Net Weight | approx. 7 kg |
| Material | Material, Plastic, Steel |
| Color | Black |
| Data carrier |
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| Fan, pre-installed |
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| Possible number of fans / radiators | fan:
Radiators:
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| Motherboards | E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX |
| I/O Connections |
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| Power supply unit | Standard ATX up to 160 mm |
| Maximum graphics card length | 340 mm |
| Maximum CPU cooler height | 160 mm |
Inside Construction of the Bitfenix Enso
After removing the tempered glass side panel, you can immediately see how the interior is divided into three parts. The front area is free and open. The two fans or a radiator with 280 or 240 mm can be installed in the upper area of the front. Two 2.5 inch drives can be mounted in the front area on the back of the tray.
In the rear area the mainboard is mounted of course. In addition we find a pre-installed 120mm fan, directly underneath are the PCI slot apertures. The fan is connected to the mainboard via a 3-pin connector. The third 2.5-inch drive can be mounted directly behind the mainboard.
The area for the power supply unit and the hard disk cage is completely closed off from the rest and extends completely to the front. The holder for the hard disks can simply be pulled out, they are held only by a clip. There is no need to disassemble the holder and only the hard disks have to be disassembled.
For optimum cable management, there are openings around the mainboard tray that are protected by rubber. The mounting places for the 2.5-inch drives are also located directly at the two openings, so the design has been taken into account. However, a guide for the cables on the back is painfully missing. Yes, if all cables are laid properly and the side panel is reinstalled, the cables are not visible either. However, we would have liked the price to include a guide as a supplement to the cable holders for even better cable management.
If you look at the reviews on the BitFenix Enso in some shops, the topic of airflow comes up more often. With our test system we could not determine even after several hours that the housing behaves like a toaster. The test system contains a Ryzen 5 1400* and a Gigabyte GTX 1600 with 6GB from Aorus*. Also 16 GB memory of Ballistix* on a MSI B350 PC Mate*.
Conclusion
It’s just BitFenix. A great manufacturer who stands for quality and functionality as well as a reasonable price. This is also reflected in the BitFenix Enso. However, we nevertheless noticed some negative points.
The interior is well structured and a proper cable management is quite possible. A cable routing on the rear side as a supplement to the cable holders would be desirable. In addition, the dust filter for the power supply is not well processed. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with the case.
The BitFenix Enso is very much plastic-based, but the workmanship and the RGB-illuminated front as well as the tempered glass side panel make a lot of difference. In addition, enough fans for a good airflow and enough drives can be mounted.
BitFenix Enso RGB Tempered Glass
Workmanship
Design
Features
Damping
Cooling
Value for Money
The BitFenix Enso comes along with the usual quality of the manufacturer and offers a good functionality. Great for this price!
