With the Saber, BitFenix finally has the perfect midi tower for RGB friends in its program. The RGB LED stripe in lightsaber optics prominently attached to the front shows impressively how beautiful an illuminated housing can be. What the Tempered Glass case has to offer, you can see here in the test.
Technical Details
| Dimensions | 220 x 454 x 465 mm (W x H x D) |
| Material | Steel, Plastic, Tempered Glass |
| Weight | approx. 7 kg |
| Color | Black |
| Form factor | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX |
| Fan | 3x 120 / 2x 140 mm (front, 1x 120 mm pre-installed) 2x 120 mm (cover, optional) 1x 120 mm (rear, RGB LEDs pre-installed) |
| Radiator mountings | 360 / 280 mm (front, max. 45 mm thickness) 240 mm (cover mainboard components / RAM height up to 40 mm) 120 mm (back side) |
| Dust filter | Front side, lid, bottom |
| Drive bays | 2x 3.5/2.5 inch (internal) 4x 2.5 inch (internal) |
| Power supply unit | Standard ATX up to 185 mm |
| Extension slots | 7 (+ 2 vertical) |
| I/O Panel | 1x Audio In / 1x Audio Out 2x USB 3.0 (internal connection) 1x RGB control 1x Reset |
| max. graphics card length | 400 mm |
| max. CPU cooler height | 178 mm |
| Price | € 128.86 * |
Packaging and Scope of Delivery
The BitFenix Saber is packed between two polystyrene plates in a sturdy cardboard box. This ensures that the housing is optimally protected against shocks and other influences during transport.
The accessories are packed in a small cardboard box, which is inserted into one of the drive bays for safe transport. It contains screws for mounting the mainboard, HDDs / SSDs and power supply, as well as cable ties for cable management. A short, but well illustrated manual for installing all PC components is loose in the box.
Two fans are pre-installed. A 120 mm fan in the front and an RGB LED fan, also 120 mm in size, at the back. An RGB controller is integrated directly into the housing to control the lighting effects. For better air circulation, a magnetic mesh grid is placed on the upper side, which can easily be replaced by an enclosed closed cover.
Exterior
The Saber shows with the striking lighting and the stylish air intakes at its slanted front that it is a case for gamers. The front panel has also been given a brushed aluminium look, which makes it look even more elegant.
The I/O panel is equipped with a 3.5mm audio input/output and two USB 3.0 ports, as is common today. However, the large power switch hidden under a transparent flap is unusual. You immediately feel like you’re in a fighter jet or spaceship. The reset button, which is also located under the cover, is very small and hardly noticeable. It is very pleasing that there is a separate button for changing the lighting modes right next to the audio sockets. It is possible to switch between several effects and colors.
On the upper side, depending on the use of fans, the magnetic dust filter can be used or the closed magnetic cover inside the cabin can be used. Unfortunately, this cover only lies loosely around in the interior, so that it is not immediately clear what it is intended for.
BitFenix gives the case a slightly tinted tempered glass side panel, which looks into the entire, tidy interior. The tempered glass pane is mounted with four thumbscrews for easy removal.
The seven expansion slots can be seen on the back, with two additional vertical slots available, e.g. for a graphics card.
On the underside there is another removable dust filter next to the plastic feet.
Interior
BitFenix divides the interior of the saber into two separate chambers, as can be seen in many cases today. As the name suggests, the chamber under the power supply cover houses the power supply and two additional 2.5 / 3.5 inch drive bays. Four more 2.5-inch SSDs or HDDs can be mounted behind the mainboard tray. A positive aspect of the test was the recess in the cover, which allows a view of the side of the power supply unit.
On the mainboard tray there is space for Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX and even E-ATX motherboards.
The horizontal slot bezels are secured with knurled screws and can be removed and reused. However, the vertical bezels can only be broken out and cannot be used again. Thus an unsightly hole remains, should you decide against a vertical installation of the graphics card. But for those you need an extra riser cable, which is not included in the delivery.
Fans and Lighting
According to BitFenix, up to three 120mm or two 140mm fans can be installed in the front. There is also enough space for a maximum 360 mm radiator. Up to two 120 mm fans or a 240 mm radiator fit into the lid. Although it might get a bit tight here due to the small distance to the mainboard. A 120 mm fan can be installed at the back. Altogether, not only AIOs find enough space in the case, but also astum water cooling finds its place.
A 120mm RGB fan is mounted at the rear of the case at the factory. Unfortunately, this is only equipped with a 3-pin fan connector. But the plus points here are the standard RGB connector with adapter for the integrated controller or mainboard and a Y-adapter for another fan. Another 120mm fan is pre-mounted in the front, but without lighting, with a 3-pin connector and 4-pin Molex adapter.
The small controller behind the mainboard tray is used to control the lighting. This is powered by a SATA power connector. The LED strip in the front panel and the RGB button in the I/O panel are already connected. The RGB fan in the rear part of the housing can also be connected if required. If you wish, you can also connect the controller to a compatible mainboard and control the entire lighting.
System Construction in the BitFenix Saber
For the test the system Intel i7-6700K was installed on a Gigabyte Z270X Ultra Gaming Mainboard and 16 GB RAM. A Kraken X62 280-mm-AIO from NZXT was used for cooling. This was installed in the front. The image output was done by a NVIDIA GTX 980 TI in reference design with Morpheus II cooler. Everything was powered by a Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB with 750 Watt. Fortunately the Saber offers enough space to connect all cables without problems. Even graphics cards up to 40 cm long can be mounted easily. Many GPUs are not longer than 31 cm. CPU coolers must not be higher than 17.8 cm.
The front and rear fans included in the delivery were connected directly to the mainboard and operated with the standard configuration. When the case is closed, the fans are barely audible when the case is on the floor as in the test. No disturbing background noise could be detected. During normal operation, such as gambling, and in idle, the cooling performance was convincing in the test. All temperatures remained within the normal range at all times.
Conclusion of the BitFenix Saber RGB Midi Tower Review
The BitFenix Saber is definitely an eye-catcher. With its easy to control RGB strips in laser sword optics it impresses every RGB fan. And the large tempered glass side panel lets you look deep into the interior. The power button with its transparent flap is a special gimmick that not every housing has.
The interior also has a lot to offer: Graphics cards up to a length of 400 mm and CPU coolers with a maximum height of 178 mm fit in without any problems. Sufficient drive space is also provided. And any type of cooling, whether air or water cooling, can be installed without major problems.
Finally, it can be summarized that BitFenix offers the Saber, a quiet, easily accessible housing with RGB lighting at a reasonable price.
BitFenix Saber
Workmanship
Structure
Features
Dampening
Cooling
Value for Money
Perfect midi tower for RGB fans.
