Introduction
BitFenix Pandora Window mini tower chassis
BitFenix recently released Pandoras Box, yes we review the BitFenix Pandora Micro ATX chassis. A small affordable chassis solution fits big graphics cards, but houses even the smallest Micro-ATX (µATX), Mini-ITX form factor motherboards. Tagged with a 120 EURO price tag this chassis is locked and loaded with its crosshair aimed at gamers. Building a high-performance PC these days doesn't require you to have have a massive big-tower. I mean sure, taste differs, but the trend ever since last year seems to be "smaller". This is the reason why mITX form factor PCs have become so much more important. You could build a simple HTPC, but within that same small form factor you can also house a Z97 mini-ITX or Micro ATX motherboard with a Core i7 4790K processor, liquid cool that processor and then even add a GeForce GTX 980 Ti or Radeon HD 290X in there. That's what Pandora's box offers.
| Materials | Aluminum, Steel, Plastic |
| Colors (Int/Ext) | Black/Black, Black/Silver |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 160 x 420 x 465 |
| Motherboard Sizes | Micro ATX, Mini-ITX |
| LCD | 2.4" TFT, 240 x 320 |
| 3.5” Drive Bays | x 2 |
| 2.5” Drive Bays | x 3 |
| Cooling Top | 120mm x 1 (included) |
| Cooling Front | 120mm x 2 (1 included) |
| PCI Slots | x 5 |
| I/O | USB 3.0 x 2, HD Audio |
| Power Supply | PS2 ATX, up to 180mm in length |
| Extras | Brushed Aluminum Side Panels, BitFenix ICON Programmable Display, Cable Management |
The chassis as you'll see will come with a few surprises, but also a few dis-enchantments. The good stuff is that there is plenty room for to work in, and that this small form factor chassis can house even lengthy graphic cards and a 240mm radiator for liquid cooling, the implementation however is a little so-so. Graphics cards up to 350 mm in length can fit, along with PSUs up to 180 mm long. Water cooling radiators up to 240 mm in length and 120 mm in width can fit comfortably on the front panel. The Pandora Window can house and up to two 5.25" optical drives and three 3.5" hard drives. The chassis can house up-to three 120mm fans, The chassis has nice looks, comes with USB 3.0 ports, there's a closed and window side panel version and the icing on top of this cake is that the product comes with a cute programmable 2.4 " TFT LCD display which can show a logo. This can be customized through a drag-and-drop interface. Simply connect the USB cable to your motherboard, download some software from the BitFenix website, and drag your picture file onto the software. In seconds, your image file will be displayed in full color. Surrounding the chassis are two brushed aluminum side panels. Available in black and silver, and crafted from a single piece of aluminum.
Anyway, let's have a peek at the cute, tiny and slim chassis before we dive into the review.
