A Closer Look - Outside

The chassis makes a great first impression. Its white SofTouch surface goes well with the curvatures of the front's minimalistic design. Opting for a design that flows and has no external drive bay, BitFenix has also done away with the flexible grips we saw on the Prodigy. While the absence of grips looks great, it also makes the target audience for the Phenom Mini-ATX a more specific one than that of the Prodigy.


The entire front is solid and comes with BitFenix's logo in a black hue, which fits the overall color scheme well and does not disturb the white look. We can make out definitive full-tower elements in the rear, like the PSU bay on the bottom of the chassis. At this point, it should become apparent that the frame and interior are colored to match the exterior.


Both sides of the Phenom Mini-ITX chassis are completely solid - unlike the Prodigy that features an air vent on its main side panel. The I/O of the chassis consists of two USB 3.0 and the usual pair of audio plugs. Both the HDD activity and Power LEDs have been placed here as well.


Turning the Phenom Mini-ITX around, the PSU bay at the bottom comes with an external frame, as you have to install the power supply by sliding it in through the back of the case. Above the bay are the motherboard's expansion slots. There is plenty of space for large CPU coolers because the board is placed inside the chassis horizontally. There is also enough room for a 120 mm exhaust fan above the board. As with all recent BitFenix cases, the chassis comes equipped with retail Spectre fans.


A black metal mesh covers most of the top. It not only give the white Phenom Mini-ITX some much needed contrast, but may be removed to reveal an opening for two 120 mm fans. You can even remove the 5.25'' drive bay to install a 240 mm radiator here.


Lets take a quick peek at the bottom of the chassis before diving into its interior, which reveals a dust filter that is easily removable. The chassis also comes with traditional feet instead of flexible frame elements.