Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
One of the main highlights of the BitFenix Shinobi Window is its tinted window. To loosely quote my introductory paragraph -- I don't know about you, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that it is like tinting the windows of your car. Although this seems to be quite a neat feature in terms of hiding your messy cables, but still showing off some of your components, I would much prefer a completely clear window instead. Also featured on this side, the Shinobi Window gives you an option of installing a 120mm fan. In my personal opinion, it is nice to have, but I have never found it necessary. If you take a look at the original Shinobi, there are no option for installing any types of fans whatsoever, so I did not really see a point in giving the user a choice to install a fan on the Shinobi Window. An unobstructed view is going to look a lot better. The rest of the panel here is made of steel. If you look at the front and top edges, you will notice that those areas are made of plastic, with a nice rubber matte finish. Overall, the Shinobi Window measures to 205mm in width, 460mm in height, and 490mm in length, which is pretty average for ATX cases in the market today.
Turning our attention to the front panel, we can see that the BitFenix Shinobi Window implements a slick and simple design, with no overwhelming and catchy looks to draw unnecessary attention. One interesting design feature is the BitFenix Shinobi Window has two strips of mesh down both sides, as shown in our photo above. The front material here, as well as the top panel in which you will see later, is made of a soft touch plastic material, and I found that it very much feels like there is a slick rubber coating encompassing it. A look near the top side of the front panel, you will see three 5.25" externally accessible drive bays; one of which can be converted into a 3.5" or 2.5" bay using an adapter. BitFenix's logo is stamped in the middle, finishing off its clean front looks. In my opinion, this has got to be the cleanest and best looking part of the case on the exterior.
The other side panel features nothing too special, other than the fact that it is simply painted black, made of steel, and kept in place by two thumbscrews. The back panel features a pretty standard layout. It could be distinctly divided into three parts: Top, middle, and bottom. Featured at the top is the motherboard I/O opening and 120mm exhaust fan on the left and right, respectively. One thing to note here is that you can swap out the 120mm fan for a 92mm fan for whatever reason you may have. The middle section features seven standard PCI slots on the left, and two pre-drilled water cooling holes on the right; surrounded by ventilation holes. I would have preferred if the water cooling holes were situated at the top, since that would have been more user-friendly for organization in my opinion. Although I don't use water cooling myself, this is just my perception of where I would like certain features to be positioned. Of course, most chassis these days feature bottom-mounted PSUs, and BitFenix's Shinobi Window is no exception.
Taking a look at the top, you will see the two mesh strips on the sides continuing from the front panel. Towards the front of the top panel are the typical I/O ports that are easily accessible for the end user. From left to right, this consists of four USB 2.0 ports, a headphone audio jack, followed by a mic jack, and the power and reset button, respectively. Note that the power and HDD lights are just above the audio jacks. Behind this area is a mesh, which is used for the release of rising hot air. You are provided with the option of installing two 140mm or 120mm fans. This will be more clearly demonstrated on the next page. To install the fans in a more convenient manner, however, you will need to remove the top panel. Just be sure not to pull too hard, as this panel is made out of plastic. Also, you will notice there are no dust filters in this area. Although the Shinobi Window is a somewhat of a value-oriented case, I would still like to see some dust filters here to keep out the settling dust.
As shown in our photo above, the bottom side four raised feet rests, but do not have any feet on them at the moment. BitFenix provides you a box of accessories where you could attach the feet on. However, these feet uses glue to attach themselves to the bottom. I have no complaints about this, since the costs have to be saved somewhere. However, in my personal opinion, I would have much preferred if the feet were screwed on instead. You will also see two ventilated areas here; one is near the back for the PSU, and the other is an open area that can hold a 120mm fan if you ever decided to install one. Both these areas have dust filters if you happen to place the Shinobi Window over areas such as carpet.
Overall, the BitFenix Shinobi Window is a very solid case in terms of build quality, other than one or two exceptions when it comes down to preferences in design. Next to none of the corners and edges feel particularly sharp, nor do any of the parts feel flimsy or cheap. That being said, the only thing that I think you could ever complain about is whether or not you like certain first impression features of the case. Of course, these are just based on personal preference.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
