BitFenix Shogun

The Taiwanese company breaks the tempered glass barrier

OH, BITFENIX, you’ve really wowed us in the past with your eccentric designs. And your desire to innovate in a field that’s becoming ever more overcrowded with a barrage of rectangular boxes has inspired us in ways you could only imagine. The Shinobi, the Prodigy, the Phenom, that soft-touch finish, the 230mm intake fans— all fantastic ideas.

The Shogun is the latest in BitFenix’s vast arsenal of case designs. A mighty beast of bedlam, it’s more akin to the heritage of the Shinobi and Prodigy than any other chassis in its vast line-up. And, boy, is it a beauty! Although it lacks the soft-touch finish of its predecessors, the curved aluminum base and roof panels add an elegance that truly awes—though more when you see it in person than any photography could ever show. Couple that with its unfettered airflow access, and it’s plain to see why this was such a solid idea.

But it’s the stance of the chassis that’s most impressive. Like most premium cases released over the last six months, the Shogun features tempered glass side panels, front and rear. Unlike the competition, however, the panels are slanted down the side of the case. This gives a fantastic edge to the square design, mixing curves with straight lines to form an amazing aesthetic appeal.

The Shogun’s not just a pretty face, either. It comes packed with some neat additions, too, including two side-panelfacing SSD mounts with RGB LED lighting, configurable with Asus’s Aura Sync, and three “GPU Safe” mounts, that help reduce GPU sag on long cards and during travel.

Cooling, however, is where the Shogun really shines. Supporting up to three 140mm fans in the front, three 120mm or two 140mm fans in the roof, and one 140mm fan in the rear, the liquid-cooling potential is massive. With additional recessed radiator mounting points embedded into the chassis itself, it makes any liquid or air-cooling setup a reality, with little to no fuss.

There’s no PSU cover as such, but the SSD mounting panel does lend itself to obscuring the vast majority of the power supply and any supporting cables from a sideways glance. The only way you’ll spot the PSU or its associated cables is by peering down into the chassis from above. Hardly a run-of-the-mill scenario.

Total hard drive support is elegantly covered by the two RGB 2.5-inch mounts on the side, another two on the rear of the motherboard tray, then a further six 3.5inch drive bays, which can be converted to work with 2.5-inch devices as well.

The Shogun reminds us of its nowancient Shinobi cousin, but with a lot more modern conveniences. Although the SSD mounting positions may not be to everyone’s tastes, it’s hard to argue that BitFenix hasn’t got everyone’s configuration covered. Whether you’re an enthusiast liquid-cooler, a weekend AIO overclocking junkie, or an air-cooled 3D-modeling professional, it’s likely the Shogun can do it for you. –ZAK STOREY