BitFenix Aurora
$129 | WWW.BITFENIX.COM Time to get funky.
The not-so-subtle curves cut out of the front and top exterior panels add a strange aesthetic to the tempered glass chassis, allowing plenty of airflow into the ventilated front panel, without being too obvious about it.
The tempered glass panels sit snug against the Aurora. The smoked side, which reveals all your internal components, cries out for solid internal lighting, while the rear panel is entirely blackened, retaining the look and feel of glass, without showing off the undoubtable mess of cables you have tucked away.
The chassis as a whole follows BitFenix’s modular design. Both of the 3.5-inch drive bays are entirely optional, with the upper cage mimicking a 5.25-inch cage, easily removable with the release of four separate screws, one on each side, two in the front.
The two recessed radiator mounts located in the front and the roof of the chassis are neat little additions, adding extra room and helping to show off your fans through the case window. The support for full E-ATX motherboards, coupled with three 2.5-inch bays, is nice as well. We also have to mention the oddity of the front-facing LED SSD mount. It’s ASUS Auraready, so if you want your SSD to light up the same colour as your motherboard, you can do that... Yeah.
We also wish the softtouch finish had made its way to the Aurora, and that there was an integrated PSU cover.
It’s not the most modern chassis out there, nor does it offer the most features, but it’s well rounded and provides a solid base for any PC builder.