MaximumPC 2001 11

Cases with handles are nothing new. Cases billed as LAN-

ready are nothing new, either. But BitFenix’s fi rst mid-tower

chassis, the Survivor, has a wraparound rubberized plastic

bumper that’s kinda new. We love the so-called “SofTouch”

coating on the case’s wraparound shell—many editors said it

was the coolest case they’d ever felt. We won’t name names,

but some Lab members wouldn’t stop touching it, which

disturbed us a little. The shell protects every corner on the

machine—you have to remove two rear bumpers in order to

remove the side panels—a slight inconvenience when build-

ing, but another step between your components and a hard

surface (or a grabby thief) at a LAN event.

At 9 inches wide by 19.7 inches tall by 20.1 deep, the Sur-

vivor is around average size for a mid-tower. Its two three-

slot hard drive bays have toolless trays for 3.5- and 2.5-inch

drives, and the top one can be removed to accommodate the

longest graphics cards. The mobo tray includes a large CPU

backplate cutout and a few routing cutouts for power cables

and its many front-panel connectors—two USB 3.0, two USB

2.0, eSATA, audio ports, and an on/off switch for the LEDs

in the BitFenix logo and fans. There’s no cutout for the 8-pin

ATX cable, alas, but plenty of tie-down points on the rear of

the motherboard tray still allow you to keep those cables tidy.

On the subject of fans: This is where the Survivor really

falls short. Its two 20cm fans (front and top) just aren’t

enough. BitFenix’s decision to ship the case with no side

fans and no rear fan is mystifying, and the Survivor ran

among the hottest of the cases we tested in this roundup.

We’ve really seen the value of side intake fans during the

course of this roundup, and the Survivor

is absolutely begging for them.

We like the rugged good looks of the Survivor, even

though its LAN-specifi c accoutrements (besides the handle,

it also includes a peripheral lock and graphics-card strap) are

of questionable practicality. It could defi nitely use a few more

fans and a little more room, and the side panels are a pain to

remove and replace. But for a LAN-ready mid-tower that can

take a few

hits, the

Survivor is

pretty rad.

40 | MAXIMUMPC | JAN 2011 | http://www.maximumpc.com

VERDICT

$110, http://www.bitfenix.com^7

BITFENIX SURVIVOR

The rubberized exterior extends to cradle the

rear panel, and two pieces must be removed

before the side panels can come off.

The pop-out handle on top seems a little wobbly but

never faltered, and BitFenix rates it for up to 88 pounds.

This pinboard, behind the right-side panel, connects the

front-panel LED switch with the LEDs in the Survivor’s case

fans and front logo.

course of this roundup, and the Survivor

is absolutely begging for them.

LUXURY TOWERS

BitFenix Survivor

Can you handle the newest mid-tower on the

block?

The pop-out handle on top seems a little wobbly but

This pinboard, behind the right-side panel, connects the

The rubberized exterior extends to cradle the

rear panel, and two pieces must be removed

before the side panels can come off.

With wraparound “SofTouch” coating, the Survivor is built

to survive.