Introduction and First Impressions
A ‘super mid-tower’ design with tempered glass and RGB effects
A large mid-tower design featuring tempered glass side panels and a mix of aluminum and steel exterior construction, the RGB-imbued Shogun is every bit what you would expect a ‘flagship’ enclosure from BitFenix to be. So did it get our seal of approval? Read on to find out!
The BitFenix Shogun appears at first glance to be a full-tower enclosure, but it is actually using a form-factor that BitFenix calls “super mid-tower”, and it has the seven expansion slots of a mid-tower design. It supports E-ATX motherboards on down, and has some interesting features to help set it apart in a highly competitive enclosure market.
The Shogun’s compatibility with ASUS Aura motherboard lighting effects makes it a good option for the RGB lighting inclined, and there are some nice exterior touches such as the sculpted top and bottom aluminum panels and (of course) those tempered glass sides. The Shogun competes in the premium space, but is still palatable at $149 for what is on the surface a pretty impressive-looking package.
The open interior and glass side panel invite impressive builds (Image credit: BitFenix)
Specifications:
- Materials: Aluminum / Tempered Glass / SECC Steel / ABS
- Color: Black
- Chassis Type: Super Mid-Tower
- Component Support:
- Motherboard: E-ATX / ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ITX
- CPU Cooler: Up to 175mm Height
- Graphic Card Length: Up to 410mm
- Power Supply Length: Up to 250mm
- Storage Capacity:
- 5.25" ODD: 0
- 3.5" HDD: 6
- 2.5" HDD: 6 + 5
- Cooling Capacity
- Front: Up to 140mm x3 or 120mm x 2 (2x120mm Included)
- Rear: 120mm x 1 (Included) / 140mm x 1
- Top: Up to 140mm x 2 or 120mm x 3
- Radiator Capacity
- Front: Up to 280mm x 1 or 240mm x 1
- Rear: 120mm x 1 / 140mm x 1
- Top: Up to 360mm x 1 or 280mm x 1
- Front I/O ports: USB 3.0 x 2 / USB 2.0 x 2 / HD Audio MIC & Headphone
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 250 x 565 x 525 mm
- Weight: 14.15 kg
- BitFenix Shogun Case – $149.99, Amazon.com
First Impressions
Before double-checking the spec sheet I was convinced I was dealing with a full-tower design out of the box. The Shogun is a large case, but it is technically a mid-tower. The top and bottom of the case are made of single, curved pieces of aluminum, and the rest of the case is made from steel, plastic, and glass.
The side panels add the (tempered) glass to the mix, with a typical smoke-tinted panel for the component side and the rear glass panel painted black on the inside to keep cable mess from being unsightly. It's an interesting choice, providing the symmetrical appearance of dual glass side panels without the worry of exposing an untidy build.
The edges of the case exterior are vented with the sort of metal grill material common to outdoor speakers, and this looks nice while serving to augment airflow (the same mesh is found beneath the curved upper panel).
The Shogun’s front panel appears to offer a 5.25-inch bay, but this is a cosmetic choice with no official 5.25-inch support. Yes, a 5.25-inch bay cutout with nothing behind it. It’s a little odd, but it does serve to add some visual interest to an otherwise blank panel, I guess?
The back of the case shows its mid-tower nature in expansion slots, and we see the usual bottom PSU mount.
The included hardware is in separated bags, which is always appreciated.
Next we'll take a close look inside the Shogun.
Can you please give details
Can you please give details on the ASUS AURA logo in the lower bracket?
Without performing a detailed
Without performing a detailed chemical analysis I can only conjecture that it is of wood-pulp based paper construction, adhered to the metal panel using some sort of chemical fixative. It is approximately 0.5 inches in diameter, and features text and colors imprinted in the surface using either toner-based laser or inkjet printing (no evidence of thermal dye sublimation processing noted).
“The Shogun’s front panel
“The Shogun’s front panel appears to offer a 5.25-inch bay, but this is a cosmetic choice with no official 5.25-inch support.”
This is quite possibly the dumbest case design choice I’ve ever seen.
The smooth rounded edges are
The smooth rounded edges are too much, but the side glasses looks cool. Was a bit confused with the top radiator photos, you did a pull on that right? That 2.5″ drives show-off panel is a new idea, a bit too bulky though.