BitFenix Prodigy Review

Looking to add some style to Mini-ITX? The much awaited Prodigy is here and plans to bring charisma and flare to the table. Featuring the new BitFenix FyberFlex™.

Product on Review: BitFenix Prodigy.
Manufacturer and Sponsor: BitFenix
MSRP: £59.99 inc.VAT (GBP) (At time of review)

At the very beginning of the year BitFenix enticed enthusiasts with images of an upcoming chassis. Although at first they gave no hints at the name of this new chassis we later discovered it to be the Prodigy. Ever since seeing these images, enthusiasts the world-over have been anticipating this new Mini-ITX chassis and it falls to us today to give our indepth verdict and see if the wait was really worth it.

Prodigy is a Mini-ITX chassis with a stylish appearance, incorporating what BitFenix call BitFenix FyberFlex™. Inside, this case can accommodate an assortment of cooling fans, HDD storage, large CPU coolers and has the space for even the most high-end graphics cards. Available in Midnight Black or Arctic White I would be lying if I said today’s review comes without eagerness. Let’s begin our analysis of Prodigy.

BitFenix’ take on Prodigy

Meticulously crafted and beautifully engineered, Prodigy redefines the Mini-ITX chassis. The compact housing is suspended by handles made with BitFenix FyberFlex™ Composite for easy portability and maximum shock absorption. On the inside, our modular FlexCage™ gives you the flexibility to install up to five 3.5″ hard disks or 2.5″ SSDs, or remove it entirely to fit up to 240mm watercooling radiators and long graphics cards. For added flexibility, additional SSD locations are also included, and a choice of Midnight Black or Arctic White with interchangeable front facades mean Prodigy will suit your individual style. With tool-free convenience, two USB 3.0 ports, filtered intakes, and proprietary BitFenix SofTouch™ Surface Treatment, Prodigy is the compact case with no compromises.

Technical Specifications

Materials
Steel, Plastic
Colors (Int/Ext)
Black/Black, White/White
Dimensions (WxHxD)
250 x 404 x 359mm
Internal Dimensions (WxHxD)
250 x 310 x 340 = 26.35 liters
Motherboard Sizes
Mini-ITX
5.25″ Drive Bays
x 1 (removable)
3.5″ Drive Bays
x 5 (3 + 2 modular)
2.5″ Drive Bays
x 9 (5 + 2 + 1 +1 )
Cooling Front
120mm x 2 (120mm x 1included) or 140/180/200/230mm x 1(optional)
Cooling Rear
120mm x 1 (included) or 140mm x 1(optional)
Cooling Top
120mm x 2 (optional)
PCI Slots
x 2
I/O
USB 3.0 x 2, HD Audio
Power Supply
PS2 ATX (bottom, multi direction)
Extras
FyberFlex™ Composite handles, SofTouch™ surface treatment, filtered intakes, tool-free drive locking

Packaging & First Look

As with many other BitFenix products, Prodigy arrives in an eco-friendly double reinforced cardboard box. There is no imagery on the front – only the back, which highlights significant features. The sides of the box list the technical specifications.

Inside, Prodigy is covered in clear plastic sheet and held in place via Polystyrene pillars to protect the unit whilst in transit.

Eco-friendly packaging

Those who have not seen Prodigy before will be surprised by its rather stylish and distinctive appearance. In essence Prodigy is a cube with handles at the top and bottom. Available in two different colours; we will be taking a look at the black variant today.

The left side panel features a large region with perforated cut-outs for ventilation whilst the alternate side has no distinguishing features except to say towards the front there are the front panel connectivity ports/buttons.

A stylish and distinctive style

Front panel controls are found on the right side

On the next page we will take a closer look at the external aspects of Prodigy.

Exterior

Continuing a minimalist style, the front of Prodigy is entirely mesh. The BitFenix insignia is found on the front and is metallic. Behind this logo there is a 120mm front intake fan for cooling. At the very top there is 5.25” drive cover for attaching an optical drive.

Around the back at the very bottom there is an area specifically for the PSU. Prodigy houses ATX up to 160mm and offers support for multi-directional placement. Immediately above this is the area where the rear I/O ports will reside and to the right there are dual PCI-Express slot covers, these are ventilated and have thumbscrews for easy removal. Taking up most of the space at the back is the 120mm rear exhaust cooling fan.

Though Prodigy is designed for ITX it’s good to see there is a push/pull cooling configuration – typically found in a M-ATX/ATX/Full Towers.

The front and back of Prodigy

As already mentioned, the front panel controls are found on the right side panel – these ports/buttons have cables running from them so when they are plugged in care must be taken when removing this side panel.

The front panel connectivity consists of:

• 2x USB 3.0 ports (via internal motherboard header)
• Headphone/Microphone jacks
• Activity LEDs
• Power/Reset buttons

The front panel connectivity on right panel

One of the most distinguishing features about Prodigy is the FyberFlex™ Composite handles. These handles have been placed at the top and bottom of the case and offer a convenient way of transporting the system to such events as a LAN party but are also an alternative to rubber feet – so they prevent the case from slipping on smooth surfaces but are also flexible to allow for accidental drops.

The top of Prodigy also features a mesh panel which runs down the very centre of the case. This panel has a switch for easy removal. Upon removing there are mounting holes at the top for attaching dual 120mm cooling fans or even a 240mm radiator – though this case is really designed for small form factor, media centres and HTPC so water-cooling isn’t usually a route many take.

The top of Prodigy with FyberFlex™ handles

Dual 120mm cooling fan mounting holes

The underside as mentioned above also has FyberFlex™ handles for a cushioned and non-slip movement. BitFenix have given the underside a removable dust filter for the PSU. This can be removed without having to tilt the case on its side.

The underside with removable dust filter

In the next section, over the page, we will take a look inside Prodigy.

Interior

After removing the side panels which are held in place via dual thumbscrews, we can glance inside. Some will recognise some key similarities between Prodigy and other BitFenix cases. Storage is an element which dominates this chassis and you can see why the case is the size it is.

Housing Mini-ITX motherboards Prodigy’s motherboard tray will be orientated in a flat surface – just like on a test bench, gravity will not be a negative factor which has to work in BitFenix’ favour.

Inside the Prodigy

HDD storage is a key element

The PSU area is found at the bottom of Prodigy and accommodates ATX PSUs up to 160mm. Due to the orientation and cut-outs on the PSU cage, the PSU can be positioned in variety of directions. Inside the cage are 4x rubber mounts to prevent scratching and vibration.

The PSU area

Most Mini-ITX motherboards have only a single PCI-E slot, and so Prodigy has dual PCI-Express slots. The covers have perforated mesh for ventilation (if you choose not to include a graphics card) and thumbscrews for easy removal.

PCI-Express slot covers

Over the page we will continue our tour of the inside of Prodigy.

Interior (Continued)

The motherboard tray inside Prodigy sits on the shelf above the PSU and this is feasible due to the size of the Mini-ITX form factor. There are just 4x stand-offs for mounting the motherboard which is standard.

On either side of the tray there are dual cut-outs for routing cables through from the PSU to the system.

The motherboard tray inside Prodigy

BitFenix have equipped Prodigy with a 120mm rear exhaust fan to help drive unwanted heat out of the chassis, this fan will sit just above the CPU cooler and is in the ideal location for efficiency. Those who are keen to add in extra cooling can attach dual 120mm cooling fans to the top of the chassis or even a 240mm radiator as per previous section of this review.

A 120mm rear exhaust fan is included

Over on the other side of the chassis is a single 5.25” drive bay – this requires the use of standard screws/screwdriver to install. Its unnecessary to have more than one spot for this type of device in such a case or system so this is a good choice and it means that space can be dedicated to other areas.

A single optical drive bay slot

HDD storage is a prominent feature within Prodigy and there are two cages that can accommodate up to five 2.5” or 3.5” drives. We’ve seen the method for installing drives inside Prodigy on many other BitFenix cases – the HDD must be attached to a tray and then installed into a slot within the cage (more on the installation later in the review).

The upper cage can actually be removed – no screws are required; a simples queeze and pull on the cage clips releases this cage. With this cage removed longer graphics cards can be installed and of course the airflow within Prodigy has less obstruction because there is a 120mm intake fan mounted to the front of the case. Although this is a good idea it would have been more effective having this cooling fan installed in the slot above its current positioned as this would create even greater air pressure and probably improve airflow with the top cage removed.

Install up to five HDDs inside Prodigy

The upper cage is removable

With our inspection now complete, in the next section we will install our Mini-ITX system within Prodigy to see how it handles such hardware.

Installation

Getting kit inside Prodigy is relatively easy and painless – though there are some areas which take more time and manipulation. For example – the PSU used in test system is 160mm and as a result just fits but because this PSU is modular the cables get rather close to the PSU cage. Care must be taken when installing such hardware in tight spaces.

Some who are building a system inside Prodigy may not use a graphics card but for demonstration purposes I did install one and its pleasing to see that this case can entertain such high-end kit as the HD7970. The upper HDD cage does need removing but perhaps this is redundant in most Mini-ITX system builder’s requirements anyway?

We will explore the clearance possibilities in the next section for CPU/GPU and other aspects.

Installation complete with 160mm PSU and HD7970

A clean and tidy system

Installing HDDs into Prodigy couldn’t be simpler – whether they are 2.5” or 3.5” they will fit into a HDD tray found in the HDD cages. For 2.5” drives screws must be attached to the underside whilst for 3.5” drives the device simply needs to be placed into the tray and pins fix into the sides.

If you are wanting to remove both HDD cages out of Prodigy and worry about there being no storage options fear not; BitFenix have given the wall of the PSU cage mounting holes for attaching 2x 2.5” drives.

The option for installing 2.5” or 3.5” drives

Clearance – CPU, GPU, Cable Management

To the system builder the clearance inside a chassis is critical – it identifies any possibly limitations to hardware installation.

Starting with the CPU cooler – here there is approximately 180/190mm of clearance, allowing for the installation of a vast majority of CPU coolers available on the market. This presents some great possibilities and is very generous indeed.

It’s advisable to check other dimensions of the CPU cooler too before going ahead, because of the varying CPU socket placements on Mini-ITX it may obstruct.

Options for large CPU coolers

Although some may not even add a discreet solution to their HTPC setup for the purpose of detail I have added one into Prodigy. (Our motherboard the ZOTAC ITX Fusion already has integrated graphics and is more than capable of handling moderate tasks).

Installed within Prodigy is the XFX HD7970 Black Edition which is approximately 10.5” in length. As you can see from the picture there is still even more clearance for the higher-end solutions and they are fully supported because of the ability to accommodate up to 160mm PSUs.

If your graphics card does have the PCI-E power ports at the top of the card (as per picture) then it can be difficult to plug these in because of the optical drive cage. With some patience and cable manipulation it is possible to get those cables in.

Clearance for high-end graphics cards up to 12”+

Due to cable management being slightly different in Prodigy there isn’t anywhere to specifically measure. PSU sizes vary but it was nice to see the excess/redundant cables able to sit inside the PSU cage and tucked away.

An area within the PSU cage to tuck cables away

On the next page we will be observing how effective the thermal performance is within Prodigy.

Thermal Performance Testing

Inside Prodigy there are two 120mm cooling fans placed in traditional airflow spots. One is at the front bringing in cool air whilst the fan at the back of the chassis is extracting air. Positive airflow is always a much more efficient way of cooling a system.

To discover the thermal performance of the Prodigy I will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. I will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.

For the purpose of accurate analysis the idle and load temperatures for CPU and motherboard will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.

NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C

System Components

CPU AMD E-350 APU
Motherboard ZOTAC ZOTAC E350-ITX WiFi
Graphics Integrated (AMD Radeon™ HD 6310)
Memory 4GB 1066MHz SODIMM DDR3[/url]
HDD Kingston HyperX 240GB
PSU OCZ Falatal1ty 750W

Noise

Although Prodigy is a fairly open chassis (ventilation at front, top, side) the cooling fans present no disturbance during operation. You can hear them if you are nearby but they aren’t disruptive. Combine Prodigy with an SSD, passively cooled system like ours and you have the makings for a quiet system indeed.

If you do want to make Prodigy even quieter there is a Prodigy Foam Silencer Kit available that helps to reduce noise even more.

Conclusion

The long awaited Prodigy is finally here. Has it lived up to all the hype surrounding it or not lived up to expectations?

First of all I have to say the styling on Prodigy is a touch of genius. You will notice that with almost all of BitFenix’ offerings they have managed to consistently remain unique in the appeal of their cases, Prodigy is another tasty creation that will, I am sure be on many HTPC system builders short-list if not just for the appearance.

Visuals to the side; construction, design and build quality is also pleasing. Prodigy has been designed in such a way to entertain 2x 120mm cooling fans at stock and there are additional spots for mounting even more. I like the idea of having the motherboard tray horizontal rather than vertical as we see in every ATX chassis and numerous Mini-ITX too. This takes the strain off hardware and forces hardware to be installed in such a way that resembles the test bench and this can only be a good thing.

Inside there is accommodation for big CPU coolers and long graphics cards. Giving the possibility of combining such high-end kit with an Intel Z77/Z68 ITX motherboard. Combine such hardware and you have a mini-power house ready to transport to your favourite LAN party.

It’s hard to pick faults with Prodigy, especially when it can be picked up for as little as £59.99. It really is a great value for money solution if you are wanting to build a home entertainment system or a system tailored for LAN parties.

Prodigy is characterised in just one word; style. It oozes style, whether you opt for the Midnight Black or Arctic White it will look great next to the TV or desk. Prodigy’s price makes it a no-brainer for those who want high-end kit inside a smaller chassis and I am pleased to award this case with our prestigious Gold and Amazing Value awards.

VIDEO REVIEW – VORTEZ TV