Product ReviewsBitfenix Merc Alpha Steel Black ATX Mid Tower Case 3X5.25 7X3.25 1X2.5 *No PS* Top USB2.0 Audio
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56%
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With 18 User Reviews
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 Rating: Review Date: 04/13/13  |
Cons: "Death by 1000 little issues"
Pros: All Black, budget case that works |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/13/13 |
Cons: No USB 3.0Logo more like a stick then a badgeNo instruction to install the SSD hdd (at the very bottom of the hdd rack)
Pros: PriceLight Comment:
This review pretty much sum it up." the nuisances are relatively minor. Popping out the expansion bay covers was something of a chore, and the lack of thumbscrews on the right panel is unusual given their inclusion nearly everywhere else (though you could just as easily replace the standard screws with included thumbscrews). I also wish they'd at least highlighted the 2.5" drive mount in the instructions, as it's incredibly easy to miss. And when you install a video card you do run the risk of blocking one or two 3.5" drive bays, but again...at this price I have a hard time really complaining about it." http://www.anandtech.com |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/11/13 |
Cons: no USB 3.0case badge have a clear background sticker (quite ugly)
Pros: cheap on salegood quality and looks Comment:
This case is a bit big but that's not much of a con.I would prefer if the case badge is a legit one right one the case and not some cheap sticker with a clear background. looks kind of ugly. no USB 3.0. How much more does it actually cost to implement it? |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/11/13 |
Cons: Bottom fan too close to PSU
Pros: Lots of air flow, decent cable management. Easy to assemble Comment:
A decent case for a budget gamer. Lots of fan options (8 x 120mm possible) and cable management is above average for a sub $50 case. Only major issue I ran into was the bottom fan is too close to the PSU cables and the cables cannot be moved once the fan is installed. For $30 I don't think you will find a better case, it is comparable to $80 cases easily. |
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Rating: Review Date: 02/25/13 |
Cons: - Delivery (there was no delivery/Pick-Up Only)
Pros: - The case has stealth look- Lots of room to work with- Price Comment:
I bought this case a few days ago. I got a call from Purolator the next day to pick it up from their depot. Yeah, apparently Puroltaor doesn't deliver to your door anymore. It sucks, because I don't have a car and I had to work until today.All in all, I am very pleased with the case so far. 10/10. |
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Rating: Review Date: 02/16/13 |
Cons: Light
Pros: Sale priceinside is also black Comment:
Good case for the price. Does include 4 front (top) USB 2.0 ports and a place at its bottom to hold a ssd. |
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Rating: Review Date: 02/08/13 |
Cons: Doesn't look as good as the picture
Pros: Very good for $35 Comment:
It is very roomy and fits my powercolor 6950. |
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Rating: Review Date: 12/31/12 |
Cons: Metal is a tad-bit thinThumbscrews are only on one side of the case
Pros: LightweightAll-Black Matte FinishVery SleekVery RoomyJust the right size Comment:
I bought this case for $30 on sale, and for $30, it was worth every penny!The case has cable management, room for large video cards, and great airflow. Every piece of metal is rounded, so there are no sharp edges to clip your hand on.I also love the look, it's not too big and not too small, and I love the matte black finish which looks very nice overall. |
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Rating: Review Date: 12/09/12 |
Cons: can't put fan in front of hard drive cage
Pros: Good airflow, 4 usb2 ports on top Comment:
I found this to be a pleasant case to work in. All cases should come with 4 usb ports on top. good build quality but steel is a little thin. Got it for $30 on sale. |
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Rating: Review Date: 12/02/12 |
Cons: Light And FlimsyAntec 300 Much Nicer Case At Same Price PointLight Steel Means It's A Big Speaker For Fan Noise, Hard Drives, etc.
Pros: Very RoomyLoads Of Ventilation4 Top Front Mount USB Jacks - Handy Comment:
It's a decent case but overpriced - should sell for about $30. That's about what it's worth. Finished well and looks great but metal is extremely light gauge and won't stand up to any amount of knocking around. Another problem with the thin steel is the hard drive and dvd resonate like crazy. Plenty of room inside and lots of ventilation options. For not much more $$$ the Antec 300 is a better choice. |
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Rating: Review Date: 08/30/12 |
Cons: Id classify this as 1/2 a Con Point. I felt the feet were a little to close to eachother. When the side panel was open (not MOBO side) it was very easy to knock over. They could have made smaller feet and moved it outwards a bit. Suzuki Samurai anyone??
Pros: It was $30cdnI did not have an issue installing anything in this caseNo Band Aids needed Comment:
Its an alright case, smooth matte, black finish. I had no issues with sharp edges.Everything fit in no problem. |
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Rating: Review Date: 08/07/12 |
Cons: feel cheaply made
Pros: pricelookroomy Comment:
it's a good buy if you can get it for $30-35 but at it's regular price $50 there is better case |
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Rating: Review Date: 05/16/12 |
Cons: Metal Skin a little flimsy
Pros: Great ventillation, comes with tons of fan mounts Comment:
A great budget case from Bitfenix for the enthusiast. Tons of space inside and tons of coong options. Being a budget case, it doesn't have USB 3 connectivity, but it does have 4 USB 2 ports on the top. Note the alpha version has extra ventillation holes on the top, perfect for a 2x120mm rad and comes with long fan screws. |
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Rating: Review Date: 04/18/12 |
Cons: Metal is thin.
Pros: Price!LightweightMany fan mounting locations4 front (top) USB ports Comment:
I picked up one of these to replace a 14 year old computer case mainly because it had no front USB ports.The case is nice and light, easy to work with, includes all the required screws, etc.The grill for the rear fan can support an 80, 92 and 120mm fan but the front fans can only support 120mm. Also, they use these long machine screws (included in the hardware) so don't lose those!I also found there wasn't a whole lot of room between the inner tray and the back panel for routing cables out of sight. I ended up having not that much back there but it was a chore to get the back panel to fit without bulging.In the end, for $44.84 (taxes and shipping included), I can't complain! |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/30/12 |
Cons: Not exactly like picture but still ok for the price..no USB 3.0
Pros: Price, build quality for the price, roomy Comment:
I bought this somewhere else on special for $29.99, for the price it can't be beat. room for 12.6" video card, you should have no problem with your 69xx video card. The inside is roomy and easy to work. It is better than many case at the $50-60 price range. |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/24/12 |
Cons: Feels a bit cheap in some ways, but that's perfectly fine given the case's price.
Pros: Impressive quality for $40Looks greatGood interface on the front (power/reset/4 usb and sound)Not heavy Comment:
A ridiculously good value for $40, reminiscent (sort of) of the Antec 900 in that it could/should become some sort of cookie-cutter for people who want a good performer but don't want to break the bank. You get utility and a good looking thing while keeping more money for your hardware. |
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Rating: Review Date: 03/02/12 |
Cons: -Not the soft touch bitfenix has on the shinobi but not a deal breaker at this price, can't complain.
Pros: -PRICE (when pricematched)-black interior and all black wires for power/reset/usb-Plenty of room for fans-Looks good Comment:
You are getting a lot for a little amount of money with this case. I am very pleased with the quality. Black interior is a bonus. Decent amount of room for cable management. Would not hesitate to order another one of these. |
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Rating: Review Date: 12/02/11 |
Cons: Doesn't look as good as the picture
Pros: Very good for $35 Comment:
It is very roomy and fits my powercolor 6950. |
At first, this looked like another decent budget case. As I installed a machine in there, I found out otherwise. Normally I can deal with a few issues in budget cases... but this case has so many weird issues and design oddities it made my head spin.Here's a few examples:- The rear of the case does not have the typical recessed area for the MB rear panel/connectors and the PCI slots. Instead, the MB connectors are flush with the back of the case, and there's this metal piece that sticks out the back for expansion cards to screw onto.- The case feels like it was made out of leftover scraps from other cases. Typically I can overlook odd joints or extra pieces of metal here and there, but this one had so many oddities to it, it made me sit back, scratch my head and go wtf.- There's this small L-ish shaped piece of metal that came in the bag of screws. First thought was, this isn't supposed to be in here. After browsing the manual though, it's supposed to be some bracket you put in after you installed your PSU to help hold it in... Yet it doesn't sit flush to the PSU despite being slightly adjustable. 2 screws (on the outside-bottom of the case to boot) and a L-ish piece of metal?!?- And the manual. Again I don't expect much from budget hardware manuals. But this one stood out. The diagrams have so much detail on them that sometimes you can't tell what you're looking at without staring at it for a while. Then there's even one that could be classified as one of those "impossible illusions" where the picture doesn't quite line up...In the end, there are better cases out there in this price bracket. I got a fractal core 1000 for cheaper than this case, and it's hands down a far superior case.2 stars. The description NCIX provides for 2 stars describes this product perfectly:"It works, but Would NOT Purchase Again"