Bitfenix Enso Mesh Review – Problem Solved?
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The Bitfenix Enso had one big problem, airflow, so this new “Mesh” version should be perfect right? Let’s see…
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The original Enso case from Bitfenix was pretty decent overall, with one big drawback. Front airflow. It had a big wall of plastic with basically no way to get good airflow in, which in a case that supports up to a 360mm radiator in the front, isn’t great.
This though, is the “Mesh” version, where they’ve replaced that big wall of plastic, with a, well, Mesh. Airflow is definitely much improved here, although the rest of the case – and all the corner cutting that they’ve done to make it only £85 for an actual tempered glass case, haven’t.
The front mesh panel is only held on by magnets meaning it comes off pretty easily by pulling on the bottom – this is the closest you get to a dust filter, so keep that in mind. As I mentioned you can mount up to a 360mm radiator in here, or a 280mm if you’d prefer. The top has another 2 120mm spaces available, and a choice of a sort-of-dust filter, or a blanking plate, both magnetically attach to the top. Not sure why you’d want the blanking plate up there, but it’s included for you anyway.
The cost cutting measures on the case include the PCIe bracket being outside the case with that annoying flap over the side of the screws – this is only found on cheap cases as it means they don’t have to press the rear panel inwards to allow for the screws to be inside the case. The problem is this makes it a frustrating endeavor to put in or take out PCIe devices like your GPU. There are many more budget cases including the Cooler Master MB511, which while not actually a tempered glass case, has a much nicer build experience and – besides the side panel – a much nicer quality feel – and generally feels better built.
There are a few nice things though, the front RGB has stayed meaning you get a rather nice look to the case, with the option of controlling it, and the rear 120mm RGB fan either by a button on the top or via your motherboard’s RGB header.
Speaking of the top, the front I/O is pretty simple, 2 USB 3 ports, power, reset and RGB buttons, and a headphone and microphone jack. Utility wise, you also have a removable dust filter for the PSU – this is a great idea in theory as it’s side mounted meaning you should generally always be able to get it out and clean it regularly, rather than having it rear mounted which is normally more difficult. In practice though, the filter is a cheap plastic, and tolerances mean it’s actually pretty hard to get it out or push it back in.
Really, a lot of the case is like that. Great idea, but executed.. Lets say “on a budget”. Even the strip of foam that’s meant to keep the tempered glass from being scratched by the actual case isn’t applied straight at the top. Oh, and installing the PSU was almost impossible for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to use a corsair RM850 which was too long – and the HDD cage is riveted down instead of screwed in, and second when I got a smaller PSU in, the rubber inserts at the bottom to stop it from being scratched by the case were too tall, so I had to force the PSU down just to align the screw holes!
Other than that, building in this was pretty easy. There’s actually a lot of room on the back, even with the RGB controller mounted wonky there, so it makes cable management pretty easy. With that said even a small PSU doesn’t have much room for cabling behind it thanks to the HDD cage, so bare that in mind if you do want to pick one of these up.
So, rambling over, what’s the verdict. Well, if you don’t mind some cheap plastics and a few frustrating ways of doing things, this is pretty nice. It’s great to look at, real glass is a nice touch and fits a pretty decent amount of hardware. At £85 it’s a tad steep for the quality you get, but it’s still overall recommended I think. Would I put it on my desk though? No, it’s not for me. I’m not a fan of tempered glass cases, and I really don’t like the 4 screws mounting solution they almost all have, so no not for me.
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TechteamGB assumes no liability for damage, misuse or misunderstanding of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. TechteamGB cannot guarantee any particular result from the information contained in this video, and all information was presented as correct as of filming. TechteamGB accepts no liability for information being proven incorrect after the creation of the video, and all information should be taken as opinion and guidance, not fact. This video was not sponsored by anyone, and TechteamGB does not accept monetary – or non-monetary – benefits to alter opinions or results.
