Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass – With this tongue twister Phanteks combines several trends in PC housings: hard glass side panels, Micro-ATX form factor and RGB LED lighting. But Phanteks wouldn’t be Phanteks if it weren’t for the Micro-ATX case’s re-release that they’ve chosen to go their own way. The side panels made of tempered glass can be opened like a door and even lifted from the case at the hinges – without loosening any thumbscrews. Measuring 230 x 453 x 400 mm (W x H x D), the case falls more into the midi tower category, while the RGB LEDs can be controlled both at the push of a button and via software.
Design
The in three colors (Black, Anthrazit, Silver) available Case has the special look of the Evolv series and either you love it, or you don’t! Angled surfaces characterise the unique design and the tempered glass edition of the Micro ATX version takes a look at the Evolv ATX TG. What’s new is that the power button is on the lid like on the big brother and the front I/O panel is hidden behind a flap in the front.
A special feature of the tower is the very strongly tinted screen on the right side, because except for the space occupied by two SSD brackets, you can’t see anything from the back of the mainboard tray.
Both the power button and the status LED in the form of an elongated bar in the front are illuminated and you can choose between ten colours and three modes (continuous, “breathing”, colour change).
I can’t write much more about the design, because the pictures speak a much clearer language.
Scope of Delivery
The high quality of the case is already evident when unpacking the tower. The well packed case looks very well processed during the first optical check and there’s nothing to complain about, as you would expect from a case in this price range! Both side parts can be removed quickly and effortlessly, without any tools at all, and the accessories await us inside the tower. Also here everything is neatly packed and the screws are stored in a resealable plastic box. Top! Two SSD brackets and a pump bracket are also included.
The only thing missing here as a spoiled Phanteks fan are the missing fan hub and the included fans. These are still very good in comparison, but “only” 3-pin fans, not 4-pin fans. I know: First World Problems.
Workmanship
perfect. Excellent. The measure of all things. The non plus Ultra.
Phanteks delivers incredibly high quality and the Dutch have thought of everything – for example, the contact surfaces of the side panels are completely padded with a soft foam and the doors adhere magnetically to the case. The first time, the front can be removed with a little difficulty to get to the dust filter, but in my opinion this is not a real flaw. Both the aluminium and the tempered glass are 3 mm thick and the chassis is made of steel.
Equipment
Cooling: One of the most important factors when buying a case, besides the design, is the ability to cool the installed hardware well. The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass offers space for a 192 mm high CPU cooler as well as many options for air and water cooling.
Mounting spaces for fans:
- 2x 140 or 3x 120 mm in the front
- 1x 140/120 mm in the back
- 2x 140/120 mm in the lid
Mounting positions for radiators:
- 1x max. 360/280 mm in the front
- 1x max. 120/140 mm in the back
- 1x max. 240/280 mm in the lid
Removable filters are located under the power supply and behind the front panel. Dust filters are also integrated in the ventilation slots in the lid, but they cannot be removed individually.
Drive bays: In times of the cloud, data storage is becoming less and less important, but SSDs and HDDs are still relevant for content creators and gamers with large game collections. Two SSDs can be installed behind the mainboard tray and a removable hard disk cage can accommodate two SSDs or conventional hard disks (HDD).
Clearance: Here an indication of the maximum lengths of the hardware that fits into the case:
- Maximum graphics card length: 319 mm
- Maximum CPU cooler height: 192 mm
- Maximum power supply length: 180 mm (without any sacrifice)
- maximum power supply length: 216 mm (without HDD cage)
Other features of the tower include four expansion slots in the rear (PCI bezels) and a front panel with two internally connected USB 3.0 ports and two audio connections (1x In/Out each). There is also enough space for cable management (up to 26 mm) and Velcro fasteners help to lay the cables cleanly. The cable bushings are also rubber-coated.
Gaming PC in Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass
Here you can see a Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass with installed hardware. A button on the I/O panel can be used to control the LEDs of the tower and the Phanteks LED strip used. This is a relatively simple build with black and red cables and a MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4G built into the case. The Diablo III logo was laser engraved into the Tempered Glass.
Conclusion
The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass is a very innovative new edition and combines the positive aspects of all previous versions with new features. Sure, the case is not very cheap and a price of € 67.94 * will surely deter many people. But anyone who has ever worked with a premium case will appreciate the many features of the Midi Tower.
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass
Workmanship
Design
Features
Clearance
Cooling
Innovative new edition!
The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass is a very innovative new edition and combines the positive aspects of all previous versions with new features.
image source: including Caseking & Phanteks
