Introduction
Phanteks was founded from a group of engineers with a total of 20 years of international experience in thermal solutions. They paired up with a Dutch design team and established Phanteks in 2007. Phanteks venture into the CPU cooling industry with two goals in mind, “High-end quality and innovative products in thermal solutions.”
Today we are taking a look at the Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX. The Evolv ATX l has long list of features that enthusiasts look for in an ATX case. There are multiple drive mounting points that support both 2.5 and 2.5 drives. There is support for up to 5 fans and dual radiators. The top radiator mount slides out for easy installation. Phanteks even includes a water pump mounting bracket. Rubber cable grommets and Phanteks' hook-and-loop cable management make building tint he case frustration free. Top that off, the Enthoo EVOLV ATX is available satin black and a rather unique anthracite gray finish.
Phanteks' take on the Enthoo EVOLV ATX
The EVOLV ATX, a premium all-aluminum mid-tower chassis based on the original EVOLV design. Like the Enthoo EVOLV, the EVOLV ATX has a minimalistic design with an all-aluminum exterior but without sacrificing on features. The EVOLV ATX features Phanteks’ quick release side panels, innovative top radiator bracket, and the new HDD mounting system. Unleash unlimited possibilities with the Enthoo EVOLV ATX.
Features:
Enthoo Evolv ATX includes 2 x 140mm fans in front and 1 x 140mm fan in the rear. Ability to upgrade to additional fans is possible. All fans included are Phanteks’ new redesigned and better performing SP series fans.
Appearance:
- -Aluminum body (3mm thick)
- Clean interior - Hidden PSU and HDD’s
- Power LED - Changeable to 4 different colors
Cooling:
- Optimal airflow - Direct airflow to CPU / GPU
- Comes with 3 Phanteks premium fans
- 2x PH-F140SP in front (140mm)
- 1x PH-F140SP in rear (140mm)
- -Phanteks’ PWM hub included
- 3 different installation areas for radiators
- (120mm or 140mm form factor).
- Reservoir mounting locations
- Pump Bracket with vibration dampers
Functionality:
- 2x Drop-N-Lock SSD brackets included
- 3x Modular HDD Brackets
- Removable HDD cage for installation of long PSU’s (>180mm) / waterpump
- Equiped with removable dustfilters (1x front, 1x bottom, top integrated)
- Clean cable management using Phanteks' preinstalled Hoop-N-Loop cable ties
- Quick release panels for easy acces to fans and dustfilters
- Toolless sidepanel with swing door
Packaging and Specifications
The Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX comes in a brown cardboard box with black graphics. The front shows outline of the case itself.
Once the box was opened, we were greeted by another box. This box is a full color glossy version of the plain brown outer box.
The rear of the box contains a visual representation of the main features of the case. A blown away view of the Enthoo EVOLV ATX.
One side of the box there is a list of the specifications.
Some basic information is provided on the other.
The case is wrapped in a protective plastic bag. Two Styrofoam end caps keep the case safe during transport.
Specifications
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Up next, a closer look
Closer Look
Now out of the packaging, we get a look at the Enthoo EVOLV ATX. The case features an aluminum outer shell with a unique Anthracite Gray paint that is stunning. I tried many times to capture the true beauty of the paint, but pictures just do not do it justice. The side window has a mild smoke tint and adds a touch of class to the overall cosmetics.
Both side doors are hinged and easily removable by simply lifting op on them while they are open.
The panel has 2 USB 3.0 ports, a headphone port, and a microphone port.
The power button is located on the top of the case just behind the front bezel. There are mesh ventilation slots along each side on the top of the case.
The front bezel hides two filtered 140mm fans. The filter is easy to remove for cleaning and is made from a fine mesh. The plastic snaps that hold it in place appear durable and should provide years of trouble free use. Optionally, up to three 120mm fans cans be used in place of the supplied 140mm fans.
The front panel LED is mounted to the lower right front of the case. A blue LED is mounted by default, but can be changed for other colors. More on that later.
The front bezel of the Enthoo EVOLV ATX has the same Anthracite Gray finish. The front panel easily pop off, yet is held firmly in place.
There is a large CPU cutout in the motherboard tray. The motherboard standoffs are preinstalled. A 140mm fan is installed in the rear of the Entoo EVOLV ATX by default.
One of the most unique features on the Enthoo EVOLV ATX is this slide out fan mounting bracket. It allows for easy fan or radiator installation. Up to three 120mm fans or two 140mm fans are supported. Alternately, a 3x120mm or 2x140mm radiator can be installed as well.
The forward section of the motherboard tray features mounting positions for optional hard drive mounting brackets.
A power supply cover is standard. Ample venting keeps heat from being trapped in the lower section of the case, allowing multiple video card solutions to run cooler.. The lower front features and optional SSD mount that can be see through the side window.
A removable cover above the hard drive cage allows for clearance for a front mounted radiator.
A Closer Look continued on next page
A Closer Look Continued
Four rubber feet provide cushion for the case and reduce the possibility of the case scratching whatever surface it is set on.
The power supply filter is made of the same fine mesh that the front fan filter is made of. It simply slides out the back for easy maintenance.
The backside of the motherboard tray is quite open for an ATX case. The CPU cutout is extremely large. The power supply and drives are both accessed from this side.
Hook and loop straps with the Phanteks logo provide easy cable management. They are adjustable enough for the most unruly cable bundle to be tamed.
Dual 2.5 drive mounts are installed in the mid rear section.
A 6 port PWM hub is included.
A reverse shot of the optional hard drive bracket mounting location.
A two bay hard drive cage is mounted by default. The cage must be removed if a radiator is used in this location.
Drive installation is completely tool free for 3.5 drives. 2.5 drives do require mounting via screws.
All the cables are black for a stealthy installation and are the proper length for the case.
A large box of accessories is included with the Enthoo EVOLV ATX.
The accessories box contains the Quick Installation Guide. The guide is full color and easy to read.
A re-sealable bag contains optional green and red front panel LED’s and quite a few zip ties.
A handy clear plastic utility box contains just about every screw needed to fully assemble the case.
Three optional HDD brackets are also included. These are the brackets that install in the forward section of the case.
The pump bracket box contains just that, a pump bracket. Design to except a wide variety of water pumps, that rubber isolated bracket may come in handy for those who chose water cooling with the Enthoo EVOLV ATX.
Now to the build
THE BUILD
System components used:
- Gigabyte X99-UD5 WiFi Motherboard
- Intel Core i7 5820K Processor
- Kingston HyperX Predator 16GB 3000MHz DDR4 Memory
- PowerColor PCS+ 290X Graphics Card
- OCZ ZT Series 550w Silver Power Supply
- Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB Solid State Drive
- Kingston E50 240GB Solid State Drive
- EKWB Supremacy EVO CPU Waterblock
- Primochill Phase II Reservoir
- Liang D5 Pump
- XSPC RS360 Radiator
- 3x BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm Blue LED Fans (on radiator)
The build went smoothly and all the parts fit in the case without a hitch. The finished build has a somewhat simply yet elegant feel to it.
Wire management was no issue. Even though wire ties were included, I found no need for them, for the most part. All the wiring cleared without interfering with the side panel. Only 2 3.5/2.5 drive bays were used. The motherboard CPU cutout is plenty large enough to allow for just about any CPU placement.
A Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB SSD was mounted in the lower front.
There was no issue installing the 360mm radiator in the front.
The offset built into the upper fan mount allowed the two 140mm Phanteks fans that were installed in the front to be installed in the top with ease.
All the wiring tucked away nicely. The PowerColor PCS+ 290X graphics card is the longest one I have on hand and clears with room to spare.
Around back, the wiring is nice and neat, thanks to Phanteks’ hook and loop wire management. There was plenty of room to install the power supply and the case never felt cramps to work with.
Let's wrap this review up on the next page.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
I was quite impressed with the Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX when we reviewed it a while ago. It was my first opportunity working with a Phanteks case and I finally got to see what all the buzz was about. I was left rather impressed. The Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX is everything the ITX version is, but bigger and in many ways even better.
The aluminum outer shell with that unique Anthracite Gray paint is stunning. I tried many times to capture the true beauty of the paint, but pictures just do not do it justice. It has an iridescent quality that gives off shades of purple and green to it when the light hits it just right. At times I found myself just staring at the case, in awe of the paint.
Not a single detail seems to have been overlooked. In fact, it seems as Phanteks went out of their way to include many details that most case manufactures would not have even thought of. From the hook and loop cable management to the included water pump mount; flexibility is the key here. The case was easy to build in as well. During assembly, I never felt fatigued or frustrated.
The Enthoo EVOLV ATX retails for $179.99. This price puts it head to head with some very noteworthy competitors. I think it holds its own well though. There is enough unique attributes to allow it to stand out from the rest of the field.
Likes
- Aluminum Exterior Panels
- Solid Construction
- Good Looks
- Good Ventilation
- Support Full Water Cooling with Dual Radiators
- Easy to Work with
- Unique Slide Out Upper Fan Mount
Dislikes
- None
