Chillblast Fusion Wolf 2 GTX 1080 Gaming PC Review

A Closer Look

The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX is based on a minimalistic design philosophy and it’s one of the most attractive cases on the market today. More specifically, the solid build quality, subtle front illumination, and distinctive edges combine in a seamless manner. Sadly, the steel and plastic construction pale in comparison to the ATX version which opts for 3mm thick aluminium instead. On a more positive note, the main chassis layout is really unique and the PSU cover does a fantastic job of keeping everything tidy. Saying that, it’s quite challenging to insert individual cables due to space constraints but at least this has already been taken care of. On another note, the front 200mm fan offers great airflow while being remarkably quiet and directly cools the graphics card. I’m also fond of the Phanteks cover plate which obscures the GTX 1080’s power cabling.

Rather surprisingly, Chillblast didn’t include a windowed side panel which would have beautifully displayed the internal components. Selecting a solid side panel does have acoustic benefits though and should aid the system’s noise to performance ratio. I’d prefer to see some noise isolation foam to evoke a more premium feel but this is only a minor complaint.

Here we can see the latest Corsair Hydro coolers utilise gorgeous tubing with a soft, textured braid. Not only that, the tubing is rather thick, feels exceptionally well-made and has an attractive run to the CPU block. Also, the chassis has ventilation holes above the power supply cover to reduce operating temperatures.

The Corsair CX750M is capable of a bronze efficiency rating and has more than enough wattage to cope with the system’s power draw. If anything, it’s overkill because you cannot add a second graphics card because of the ITX motherboard and chassis design.

When analysing a compact form-factor PC, it can be challenging to identify individual components. From this image, the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3000MHz DDR4 memory is visible and compliments the system’s colour scheme extremely well.

The GTX 1080 Founders Edition looks breathtaking and I’m really fond of the revised cooler design. Sadly, the solid side panel means you can’t enjoy the illuminated GeForce logo once the system is powered on. Despite this, it’s a much better option than custom variants because of single fan solution and ability to export heat out of the case.

On the front of the chassis, there’s an LED strip and stylish Chillblast logo. Unlike some logos, this is rather compact and doesn’t appear out of place. Furthermore, it’s fitted in a perfectly straight manner and doesn’t seem too imposing.

The cable management throughout this system is almost flawless and I’m really impressed with the tidy layout given the chassis’ restricted space. Chilblast hasn’t just relied on the integrated velcro straps and employed numerous zip-ties to keep everything in its optimal position. As you can see, the 24-pin, 8-pin EPS and USB 3.0 cables are held together brilliantly and it’s so easy to shut the side panel door.

Here we can see the Seagate SSHD drive’s cabling is completely hidden and even up close it’s difficult to follow the remarkably clean cable run.

As per usual with ITX motherboards, the M.2 drive is installed on the rear and there’s good clearance between the closed-loop-cooler mounting backplate and M.2 slot.

Towards the power supply, Chillblast has grouped the heavier cables together and it’s been executed in a way which doesn’t apply too much pressure on the zip-tie.

Even though the chassis is rather compact, there’s loads of space left over to perform upgrades and properly route new cables in the future.