Overclockers UK Titan Dark Zone Gaming PC Review

A Closer Look

Overclockers UK have chosen to use the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX chassis in a gun-metal grey finish which looks sublime and oozes quality due to the 3mm thick aluminium panels. Furthermore, there’s no screws involved as the side panels swing open using a secure mechanism and can be removed by lifting upwards. The case’s beauty is difficult to capture on camera but rest assured, it’s probably one of the finest options on the market right now.

The chassis features a large acrylic window to proudly display each component and gaze at the gorgeous colour scheme.

Subtle orange illumination on the front section adds a more vibrant twist to the chassis’ relatively simple design philosophy; This contrasts really well and gives a level of synergy to the entire build.

Here we can see the professional and neat cable arrangement with loads of space near the front fans to fit extra storage devices. They have positioned the cables through rubber grommets in a logical manner despite there only being a limited number around the chassis. On another note, the CPU cooler doesn’t obstruct the 1151 socket too much and was properly installed without any evidence of too much force being applied.

There’s a decent amount of clearance between the graphics card and CPU heat sink meaning you can decouple the fan for cleaning purposes without removing the GPU. The memory’s black heat spreaders and exposed PCB colour looks fantastic but sadly, it’s pretty hidden due to the CPU’s fan.

Towards the front portion, there’s an SSD mount, and fairly long orange LED strip. I’m pleased that the SSD was positioned on the rear side to reduce trailing cables which can be seen on the side panel window. In an ideal world, I’d prefer to see magnetic LED strips used to properly maintain the original fitting over time. For example, the strip was held down pretty well but this will deteriorate as the chassis is moved and the adhesive becomes weaker.

The power supply cover cannot be removed but it’s an ingenious idea which hides cable clutter extremely well. This is vital due to the use of braided extensions which can make cable management a bit tricky. Thankfully, a PSU cover allows you hide the original cables without any complications.

The power supply’s non-modular nature and braided extensions requires a greater level of skill during the cable management process. As a result, there’s a lot of unused cables to hide in an enclosed space. Thankfully, the PSU cover houses a deep chamber to conceal trailing SATA, Molex and PCI-E cables. Overclockers UK has employed zip ties and the chassis’ integrated Velcro straps to allow the side panel to close with room to spare.

Rather surprisingly, the 8-pin EPS cable feeds directly from the power supply through a cable management hole. Given the braided PCI-E and 24-pin connectors, I would have expected a braided extension for the EPS too. It’s not a monumental problem but something which can be improved upon in future revisions. Even though the EPS cable will be hard to see once the side panel is shut, consumers prefer to have the full kit installed to improve colour coordination.

The original 24-pin cable is held in position with a tight zip-tie and towards the left side of the chassis. This makes it really easy to close the side panel door and prevents the 24-pin cable from protruding outwards.

Overclockers UK have utilized the chassis’ embedded PWM hub to connect each fan cable. The left header marked CPU fan goes directly to your motherboard’s CPU header and requires a clean cable run. Thankfully, this is completed rather well and the PWM hub makes for a cleaner look on the front section.

The Samsung 850 Evo slots into an SSD bay without the use of tools and its upright placement makes it really easy to connect each cable. It’s evidently clear that the spare SSD mount was used to feed a SATA power cable via a short cable run.

This extreme close-up illustrates the build team didn’t rely on integrated case ties, and used plastic zip-ties to acquire a better finish.

The 24-pin braided extension is held firmly in position with a zip-tie alongside the PSU’s default cable.

Spare molex connectors are housed in the mechanical hard drive tray and tied down to prevent them from brushing against the aluminium side panel.

The huge amount of unused cabling makes for a fairly messy finish but this is expected given the PSU’s non-modular design. To be fair, Overclockers UK has done a good job and tied the cables really well given the technical constraints.