Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Introduction

Phanteks are quickly becoming one of my favourite chassis manufacturers. The Enthoo range is one of the most capable enthusiast series on the market, which ticks all the right boxes for those who want a high-end system, with minimal or no fuss in terms of component compatibility, high-end build quality and flawless designs. The latest model, the Enthoo EVOLV ATX, offers support for (you guessed it) full-ATX and EATX motherboards, giving you more room for multiple graphics cards and a whole host of other devices.

The ATX feature all-aluminium construction with thick panels and a gun-metal finish, which certainly sounds like a winning combination. Add to this, quick release side panels, a modular hard drive system, radiator brackets, high-quality PH-140SP fans pre-installed and much more, and you’re well on your way to a stunning system build. So what are we waiting for? Let’s jump right in and take a look at what this chassis has to offer!

The first thing you’ll find is the Phanteks Accessory Box.

The box contains some cable ties, a few LED lights which can be used to change the colour of the front panel power LED, a screw box with all the screws you’ll need for your build, three 3.5″ drive trays and the user’s manual.

First impressions of this chassis are very good, the gun-metal finish on those thick aluminium panels is a sight to behold. It has a smooth texture to it, with just a little bit of sparkle, giving it a mysterious and very premium quality vibe. The left side panel features a large window, giving you a great view of the interior and there’s an extra bit at the bottom showing off the interior logo and the front 2.5″ HDD mount, great for showing off your new drive.

The right side panel is the same shape but obviously doesn’t feature the window section. Both sides have the same ventilation at the top edge, providing airflow to any top mounted cooling, as well as some passive airflow to the chassis in general.

The front panel is certainly unique, with that bold, yet understated appearance. There’s a pair of large cutaways on the sides, allowing extra airflow the front mounted cooling, as well as a small LED light towards the bottom for the master power indicator.

Tucked away at the top, you’ll find a small flip-up cover which hides the main I/O.

Behind it, you’ll find a pair of USB 3.0 ports, HD audio and the reset button.

The cut away towards the bottom allows a little more airflow, but also acts as a handle; just grab it and pull to remove the front panel cover.

The front panel is mounted using four durable pegs which lock the heavy metal panel very securely in place. Behind it, there’s a huge filtered panel which should do an amazing job of blocking any dust from getting in the system and it’s also easy to access and maintain when it gets a clogged up.

The filter pulls away and behind it, you’ll find two very high-quality 140mm Phanteks fans. The front mount will support 120/140 width hardware, as well as 280/360mm tall radiators.

There’s lots of ventilation around the back, around the edge of the top panel, behind the motherboard and to the sides of the expansion slots.

The rear fan is another high-quality 140mm Phanteks fan and comes with elongated universal screw mounts for 120/140mm fans/radiators.

There’s some extra mounts on the ventilation too, which could come in handy for custom water cooling hardware.

The PSU can be mounted normal or inverted, but it’s certainly better with the fan pointing down, as you can utilise the bottom fan-intake vents.

There’s even a slide out dust filter for the PSU to keep everything running on clean air.

The top panel is nice and flat, with just a stylish little power button located towards the front.

The feet on the chassis are nice and side, giving it added stability and there are four tough rubber grips to prevent it from sliding around on harder surfaces. There’s good ground clearance too, which will help with directing airflow to the PSU air intake.