Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 21.04.17
With the Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered glass, Phanteks has a case for micro-ATX motherboards in its portfolio, which comes with a lot of features and at an an attractive price. Apart from that especially friends of custom watercooling loops will love this case, since it offers a lot of flexibility in that direction. In addition this model supports RGB illumination. For now, we're really curious to find out how this case is going to do in our review.
Approximately one year ago Phanteks released the Enthoo Evolv ATX Tempered Glass case, which was their first Enthoo Evolv tower they've equipped with side panels made from tempered glass panels. Like the previous model, the new Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass is compatible with high-end components and water cooling gear. Compared to the Enthoo Evolv ATX, we find a similar design and high-quality materials. Compared to its predecessor the case is a bit smaller since it's only compatible with micro-ATX motherboards.
The Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass measures 230 x 453 x 400mm, while the Enthoo Evolv ATX Tempered Glass measured 235 x 495 x 510mm. A quick glance at the case already reveals a few changes. First of all Phanteks decided to attach the tempered glass side panel using a hinge at the back of the case. Apart from that the right side panel has been changed to now only showing the installed SSDs and hide all the cables. Last but not least there have also been changes on the cooling side. Due to the size of the new case, the Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass can be equipped with up to one 360mm, one 280mm and a 140mm radiators. In other words this new enclosure is a bit less flexible in terms of cooling and but since it's rather small we believe that the compatibility is still pretty good.
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Preview
Specifications
| Model: |
Enthoo Evolv mATX |
| Case Type: |
Mid tower |
| Dimensions: |
230 mm (W) x 450 mm (H) x 400 mm (D) |
| Material: |
Aluminum, Steel, Tempered glass |
| Color: |
Satin Black / Anthracite Grey / Glacier White |
| Drive Bay: |
5.25": |
0 |
| 3.5": |
2 |
| 2.5": |
2 |
| Expansion
slots: |
4 |
| Form factors: |
mATX, mini-ITX |
| Cooling: |
Front: |
3x 120mm / 2x 140mm (1x 140mm included) |
| Rear: |
1x 120mm / 1x 140mm (1x 140mm included) |
| Top: |
2x 120mm / 2x 140mm |
| Bottom: |
/ |
| Side: |
/ |
| Watercooling |
Front: |
360mm / 280mm / 240mm |
| Rear: |
140mm / 120mm |
| Top: |
280mm |
| Link to the product: |
Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered Glass |
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Features
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Support for custom watercooling
The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX is ready for watercooling gear. If you wish to install a custom loop, there is the possibility to equip this case with up to three radiators. While the front is compatible with a 360mm radiator, the top can be equipped with a 280mm one. There is even space to install a 140mm radiator at the rear. The fact that a 360mm radiator can be mounted provides lots of opportunities towards custom watercooled builds. |
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PSU Cover
In order to hide all the cables connected to your power supply, there is a cover for hiding them all away. This helps in creating a neat and clean looking system. |
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Dust filters
There are washable dust filters covering all big openings of the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX. Thanks to a quick release system they are very easy and convenient to remove. |
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RGB LED Lights
Straight out of the box Phanteks illuminates the power button, located on top of the case, as well as a small bar in the bottom area of the front. If you'd like to add more light and color, Phanteks recommends adding their LED strips, which go by the name LED PH-CB_RGB4P. These strips are very easy to install thanks to magnets. Apart from that those strips are compatible with the new onboard RGB headers you can find on the latest motherboards. This will allow you to control their color easily. Apart from that there are also the so called PH-LEDKT LED strips optionally available, which can be connected to and controlled by the integrated controller.
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Product overview
Overview |
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| The Enthoo Evolv series from Phanteks features a face plate as well as a top cover, which is made from aluminum. Apart from that the left side panel consists of tempered glass. Design wise all Phanteks cases have unique looks, while appearing aggressive to a certain and sleek at the same time. Arguably the most important upgrade compared to the predecessor when it comes to design concerns the left side panel. It’s now made from tempered glass and really helps improving overall looks and that feel in terms of quality. Compared to the predecessor the side panels are both mounted on a hinge, what makes it really easy to open them and access the hardware. Should you want that there is also a version of this case featuring tempered glass panels on both sides. Compared to the basic model, the version we reviewed here also comes with RGB illumination. There is a separate button on the front panel, which allows you to select the preferred color. Also integrated into the front, hidden behind a sliding panel, we find the I/O connectors. There are two USB 3.0 ports as well as mini-jacks for microphone and headphones. The back panel is simple and straight forward as we find the opening for a 120/140mm fan, space for the I/O shield and a total of for four slot bezels covering the motherboards expansion slots. The bottom part of the case features an opening for the ATX power supply and the removable and washable dust filter. |
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Installation
Overview |
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Like its name suggests the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX, is compatible with micro-ATX motherboards, which is placed vertically and thanks to the size of the case you will not run into any issues installing large heatsinks. The motherboard tray is made of solid steel, and it features a big cut out behind the socket, which allows the user to install aftermarket CPU coolers when the motherboard has already been installed. There is a total of four rubber grommets, which allows for neat cable management. Between the motherboard tray and the right side panel there is enough space to hide plenty of cables. The case shares the latest features regarding internal layout, like for instance is a big mid plate covering the power supply cables. In total, the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX supports up to two 3.5" HDDs and two 2.5" SSDs, both in dedicated places and well hidden.
For testing purposes we used an ASUS ROG Z270G Strix Gaming motherboard and a big tower cooler from Phanteks and we did not run into any mounting or compatiblity issues. Building a PC based on this case is very easy and quick if you use a CPU tower cooler or an AiO liquid cooler, but if you want enjoy all the benefits of this case you should use a custom water cooling setup. The area dedicated to the graphics card is large enough to accommodate even the most powerful GPUs on the market. After having put our test system together the final looks were very esthetically pleasing. Especially the optional custom lighting is just great.
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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| The Enthoo Evolv mATX offers plenty of spots for fans. Inside the delivery you will find two 140mm fans with black blades and frame. Overall, the case is able to accommodate three 120 or two 140mm fans at the front, two 120/140mm in the top, and one 120/140mm at the rear. As you could have guessed, this means there is enough space for a 360/280/240mm liquid cooling radiator in the front and up to 280mm in the top. Furthermore this case is compatible with high-end tower coolers. |
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Temperatures
Overview |
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For testing purposes we're using an MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC motherboard, an Intel Core i5-6600K CPU, which receives cooling through a SilentiumPC Fortis 3 HE1425 MCE cooler as well as a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card. To put the CPU under full load, we're running prime95 for 10 min and in the case of the GPU we use Furmark also for 10 minutes. After these ten minutes, we're going to write down the temperatures. The ambient temperature is close to 24°C. |
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All noise dampening panels installed |
Idle (°C) |
Full (°C) |
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Intel Core i5-6600K |
28 / 28 / 27 / 28 |
52 / 55 / 55 / 53 |
| MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G |
45 |
68 |
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Less is better |
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Conclusion
Rating |
| |
Cooling |
Features |
Layout |
Build Quality |
Value for Money |
| Pros |
+ Good
compatibility for watercooling
+ Numerous spots for
fans
+ Dust filters |
+ Available in black, silver and antracite
+ Tempered glass
+ RGB Lightning |
+ Interior
space
+ Velcro straps
|
+ Good build quality
+ Midplate PSU |
+ Well priced with a very good bundle |
| Cons |
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The Enthoo Evolv mATX is one of the latest cases from the American manufacturer Phanteks. This particular model is perfect looking at it from almost any angle, no matter whether you’re checking build quality, ventilation or the layout. First of all we want to mention that the steel, the aluminum as well as the tempered glass, that’s been used for this case is of very good quality. The aluminum panels, with a thickness of 3mm, are very strong and nice to see; the steel is mainly used inside and it feels very solid. The finish is just perfect and we simply can't find anything to criticize.
The looks of a case are always a matter of individual taste but when checking out the interior, we believe this layout is as close to perfection as it gets. Everything is tool-free and therefore removing the front panel to access the dust filter for instance is as simple as it can be. Even the cable management is perfect, since there are plenty of grommets and the delivery even includes a number of Velcro straps. One of the key aspects of this case it's the great compatibility with custom liquid cooled setups since it allows the installation of one 280/360mm, one 280mm and one 120/140mm radiator.The Enthoo Evolv is a rather small mATX case and we recommend to carefully check the dimensions before buying watercooling gear.
The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX with Tempered glass is available on Geizhals at a price of 129 euro excluding shipping costs and you can buy this case in silver, anthracite and black color. In our opinion the price matches the quality offered, the well-thought layout and the excellent bundle which includes two 140 mm fans make for a truly excellent case. We award the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX Tempered glass with
5 out of 5 stars.
