PHANTEKS OFFERS a massive variety of
PC cases, from hulking full towers to
diminutive ITX boxes. Yet they’re still
finding holes to plug within their own
range, and that’s what the P500A does. It’s
not the most expensive Eclipse case, but
it's still a large, premium case with space
for E-ATX boards, capable of containing a
powerful system.
Airflow is the name of the game here.
The entire front panel is carved from a
single flat piece of metal and employs
Phanteks's "ultra-fine performance
mesh," with 1mm perforation that
provides a large, flat surface for air intake.
As any mesh-heads will know, mesh
cases eliminate the need for removable
dust filters, allowing for superior airflow.
Three 140mm D-RGB fans (or two
plain black ones if you opt for the cheaper
RGB-less model) sit behind that mesh
panel. Connected to a software-less RGB
controller inside the case, these draw in
plenty of air to be vented through the rear
and roof of the case. The P500A doesn’t
come with a rear fan, but transplanting
one of the front fans shouldn’t be hard. A
single 140mm fan also isn't that expensive.
Speaking of pricing, this P500A will run
you $130. It’s not the cheapest RGB mid-
tower case we’ve ever seen, but the metal
and tempered-glass construction here
feel up to snuff for the cost. It comes with
removable roof and base dust filters, and
an accessory kit packed with extras.
This is something of a feature-heavy
case. The RGB fans are joined by a
matching light strip that runs across the
PSU shroud, all behind a hinged glass
window utilizing a triple-fin rubber seal
to reduce system noise. It’s not perfect,
as the mesh front panel lets noise out, but
it’s a welcome inclusion. There’s room for
more fans or radiators, with up to 360mm
of radiator space in the roof should you
decide to liquid-cool your build.
Storage is fully handled here, with
mounts for up to three 2.5-inch SATA
drives behind the motherboard, and
10 slots (six within the case cavity, four
underneath the PSU drive) where HDDMaximum mesh
Phanteks
Eclipse
P500A
9
VERDICT Phanteks Eclipse
P500A D-RGB Black
SOLAR POWER Excellent
airflow; a solid construction; lots of
features.
OVERCAST Requires some paid extras for
maximum style; fans are a bit noisy.
$130, phanteks.comSPECIFICATIONSForm Factor Mid Tower
Motherboard Support E-ATX, ATX, mATX, ITX
Colors Available White, Black
Window Available Ye s
3.5-inch Support 2 + 10
2.5-inch Support^3
Radiator Support
420mm (front),
360mm (top),
140mm (rear)
Fan Support
3 x 140mm (front),
3 x 120mm (top),
1 x 140mm (rear)
Dimensions 12.8 x 24 x 24 inches
Graphics Card
Clearance
17.2 inches
CPU Tower Clearance 7.5 inches
Weight 22 lbsbrackets can be mounted. The case comes
with only two of these brackets included.
Similarly, a bracket to vertically mount
your GPU is included, but the required
flexible PCIe riser isn’t. And four drilled
holes in the roof of the case allow for a
secondary ITX system to be installed, but
the bracket and miniature PSU needed
are sold separately.
There's a lot to enjoy in this case,
though. For example, cables can be
tidied using the sliding plates attached
to the central mounting plate. They’re
simple to use: Slide them open, feed your
cables through, then slide them back into
place and lock them with the attached
thumbscrew. The D-RGB lighting uses
color and pattern presets that can be
changed via two buttons on the front I/O,
and the I/O also includes USB Type-C.
In short, this case has everything we’d
expect from a product in the realm of
$150, and it’s $20 cheaper than that. It’s
hard not to like. Those HDD cages can hold
2.5-inch drives too, so there’s basically
no case within this price range that can
compete on a storage capacity level. We’ve
seen better premium mid-tower cases,
but they are also more expensive. Solid
value matched with solid construction
makes this an attractive option for anyone
looking to build a powerful gaming system
or workstation. –CHRISTIAN GUYTONmaximumpc.com SEP 2020 MAXIMUMPC 73