Computer Shopper – September 2019

28 SEPTEMBER 2019 |COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 379

THEEVOLVXis aplush PC case in the

extreme.There’s the hinged,tempered

glass doors on each side,the reassuring

sturdinessand heaviness of achassis that

hasn’t scrimpedon materials, and the strips

of addressableRGB lightingrunningdown

either edge of the front panel, as well as

along the PSU shroud.There’s also the

small matter of it costing£200 –about

twice that of adecent ATXmid-tower.

This is clearly abigger and bolder option,in

fairness. It can hold larger EATX motherboards

in additionto the usual ATX, microATX and

Mini-ITXform factors, and the build quality is

astepupfrom most cheapercases. It’s not

tootall or fat, however; at 520x240x520mm,

it’s well within mid-tower range.

BIG CHILL

Happily,there’s still room foranabundanceof

cooling.There’s an agreeablefanconfiguration

installedby default –two 140mmfans at the

front, one at the back –but there’s room

throughoutboth foradditionalfans and

watercoolingradiators. The front set of

mountsis particularlywelcoming,with space

foruptothree 120mmand 140mmfans

apiece,includingspace forequivalent

radiators, all the wayupto420mm.

Up top, there are three 120mmslots and

two 140mmslots, with space again for

radiators up to 360mmlong (if you’re using

VERDICT

Thischassisoftenemanatesquality,butit’sexpensive

andhaspotentiallykeyfeaturessoldseparately

MID-TOWER CASE

120mmfans) or 280mm

long (if you’re using

140mmfans). With this

much flexibility,it’s

unlikelythat you’d ever

need to swap out the

pre-installed140mm

exhaust,but this can

also be fitted with a140mm

radiator or a120mm fan/radiator combo.

It’s all very good stuff –even where the fan

mountsare covered by asolid metal panel,

the latter are raised afew centimetresto allow

air to move throughthe sides.

The Evolv Xalso takes an impressively

modularapproachto storage.You get four

brackets,each able to hold a3.5in or 2.5in

drive,and can chooseto place them either

underneaththe PSU shroudor in arack

formationwithin the main chamber.Theycan

even be locked together in pairs, makingit

easier to slot in aset of two at atime.

We think it makes the most sense to have

all four under the shroud,so as to keep the

main chamberas clean-lookingand

unobstructed as possible,but if you want even

more hard disks and SSDs, then you can buy

additionalbracketsseparately and install them

in the spare slots, up to atotal of 12.

When the chamberslots aren’t filled in

this way, they’re filled by simple covers that

hide the unsightlymountingholes as well as

the I/O panel cables on the

other side –another clever

methodof maintainingthe

Evolv X’s premiumaesthetics.

On the subjectof wiring, cable

managementis great too, with

generouslysized routingholes

and adjustableVelcro straps.

These are always preferable to

simple zip ties, as you can quickly

unfasten them to add or replace

individualcables withoutscissors

or any plastic wastage.

SEPARATIONANXIETY

Phant eks hasn’t overlookedthe

little things, either.Front panel

connectivityincludesararely

includedUSB Type-C port

alongsidethe expected two

USB3 ports, and if you’re not

interested in (or don’t have

the motherboardfor) syncing

the RGB lights with

other hardware,you

can simply cycle

throughcoloursand

effects with apair of

integrated buttons.

The dust filter covering the

front fans is anice bonus, too:

magneticlatching means it can be

cleaned,removed and replacedin no time.

However,many more of the Evolv X’s

potential capabilitiesare dependenton

makingadditionalpurchases.Forexample,you

mayhavenoticed there are no dedicated 2.5in

brackets;there are in fact mountsforthree

of these behind the motherboardtray, but

none is includedin the box, only the bulkier

3.5in/2.5incombo brackets.If you’d prefer

the space-saving 2.5in brackets,you’ll have to

buy them separately at £5 apop.

In asimilar vein, you could use the bundled

verticalGPU mount to install your graphics

card in amore interestingorientation,but the

riser cable requiredto connectto aPCI-E x16

slot isn’t included.Neitheris the pump bracket

foropen-loopwatercoolingsystems.

The biggestself-inflicted hobblingcomes

at the expenseof dual-system functionality.

All the Evolv Xneeds to containtwo PCs in

one is aMini-ITX mountingbracketthat allows

forasecond motherboardto be installed,but

even this is sold separately for£15; what could

have been this case’s most interestingfeature

is reducedto an optionalextra.

MISSINGLINKS

The Evolv Xisagood case on its own, but the

mannerin which features have been chopped

off to be sold as accessoriesis stingy and

cynical,especiallyas it alreadycosts £200, a

huge amounteven forawell-builtEATX

chassis.If you want alarger case with strong

coolingsupportand asense of flair,both the

ThermaltakeView 37 (Shopper 370) and

Cooler Master MasterCase H500P Mesh

(Shopper364) are much better value.

JamesArcher

PHANTEKS

EnthooEvolvX

★★★★★

£200•From http://www.overclockers.co.uk

SPECIFICATIONS

CASETYPEMid-tower•MOTHERBOARDCOMPATIBILITY

Mini-ITX,microATX,ATX,EATX•SUPPLIEDFANS3x

140mm•MAX3.5inDRIVEBAYS (^12) • MAX5.25inDRIVE
BAYS (^0) • DIMENSIONS520x240x520mm•WEIGHT15kg•
WARRANTYFiveyearsRTB•DETAILSwww.phanteks.com

• PARTCODEPH-ES518XTG_DBK