OcUK Staff
After what seems like an eternity, we can finally unveil the utterly brilliant Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X. When Phanteks first released the Enthoo Evolv ATX, they managed to create a case that catered to a lot of the demands of the enthusiast market, combining stylish aesthetics with innovative functionality. They followed this with the Enthoo Evolv ATX Glass, adding a pair of tempered glass side panels to the mix, and that became my current PC case, as it did for many of our customer base (The Evolv ATX range ranks as one of our best ever selling product lines on cases) Whilst great in their own right, the Evolv ATX Glass series still had it's issues. Restricted airflow from the front and top panel for one, the glass side panel on the right hand side showing off your cabling for another, alienating those without cable management skills. The top radiator bracket for some people felt like an oversight, reducing the size of what radiators could be fitted. Others bemoaned the lack of RGB functionality out of the box. Phanteks listened to the customer feedback, along with feedback from ourselves and other enthusiast companies, and went away to work on a new iteration of the Evolv ATX line.
Oh boy, have they delivered.
The Evolv X is one of the greatest upgrades to an already great case that I've seen. Every area has been improved compared to the previous iteration. For a start, the airflow has been improved significantly, with a much improved front panel design, offering around 30% extra surface area intake compared to the Evolv ATX Glass. The top panel now has large vents on both sides, increasing ventilation by five times over the previous iteration. There's a top panel cover to avoid air recirculation when not not fully utilising the top exhaust area. This, coupled with 3 x 140mm premium fans based on the MP series, means the airflow is much better out of the box.
Next, we have the side panels. They are on hinges, meaning no thumbscrews on the side panel, come with an aluminium handle to avoid getting fingerprints on the glass, and can even be secured behind the front panel, which is handy for LAN events and transporting. Without securing, the panels are still securely fastened with an ingenious magnetic hinge system.
Cable management has been significantly improved with a multitude of additions, the greatest of which is the toolless panels on the right side of the chassis, both hiding your cabling, and providing ample SSD space (more on that later) This means you can effectively hide your main cable paths through the rear of the chassis, with dual lane cable ties in place to secure your cables. The Universal fan hub is conveniently located above one of these panels, with support for 3 or 4 pin fans that syncs with your motherboard allowing easy management of acoustics and performance. Added to that in the main chamber of the Evolv X, we have both sliding covers on the backplate and a sliding GPU cable cover, meaning your cable passthroughs are going to look neat even if you install an E-ATX motherboard.
Next, we have radiator support. The Evolv X can support up to 420mm radiators on the front panel (max thickness inc fans - 95mm) and up to 360mm radiators on the top panel (max thickness inc fans - 65mm, although if your components/memory are under 50mm in height, there's no limit). This means you can go with a 420mm/280mm or dual 360mm setup with very few restrictions. You can also fit a 120/140mm radiator on the back panel if you need it. Phanteks have even integrated mounts for drain and fill ports into the chassis to make your custom loop experience more convenient (fittings sold separately) This should please all but the most demanding watercooling builds, and frankly if you want more space, you need to go full tower anyway!
RGB has not been forgotten (perish the thought!) The Evolv X sports a pair of wireless digital RGB strips on the front panel, meaning the front panel can be removed without any wires to disconnect. Due to the innovative power source clip, the strips will power on as soon as the front panel is reattached without missing a beat. There is also a digital RGB accent on the PSU shroud. Both of these will sync with Asus Aura, MSI Light Sync, and the full range of RGB products from Phanteks back catalogue. There are a pair of buttons on the front I/O for controlling the RGB mode and colour if you don't wish to control your illumination through the motherboard, and the I/O panel also sports a USB3.1 GEN2 Type-C port, along with 2 x USB3.0, and the usual Power/Microphone and Headphone jacks.
One of the most impressive new features is the ability to house a dual system inside the Evolv X. Using the Evolv X Dual System ITX kit (sold separately and launching in the next few weeks) along with the Revolt X power supply (also sold separately and launching in the next few weeks) you can mount an ITX system in the roof of the Evolv X, allowing a dual system in what is probably one of the smallest footprints on the market. It has to be seen to be believed, especially when you have the ability to mount graphics cards for both systems using the included vertical GPU bracket and one of the riser cables available separately, along with a traditional card for your main system. With room for 435mm VGA cards & 190mm CPU coolers too, you aren't going to be held back by a lack of space! There is even a stealth GPU anti-sag bracket included, keeping your heavy VGA card in place without spoiling the aesthetics of your system.
For those of you that are storage buffs, the Evolv X has you covered too. With support for up to 10 HDD's and 9 SSD's, along with brackets for 6 x SSD's and 4 x HDD's included out of the box, you've got plenty of room for all that 4K adult entertainment
Additional 3.5" HDD stackable brackets are available separately if you require them for more storagey goodness. Existing 2.5" drop and lock SSD brackets are also compatible 
For those with another chassis that fancy a vertical upgrade, Phanteks have also created a vertical GPU bracket and riser cable kit. Providing your chassis has an open PCI slot design and 7 expansion slots, the kit will allow you to mount a VGA card vertically within your system. Theoretically, it should work with any case that has these attributes, but bear in mind some modding may be required to have it fit
Essentially, Phanteks have created a case that aims to be all things to all men (and women
) and for me, they've absolutely NAILED it. The Evolv X is quite simply a stunning creation and completely deserving of all the hype and praise that it's had and about to get. For me, it's probably the best enthusiast grade case on the market, marrying together looks, functionality, features and innovation at a pricepoint that blows pretty much every competitors high end offerings out of the water. I am 100% making it my next case, and if you have any sense, so should you. Stock should arrive around the 10th September, and THIS WILL SELL OUT BEFORE LAUNCH so to avoid disappointment, preorder ASAP.Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X Digital Midi Tower Glass Gaming Case - Black @ £209.99 inc VAT
Made from high-quality materials, Dual System Compatible, Features Tinted tempered glass left and right side panels, Digital RGB compatible with Asus Aura Sync and MSI Mystic Light Sync
Only £209.99 inc VAT.
ORDER NOW
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X Digital Midi Tower Glass Gaming Case - Gunmetal Grey @ £209.99 inc VAT
Made from high-quality materials, Dual System Compatible, Features Tinted tempered glass left and right side panels, Digital RGB compatible with Asus Aura Sync and MSI Mystic Light Sync
Only £209.99 inc VAT.
ORDER NOW
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv X Digital Midi Tower Glass Gaming Case - Galaxy Silver @ £209.99 inc VAT
Made from high-quality materials, Dual System Compatible, Features Tinted tempered glass left and right side panels, Digital RGB compatible with Asus Aura Sync and MSI Mystic Light Sync
Only £209.99 inc VAT.
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Phanteks Vertical GPU Bracket & 220mm PCI-E x 16 Riser Cable Kit @ £39.95 inc VAT
Universal vertical GPU Bracket, 220mm slim-line PCI-E x16 Riser Cable included
Only £39.95 inc VAT.
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Phanteks 220mm Slimline PCI-E x16 Riser Cable 90 Degree Adapter @ £29.99 inc VAT
220mm Slimline Riser Cable, supports PCI-E 3.0, EMI shielded design
Only £29.99 inc VAT.
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Phanteks 300mm Slimline PCI-E x16 Riser Cable 180 Degree Adapter @ £29.99 inc VAT
300mm Slimline Riser Cable, supports PCI-E 3.0, EMI shielded design
Only £29.99 inc VAT.
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Phanteks 3.5" Stackable HDD Brackets - Duo Pack @ £8.99 inc VAT
3.5" Stackable HDD Bracket Duo, Holds x2 3.5" HDDs or x2 2.5" SSDs, Built from high quality material
Only £8.99 inc VAT.
ORDER NOW
? (I don't know if your N.I 2 day shipping includes weekends)