Phanteks Evolv X White Review

Introduction

Phantek's recently re-released a couple of their cases in a new Matte White finish. In this review, we will have a closer look at the Phanteks Evolv X in Matte White. Let's find out if Phantek's Evolv Lineup is just as impressive as their P!

What's in the Box?

Just as we've seen with their P500A, Phantek's EvolvX comes in highly impressive packaging. Wrapped in a surprisingly thick carton box, the case itself is protected against scratches by big fabric cloth while also being protected against all kinds of fall damages by the thickest pieces of styrofoam we have ever seen until now. While the case weighs exactly 13.5 outside the box, packaging of this class may be necessary.

Inside the carton box containing the Phanteks EvolvX, we will also find a smaller box containing the following items:

• Organized box of screws
• Zip Ties
• Mount for vertical GPU Riser (riser not included)
• 4x HDD/SDD Brackets
• GPU Anti Sack bracket
• Airflow Cover

Although there is a Vertical GPU mount included, you will need to purchase an additionally available Phanteks PCI Riser which ends in a 90° angle.

If present, we can mount the included plastic vertical GPU mount on top of the PSU tunnel with the PCI Riser attached to it. From there, we can make use of the 2x Vertical PCI Slots in the back of the case.

Specs

The EvolvX's most impressive feature is a complete compatibility list. Down below we attached a summarized version containing the most important points.

Compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, the Evolv X offers more than we could have had until now.

With up to 190mm high CPU coolers and 435mm long GPUs, we were unable to find any device (until now) which won't fit.

On the Motherboard end, we can go with up to eATX Motherboards.

On the HDD & SSD end, it will get a little bit complicated.

By default, we have 6x SSD spots behind the Cable Management covers behind the motherboard. Additionally, Phanteks includes 4x HDD/SSD brackets which can be installed behind the power supply (keep in mind that 4x HDD limits the PSU to 195mm).

By purchasing up to 3x of Phantek's additional SSD brackets, we can mount up to 3x additional SSD's right on the backside of the motherboard plate.

To make the list complete, we have the possibility to get 6x additional HDD/SSD Brackets and mount them on the spot where the Cable covers are.

In order to have an overview, in total, we are looking at up to 10HDDs or up to 19SSDs, while 10x of these spacers are shared by HDDs and SSDs.

IO

Just like on the Phanteks P500, the IO is where we hoped it to be.

2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB Type-C in its 10GBit variant, Audio In and Out, perfectly fine!

Additionally, the IO panel comes with an integrated ARGB Controller which allows the included Fans to glow in their natural unicorn-themed colors.

On the IO Panel, there are 2 buttons meant to control the ... Controller.

The left one controls the Modes whereas the right one controls the color. Additionally, Long-pressing the left one shuts everything off, while long-pressing the right one allows the controller to go back into its unicorn state.

Cable Management

Due to the Evolv X having a tempered glass side panel on each of its sides, cable management is absolutely crucial inside it.

Phanteks included two cable routing systems using an impressive amount of velcro strips. These two are covering all of the left and bottom sides of the case and allow to cable manage the cables going to every component, except for the CPU.

Additionally, inside the Evolv X we will also find the same cable covers on the right side of the motherboard as we already saw inside the P500A. These covers allow to perfectly hide the existing cables and create stunning-looking builds.

However, no matter how cleanly we try to manage those long wires in the back of the PC, not seeing them will always be the better option. Therefore, Phanteks included two completely blocking covers which are hiding the left as well as the bottom part of the case. This means that although there is a tempered glass side panel on the right side of the case, there will be no way that anybody will ever be able to see the abomination that you've created.

Cooling

Very surprisingly for us, the cooling inside the Evolv X is not a major issue. Initially, we were led to believe that the air slots on the Front panel would not be big enough to create a nonrestrictive air intake in every scenario. However, during our initial build, we tested the Phanteks Evolv X with and without its front and Top panel and found there to be no difference outside the margin of error while benchmarking a12900k.

The biggest score that the Evolv X was able to get in this review was due to Fan and radiator support. 2x 140/3x120 in the top, 1x14/120 in the back, and up to 3x140 in the Front are absolutely nothing "small". The most important aspect of this huge support list is that Phanteks did make sure to have each space wide enough to accommodate for potential radiators, allowing for up to 420mm radiators in the front. Truly impressive.

Inside the Evolv X, Phantek's includes 3x of their SK 140 ARGB fans. Although the fans might not be the best out there, they are perfectly suited for a case this size and potential performance of components used.

The last key aspect that we would like to focus on is how to properly use the top panel. Due to its second-like chamber design, it is absolutely crucial to either fill out the bracket completely or not use it at all, otherwise, the air might be recycled and sucked back into the main chamber. In case you are not planning to use 3x120 Fans at the top, we can use Phantek's included Airflow Cover which can cover up one of the Fan spots and thus eliminate the need for a third fan.

Design

Designwise, the Evolv is very interesting. While the interior is made out of average steel (though pretty thick) the outside is made out of anodized aluminum. This provides the case with a high-value feeling which is emphasized by the case's ridiculous 13.5kg weight.

Every part of the Evolv X is covered in sharp-edged corners providing it with its modern and slightly aggressive cyber-like design.

In our opinion, the RGB implementation is perfect (or we did not yet find something better yet). Instead of just adding a bunch of ARGB fans (which Phanteks did) they also tapped 2x LED Stripes to the front panel which is backfiring onto the case and creating a passive-light-like effect.

As the Design aspect of an object will always be a subjective thing, it will be up to you. However, we can confirm that the Phantek's Evolv X did leave a high-quality impression and we definitely enjoyed its little design aspects.

Installation

Usually, with cases, this segment only contains 'shocking' revelation which made the build process harder than it should have been.

To take something away, building inside the Evolv X is a highly pleasant experience. Due to the huge amount of cable cutouts (and Mainboard Cable Covers / GPU Cover) as well the excellent Cable Management implementation behind the motherboard, there was nothing to be considered "hard" and the whole build was a straightforward process.

However, due to a couple of the Evolv X's 'extra' features, we felt the need to specifically address them.

Out-of-the-Box, the Evolv X comes with its both Sidepanel semi-permanently attached to the case. To make them movable on their hinges, we need to pull off the Front panel (Pull at the top, slide-out at the top) and remove the 4x Thumbscrews which are keeping the side panels in place.

The Top panel which allows us to mount the Fans/Radiator at the top has to be unscrewed from the back of the case and then pulled to the back in order to slide out of its hooks.

Once both of these steps are complete, the rest of the building process is close to identical as inside any other case.

Conclusion

Overall, Phantek's Evolv X was exceptionally well received.

Its outstanding feature set such as the included Fan Controller, RGB Controller, and RGB Implementation was already good on it's own. However, Phanteks was able to score multiple more points due to the Evolv X's surprising compatibility list. 420mm Rad support in the front, as well as a 140mm Fan in the back, are nothing that we are used to on a regular basis. Nevertheless, Phanteks managed to squish all of these things into an average-sized Mid-Tower case.

To put the icing on the cage, the Evolv X is just as "upgradeable" as most other Phantek's cases were before it. To name a few, Dual System Support, 6x Additional HDD's, Vertical (3-Slot) GPU's, and specifically for water-cooling prepared brackets that allow to mount Pumps and reservoirs.

Leaving the Evolv X's impressive compatibility on the side for a moment, its cooling capacity is nothing to ignore. While doing our review we were shocked to find that although the Front Panel consists of a hard- and complete material, the slots on the side are actually big enough to let enough air through for the whole case to be supplied with a sufficient amount of air.

One key aspect of the case that we would like to emphasize is the semi-permanent attachable side panel. After building, you are free to re-attach the previously removed thumb screws which will keep the side panels in place. Although we are not personally in the situation where something like this might be necessary, we believe that this is an excellent feature for families or people with pets who tend to open things up and touch circuits.

As the last highly impressive "mini"- feature of the Evolv X, we would like to specifically Mention the Manual. Usually, we are not very impressed with manuals as they tend to be worked out rushed, and unfinished. For the Evolv X however, the Manual is suspiciously complete, extremely well made, precise, and even understandable without any previous knowledge.

Actually, this conclusion could be going on for quite some time, but to keep it short: We were extremely happy with the case and can absolutely recommend it.