PHANTEKS ENTHOO EVOLV X GLASS

Evolution not revolution

THERE’S SOMETHING to be said for taking an already incredible design and improving upon it. Anyone can make a bad product better, but taking something that’s already world-renowned, and tweaking it? Well, that’s a whole other ball park. How do you take something that’s already beloved by so many, and release something new, something more impressive than the last edition, without destroying its character? It’s a delicate balance of subtle adjustments and reevaluation of current features.

For that reason alone, the Evolv X is an evolutionary step in Phanteks’s design philosophy, not a revolutionary one. Yet the step it has taken is huge, and at only $10 more than the original, it is still very much the massive value proposition it always has been.

Let’s start with the build materials. The same 0.15-inch aluminum panels line the front and the roof. Both side panels are still reinforced tempered glass, lined with sound-dampening rubber, to help improve airflow and reduce noise. The internal panels are still thickened steel with rounded edges, and, naturally, everything has a beautiful powder-coated finish inside and out. It comes in a choice of three different colors—Satin Black, Anthracite Gray, and Galaxy Silver—although there’s no non-windowed version available.

Build quality aside, Phanteks has added subtle improvements across the board to help alleviate some of the minor niggles that users had with the design in the past. The front panel gap has been extended to 1.2 inches to allow for better airflow for the front intake fans. The roof has been raised fractionally with improved airflow meshing, for better exhaust and improved twin-360mm radiator compatibility. On top of that, for the avid liquid-coolers, there’s now a fill port located near the uppermost rad, along with a drain port located at the bottom-front of the chassis, behind the front panel—and, of course, Phanteks has retained its now industry-standard radiator bracket.

Then there are the new additions. The Evolv X now supports a twin system setup, with an additional ITX bracket being available to install a secondary ITX system in the roof, above your primary E-ATX one. There’s the same full-length PSU cover, but it now features smarter cable management, a cleaner design, and subtle integrated RGB lighting running along its length. There’s adjustable cable management via the included slidable covers located to the right of the motherboard; vertical GPU mounting is supported as standard (although you do have to buy an additional PCIe riser); there’s a GPU sag support bracket that fits around the rear of the case; and speaking of the rear, there are two massive cable tidy panels to help keep those pesky 24-pin and GPU power cables out of sight and out of mind. Oh, and did we mention you can house nine 2.5-inch and ten 3.5-inch SSDs at the same time? Yup.

MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW?

That’s the biggest problem with this chassis—listing off everything you could do with it. Heck, we’ve got big plans for this rig, but the likelihood of us utilizing all of it? Slim to none.

So, what other criticisms can we level at this beast of a case? Well, we’ll be frank, it’s pretty difficult to find any flaws. Aesthetically, not a lot has changed—the front panel does look a little obtrusive now it’s further forward than previously, and the chassis is a little longer to compensate, and the cable management sliders do look a bit odd if you move them across to tidy up the 24-pin perhaps. But apart from that, there’s not a whole lot we can find fault with.

For the money, the Evolv X is a fantastic compilation of case design. A “best of” from the last 10 years. From its clean, crisp aluminum panels to its excessive water-cooling support and incredible price point, it’s difficult to criticize. The Evolv X may be an evolutionary step in Phanteks’s continued case design, but that doesn’t stop it from being the revolutionary beast that it is in the market today. If you’re after a premium box for your prized hardware, you won’t be sorry if you invest in the X.