Phanteks Enthoo Primo Review

Performance Analysis

With delta T results of 49°C for both the CPU and GPU, the Phanteks Enthoo Primo is pretty much on par with both the Corsair 900D and NZXT Phantom 820 on max speed. In other words it's about as good as we'd expect a case that's this big to be, as air simply has more space to flow. It also means that out of the box, you won't really have to worry about cooling, and the trio of intake fans means this should remain true for multi-GPU set-ups as well.


In reality, you're unlikely to buy a case like this for its stock cooling, but Phanteks has at least been generous with the fans it supplies. The results also suggest that you shouldn't have to limit your overclocks too much if you have a period of relying on air cooling while you save up for a sweet liquid set-up.

As we don't test cases with PWM enabled (to avoid inconsistencies), the lack of manual fan control meant we simply ran all five fans at full speed. In this state, the combined noise of the fans is a little loud, but it wouldn't be difficult to use PWM control to prevent them from maxing out.

Conclusion

There's loads to like about the Phanteks Enthoo Primo – it's a very desirable enthusiast case thanks to its brushed aluminium exterior, clean cut internals and extensive support for water-cooling. For a first outing into the case market, Phanteks has done remarkably well. A few slip ups here and there (the internal radiator bracket's impact on maximum GPU length and the shoddy clips on the front and bottom dust filters spring to mind) do little to spoil the overall impression that this case leaves, which is excellent - we're already looking forward to future revisions of the chassis.

The £200 price tag is certainly high, and unnecessary for anyone looking for a simpler build. But, it's no more expensive than the Phantom 820, and it has a clear upper hand here when it comes to materials, design and aesthetic (the blue LED trim is particularly tasty). It also seems much less expensive next to the £300 900D, and though the latter has even more water-cooling support and space to play with, the Enthoo Primo is hardly far behind in either regard, so for most potential buyers it's likely to be the better deal.