Phanteks Enthoo Pro Review

Phanteks Enthoo Pro Review

Manufacturer: Phanteks
UK price (as reviewed): £89.99 (inc VAT)
US price (as reviewed): $99.99 (ex Tax)

When it comes to PC cases, you can make fairly solid predictions about what new features and designs will be added in the near future by looking at the PC modding scene. We've got one of the world's biggest here at bit-tech and the weird and wonderful creations very often find their unique features incorporated into new off-the-shelf PC cases.

This doesn't always happen of course, but that's down to how well case manufacturers are in-tune and prepared to go the extra mile in listening to the community about what features they'd like to see. After all, some of these modding projects are awesome, but not all of us have the time or skill to create something like them ourselves.


Phanteks' last case, the Enthoo Primo, hit the nail on the head in many regards with an exciting exterior, good cooling and a bulging feature set, with many of those features at the cutting edge of what's on offer from an off-the-shelf case. However, at close to £200, it's pricey as well, and while it's well-worth the price tag, for many it's too much to pay for a case. Thankfully, Phanteks has taken the premise of the Enthoo Primo and created the Enthoo Pro - a £90 case that's still bulging with useful bits and bobs.


In fact, this is a heck of a lot of case for the money. The tower stands at 535mm tall - not massive but not particularly compact either. Its square exterior means the depth stands at 550mm rather than a particularly shallow or deep measurement such as what we've seen in many of Nanoxia's recent efforts. This obviously means there's a lot of room inside but also poses the risk that it will look bored and boxy.


We're pretty sure most will agree that this isn't the situation with the Enthoo Pro. It sports recessed fan grilles that help break up the surfaces and a fantastic-looking split side panel window that cleverly masks the 5.25in bays. The tinted glass only allows the bright lettering from a Phanteks badge to shine through below too - instead of a perhaps untidy view of the smaller drive bays. A lot of thought has clearly gone into the aesthetics, and while a few cases do manage to offer aluminium at this price, Phanteks has opted for a plastic front fascia with a brushed aluminium effect.


The benefit is much cheaper construction of course but it actually doesn't look bad at all and is far less prone to finger prints than real brushed aluminium too. The top 5.25in slot is actually a pop-down cover for the front panel, which offers two USB 3 ports, two USB 2 ports, a reset button and standard minijacks, while the power button sits just above on the roof section. Removeable dust filters sit underneath the case and simply pull out of the lower front and rear for cleaning, while the case itself stands on six rubber-based feet.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 235 x 535 x 550 (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Available colours Black
  
• Weight 11.9kg
  
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2 stereo, microphone
  
• Drive bays 3 x external 5.25in, 6 x internal 3.5in/2.5in, 1 x internal 2.5in
  
• Form factor(s) E-ATX, ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX
  
• Cooling 1 x 200mm or 2 x 140mm/120mm front fan mounts (1 x 200mm fan included), 1 x 140mm/120mm rear fan mount (140mm fan included), 2 x 120mm or 1 x 140mm bottom fan mounts, 3 x 120/140mm roof fan mounts
  
• CPU cooler clearance 193mm
  
• Maximum graphics card length 347mm (472mm without HDD cage)
  
• Extras Removable dust filters, screw box, removable PSU shroud