Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Review

Performance Analysis

As you can see, the CPU definitely gets toasty in this case, with the delta T of 62°C being one of the warmest we've seen. With the combination of a restricted front intake fan and lack of an exhaust, this is somewhat to be expected. The 200mm intake is also quite slow-spinning, though on the plus side this does mean the case is quiet, especially as there's not a lot of mesh for noise to escape from. Also, there's plenty of room to use a much larger and more effective CPU cooler than ours, either a tower-style one or an all-in-one liquid model.


The GPU delta T of 58°C was also one of the hotter ones we've seen. With the case have a tower design, the intake fan is not placed directly next to a vent as it is in many other mini-ITX cases. Instead, it's right next above the HDD cage. An exhaust fan might help a little, but other than replacing the 200mm intake fan with a faster spinning fan or two, there isn't much you can do to boost its cooling. As such, we recommend using a card with a decent third-party cooling solution to keep noise and temperatures down – there is at least plenty of room to do so.

Conclusion

With a heavy focus on premium cases thus far, it's interesting that Phanteks has gone after a much more affordable segment of the market with its first mini-ITX offering. Clearly, some sacrifices have been made – there's no more aluminium exterior, rubber feet or as healthy an accessory pack. However, the quality of what is there is still high, and the design is sensible and clean – the tidy interior is a particular highlight. Phanteks still manages to put many other long-established brands to shame when it comes to cable routing and options for custom liquid cooling, especially as consideration is given to pump and reservoir mounting locations. We do still have some reservations about roof radiator bracket, but for most people it will be very useful and not an issue.


The out-of-box cooling is definitely a downside, but even so it will still cope with overclocked hardware without causing it to throttle and it does so quietly too. Just don't expect the best temperatures, and consider adding an exhaust fan if you're really pushing your CPU (or just use an all-in-one liquid cooler; it supports almost every model out there). The EVOLV ITX is also very easy to work with. Ultimately, it doesn't quite exude the same level of quality as previous efforts, but for a little over £40 it's an absolute steal and easy to recommend.