Phanteks Eclipse P400S Case Review

By Meng Vang

Manufacturer: Phanteks Co.
Product Name: Eclipse P400S
Model Number: PH-EC416PSW_BK
UPC: 886523300816
Price As Tested: $79.99 (Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Phanteks.

The Phanteks Eclipse P400S is aimed towards people who are looking at building their first PC in a simple yet beautiful ATX chassis. It includes a large side panel window, RGB capable LED lighting, a fan controller, and sound dampening material on both side panels, the top ventilation covers, and the front panel to keep the system running as quiet as possible. The Eclipse P400S comes with two 120mm fans; one pre-installed at the rear and the other pre-installed at the front. Water cooling is possible with support for a 240mm, 280mm, or a 360mm radiator at the front of the case. It comes in three color variants: Satin Black, Anthracite Grey and Glacier White. Here at Benchmark Reviews, we will be taking a look at the Eclipse P400S in Satin Black. Let’s run through a quick overview of what this case has to offer.

Features & Specifications

Case Specifications
Dimension	210 mm x 465 mm x 470 mm (W x H x D) 8.3 in x 18.3 in x 18.5 in
Form Factor	Midtower
Material(s)	Steel chassis, steel exterior, ABS
Motherboard Support	E-ATX *(up to 272mm wide), ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ITX
Front I/O	2x USB 3.0, Mic, Headphone, Reset, LED Control
Side Window	Yes
Expansion & Drive Bays
Expansion slots	7
Internal 3.5″	6x (2x included)
Internal 2.5″ (dedicated)	2x (2x included)
Cooling	120mm fan	140mm fan
Front	3x (1x included)	2x
Top	2x	2x
Rear	1x (1x included)	–
Liquid Cooling	120mm radiator		140mm radiator
Front	Up to 360*		Up to 280
Top	–		–
Rear	120		–
*360 radiator requires the removal of the midplate cover
Clearance
Graphic card	395 mm (15.2 in) 280 mm (11.0 in) Optional HDD brackets installed
PSU	270 mm (10.6 in)
CPU cooler	160 mm (6.3 in)
Cable management	25 mm (1.0 in)

Phanteks Eclipse P400S Case Overview

In the accessories box, the Eclipse P400S comes with an installation guide, warranty information, a few zip ties, and mounting screws for standard power supplies and storage devices. It also comes with two magnetic dust filters for the top ventilation.

At the front of the case, we have just a smooth, clean finish with a Phanteks branding logo at the very bottom of the case. Dust filtered ventilation holes are present at the top and bottom part of the front panel for airflow.

The Eclipse P400S comes with a 120mm exhaust fan at the rear of the case. The fan can be mounted further towards the top thanks to the adjustable fan mounts. Unfortunately, the case does not support a 140mm fan at the rear of the case. The power supply mounts at the very bottom and is protected by a dust filter from underneath the case.

The main side panel includes a non-tinted window to show off the internal components of the system. Finger prints and dust will show on the surface of the window but can be easily cleaned off with a microfiber cloth. Sound dampening materials are included under the main and opposite side panels to allow the system to run quieter. Captive thumbscrews are present on both side panels, which is something I have been expecting to see for a long time.

The top of the case features two top ventilation covers to prevent dust from entering the system. They also keep the system running silent due to the sound dampening materials underneath them. The front I/O ports and the power button are located towards the top front of the case. The reset, LED control, and fan speed control buttons are located underneath the top panel towards the front panel ventilation gap.

The Eclipse P400S stands about an inch off the ground due to the four rubber coated feet. This ensures a firm grip on a smooth surface. The power supply unit is also filtered with an easy to remove dust filter.

Now that we have seen a quick overview of the Eclipse P400S, let’s take a look at the features this case has to offer.

Phanteks Eclipse P400S Detailed Features

Removing the main side panel reveals an internal frame structure that looks somewhat similar to the Enthoo Pro M and Evolv ATX. Motherboard standoff screws are already pre-installed for an ATX motherboard. A large CPU cutout is available on the motherboard tray as well as four mounts for the optional 3.5″ modular HDD mounting bracket. Unlike the Enthoo Pro M or the Evolv ATX, the power supply chamber on the Eclipse P400S is completely sealed off to hide any cables coming from the power supply.

For cable management, three Velcro straps are included to tie down even the largest cables. The power supply chamber hides the cables coming from the power supply unit and includes two 3.5″ HDD caddies near the front of the case. Behind the motherboard tray are two more 2.5″ SSD mounts with two brackets. The bracket features a drop-N-lock mechanism for easy installation and removal.

Taking off the front panel, we can see the large surface area for installing a 280mm or 360mm radiator. A 120mm fan is pre-installed here at the front, but it can be removed to install a larger fan or radiator. There is also an LED strip at the very bottom of the case, which lights up when there is power to the system.

The LED strip is powered by a standard SATA power plug located behind the motherboard tray. It can cycle through several different colors with different lighting effects. It is RGB capable and has an extension cable so more LED strips can be added to the system. These additional LED strips can be purchase from the Phanteks website.

At the top of the front panel cover, the ventilation hole is large enough to allow an adequate amount of air into the case. There is also a dust filter, which can prevent larger dust particles from entering the case.

The bottom ventilation hole sits right above the LED strip and has a similar dust filter as the top. Both filters can be easily removed and cleaned. Because the front panel cover is bulged out, there is enough room for fans without having them suffocate for air.

There are also ventilation holes on the power supply chamber. Air can come through the front of the case, which can provide the graphics card with air through these vents. Towards the front of the case is a mid-plate bracket. The mid-plate bracket can be used to mount water cooling pumps and can be removed to accommodate a 360mm radiator at the front.

Let’s go into the next section and take a look at some more features.

Phanteks Eclipse P400S More Detailed Features

Without the top ventilation covers, we can see there are mounting holes for two 120mm or two 140mm fans. If fans are installed here, the magnetic dust filters included in the accessories box can be used here to prevent dust from entering the system.

These magnetic top ventilation covers have their own sound dampening materials. The sound dampening materials help keep the noise level down.

Sound dampening materials are also present under the side panels. It may not be the quietest due to the side panel window, but it is a good balance between aesthetics and quietness.

The HDD caddies can easily mount 3.5″ drives without any screws. Mounting 2.5″ drives will require four screws for installation.

The screws for the seven expansion slots at the rear of the case are located outside of the frame. This makes the case shorter by a few centimeters. Installing any expansion cards here will require the removal of the two thumbscrews holding the metal plate to the seven expansion slots. I recommend loosening these two screws so the metal plate slides over to give enough clearance for any expansion cards.

Changing the color of the LED strip can be done by pressing the LED control button at the top panel. The power LED at the top of the case will also change colors to match this LED strip. There are a few color choices to choose from, but I was surprised to not see a white LED setting.

Here is the extension cable behind the motherboard tray. Extra LED strips can be purchased through the Phanteks website and added to the system just by plugging it here.

Now that we have seen what the Eclipse P400S has to offer, let’s go ahead and build a system with this case.

System Building with Phanteks Eclipse P400S

Test System

• Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3
• System Memory: 2x4GB 1600MHz DDR3
• Processor: AMD Athlon II X2 4400e @ 2.7GHz
• Audio: Onboard VIA HD Audio
• Video: XFX RADEON HD 4850
• Disk Drive 1: Seagate Barracuda 120GB HDD
• Enclosure: Phanteks Eclipse P400S
• PSU: Corsair CX750M 750W Modular
• Monitor: HP 23bw 23″ IPS display
• Operating System: Windows 8.1 Professional 64-Bit

Results

System building in the Eclipse P400S was not a problem especially for a basic build. The case does have some flexibility for water cooling as the front could support a 280mm or a 360mm radiator. Because of the sound dampening materials on the side panels, the top covers, and the front panel, the P400S was able to keep the noise level to a minimum. Using the fan control button, it can control up to two fans in order to adjust for performance or quietness. Two 120mm or two 140mm fans could have been installed at the top for improved airflow, but there was not enough clearance between the motherboard and the top panel to mount a radiator with fans.

The straps behind the motherboard tray allowed for easy cable management. Fortunately for this build, the CPU power cable to the Corsair CX750M power supply just barely made it to the top of the case and through to the motherboard without having to route it to the rear of the case. Some power supplies may not have a CPU power cable this long, which means the cable would have to be routed towards the rear of the case. Unfortunately, there were no cable tie-down points anywhere in that location to tie down a CPU power cable.

Here is a 240mm radiator sample installed on the top panel of the Eclipse P400S. There was not enough room to install any fans on the radiator since it was already so close to the motherboard and RAM modules. I did not understand why the top mounts had to be centered instead of having them offsetted slightly towards the windowed side panel as there was about an inch of space from the mounts to the side panel to make this happen.

Now in terms of air cooling, the Eclipse P400S supports air cooler up to 160mm tall. Tall CPU coolers, like the Noctua NH-D15 and the Phanteks PH-TC14PE series, would not fit properly since they came into contact with the side panel during my testing. Although I already knew these CPU coolers exceeded the maximum CPU height this case could support, it would have been great to see support for CPU coolers over 160mm tall especially for a case at a price like this.

The P400S Tempered case is compatible with the Phanteks modular 3.5″ HDD bracket. These modular mounting brackets are sold separately and make a good option for a computer built for storage.

The modular mounting bracket could support 3.5″ and 2.5″ HDD’s and SSD’s. It could then be mounted on any of the four HDD mounts on the motherboard tray. During the build, there was enough room to install a front intake fan and perhaps a radiator, assuming it was as thick as a standard case fan.

With a hard drive installed and the bracket in place, the front fan was just four to five millimeters away from touching the bracket. Thicker radiators may have clearance issues with the brackets installed. If you plan to water cool your system with multiple storage devices installed, you may run into some trouble.

In a situation where there is a 360mm radiator mounted at the front, you will most likely lose the four drive mounts for the modular 3.5″ HDD mounting bracket, the hard drive cage in the power supply chamber, and the mid-plate bracket. This leaves you with only the two 2.5″ drop-N-lock mounts at the back of the motherboard tray. The Eclipse P400S comes with two 2.5″ drop-N-lock brackets, so you are limited to installing only two 2.5″ drives out of the box in this situation.

Our Eclipse P400S sample arrived with a front panel branding logo that was not properly aligned. I just hope this was a small manufacturing mistake with our sample.

If the Eclipse P400S was wider, it would have been able to support tall CPU coolers, like the Noctua NH-D15 and the Phanteks PH-TC14PE, a rear 140mm fan, and water cooling support at the top. But as a budget oriented case, it made sense to keep things simple for new system builders. An enthusiast would wonder why there is no water cooling support at the top, but that is where something like the Enthoo Pro M and Evolv ATX comes in. However, the LED lighting and the option to manually control fan speed settings using the fan control button were nice features to have.

Let’s go ahead and finish up with my final thoughts and conclusion.

Phanteks Eclipse P400S Final Thoughts

The Eclipse P400S makes a perfect computer case for a basic build with its stealthy look, large side panel window, and RGB capable lighting effects. This is a good computer case for people who are looking into building their first computer. It also makes a good silence optimized computer thanks to sound dampening materials on both side panels, the top covers, and the front panel. Computer users who are not planning to upgrade or add additional parts to this case in the near future can consider the Eclipse P400S as their daily driver.

When it comes to water cooling potential, the Eclipse P400S falls short in this category. The front and the rear of the case are the only two areas where a radiator can be mounted. There is just not enough room at the top to install a radiator with fans as the motherboard and RAM modules are in the way. Not only that, but installing the optional 3.5″ HDD mounting bracket for more storage may not allow for a radiator to be mounted at the front. I am not saying it has to support a full-fledged, customized water cooling setup, but the lack of radiator with fan support at the top of the case in this price category is rather disappointing since there is enough room to move the mounts over towards the windowed side panel to make this happen… but let’s get on with the conclusion.

Phanteks Eclipse P400S Conclusion

The Eclipse P400S does well when it comes to performance. The front of the case supports three 120mm intake fans and the top supports up to two 140mm fans for improved airflow. This is not the best computer case for water cooling because there is no support for a radiator with fans at the top of the case. The front does support a 280mm or a 360mm radiator, but installing a 360mm radiator does require the removal of the mid-plate bracket and the removal of the only two 3.5″ HDD drive caddies in the case. For a standard gaming system, the Eclipse P400S allows adequate airflow to the internal components.

The case looks great with its simple, stealthy exterior look. The large side panel window is large enough to show off the internal components. Having the LED lighting feature is a nice touch giving the Eclipse P400S some character and customization flexibility. The front panel looks modern with just a shiny branding logo towards the bottom of the case, which looks great especially when the LED’s are powered on. Extra LED strips can be purchased from the Phanteks website to be installed inside the Eclipse P400S for interior lighting.

In terms of construction and build quality, the internal structure is pretty sturdy throughout and the side panels are heavier than normal due to the added sound dampening material. The front panel is made of metal and includes air ventilation holes at the top and bottom for providing fresh air to the internal components. I am very happy to see captive thumbscrews on both side panels as this prevents any user from misplacing the thumbscrews when removing the side panels.

The Eclipse P400S does well in terms of functionality. Personally, I would have liked to see support for CPU coolers over 160mm. This could have been an easy fix to future proof this case for computer users looking into adding water cooling hardware into their system sometime in the future. This would prevent them from having to purchase a whole new case.

As of February 2016, the Phanteks Eclipse P400S is available online for $79.99 (Newegg). For plain aesthetics, this case is a great buy due to its modern exterior design. If you do want to add more storage, extra mounting brackets can be purchased separately from the Phanteks website. Overall, the Eclipse P400S is a great case for first time builders or for computer users who want a smaller ATX case without all the gamer-like features. But if you are always adding parts to your system and are looking at water cooling your build, you may want to consider something else.

Pros:

+ Lots of interior room
+ Good cable management system
+ Captive side panel thumbscrews
+ RGB capable LED lighting feature
+ Modern and simple exterior design
+ Sound dampening materials throughout
+ Removable dust filters for easy cleaning
+ Supports large 280mm or 360mm radiators at the front

Cons:

– Limited water cooling potential
– Rear supports only a 120mm fan/radiator
– No support for CPU coolers over 160mm tall
– Limited storage potential with 360mm radiator at the front

Ratings:

• Performance: 8.00
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction: 8.75
• Functionality: 8.50
• Value: 8.50

Final Score: 8.55 out of 10.