System Building with the Enthoo Evolv X

Test System

• Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4
• System Memory: 4x8GB 2666MHz DDR4
• Processor: Intel Core i7 5820K @ 4.5GHz
• Audio: Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D
• Video: MSI GeForce 780 Ti
• Disk Drive 1: Crucial MX100 256GB SSD
• Disk Drive 2: WD Blue 3TB HDD
• Enclosure: NZXT H500i
• PSU: EVGA 850P2 850W Modular
• Monitor: HP 23bw 23″ IPS display
• Operating System: Windows 10 Professional 64-Bit

Results

Because of its roomy interior, building with the Evolv X was not challenging at all. The cable management system worked well with hiding and organizing cables, and overall system performance and temperatures looked normal. The larger ventilation at the front and top of the case was a nice improvement over the previous models. As for the built-in fans, they were noticeable at their highest speed, but they were not loud enough to cause concern. Larger fans are typically quieter than smaller ones because they can provide a good amount of airflow while spinning at slower speeds.

With the tool-less panels removed, we can see there was a lot of room for cable management despite the many cables from the factory. Routing cables behind the motherboard tray was a breeze thanks to the dual-lane cable design and the many Velcro straps. Although there were not too many cable tie-down points, I was able to work around this by tying the cables down using parts of the motherboard tray that had holes drilled into it.

Putting the tool-less panels back onto the case really cleans up the motherboard tray. This gives the case a very clean look when looking through the tempered glass side panel.

Unlike its predecessor, which used a sliding top radiator bracket, the top radiator bracket for the Evolv X bolts off of the case via two thumbscrews. This allowed me to install the radiator outside of the case. There was also a circular cutout on the bracket for water cooling purposes, as this case is very water cooling friendly.

Airflow was not the greatest strength for the previous versions as many users noticed an increase in overall system temperature. Phanteks corrected this problem by widening the front and top ventilation gaps to allow a greater flow of air into the case without suffocating the fans. This allowed for better cooling performance throughout the different interior components.

Although many computer users are switching to smaller cases, there are still a few of us who would much rather prefer a standard ATX case like the Evolv X. The Evolv X does have plenty of room for water cooling components, storage, and a secondary ITX system. With that in mind, it is very practical for many purposes, so I do not see only people in the gaming market picking these up. Professionals who need a computer case with plenty of storage potential for a database may also pick up the Evolv X as it serves this purpose well. Add in a few of the optional expansion drive brackets and there can be enough storage to keep a server going for a long time.

Let’s go into my final thoughts and end this review with my conclusion in the next section.