Final Thoughts
Hands down the Evolv ATX is one of the best cases that I have ever reviewed or used. Turns out there is good reason for it to be one of the most anticipated releases by the mod community this year. Look at any aspect of this case and you will find Phanteks has taken extravagant measures to make sure it was designed and built in a way that is both smart and stylish. From the all aluminum outer construction to the many cutouts for passing cables through, this case is on point. I especially love the removable radiator bracket as it makes my life so much simpler. Pull the bracket, attach radiator, replace bracket, done. And the lavish amount of space on the interior of the case is nearly unheard of. This is the sort of design typically found in boutique cases for an exorbitant amount of money. The fact that the Evolv line ditches the 5.25 bays altogether is a huge step forward in my opinion. Honestly I could go on and on with praise for this case. The color is great, a perfect mix between silver and grey, fan filters on all the intakes, and multiple SSD mounting locations. What more could you want?
Now let me caution you for just a minute. This case might not be for a first time builder for two reasons. The first being price; at $179.99 plus $14.99 USD for shipping this case really isn’t in the beginner case price range. For the luxurious aluminum used on the exterior however, you just aren’t going to find anything much cheaper. Additionally this could also be a first and last case purchase thanks to its open design and build quality. Second I don’t feel that this type of blank canvas design is necessarily good for someone who needs a little direction on how to proceed. Additionally new users typically use optical media for their installs and could find themselves wishing they had a case with 5.25” bays.
If you would like to see how this case handles being used with full water cooling, check out our Water Cooling 101 series where this case will be the chassis of choice.
Overall ThinkComputers.org would like to give the Phanteks Evolv ATX a 10 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Fit and Finish are sublime
– All aluminum exterior
– Hinged windowed aluminum side panels
– Removable radiator bracket
– Extremely spacious interior
– Visually great design
– Tons of cable routing options
– Multiple SSD mounts
– Water cooling friendly design
Cons:
– Possibly not great for a first time builder