Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
I really like the style of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 -- it is simple and clean. A lot of PC cases on the market today are similar in many ways, which is usually just flat sides, top, and front. The Phanteks Eclipse P400 somewhat falls within the same category, except for the front panel. As the front slopes down, it moves outward as well. This does not just look really nice in my personal opinion, but it serves a function for the front to be able to efficiently bring in fresh, cool air. At the bottom of the front panel is the Phanteks name, along with a big gap for air intake. The front of the case can have either two 140mm fans or three 120mm fans, which should provide ample amounts of cool air for all the hardware inside the case. Along the top intake of the front panel is a black grille that visually fits really well with the rest of the white panels. All of these intakes have dust filters as well. There are no front panel 5.25" drive bays, ensuring a very clean look. After all, it is 2016.
The dimensions come in at 210mm in width, 465mm in height, and 470mm in depth. After looking around for a while, I could not find the exact weight for the case, but I did find the net weight of the packaging to be about 15 lbs. The actual weight should be a bit less than that. When I had nothing installed in the P400, it was very easy to move around, since it really was pretty lightweight, and not overly massive.
The front panel connectors are not exactly on the front panel, but on top of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 -- although there are still two buttons kind of tucked away on the front panel. Starting from the top far right are the two 3.5mm audio jacks for microphone in and headphone out. They are labeled to easily identify this. Unfortunately, the top panel overlaps a bit with my audio jacks, and I could not use them properly, since it would make a strange noise in my headphones if I plugged them in there. My guess is this is probably a pre-production manufacturing problem, since we got some of the very first batches. Right below them are two USB 3.0 ports, which are not labeled, but can be easily identified with the blue inside. In the center is a big oval shaped power button, and right above it is an HDD activity LED. These are also not labeled either, but it should be obvious once in action. At the end of the top panel, you can see the arrow pointing in circle, which corresponds to the reset switch adjacent to it. On the left of it is the included LED controller. If you have the S version, the fan controller will also be found in the same location. I really enjoyed the placement of these buttons, because it prevents you from accidentally pressing them.
Since this is a budget case, there are some cost saving measures. The first is the top panel fan grille, which is only covered by a magnetic dust filter, which is good, but there are no other coverings for this area unless it is the S version. Two 140mm fans or two 120mm fans can be attached to the top. I know some users do not like to use fans on the top panel, because of how easy it is for dust to enter the computer, however the included magnetic dust filter should stop most of these worries quite literally. I was able to mount a 240mm radiator in this area as well, but it did take some maneuvering and cable management. It ended up being a very tight fit.
Like a conventional mid-tower, the back panel has a rear vent exhaust, motherboard I/O, and seven expansion slots. The back panel is black, which is a nice contrast to the rest of the case. A nice feature next to the expansion slots is the locking mechanism, where you first have to remove two thumbscrews before you are able to easily change any of the expansion slot devices. The rear exhaust fan is for 120mm fans only, but you can adjust the fan to be either higher or lower. I have some trouble with keeping my motherboard I/O shield in place. The I/O shield will not completely click into place, and will fall out occasionally with no motherboard installed. However, after installing the motherboard, it was secured. At the bottom, we find the power supply bay. A lot cases nowadays have vents next to the expansion slots, but the Phanteks Eclipse P400 does not, which is good in my opinion, since it allows for less dust to enter. The side panels are held in place by two thumbscrews each, and they are captive thumbscrews so they will not fall out, but you can still completely remove them if you want.
At the bottom of the case we find four big white feet. The feet allows for approximately 2 cm of breathing room, however this will not help if the computer is on carpet. As you can see in the photo above, the rest of the bottom is just flat and black in color, except for the power supply intake. There is another magnetic dust filter to ensure your power supply does not get clogged with too much dust. All in all, in this price range, I am very satisfied with the build quality of the Phanteks Eclipse P400. It is nice and sturdy due to the steel top, side, and front. The side panels fit nicely together, minimizing any gaps between the side panels and the rest of the case. All the edges are rounded, and a lot attention to detail was put in to ensure a satisfying exterior look. There were some small manufacturing quirks like misaligned 3.5mm jacks in our particular unit, but my guess is it will be fixed in production units.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
