Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
I really like the clean look on the inside of the case with the lack of drive cages in the front. It is great for airflow, and the inside is based on the interior design of the Enthoo series, which is why it might look familiar to some of you. The Eclipse series is aimed at beginner or budget builders, so it will not accommodate DIY custom water cooling system. From here, you can see the two included 120mm fans, and a sleek chamber to hide the power supply. However, there is a grille at the top of the chamber for some air exchange. To the right of the end of the grille is a small covering you can remove to allow for longer radiators, however you also have to take out the two drive cages below the drive cover as well. There are cable management cut outs next to, below, and above the motherboard tray.
The Phanteks Eclipse P400 allows for mITX, mATX, ATX, and E-ATX motherboard sizes, but if you install an E-ATX board, you will not be able to use the cable management openings with rubber grommets. By default, the stand-offs for an ATX board are installed, but all the other stand-offs are labeled if you have to change them around for other board sizes. The 120mm rear exhaust fan is a Phanteks fan; unfortunately I could not find more information on the model, but I can tell you they are reasonably quiet. From here, you can see the top grille for either two 120mm fans or two 140mm fans, and the magnetic dust filter on top as discussed on the previous page. There is a big motherboard tray cut out for easy aftermarket heatsink backplate installation. Furthermore, there is no need to worry about the edges of the motherboard tray, since they are rounded off, and will not damage any cables or curious fingers.
Here is a better view of the power supply bay and the chamber cover. From here, you can also see the midplate cover on the left of this picture held in place by four screws. Removing the midplate cover allows for up to a 380mm radiator, or with the midplate installed, a 280mm radiator. The magnetic dust filter at the bottom of the case allows air intake for a bottom mounted power supply. I like it when case manufacturers have a separate chamber for the power supply and all the cables; ultimately it ends up having a much cleaner look. The Phanteks Eclipse P400 has a lot of room next to the power supply for any unused cables or cable management in general.
Again the case has a very clean look on the inside, however it is at the cost of no 5.25" drive bays. For some added flexibility removing the plastic covers that are held in place with one screw, it is possible to mount extra drive bays if you require it, but they are not included. As mentioned before the front of the case can either have dual 140mm fans or triple 120mm fans, as well, as house up to a triple 120mm radiator. Since this area is kept clean from any drive cages there will be sufficient air flow for all the components, especially since the front panel has a wide enough top and bottom to allow the front fans to draw in air.
Since the front area is kept simple without any drive cages or other mounts, the back of the motherboard tray is where you find all of them. Just below the motherboard heatsink backplate cutout are two 2.5" mounts, with rubber surrounding the screws. The bottom left is where the two 3.5" drive bays are located, which can also house 2.5" drives. As you can see in the photo above, the lower chamber is relatively open to allow for plenty of cables. Phanteks Velcro straps for cable management is very useful, as it kept everything tightly in place, so the side panel closes properly. I found cable management easy in the Eclipse P400 due to the included straps and other cable management loops. There is only 25mm of room behind the motherboard tray for storing all the cables, which is generally acceptable, but about a centimeter of extra room would be appreciated. Lastly, the rubber grommets ensure for a clean look and some vibration reduction. All of the cables inside of the Eclipse P400 are black, so they will not capture unnecessary attention. Lastly, there is 270mm of clearance for the power supply. In other words, you can install one as big as you like.
If you told me the Phanteks Eclipse P400 carries an MSRP of $69.99 USD, I will be surprised. Since it actually carries an MSRP of $69.99 USD, color me impressed. So far, a lot of the features of the P400 are not found in cases at this price. I am impressed with the build quality and the consideration taken for both beginners and enthusiasts alike when building in this mid-tower. The open interior allows for a graphics card as long as 395mm, so really, any video card. Do keep in mind if you have the optional HDD brackets installed, it will allow up to only 280mm. The CPU cooler can be up to 170mm high.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
