Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
Removing the side panels is quite easy via the thumbscrews on the back, revealing the clean and straightforward interior layout. Taking a look inside, everything white has a nice matte finish to it. The first feature that caught my attention was the reservoir bracket to the right of the motherboard tray. Because of this and the layout of the case, I knew instantly Phanteks has an ace card up their sleeves. On top of that, I usually see cables dangling around when I first open up a case for reviews. In this case, no pun intended, all the cables by default were already well hidden, which came as a great surprise to me. The second thing that caught my eye was the enormous hole for aftermarket CPU coolers. Extra holes are also found around the tray for installing risers to support ATX, eATX, mATX, and SSI EEB motherboards. Many openings can also be found around the motherboard tray for cable management convenience, and more can be found behind the reservoir bracket.
From this angle, we can see two 140mm fans pre-installed near the CPU socket area for exhaust. As aforementioned, up to three 140mm or four 120mm fans can be installed at the top, while the back can support a 120mm fan in addition to the 140mm fan included. Both these areas can accommodate 120mm radiators, while the top supports 420mm or 480mm. Considering this is such a large case, I expect it to have more than enough space to accommodate such hardware, including oversized high-performance air cooling units. There are also many openings with rubber grommets around the motherboard tray, including the ones hidden behind the reservoir bracket, so there should be no problems tidying up all the cables. You can see from the photo above the cables for the two fans are fitted through the closest opening, which shows Phanteks' emphasis on keeping a tidy system. Furthermore, you will see later on this page Phanteks put an enormous amount of attention in this area; again, no pun intended.
Turning our attention to the bottom of the case, we see even more cable management openings alongside a dual power supply bay. Follow to what I have pointed out earlier, a power supply can either be fitted behind or in front of the motherboard tray. For cable enthusiasts such as Yours Truly, I prefer to have my power supply behind, so there is one less thing visible from the viewer's perspective. Instead of having the power supply in front, I mounted an additional fan on the bottom for extra airflow. Those who need some serious power overkill have the option of installing a secondary power supply, or plug in a secondary exhaust fan for the less extreme. This area can also accommodate a 480mm or 280mm radiator. For water cooling enthusiasts out there, this means that there are lots of space to keep your system temperature in check. Talk about space! However, some people may complain this case is too large. I must say it is designed for people who want to push the limits, and you would not be able to do so if it was not for such a large chassis. The Phanteks Enthoo Primo White is definitely designed for people who want everything in a computer tower, regardless of size.
From the photo above, we can see the reservoir bracket with the cable management openings behind it. Additionally, there are five slots for 5.25" drives with additional openings. Phanteks is really giving the end user many options in terms of using this space for water cooling reservoirs. Below this are two racks; each can house three 3.5" drives. These drive racks can also be rotated for more space on the other side. This allows the end user to install yet another radiator up to 240mm in size. If you are trying to build a system with the coolest temperature, the Phanteks Enthoo Primo is definitely something worth considering for your next shopping list. For those who are still concerned about internal space, the hard drive racks can be fully removed, and the back offers three more spots for installing SSDs as storage, giving you massive amounts of room to work with. How does that sound in terms of flexibility?
There are also two 140mm fans next to the hard drive racks, which bumps the total fan count to five. If you simply want better airflow, you can leave the hard drive racks out. This configuration will then allow you to install another radiator up to 240mm in size -- and yes, you can fit up to five fairly large radiators in your system for your pleasure. Use this as a gaming rig? Sure thing. Need it for cooling four graphics cards in SLI for graphics rendering? Not a problem. The Phanteks Enthoo Primo White can take pretty much almost anything you throw at it.
Finally, turning out attention to the back, Phanteks has taken the liberty to manage all the cables behind the motherboard tray in a very organized and tidy fashion, which reminds me of the Fractal Design Define R5 reviewed by my colleague Jonathan Kwan, except with a lot more space. This is also the side that many people do not pay much attention to, since cables are hidden from sight most of the time. In my opinion, this is also one of the most important parts, and is extremely fundamental to good cabling. This is especially true for the Enthoo Primo, as there is a good amount of clearance between the back of the motherboard tray and the side panel, even with additional cables routed through. I have seen many chassis -- some of which we have reviewed here at APH Networks -- where space is very limited in this area, and force is required in order to hold down and keep the panel in place. This gives many users grief and frustration especially when connecting everything up. This is definitely not an issue for the Enthoo Primo.
You can see the power supply bay from the photo angle above, while there are three slots for installing SSDs, two of which come with SSD trays. Taking a closer look, each tray can accommodate two SSDs. Technically speaking, you can install up to six SSDs, given you have enough trays, and plenty cash in your pocket.
Before we move onto the actual build itself, there are a couple of things I want to mention. All of the I/O connector cables are top notch, and there are Velcro straps all around for cable management. A dust filter is attached magnetically to the side panel to keep nasty stuff from entering the power supply installed behind. A removable panel is also found on the same side, which can be swapped out to allow ventilation for users who choose to install additional hardware. There is even an extra controller to accommodate all those fans that may be installed in your system!
One last thing to mention is Phanteks has put a lot of attention into building this case, as seen by the quality of the panels, cabling options, and how everything fit together seamlessly. Dust filters are where they should be, including the top for keeping out settling dust while maintaining good airflow. This is a really awesome full tower, but if you have limited space in your house, then you are looking at the wrong class of products. The only real concern, especially for silent PC enthusiasts, is the Enthoo Primo does not include sound dampening material. Because this case has so many options to install fans, which will increase the noise level as the number of fans installed increases, it would have been great to have at least some material to keep sound emissions in check.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
