Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
Like previous Phanteks chassis reviewed here at APH Networks, we were stoked to pull everything out of the box. As with the Enthoo Pro M, Phanteks did not fail to deliver great first impressions. To start off, the Enthoo Pro M has a large acrylic window to display all you fancy hardware, which is definitely a big plus for me. I have been looking for something like this for a long time in addition to its great interior layout, which you will see later in this review (Queue the glorious and heavenly angel sound). This case is perfect in size and looks in my opinion. It is not as big as the Enthoo Primo, nor is it as small as many of the mATX or mITX chassis we have reviewed. It measures in at 235mm in width, 480mm in height, and 500mm in depth. At the same time, it tacks on great looks with a clean overall design and a large, clear window I have been very excited to see. In essence, I consider this a fusion between a clean design from a Fractal Design case with hints of great appeal from something designed by In Win. Phanteks would be one company I would put my money on when it comes to great case design.
Although the front panel is made out of plastic, it is solidly built, and does not feel flimsy when being handled. It is equipped with a filter and ventilation to give you the option of a front mounted radiator or a set fans; giving added cooling power while keeping out the nasty dust. Two 5.25" bays are situated at the top. This should be more than sufficient for housing most standard accessories. When not in use, you can always stick the cover back on, keeping the clean design. Furthermore, you will be provided with two standard USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm audio jacks, and a reset button. As for the acrylic side panel, it is held in by four thumbscrews. It would have been nice if Phanteks could implement thumbnuts instead, where the threads extend out from the frame of the chassis, as could be seen on a case like the In Win 904 Plus reviewed by my colleague Aaron Lai. This would allow the end user to hold the side panel in its respective place without having to guess where the hole is when screwing in the thumbscrews. Even so, I have to commend Phanteks for designing the frame well enough that the window sits exactly where it should. When you have the chassis lying on its side with the window almost aligned, wiggling the window slightly will usually fit and align all the holes with almost no effort.
The top features your power button and a magnetic dust filter. Other than these two features, there is really nothing more to note here, physically speaking. You may have noticed this panel does not have thumbscrews holding it in, and Phanteks has a good reason for that. Yes, there is a bracket to mount a radiator, but the Enthoo Pro M has a small secret. The bracket can actually be removed via two screws along the top edge. This can be accessed after the acrylic window has been removed.
Turning our attention to the back, we can see a standard layout for most mid-tower of this range. From top down, we have the standard rear 140mm exhaust next to the I/O opening for the motherboard. If need be, the 140mm fan can be swapped out for a 120mm fan. Moving downwards, we have seven expansion slots, extra ventilation holes, and the opening for the power supply. Thumbscrews can be seen holding in the back panel.
The bottom does not feature anything out of the ordinary, either. You will find a removable dust filter covering the ventilation for the power supply, and four rubberized plastic feet to allow cool air to flow from the bottom while dampening any vibrations. The feet provide approximately 1 cm rise over the surface it resides on. If you plan on removing the bottom mounted hard drive cage on the inside, this would be the area to access the screws that are holding it down. Additionally, there is a hole near the front for ventilation, and also serves as a place to easily pull the front panel off for any reason.
Generally speaking, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M is a very good mid-tower chassis in terms of build quality. All the panels fit together well, with the exception of the top panel, which can be excused. The reason being is because the Enthoo Pro M we received was a unit from Phanteks' first batch of cases, with some minor fine tuning on the manufacturing side that have yet to be done. This should not be an issue for any future units produced. Otherwise, the amount of attention to detail is noticeable, and that is always nice to see from Phanteks. The only real concern, especially for silent PC enthusiasts, is the Enthoo Pro M does not include sound dampening material. It would have been great to have at least some material to keep sound emissions in check. However, I do not expect this in a budget friendly case such as the unit we have here.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
