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Review on Phanteks PH EC500ATG_BK01 Full Metal Mid Tower Tempered by Marcus Chavva

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Phanteks has created another winning case!

My first Phanteks case for the last 3 years was the famous Evolv ATX which I have modified heavily for both airflow and looks and it has been a great case for the last 3 years . But lately I've had an update error due to the COVID lockdown and needed a new case project to keep busy and stay sane. still made sense. But due to the Covid situation the wait for the delivery from China was very long on the ship but in the end my patience paid off and I was very happy to retire my Evolv ATX with a new sexy white p500A. Complete my "Blizzacron" case to prepare for Cyberpunk 2077! ADVANTAGES: 1. Fantastic air cooling thanks to the new metal grille supported by many sites such as HardwareCanuk and Gamers Nexus.2. The metal mesh is damn good at filtering out dust and hair, and it's so easy to clean that there's no need to remove a filter, just wipe with a damp paper towel. Cat owners like me rejoice!3. The onboard RGB model with DRGB is very well done by any measure and has been my main selling point. It can also be controlled via the mobo 5v RGB connector. The 'Knight Rider' flick I'm citing looks damn smooth in motion. The cable routing integrated into the housing all the way around the side walls5 is fantastic and very simple. The white finish looks great. USB 3.1 Type A and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C ports are great for the future7. Mounting the power supply through the back panel with the power supply bracket is MUCH easier!8. Airflow on the back and top of the case is great thanks to the open grille integrated into the metal of the case. Drivers will love this case9. No more screws to access the glass panel! Thank God! The hinged glass door is very pretty and the magnets are very strong to keep it closed to the case. CONS: 1. Standard Phantek RGB fans have 3 pins, NOT 4 pins2. The stock Phantek RGB fans get very loud above 60% RPM. KitGuru/Hardware Canuuk's reviews also confirm this3. No fan control included? Cmon Phanteks, that's just not acceptable for this price range. Most buyers would be happy to spend an extra $5-$10 to make this possible, especially since the stock intake fans are 3 PINs and the mobo fan headers are limited. Boo-hiss for that pathetic decision paintwork quality control. My first P500A had very poor white balance on the back, like the factory painted over the 'wrong' paint job and it looked like hell and had to be returned. YMMV5. The plastic cable cover sliders are a total joke and can VERY easily pinch/damage the fan cable if you're not careful what you're doing. I prefer silicone holes like my EVOLV ATX has6. No silicone/foam PSU mounting points on the bottom of the case? Again, come on Phantek, it's another total penny squeeze. I had to add my own to reduce the vibration of the PSU inside the case7. No HDD/SDD activity indicator? approx. kmon Fantex, seriously?

Pros
  • Great price
Cons
  • Big and bulky