Review on Phanteks Enthoo Chassis Window PH ES614P_BK by Kevin Kue

I love everything about this case but the unit I bought has one major flaw. One of the reasons I chose this case is that it has a large fan in the front that circulates more air and cools. Unfortunately, the large front fan only spins up sporadically under load. Because the fan is obscured by a black screen and filters, I didn't notice this issue for several weeks after building my new system. When charging, the fan turns on only 50% of the time. This is eliminated by simply tapping the blade with your finger and the fan spins without issue for the duration of use. But once the computer shuts down and restarts, the fan doesn't always start, and if it doesn't start at boot, it won't start until I touch it with my finger. The problem is that I have to remove the front cover to touch it, which negates the fan filter function (making it bad and increasing the overall system noise). The fan seems smooth and unhindered when running, but it seems like it needs a big boost of power just to start. I have a new 500W PSU so that shouldn't be a problem. I even install a separate fan controller later to change the speed manually. Vain. After several weeks of testing and observing the fan in various configurations, the problem persisted. The fan only runs sporadically under load and needs a push to start (approx. 50% load). Then it was too late and too expensive to send it back. I had to permanently disable the fan for fear of a short circuit from a stuck fan. I also lubricated the fan rotor (although this is a brand new unit). Without change. Strangely, the fan feels very loose, but it's likely that the weight of the blades requires extra force to get it running. I don't know if this is a problem for others. I expect my particular device to have an unusual defect, although I can't imagine what, as the fan seems to spin freely at the slightest touch. Normally I would give such an experience 1 star. But the rest of the body is very good.