Phanteks shows off an interesting $100 case, a dual-chamber aquarium concept chassis, an AIO liquid cooler with a built-in VRM fan, and more
The Highlights
- The Eclipse G400A is the successor to Phanteks’ P400A case and features a heavily molded and shaped front panel
- The Evolv X2 is a dual-chamber aquarium concept case with 3 fans on top of its PSU shroud
- ST4 DRGB Air Cooler is a single-fan air cooler with 4 heat pipes that will retail between $30-$40
- The Glacier One M25G2 360 AIO is Phanteks’ liquid cooler with a built-in downdraft fan for VRM cooling
Table of Contents
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Intro
Phanteks had several new products to show at Computex 2024. Highlights include the company’s upcoming $100 Eclipse G400A case, a prototype for its dual-chamber aquarium concept chassis, a budget air cooler, and an AIO liquid cooler with a built-in downdraft fan for VRM cooling. Let’s dive in.
Editor's note: This was originally published on June 8, 2024 as a video. This content has been adapted to written format for this article and is unchanged from the original publication.
Credits
Host, Writing
Steve Burke
Editing, Video
Mike Gaglione
Video Editing
Vitalii Makhnovets
Writing, Web Editing
Jimmy Thang
Eclipse G400A/Eclipse G400N
We kick things off with the Eclipse G400. It’s the successor to the P400A (watch our review) and there will be two variants: the $100 G400A and the $130 G400N, the latter of which will have 2 tempered glass side panels and comes with a cable comb cover over the cable management system and a controller on the back.
Both versions will come with 4 pre-installed 140mm fans with 3 in the front and 1 in the back.
What makes the case unique is that it features a heavily molded and shaped front panel, which is designed to prevent the re-circulation of air. The Bitfenix Enso (watch our review) was a notably bad offender here, where the case would basically suck the air back out after it had been heated and recirculate it through the case.
The case will come with an ultra fine mesh magnetic front panel. It will also come with a mesh panel dust filter that will have up to 20-25mm of space behind the front panel. This spacing should, in theory, cut down on issues relating to blocking performance and noise.
Phanteks has a couple top-mounted fan options on the power supply shroud. Its closest competition here would be the Lian Li Lancool 207, which we recently covered at Computex, because it moves the power supply to the bottom front of the case and has ventilation on both sides of the chassis. Phantek has its PSU in a more traditional location here but also has perforated sides for where the PSU shroud is.
The Eclipse G400 also has an RGB strip on its PSU shroud.
Inside the back of the case feels fairly standard but it does include a cable management channel.
Evolv X2
Next up is a concept for a case called the Evolv X2. It’s a dual-chamber aquarium concept that has been shrunken down to a more normal foot print. It has 3 fans mounted on top of the power supply shroud and, visually, it reminded us a lot of NVIDIA’s Founder’s Edition shroud design, though this isn’t done and is subject to change. Phanteks does intend the base to be made of aluminum, however.
The power supply location itself has been sunken and shifted a little bit to allow more intake for the fans at the bottom of the case.
The case comes with a stand that gives it some elevation with a plastic bottom. Its back panel has punched-out channels for cabling, which reminds us of an ant farm.
The Evolv X2 will also have back-connect motherboard support. Phanteks is aiming for a roughly $150 price point and a Q4 release.
ST4 DRGB Air Cooler
Phanteks is releasing a budget single-tower, single-fan air cooler with its ST4 DRGB. It’s a budget cooler targeting the $30-$40 price point. Its main competition in this price range would come from Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 120, which is a dual-fan solution that costs around $34 and is one to beat. ID Cooling also has some unfathomably cheap solutions as well.
The ST4 DRGB uses a 4-heat-pipe design and pretty standard direct contact cold plate.
It uses one of Phanteks’ new interlocking fans, which makes it unique as it twists into place and requires a screw to anchor it in place. The unit we saw featured a 3D-printed plastic spring on the bottom for the fan to sit down onto and twist into place, but that design is subject to change.
From a looks perspective, we’re not big on the overhanging plastic on the edges of the cooler. Phanteks could try to pull the plastic down further to encase the heat sink but that poses some thermal problems.
The ST4 DRGB is set to launch in late Q3.
Glacier One M25G2 360 AIO
Phanteks showed off its upcoming Glacier One M25G2 360 AIO liquid cooler which features a downdraft fan for VRM cooling and has some molded channels to guide airflow.
The top of the VRM fan comes off. The version we saw, which isn’t final, features 3 screw points. It also uses a 3-pin cable.
The Glacier One M25G2 360 AIO uses a standard thickness radiator and standard thickness 25mm fans. It is set to launch late Q3.
Interconnecting fans
Phanteks also showed off its updated interconnecting fan solution. It daisy chains fans and has a channel that hides cables. A pack of 3 will cost $30 and the fans interlock with some plastic molded-in clips. This is a cheaper option compared to more expensive solutions like Phanteks’ own D30 fans that include separate PCBs that bridge between fans and use pins and pads to connect everything. Like the ST4 DRGB air cooler, they do have overhang screw holes at the end of them.