What? Phanteks ITX Rig is EVOLV'ing!

[SPARTAN VI]

(Hopefully the Pokemon reference came through)

 

So in a round-about way, I decided to upgrade my wife's i5-3570K machine by giving her the bulk of my i7-6700 Phanteks EVOLV ITX rig, then building a Ryzen 7 3700X EVOLV ITX machine from scratch. We're saving for a house, so I had a bit of a shoestring budget. The plan was to stay as close as possible to the i7-6700 build so I could combine the parts bins and swap pieces in case the need arose (foreshadowing: the need arose), then eventually hand-down the 3700X to the wifey as Ryzen 4000 rolls out. 
 

Here's the build with pre-tax and pre-rebate prices, items marked $0 were taken from my existing i7-6700 rig. I was able to save $50 on the CPU+Mobo combo by shopping at MicroCenter. Saved about $20 on the PSU, another $20 on the memory, and expecting a $20 rebate all because of a Newegg 20% sale on their eBay store. All in all, I feel I did a pretty good job bargain hunting and stretched every dollar:

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
Case	Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX TG Mini ITX Desktop Case	$79.99 @ Newegg Business
Videocard	RTX 3070 Founders Edition	Purchased For $560.00
SSD	Crucial P1 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD	Purchased For $0.00
CPU	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X	Purchased For $329.99
Motherboard	ASRock B450 Fatal1ty ITX/AC	Purchased For $59.99
PSU	SeaSonic PRIME Ultra Gold 550W	Purchased For $86.99
Memory	G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200	Purchased For $54.99
Storage	Seagate FireCuda 2TB SSHD	Purchased For $0.00
Storage	Seagate FireCuda 2TB SSHD	Purchased For $0.00
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1011.95
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-08-04 22:50 EDT-0400

(Photo is not updated for CURRENT parts, not the part list above)

 

Photo below is current, not what was in the original build (for people who do not wish to follow along the entire journey)

 

Everything came in last Sunday, but I needed a bootkit from AMD to get Ryzen 3000 microcode support on my B450 board. I wasn't able to begin my build until this past Thursday... when tragedy struck...

[SPARTAN VI]

So I finally have all my parts in one spot, the kids are napping, and the UEFI has been updated to support Ryzen 3000. Great. Start the build with the tried and true method of using the motherboard box as a test bench. Everything is humming along until I got to the damned Wraith Prism latching lever mechanism. The motherfucker does NOT want to budge. 

 

I know I'm not a complete idiot. I've built dozens upon dozens of gaming rigs, both Intel and AMD, over the past 20 years. I reseat it, change orientation, reseat it again, nothing I do will make the lever budge beyond 30 degrees or so. So finally, I relent and decide to watch a goddamn YouTube video, which only confirmed my suspicions that only my Wraith Prism is a stubborn prick. Frustrated and a little clammy, I incrementally apply pressure on the lever until I'm basically at full force. You'll never guess what happened next:

 

 

Or maybe you did guess? Yep, I've now a copper/aluminum/plastic paperweight called a Wraith Prism.

 

Fired AMD a warranty ticket and within a couple of days they approve to ship a replacement. It's still not here. Fast forward to today... kids are napping and I've got time. Rummaged through my old parts and find a dilapidated Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition HTPC build I put together a little over 10 years ago. Cha-ching! This thing has an AM3 heatsink that looks like it was unearthed in an archaeological dig, but it fits the Athlon 200GE bootkit loaner, so I threw it on the 3700X as well.

 

Behold all this sexy, gents:

 

Yeah, that's two copper heatpipes boys. It kept my Ryzen 3700X idling at 42C in Win10. And here's a quick comparison of the various heatsinks I had on hand.

 

 

Top: "Free" Wraith Prism (fukt lever)

Middle: Mystery cooler from Phenom II X3 720 BE build

Bottom: All aluminum loser from Athlon 200GE bootkit loaner

 

Comfortable that the CPU is sufficiently cooled, unboxing of the Phanteks EVOLV Tempered Glass ITX can finally begin. Wait... what's this? They didn't include an intake 200mm fan as they did in prior non-TG SKUs? That's an awful surprise, but my "interchangeable parts" plan has already started to bear fruit! I just so happened to have a spare Phanteks 200mm intake fan from an RMA 3 years ago! 
 

 

Wait... what's this? Their accessory box is just a cardboard box with a baggy of loose screws? THEY DIDNT EVEN INCLUDE SCREWS TO MOUNT THE 200MM FAN?!?! 

Old SKU included a branded container for accessories, new TG SKU includes cheap cardboard box with baggies. Thanks Phanteks...

 

Anyway, I hop over to my i7-6700 rig and take a couple of donor screws from the front 200mm intake and use it to mount the spare 200mm fan on the new tempered glass case. Can always order more screws later so each have 4, but this will work fine for now. 

 

 

Ah... finally assembled. Took a break... and a picture. Migrating my drives is next, and not looking forward to it. 

 

 

 

[SPARTAN VI]

The HSF cooler I took off the Phenom II is extremely loud. It sounds like a blow dryer and I'm not even exaggerating. So how does this look for its replacement?

 

 

Just kidding... Anyway, it's time to migrate drives. The patients have been sedated, and the doctor is in.

 

 

My Wraith Prism came in from RMA, and it went on so easily that it confirms my suspicions that something was wrong with the lever/mechanism on the original unit. All said and done, here's where I stand currently (using my old GTX 1080 ITX in this shot):

 

 

So, LTT community: any suggestions? I'm looking into 2x 120mm or 2x140mm exhaust fans for the top of the case, then I'd flip the rear fan to intake to keep positive pressure. Also considering re-routing the USB cable to the grommet on the right instead of the bottom to eliminate the criss-cross. But there's still this huge dead space on the right side there. 

[peger]

1 hour ago, SPARTAN VI said:

 

 But there's still this huge dead space on the right side there. 

It looks like a good place to put a disk there. Maybe put  SSD there.

On 8/5/2019 at 5:35 AM, SPARTAN VI said:

Bottom: All aluminum loser from Athlon 200GE bootkit loaner

It looks like something I got with mine r5 3600 .

[SiCkHiTrEg]

Copper just looks so sweet.  I think my next build will be with copper tubing.

[SPARTAN VI]

Did a couple upgrades since this was posted. Had a RX 5700 XT (reference) for about a month before I put that into my wife's rig, then upgraded to a Zotac RTX 2070 Super Twin Fan, then cooled it with a Kraken G12 and Corsair H50 that I had lying around. Also swapped out the G.Skill DDR4-3200 CL16 for Patriot Viper DDR4-3600 CL17 memory, and gave my G.Skill kit to my dad for his Ryzen 3700X build.

 

This photo is a little outdated, there's a 120mm Phanteks fan attached to the 120mm radiator, and I moved the radiator a bit to ease the bends in my tubing. It's now a cooler and quieter little machine: 

 

[SPARTAN VI]

Update today. Found a local deal for a Dark Rock Pro 4 for $50, basically brand new, so I jumped on it. Also swapped out the Patriot Viper DDR4-3600 kit for 32GB of Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600. I was actually saturating my memory between my editing and gaming use. Anyway, I did not like that the "Be Quiet" logo became the centerpiece when looking through the window though, so I set out to create a custom Ryzen badge for it.

 

• Started off on Etsy, but the badges there were too small to cover the logo (about 3cm wide), so I sketched up a similar badge in CAD:
  
   
• Then I 3D printed it with my Elegoo Mars SLA resin printer:
  
   
• Then I painted it with some Vallejo game color paints, sealed it with Plastidip Metalizer, and used automotive 3M tape to attach it to the DRP4. Also threw in some CableMod ModMesh cables while I was in there. Tried to move the 140mm exhaust into the attic, but there's only enough room for 2x 120mm up there.
  

[Jason 57]

SO many cool changes!!!

 

This looks really great!

 

I guess I should keep my older PC parts. Oh wait! I do, even if I get called a pack rat/hoarder!! LMAO

[SPARTAN VI]

Not happy with my front intake setup. The 120mm radiator is blocking a bulk of the 200mm intake, but more importantly I can drop my GPU temps by as much as 20C just by removing the front panel. The case is hideous without the panel (exposed dust filter and LED wiring) so I've devised a case mod plan:

1. Order spare front panel from Phanteks.
2. Use hole saw to cut ~150mm hole in existing front panel. Sand the cut edges.
3. Use metal sheers to cut black stainless steel wire mesh and glue to 150mm hole in panel.
4. Attach ~160mm speaker grill to front panel to dress up the hole. Potentially paint it with metallic finish to match front panel finish.

Here's a quick photochop of what the final product might look like:

 

The beauty of this is that I can use virtually any 160mm speaker cover, so I still have some shopping around to do to find some designs that complement the octagonal edges of the Evolv Enthoo ITX. And if it all sucks, I have the spare panel to switch back to.

 

For example, here's another grill design I'm considering, but might be a little too busy.

[Jason 57]

4 hours ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Not happy with my front intake setup. The 120mm radiator is blocking a bulk of the 200mm intake, but more importantly I can drop my GPU temps by as much as 20C just by removing the front panel. The case is hideous without the panel (exposed dust filter and LED wiring) so I've devised a case mod plan:

1. Order spare front panel from Phanteks.
2. Use hole saw to cut ~150mm hole in existing front panel. Sand the cut edges.
3. Use metal sheers to cut black stainless steel wire mesh and glue to 150mm hole in panel.
4. Attach ~160mm speaker grill to front panel to dress up the hole. Potentially paint it with metallic finish to match front panel finish.

Here's a quick photochop of what the final product might look like:

 

The beauty of this is that I can use virtually any 160mm speaker cover, so I still have some shopping around to do to find some designs that complement the octagonal edges of the Evolv Enthoo ITX. And if it all sucks, I have the spare panel to switch back to.

 

For example, here's another grill design I'm considering, but might be a little too busy.

If you want some custom fan grills, I have seen some here. https://www.coldzero.eu/gallery

Especially if your going to mod the front yourself!!!

 

[SPARTAN VI]

6 hours ago, Jason 57 said:

If you want some custom fan grills, I have seen some here. https://www.coldzero.eu/gallery

Especially if your going to mod the front yourself!!!

 

Very tempted to get that custom Ryzen 140mm fan grill. Thanks!

[Xaiux]

20 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Very tempted to get that custom Ryzen 140mm fan grill. Thanks!

I got a custom front grill for my Prodigy from them, came quick and fit perfectly

[SPARTAN VI]

Phanteks customer service finally acknowledged my part request and completed the invoice for the front panel. Their office is right down the street from me, so last time I just walked in and they handed me the part. This time they only offered shipping due to COVID-19, so it was $15 + shipping + tax = $25 USD for the front panel alone. 

 

Parts were delivered yesterday. One of them was a 6.5 inch speaker grill, but I failed to read the specs because the bezel is actually just over 7 inches, which is slightly too large for the front panel (see below). So I returned it and ordered a pair of 5.5 inch speaker grills with 6 inch bezels. 

 

[SPARTAN VI]

As my luck would have it, Phanteks sent me the wrong panel.

 

I have the tempered glass (TG) version of this case, but they sent me the panel for the all-steel version. The two cases are nearly identical, except the LED channel for the front panel is slightly smaller on the all-steel version. This causes the panel to but up against the LED bracket on the TG version of this case (i.e. what I have). So I'd have to cut away at the channel to make the panel fit my TG case, which would lead to LED light bleeding around the edge, so I'm not keen on doing that. I took some pictures for the Phanteks rep when I noticed that someone at Phanteks had already  cut portions of the LED channel on the panel they sent me, but they just didn't cut the right sections (see picture). Probably realized the same thing I did, which was that the all-steel version wouldn't fit my case.

 

I've asked for them to resend the correct panel or to possibly organize a contactless method of me swapping out the panels, since their office is literally down the street from my home.. 

 

 

 

 

[SPARTAN VI]

Went ahead and started the mod anyway. The panel Phanteks sent me works since I could just transplant the steel insert over to the existing plastic panel if I badly screw anything up.

 

1. Started off by popping out the steel panel insert, then used calipers to ensure the grill bezel was centered. Taped the bezel to the steel, then traced it with a pencil. Clamped the steel to some wood I had nearby to give me a sturdy surface and a buffer just in case I punched through the steel.
   
    
2. Took out the hole saw and applied some oil to the steel panel. The blade is advertised as "carbon steel," but it didn't cut it (literally). 
   
    
3. Back-up plan was to use the tried and true rotary tool with a Dremel metal cutting blade. No surprise that it made short work of the steel:
   
    
4. Took about 5 minutes to finish the cut. The hole saw fail actually helped. It created channels which the dremel blade could easily follow, the thing naturally wanted to walk on me and almost walked across the bezel lines once (see the gash on the left). Next I popped the steel insert back into the plastic panel, then used a knife to trace and score the circle I just cut in the steel so I can create the same cut in the plastic panel. Hole saw gave me no problems cutting the plastic other than it spit bits of plastic EVERYWHERE.
   
    
5. Sanded the cut a bit on the steel and the plastic, but wasn't too worried since it would be covered by the bezel anyway. Test fitment of the bezel:
    
6. Bezel was way too glossy black, so I took it outside and hit it with a coat of black Plastidip, then 30 min later I gave it a coat of metalizer Plastidip.
    
7. Used some silicone adhesive to affix the grill, then automotive 3M tape to affix the bezel to the panel.
   

 

So that was an eventful Saturday morning/afternoon. How are the thermals? I ran OCCT for 10 minutes and measured the GPU temperature, cooldown for 2 minutes, then ran OCCT again for 10 minutes in the next configuration.
 

Original Panel = 73C

Panel Removed = 62C

Panel Modded = 63C

Panel w/ 3D printed stand-offs = 71C

 

Very pleased with the thermal results! Just 1C higher than no panel is better than I expected. Next step is to swap the 200mm fan with a Phanteks black 200mm fan so it doesn't show through the grill and dust filter. Also need to fill the screw holes with faux screws. I do not want to drill the steel again. Then I'll probably explore some alternate grill/bezel designs.

[HumdrumPenguin]

I love the case. I have the bigger brother Evolv-X. Temps are great on this thing.

[SPARTAN VI]

16 minutes ago, HumdrumPenguin said:

I love the case. I have the bigger brother Evolv-X. Temps are great on this thing.

I built my brother-in-law's gaming PC with the Evolv-X, which was the first Phanteks case I've worked with. I was so impressed with it that I bought 2 Evolv Enthoo ITX's expecting the same experience, but these are not quite Evolv-X's. 

[VeganJoy]

14 hours ago, SPARTAN VI said:

I built my brother-in-law's gaming PC with the Evolv-X, which was the first Phanteks case I've worked with. I was so impressed with it that I bought 2 Evolv Enthoo ITX's expecting the same experience, but these are not quite Evolv-X's. 

the matx evolv is the best one, and possibly the best matx case period. fits 2x 280mm rads, bunch of cooler clearance, good cable management, and the front panel is modifiable to alleviate the airflow issues. and the hinged glass window rocks! i wish the evolv atx didnt suck, and that there were more matx amd boards. i think ima end up getting a p500a since the evolv x is 200 bucks, and i wont need to mod the front panel. 

[SPARTAN VI]

Swapped the intake fan for an identical Phanteks 200mm fan, but black. Looks much cleaner now that you cannot see the fan through the intake grill. 

 

 

[SPARTAN VI]

All good things must come to an end, and this time the sun has set on the RTX 2070 Super's time in my rig. Fortunately, it gets to live on in my wife's PC, because daddy's got a new RTX 3070 Founders Edition! 

 

It practically fell on my lap; the seller only wanted MSRP + tax, so I didn't have to deal with a scalper. Thermals and noise are pleasantly better than expected, and there's the added bonus of freeing up that 200mm intake fan (now that the radiator's gone) to actually do some cooling on the rest of my components. Very satisfied. 

 

[shaz2sxy]

Great build, on a side note you can get a 12 pin VGA cable from Seasonic for free for your PSU and 3070FE

 

https://seasonic.com/request-12pin-cable?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=2a4953d1049e4a91ad91198d69ae60716ef26fa6-1605090448-0-ATR9paItO12HRTXWis360x3Fb5kMwvD74FDyLEaJ2s5MBdwwCC-EDHI3MzyCz0BkHVTnZQgcvtb8pD8Fovi8HHrQF45NkTGlpaNcEXptBtLu9Vnj7FnFR9_XmTriYhy3EwBX3t5BAllf7k7fmM1Az6t3V77-iM-aqYRAAVQ017wXfGxHP42MsIPdYay0SfqMxmCz06rw_uOiGyE_tJPPPQ2meKK-WI_d7TTPTRItMyWdsZk2RHrJ-TKba0NbqDOz0UtD2zsoKCUgmXfQY7bLsbRF7bOtgkuEwgYZViUOkkzr

 

[SPARTAN VI]

5 hours ago, shaz2sxy said:

Great build, on a side note you can get a 12 pin VGA cable from Seasonic for free for your PSU and 3070FE

 

https://seasonic.com/request-12pin-cable?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=2a4953d1049e4a91ad91198d69ae60716ef26fa6-1605090448-0-ATR9paItO12HRTXWis360x3Fb5kMwvD74FDyLEaJ2s5MBdwwCC-EDHI3MzyCz0BkHVTnZQgcvtb8pD8Fovi8HHrQF45NkTGlpaNcEXptBtLu9Vnj7FnFR9_XmTriYhy3EwBX3t5BAllf7k7fmM1Az6t3V77-iM-aqYRAAVQ017wXfGxHP42MsIPdYay0SfqMxmCz06rw_uOiGyE_tJPPPQ2meKK-WI_d7TTPTRItMyWdsZk2RHrJ-TKba0NbqDOz0UtD2zsoKCUgmXfQY7bLsbRF7bOtgkuEwgYZViUOkkzr

 

Nice call, but I cannot find my serial# since I had to cut out the UPC for the rebate. Unfortunately I didn't have the foresight to take a picture of the UPC like I usually do. 

[shaz2sxy]

48 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Nice call, but I cannot find my serial# since I had to cut out the UPC for the rebate. Unfortunately I didn't have the foresight to take a picture of the UPC like I usually do. 

Oh no, might be worth emailing them. Worth a try

[shaz2sxy]

49 minutes ago, SPARTAN VI said:

Nice call, but I cannot find my serial# since I had to cut out the UPC for the rebate. Unfortunately I didn't have the foresight to take a picture of the UPC like I usually do. 

Actually it should be on the psu aswell. On the label. I took a picture of that for mine

[shaz2sxy]

I've got my cable coming Monday