Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX airflow worth?

[_Hustler_One_]

Regardless of its awesome looks, is Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX airflow worth to get for ITX build? Or there is a better good looking airflow ITX case?

[TVwazhere]

9 minutes ago, _Hustler_One_ said:

there is a better good looking airflow ITX case?

There are better Airflow ITX cases similar to the Evolv ITX

 

NZXT H200i

Fractal design Nano S

Thermaltake Core V1

Silverstone SG13B

In Win A1

[_Hustler_One_]

8 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

There are better Airflow ITX cases similar to the Evolv ITX

 

NZXT H200i

Fractal design Nano S

Thermaltake Core V1

Silverstone SG13B

In Win A1

Sweet..

Based on your recommendations, we down to this:

 

- NZXT H200i - is a really gorgeous ITX case but it costs way above targeted budget I would spend. (Not an alternative)

- Fractal design Nano S - same style, costs within the targeted budget range, but looks is not better than Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX, regarding the airflow I will read some reviews asap. (Considering as alternative)

- Thermaltake Core V1 - cubical design style is out of my taste.. (Not an alternative)

- Silverstone SG13B - same as Thermaltake Core V1, the design style turns me off.. (Not an alternative)

- In Win A1 - beautiful design but unavailable in my country.. (Not an alternative)

 

So the Choice is between Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX vs Fractal design Nano S, Fractal is at lower price, but Phanteks disign takes my breath away. Airflow needs to be compared how is Fractal airflow significantly better than Phanteks, if it's reasonable enough to ignore the thermal performance margin, then I would choose Phanteks, otherwise I'll choose Fractal.

[TVwazhere]

5 minutes ago, _Hustler_One_ said:

- NZXT H200i - 

Sorry, I meant NZXT H200. The one without the I, it costs around the same price as the rest. The i is for the machine learning smart hub and proprietary LED software.

 

What country are you in?

[_Hustler_One_]

13 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Sorry, I meant NZXT H200. The one without the I, it costs around the same price as the rest. The i is for the machine learning smart hub and proprietary LED software.

 

What country are you in?

Oops.. Funny thing is NZXT H200 is unavailable but NZXT H200i is available here instead in my country, Indonesia.

NZXT H200i here costs ~150 USD, while Phanteks costs ~93 USD.

 

Could you link me to any thermal performance review of Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX vs Fractal design Nano S???

[TVwazhere]

1 minute ago, _Hustler_One_ said:

Oops.. Funny thing is NZXT H200 is unavailable but NZXT H200i is available here instead in my country, Indonesia.

NZXT H200i here costs ~150 USD, while Phanteks costs ~93 USD.

 

Could you link me to any thermal performance review of Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX vs Fractal design Nano S???

Ah, thats a shame. Yeah I would never recommend the i version based on price.  

 

Evolv ITX

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1457-page6.html

Quote

The results of our initial load tests are fairly discouraging. No matter what speed the system fan is set to, a high video card fan speed is required to keep the GPU at a modest 85°C, resulting in loud operation between 29 and 30 dBA@1m. What's more, after a certain point, increasing the speed of the front fan no longer improves performance. The level of cooling at the 80% and 100% settings are virtually identical.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Enthoo Evolv ITX is an attempt by Phanteks at a budget mini-ITX tower for enthusiasts but it sadly can't provide enough airflow to succeed. The front panel allows fresh air to enter through moderately-sized slits on the sides but it's simply not enough. As a result, the giant fan, which could have been a killer feature, is crippled. With the system starved for airflow, our GTX 980 had to run at fairly high fan speeds to keep it adequately cooled on load. I can only imagine how a more power hungry 250W+ card would fare under the same conditions. An exhaust fan would certainly help but the fact a single 200 mm fan isn't sufficient is indicative of a critically flawed design. Ventilation is such a problem that even moving a hard drive an inch closer to the underside of the video card caused a substantial cooling deficit

Nano S (Well, they reviewed the ATX version of the case anyways. Take that for what you will. I personally think it's a fairly good comparison)

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1456-page6.html

Quote

The results of our load tests are surprisingly linear compared to other cases. As the system fan speeds are increased, CPU and motherboard temperatures go down (the SSHD, being relatively isolated isn't effected by anything), and noise levels go up, even though improved cooling allows the GPU fans to be slowed down. Either the 60% or 80% system fan speed level can be considered the sweet spot depending on whether cooling or noise is a priority. Personally, I'd go with the quieter 60% setting as its rare for a case to stay below the 24 dBA@1m mark with our test parameters.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Define S is an unusual alteration to the R5. A lower cost, simplified version that lacks a few nonessential features like the fan controller, extra front USB ports, and side panel locking mechanisms is understandable, but this doesn't completely jibe with the focus on watercooling. Taking out drive cages to make room for custom loop components makes sense, but enthusiasts who pursue this line of cooling have reasonably deep pockets so cutting extras to save a mere US$30 is unnecessary. And if Fractal Design truly wanted to make a more watercooling-friendly tower, they would have also added some more room up top to allow for thicker, ceiling-mounted radiators, as that position offers more open airflow than the front. [Editor's Note: But a real change in the height of the case would have required retooling, which is no piffling expense.]

 

So the Define S Series cools beter than the Evolv Series, by a significant margin (The Evolv ATX case has the same issues if you were wondering) so it comes down to if you care enough about the performance difference. Personally I'd never go with an Evolv case since the airflow i n them is so crippled, even the newest Evolv X still has bad airflow IMO.

[_Hustler_One_]

2 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Ah, thats a shame. Yeah I would never recommend the i version based on price.  

 

Evolv ITX

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1457-page6.html

Nano S (Well, they reviewed the ATX version of the case anyways. Take that for what you will. I personally think it's a fairly good comparison)

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1456-page6.html

 

So the Define S Series cools beter than the Evolv Series, by a significant margin (The Evolv ATX case has the same issues if you were wondering) so it comes down to if you care enough about the performance difference. Personally I'd never go with an Evolv case since the airflow i n them is so crippled, even the newest Evolv X still has bad airflow IMO.

What do you think if we swap the included single 200mm front intake fan in Evolv ITX with 2x140mm pressure fans? Dou you think it will close the gap?

[TVwazhere]

Just now, _Hustler_One_ said:

What do you think if we swap the included single 200mm front intake fan in Evolv ITX with 2x140mm pressure fans? Dou you think it will close the gap?

It would help airflow, but not a significant amount in my mind.The root cause is still there, no matter what fans you use  

[_Hustler_One_]

17 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

It would help airflow, but not a significant amount in my mind.The root cause is still there, no matter what fans you use  

What an unfortunate seeing that the front panel of Evolv ITX is the feature that makes it has good-looking but it kills the airflow itself..

 

Thanks for the inputs.. That's mean to me alot..

 

I'm looking to have an ITX PC as my 2nd custom build. Still need more considerations to choose between these 2 ITX cases, Evolv ITX or Nano S.

Aside of the cases, is there any Z370 ITX motherboard that has M.2 ports for M.2 type SSDs and integrated WiFi receiver?

[TVwazhere]

19 minutes ago, _Hustler_One_ said:

Aside of the cases, is there any Z370 ITX motherboard that has M.2 ports for M.2 type SSDs and integrated WiFi receiver?

They all do, every single one AFAIK. 

 

Some are hidden on the back, like the AsRock Fatal1ty

[_Hustler_One_]

2 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

They all do, every single one AFAIK. 

 

Some are hidden on the back, like the AsRock Fatal1ty

Sweet, let me check for another alternatives.. Or can you recommend some other?

[_Hustler_One_]

1 hour ago, TVwazhere said:

Ah, thats a shame. Yeah I would never recommend the i version based on price.  

 

Evolv ITX

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1457-page6.html

Nano S (Well, they reviewed the ATX version of the case anyways. Take that for what you will. I personally think it's a fairly good comparison)

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1456-page6.html

 

So the Define S Series cools beter than the Evolv Series, by a significant margin (The Evolv ATX case has the same issues if you were wondering) so it comes down to if you care enough about the performance difference. Personally I'd never go with an Evolv case since the airflow i n them is so crippled, even the newest Evolv X still has bad airflow IMO.

Does ITX case need certain type/size of PSU or uses same ATX PSU?

[TVwazhere]

59 minutes ago, _Hustler_One_ said:

Does ITX case need certain type/size of PSU or uses same ATX PSU?

Depends on the case. Many including the two you chose use standard ATX PSU's, but some like the Fractal Design Node 202 use something called SFX PXU's which are "small form factor".

 

In your case *badum tiss* any standard ATX psu you choose should fit.

[_Hustler_One_]

5 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Depends on the case. Many including the two you chose use standard ATX PSU's, but some like the Fractal Design Node 202 use something called SFX PXU's which are "small form factor".

 

In your case *badum tiss* any standard ATX psu you choose should fit.

OK, thanks for all your inputs.. It really helps..

[_Hustler_One_]

19 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

Ah, thats a shame. Yeah I would never recommend the i version based on price.  

 

Evolv ITX

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1457-page6.html

Nano S (Well, they reviewed the ATX version of the case anyways. Take that for what you will. I personally think it's a fairly good comparison)

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1456-page6.html

 

So the Define S Series cools beter than the Evolv Series, by a significant margin (The Evolv ATX case has the same issues if you were wondering) so it comes down to if you care enough about the performance difference. Personally I'd never go with an Evolv case since the airflow i n them is so crippled, even the newest Evolv X still has bad airflow IMO.

Decicion has been made.

After extended research and educate myself about both ITX cases, finally I will get the Fractal Define Nano S as my ITX build case of choice. I just can't ignore its value, Nano S airflow is much better and its local price is lower than Evolv ITX. Nano S has bottom intake fan option to enhance the GPU cooling.

 

Thanks for all your inputs.. It helps me alot!

[layarion]

read through this thread because i'm used to ATX air builds, looking into mITX for the first time. Gotta say, picking a case seems to be the the hardest thing about this, second being if i want to give up my nh-d15 for water cooling. which i don't because i spent money on the d15, it works well and i don't want to deal with the noise water cooling adds.

anyway this thread was a help, especially the bits about airflow, it steered me away from the Evolv and to the nano. gonna just compare nano to the h210 now. 

[Timbermaniac]

On 9/24/2018 at 1:01 AM, _Hustler_One_ said:

Oops.. Funny thing is NZXT H200 is unavailable but NZXT H200i is available here instead in my country, Indonesia.

NZXT H200i here costs ~150 USD, while Phanteks costs ~93 USD.

 

Could you link me to any thermal performance review of Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX vs Fractal design Nano S???

Funny thing, i live in indonesia and both h200 & inwin a1 is available at low price. And now, we have evlov shift air available right now

[TVwazhere]

On 9/21/2019 at 8:20 PM, layarion said:

read through this thread because i'm used to ATX air builds, looking into mITX for the first time. Gotta say, picking a case seems to be the the hardest thing about this, second being if i want to give up my nh-d15 for water cooling. which i don't because i spent money on the d15, it works well and i don't want to deal with the noise water cooling adds.

anyway this thread was a help, especially the bits about airflow, it steered me away from the Evolv and to the nano. gonna just compare nano to the h210 now. 

NH-FD15, and "Small" are sadly non synonymous. However, the Nano S should still fit the NH-D15, as the 163mm listed height is to the top of the front fan (which is rasied slightly to meet RAM requirments) if you use low profile ram, you might be able to lowere it down to the 160mm height of the tower itself. 

 

Sourrces:

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/VH2rxr#h=14,209,550,370 (Windowed version)

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/7d98TW#h=14,209,370 (Solid panel version)