Introduction:
Hello to everyone in
VH land!
Today we are going to be reviewing an enclosure from
Enermax: the Enermax Phoenix,
to be exact. The
Phoenix enclosure comes in 2 color styles of black and silver,
and features a 250mm side panel fan. I really mean 250mm. That is correct: 250mm,
for the third time. This fan is also reversible and rated at 17db, and spinning
around 650RPMs. Some other features include tool-less clips for the drive bays
and expansion cards, along with the power/reset switch hidden behind a
door on top of the case. Also, a front aluminum bezel with some stylish
curves finishes everything off. Ok, that's enough chit chat from me... it's time to
review the case.
Specifications:
|
Type |
Mid Tower ATX |
|
Dimensions
|
D490xW200XH455mm |
|
Material
|
SECC |
|
Drive Bays
|
5.25" |
5
Expose |
|
3.5" |
5
(1expose/4 hidden) |
|
|
|
|
Motherboard
|
Standard P4 ATX (12" x 9.6") |
|
Micro ATX (9.6" x 9.6") |
|
|
|
Power Supply
|
PS2 |
|
Front I/O
Interface |
1x
e-SATA, 2x USB 2.0, Audio I/O |
|
Cooling Fan |
Front |
120/90/80 mm (optional) |
|
Rear |
120/90/80 mm (optional) |
| |
|
|
Side |
250mm monster fan with reversibe switch
|
|
Expansion slots
|
7
|
Features:
|
 |
3.0mm diamond-cut and
hair-brushed aluminum |
|
|
First micro dust filter
removable at front |
|
|
2 aluminum CD-ROM flip
covers integrated |
|
|
2 x USB, Audio I/O
on-top for the easiest
access |
|
|
Tool-free drive bays and
removable HDD cage |
|
|
12cm fan slots in front
and rear for silent
cooling |
|
|
Next generation external
SATA port on top
(optional) |
|
|
Intel CAG v1.1 Air
Duct(ECA3090, ECA3091) |
|
|
12cm blue LED fan in
front included (ECA3090,
ECA3091) |
|
|
See-through side panel
(ECA3091) |
|
|
25cm monster fan with
airflow direction change
for supreme cooling
(ECA3092) |
|
|
|
Package:
Retail box |
Features |
Shipping foam |
The packing box for the
Phoenix is not covered in flashy bright colors, but instead they use the brown
box method. Which to me is fine; I don't need to see all those flashy colors on
the box to help me make my decision. The graphics on the box only contain text
and no pictures of the case. One side explains the specifications, while the
other mentions the features of the Phoenix enclosure.
Outside:
Front |
Left panel |
250mm fan |
Direction switch |
Right panel |
Rear |
As mentioned earlier,
the Enermax Phoenix enclosure comes in two colors, which are black and silver.
The one I have for review is the black case. The entire case is black except for
some accent edging around the bezel. Speaking about the bezel, this is the
starting point for the outside portion of the case review. The front bezel is
aluminum construction, including the bay covers. There are six external bays,
five 5.25" and one 3.5" bay. Each of the bay covers are plastic, but they are
covered with an aluminum skin to keep everything uniform. The top two 5.25" bays
are flip covers, which is almost like a stealth cover. These covers flip down
when the optical drive is ejected. Towards the bottom of the case is a round,
removable grill cover for the air intake. This cover has a filter placed on the
inside and is removable for cleaning.
Stealth like cover |
Front intake |
Cover off |
Cover and foam |
Next up are the side panels.
The left side panel just outright scares me and, not to mention, my cat.
The left panel incorporates a LARGE 250mm fan. @_@ Yes, that is correct, a 250mm
fan. Now you see why the cat and I are scared. Thank God that this 250mm fan
has a direction switch mounted within the ring on the outside. This way when the
cat gets stuck to the case, I can easily flip the switch from intake to outtake
and free the poor beast. The 250mm fan is rated at 17db, which is a lot less than I
thought it would be, but I will determine that when I power the fan and lock the
cat in the basement. Remember kids: safety first.
|
Top connections |
The right side panel is a
plain solid panel - nothing fancy here. The rear section is the typical
layout, with an 120mm opening for an exhaust fan and seven PCI expansion slots.
Last, but not least, is the top of the case. Towards the front there is small door.
Under this door is the location of the power and reset switch, along with the
external USB and audio connections.
