Gaming computers are preferred owing to their custom design. This makes gamers obsessed with the performance, durability, and vibe this gaming computer should display. That’s why gamers invest in worthy gaming cabinets or computer cases. If you want to make your gaming compact and aesthetically pleasing, then a gaming cabinet will be a great addition.
Phanteks P500A Eclipse DRGB is the latest release from Phanteks. You can keep the style clean and stack all your computing hardware in that cabinet with Phanteks P500A.
Previously, Phanteks P300A and P400A were two great deals but are the latest version worth the hype?
Phanteks claimed that P500A is designed with airflow-optimised aspects. This ATX chassis will let you fit two systems at an additional cost of $20.
Thus, you can hide all your media servers in plain sight with Phanteks P500A. There are variants available. Now, let’s review the entire chassis.
Table of Contents
Build
Phanteks P500A comes with a dimension of 9.45 inches x 20.1 inches x 20-inch. This mid-tower steel chassis can support the following motherboard types:
- E-ATX (up to a width of 280mm)
- ATX
- mini-ITX
- Micro-ATX
In addition, the following connectors are found in Phanteks P500A:
- Power switch
- HD Audio
- D-RGB MB Adapter
- D-RGB Expansion
- HDD-LED
- D-RGB Power LED
The case also flaunts a tempered glass panel. The case is designed with a high airflow ability in mind. That’s why it comes with 7 fan mounts. There are 3x front fan mounts and 3x top ones.
There is 1 rear fan mount. The height of the CPU cooler inside the cabinet is 7.5 inches. The maximum GPU length that the cabinet can afford is 17.2 inches.
Let’s discover more about Phanteks P500A:
Features of Phanteks P500A
You can keep the design straightforward and clean if you pick out the RGB-less variant of Phanteks P500A. You can go for the RGB-variant if you like some lightning drama.
However, we find the simple variant a clean cabinet when you want to make your commuting experience compact.
The side panel is made out of tempered glass, and a simple push can open it. Thus, it’s quite feasible to access your hardware components.
The rubber strip of the panel makes the panel’s opening and closing smooth. Therefore, no air is drawn through the seams, and you can be assured about that.
Internal Layout
You might be mistaken by the internal layout of Phanteks P500a at first glance. It might look like any regular ATX chassis, but it’s different in many ways from the existing crowd.
You can buy an additional bracket and place it on the top of the cabinet. Thus, you will be able to install a Mini-ITX board.
With another $60 purchase, you can get a 2 feet long PCI-Express riser cable. With this, you can connect the Mini-ITX board to a GPU.
Are you thinking about the room for power supplies in Phanteks P500A? Look beneath the PSU shroud, and you can find the answer.
In addition, you can place 2x 3.5-inch HDD caddies. You can simply install them by sliding them and stacking them up to 4 below the PSU shroud. If you want to make more space for HDD caddies, then you can take up the place of cable covers.
The chassis features 3 brackets for installing 2.5-inch drives. Therefore, you are allowed to install up to 3x 2.5-inch drives and 10x 3.5-inch drives in this chassis. Additionally, the chassis promises high performance through its air-flow mesh.
Cooling Performance
Is it the only mesh structure that claims high-end cooling and overall efficiency? No, the chassis dedicates most of its space to cooling components. As you can see, the stock configuration consists of 3 x 140 mm fans that help the CPU and GPU cool down quickly. Therefore, it’s the finest catch if you are focused on cooling more than other priorities and storage capabilities.
Gamers can install 3 x 140 mm fans at the front and 1 x 140 mm fans at the rear end. They can install 2 x 140 mm fans or 3 x 120 mm fans at the top of the chassis. Moreover, you can set up a 140mm fan at the rear side of the cabinet. On a contrary note, Phanteks P500A doesn’t contain an intake air filter. This implies that you have to depend completely on the provided mesh.
Consider regular cleaning if you want to avoid unnecessary overheating. The PSU section has its fine mesh filter, by the way. You can install a GPU that is long up to 17.2 inches.
However, you can install a GPU of up to 12.6 inches in length if you want to install HDD caddies. Moreover, CPU coolers inside can take the space of up to 7.5 inches.
Cable Hiding
Phanteks P500A isn’t only a superior deal in hiding your second PC, but you can also manage all the connecting cables to your computer hardware. Phanteks tried to make it effortless when it comes to cable management. Behind the motherboard tray, there is a considerable amount of velcro.
The overall internal layout lets you allow connectors to the specific hardware. On the other hand, you can keep things and configurations pretty neat and clean. Create a seamless look with Phanteks P500A’s slider and cover up the cable chaos.
Noise
Phanteks P500A lets you install too many fans to control the temperature and the performance. Since you are allowed to use so many fans, that means that there will be decent noise around you.
However, you can install high-quality quieter fans to manage the noise. Otherwise, it will be significantly louder compared to other systems. You can make it a silent machine by lowering the fan speed. Yet, it will affect the performance.
Final Words
Phanteks P500A is a great chassis if you are up to dual system configuration. Additionally, it’s a competitive catch in terms of features available. You can stack the vertical GPU mount on it, and you’re good to go. In addition, you can get the RGB model to take things to the next level and create an aesthetic environment.
However, its competitors might get an advantage in terms of acoustics. Phanteks P500A is a louder machine. According to the cooling performance, we can expect it to be quieter than it is. If you are searching for a fair-priced and moderately cooling chassis, then you can go for Phanteks P500A.