Completed Build, Temps and Noise, Conclusion
There's still a ton of room inside the case with this basic build, with lots of room for additional storage on the right (if you add more of the drive shelves) and room for liquid cooling accoutrements.
The included velcro straps make a big difference in cleaning up the build
Temperatures and Noise
| Test Platform | |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD FX 6300 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 (AMD AM3+ mATX) |
| Memory | Kingston HyperX Predator 8GB PC3-19200 DDR3 (at 1600 MHz) |
| Graphics Card | Sapphire AMD Radeon R9 280 Dual-X |
| Storage | HGST 250GB 7200 RPM HDD |
| Cooling | Corsair H100i GTX AIO Liquid CPU Cooler |
| Power Supply | Corsair TX 650W |
| OS | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
To load up the CPU I used Prime95 on the blend setting for 5 minutes, and measured the results using HWMonitor for the FX-6300 CPU. For GPU temps I ran the Unigine Valley 1.0 benchmark twice, using GPUZ to note the maximum load temp from these runs. Ambient temps were a warm 24.4 C, so your results might vary from those in the chart below.
While I only tested the Enthoo Pro M against the previously reviewed EVOLV ATX, the results do show good cooling performance from the new enclosure. The slightly higher temps from the EVOLV make sense considering that design uses thick aluminum panels and the Enthoo Pro M has better ventilation from the front and top. I assumed that the thinner and more open construction would make the Enthoo Pro M a noisier enclosure. We'll see.
Noise levels were measured using a digital sound pressure meter positioned 18" from the front of the enclosure. Ambient noise in the room was 34 dB.
As you can see the EVOLV ATX is a much more silent enclosure, registering no audible change between system idle and CPU load, and increasing modestly with the GPU at full load. The Enthoo Pro M was not a noisy case (in fact the one included fan is very quiet), but with the thinner construction and front and top vents it won't mask the sound of your components. The parts used in this build are pretty quiet anyway, and the Enthoo Pro M was barely noticeable until the GPU fan started to ramp up.
Conclusion
The Enthoo Pro M is a very well made enclosure with the same internal chassis as the EVOLV ATX. It's extremely easy to build in and has thoughtful touches like the velcro straps for cables and toolless HDD trays. However the inclusion of only one rear fan, and similarly only one each of the 3.5" and 2.5" additional drive brackets, demonstrate the difference between a case that is set to retail for $79 and one that will be $100 more with a retail price of $179 (neither of these enclosures seem to be available in the retail channel just yet).
I really like the internal layout of these enclosures, which are very similar to the Fractal Design Define S. The Enthoo Pro M makes some changes externally and with the included fans and accessories, but this is perfectly justifiable as Phanteks plans to sell this enclosure for just $79. Overall this is a solid contender at this price point, but there are more stylish options out there if the understated looks aren't your thing. The internal design alone garners it a recommendation in my book, and the high build quality more than qualifies it as a worthy selection.
Front would look pretty
Front would look pretty badass if it didn’t have the optical drive.
Reminds me of the Fractal
Reminds me of the Fractal Design Arc Midi case, especially the front panel design. Does anyone have sound level comparisons with the Define S case? The review says it’s nearly silent, but the open front and top panels should hurt it’s noise levels.
I’ll be re-testing this one
I'll be re-testing this one along with the Define S (and a few others) with a new, improved system soon. The enclosure was very quiet, but that was with very quiet components though the included fan made no audible sound at idle.
On page two, you say that you
On page two, you say that you installed a H110i GTX, I think you meant a H100i GTX.
You’re right! Fixed. Thanks
You're right! Fixed. Thanks
surprised to see clc’s still
surprised to see clc’s still mounted to the top, this case looks like it could support the rad in the front, and after many, many different tests done personally, I found that mounting clc’s to the front of the case makes a viable difference in temps and still gives the system adequate cooling. anyone else noticing this? nice case btw, love the clean design
This case may have been
This case may have been designed with AIO (clc?) intended for the front. The sliding top fan mount although cool doesn’t seem to have the height I would like with the config in this build. It seems to descend into the upper motherboard area too much. I suppose you could pull that sliding fan mount out for memory swaps, etc. Currently I’m more interested in pushing my graphics card rather than my CPU so I like the AIO exhausting out the top. As a Fractal owner this one is definitely on the short list for the next build.
How many fans did you use in
How many fans did you use in the Evolv ATX when doing the noise test?
All 3 140mm as mounted from
All 3 140mm as mounted from the factory were used for EVOLV testing, and just the one included fan was used with the Enthoo Pro. I used the upper bracket for the cooler installation with the EVOLV ATX so I could test temps/noise without removing any fans. The EVOLV has a big noise advantage with components under load because it has very sparse venting along the edges, and the Enthoo Pro M has the big front/top vents.
This case doesn’t know what
This case doesn’t know what it wants to be. While the slide out components and magnetic filters show an aire of modular design for people who like playing with new parts, the SSD mount and harddrive solutions seem clunky at best. The metal looks quite thin in the photos, and the idea that I need to take both sides off to do heavy work shows they got half way to a new design and filled in the holes with today’s defacto placements. While the harddrive plate sticking out is a nice minimalist design feature, I cant imagine they used high enough quality materials at this price point to make it feel solid enough for me to feel better about suspending a $150 drive.
They tried, they had a couple of evolutionary ideas, but nothing that changes the game. It makes me wish my corsair case had a slide out tray and magnetic filters, but not enough to purchase this case in its stead. Is this alot for a case these days? For under $100 There isn’t much to complain about as far as price to feature ratios, but I would gladly pay more for a solid feeling version with more HDD trays included.
Still deciding on whether I
Still deciding on whether I should replace my Lian Li (Lancool) PC-K7B I have had for years now. I like many things about this case, but there are things that wouldn’t get me to buy this to replace my current case. I wonder why the put the front port stuff on the side of the case. Why didn’t they put it on the top like Lian Li and Fractal do, or on the front. It seems very impractical to me where they put the ports. If you have the computer standing on the floor, next to your desk, accessing those ports would be extremely inconvenient. I would be much more inclined to get another Lian Li or a Fractal Design case, at least for where my computer sits.