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Key Features:

• Larger and more spacious than other midi-towers
  
• Masses of cooling options
• Plenty of upgrade options
• Great cooling performance

By far the largest case on test, and the third most expensive, the Phanteks Enthoo Pro M packs in much of the cooling and customisation options of the Corsair 400C, but adds support for a 5.25in drive as well.

It has a similar philosophy when it comes to design – it’s utilitarian, but not in an offensively brutish way. It has a plain-black finish throughout, brushed plastic front, and huge sections on the top and front that are dedicated to fan grilles.

It would be nice to have just a touch of something to elevate the styling but, for £60, and considering all that it packs in, it’s perfectly acceptable.

As with all the cases on test, there’s a window in one of the side panels for peering into your beautifully arranged system. However, you miss out on the hinged door of the Corsair – it’s just a plain slide-off panel.

Inside is a positively cavernous space. Like the NZXT S340, the bottom section where the power supply and hard drives reside has been shrouded by a non-removable metal cover. Oddly, though, it doesn’t fully cover the PSU and is packed full of ventilation holes, rather negating the two main benefits of these covers, covering up the unsightly PSU and isolating the airflow of the two compartments.

Where you’d normally find a stack of 3.5in and 5.25in drive bays, the whole front of this case is left open – aside from one removable 5.25in bay right at the top. Instead, drive mounts can optionally be added or this area is available for mounting items such as water-cooling reservoirs and radiators.

If you aren’t planning to fill that space with some hefty water-cooling equipment (or an all-in-one liquid cooler) then this case is probably overkill; there really is little need for so much room if you’re just popping a couple of fans in the front.

Elsewhere, there are masses of useful features. Round the back you’ll find a couple of removable 2.5in drive trays for SSDs, while the two 3.5in drive bays can be removed and the tool-less trays sport a clever design that makes fitting and replacing drives a cinch.

There are also masses of rubber-lined holes for effortless cable routing, and even several pre-fitted Velcro ties for holding all those cables in place.

One awkward thing is that the PSU has to be slid in from the back – as in the side behind the motherboard. It’s a tight squeeze in terms of height, so you’ll struggle to any vertically oversized PSUs. Overall, though, system installation is easy thanks to all that space.

When it comes to cooling, this case is packed to the gunnels. Up top is space for three 120mm fans, while the front can also house a two-fan radiator or two 140mm fans. There’s only one fan pre-fitted, though: a 140mm model set at the back.

Nonetheless, cooling performance is excellent, with this case being joint top for CPU temp (71C) and all out on its own for GPU temp (75C). It nearly lead the way for noise, too, just being pipped to the post by the S340 (41.1dB front, 40.5dB side).

Verdict
This is a fantastic case for those looking to build a powerful system with some hefty cooling, and who still want some 5.25in drive bays. It’s packed with features, cools really well and keeps noise down too. It isn’t the most stylish of cases, but at £60 it would be churlish to ask for much more.

Buy Now at Overclockers UK for £69.95