A new mid-tower based on the P400 design but which focuses on airflow. P400A (PH-EC400ATG_DWT01) is available in black/white and features DRGB cooling fans with a handy controller.
Product on Review: Eclipse P400A
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Phanteks
Street Price: GBP: £84 USD: $95 AUD: $150
Phanteks has an ever increasing portfolio in the division of PC cooling. Their journey began with the renowned PH-TC14PE CPU cooler and has expanded into the design and manufacture of some of the most popular computer cases to grace the market.
It’s been some time since we last reviewed a Phanteks computer case and we’re anticipating good things from the product under review today.
The Eclipse P400A takes the success of the original P400 and introduces a lick of RGB with cooling-specific attributes such as a ventilated mesh front panel and triple cooling fans. P400A’s price point sees it enter a market which is fiercly competitive – does this case have what it takes to rise to the top?
Phanteks on their Eclipse P400A
The Phanteks Eclipse P400A breathes performance with its full metal mesh front panel. Thanks to engineering improvements we have been able to create an Ultra-Fine Performance Mesh that brings the best possible performance while keeping dust from entering the system.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical specifications surrounding Phantek’s P400A:
Closer Look Video
For this review we’ve also created a YouTube video which highlights all of the key features, shows a full system install and identifies the good/bad points regarding this computer case. Click the video below or go to the Phanteks Eclipse P400A.
Thermal Performance Testing
Inside P400A we have three 120mm cooling fans which are mounted as front intakes.
To discover the thermal performance of P400A we will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. We will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.
For the purpose of accurate analysis, the idle and load temperatures for CPU will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.
NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C
System Components
CPU Intel Pentium K G3258 @ 4GHz
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Corsair RM850
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-D3H
CPU Cooler Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti
Memory 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3
HDD Samsung Spinpoint 500GB SATA-II
PSU Corsair RM850
Noise
Since the top, front and rear of P400A are heavily perforated – noise can definitely be heard from the system and front cooling fans.
Conclusion
There seems to be a trend of late for case manufacturers to deliver airflow/cooling specific cases to their portfolio and the Eclipse P400A is one such case to join this fleet.
P400A arrives in a trio of versions, digital white, digital black and black. The latter does away with any RGB and instead settles for standard fans with an accompanying fan controller.
Taking P400A purely on the aesthetics, we have a nice looking chassis which benefits from showcasing RGB features to its fullest. We really like the pairing of the front panel and cooling fans – it adds some depth to the overall look. Having the ability to switch to different modes and colours on-the-fly is a convenient feature to be included and this functionality adds value to this chassis.
Sadly the build quality is a bit of a let-down with this case, certain aspects to its design characterise it as being average – with an uneven front mesh panel and somewhat filmy internal shell. For a case at this pricepoint we expect better quality.
Putting the P400A through its paces in terms of cooling reveals a capable unit even though it lacks the push-pull configuration that an airflow specific case should have. Along with this type of design does come the associated noise but this is the trade-off that system builders have to settle for.
Based on what Phanteks has brought to the table in the Eclipse P400A, we feel the asking price of £84 USD: $95 AUD: $150 AUD is more than it should be. Shave off another 10 dollars/10 pounds and they’re in the right ballpark.
The Phanteks Eclipse P400A offers up some impressive RGB functionality and is a fun case to build inside but it also leaves a lot to be desired.
Pros
+ Looks stylish
+ Three versions available
+ Good storage options
+ Includes an RGB controller
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Good cooling performance
Cons
– Average build quality
– Noise leakage
– No rear exhaust fan included
– Fan cables difficult to arrange
– Price
+ Looks stylish
+ Three versions available
+ Good storage options
+ Includes an RGB controller
+ Can house high-end kit
+ Good cooling performance
Cons
– Average build quality
– Noise leakage
– No rear exhaust fan included
– Fan cables difficult to arrange
– Price
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