Phanteks Eclipse P400 ATX Case Review
A Closer look at the Phanteks Eclipse P400
The Phanteks Eclipse P400 is very light for the build quality. While setting the case down, I noticed the magnetic filter on top was quite easy to slide off. The grooves on top of the Phantek Eclipse P400 fit the filter perfectly so this should help the filter stay in one place especially if it’s stationary.
The I/O panel has a unique design. It was obvious where the power button, USB ports, and audio jacks were but, there seem to be additional buttons that might have been capacitive touch. These turn out to be the reset button and LED light cycle button. The LED button allows you to cycle through 10 different colors depending on your mood and preference. In my opinion, this button is too close and similar to the reset button. The fact that the reset button is so close to the LED button is alarming since I can see myself resetting my system while trying to change LED colors.
The audio jacks on the Phanteks Eclipse P400 seems a bit off. it appears the audio jacks don’t seem to align with the cut-outs on top of the case. This didn’t stop me from plugging in audio cables, but it was very noticeable.
The top of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 features a magnetic fan filter with mounting holes that can accommodate 140mm fans. This type of filter is so much easier to remove and clean compared to other fan filter solutions.
The rear of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 is fitted with a 120mm exhaust fan without mounting available for a 140mm fan. Taking a look around the case I noticed Phanteks seems to very accommodating for anyone who has an abundance of 140mm fans.
The bottom of the P400 features 4 removable plastic feet with rubber strip on the surface of each foot. This is preferable to the glued rubber or plastic feet featured on other cases. Over time glued feet on cases tends to come off when moved or when hot.
The front panel of the case snaps on and off very easily. The plastic on this front panel is extremely sturdy and features removable fan filters. This does allow for a front intake to bring air over the radiator, but given the size of the panel, airflow is constricted if the fans are mounted on the side of the front panel. For this reason I recommend installing all fans and radiators inside the case leaving the space in the front panel empty. It is still possible to fit fans under the front panel I just wouldn’t recommend it.
Underneath the front panel of the Eclipse P400 there is enough space to mount a 280mm radiator or a 360mm radiator if the 3 1/2 inch drive bays are removed. On bottom of the front panel there is a led strip that illuminated the bottom of the case with any one of the 10 available led colors. In my build I will be installing a CoolerMaster Nepton 280L closed loop CPU cooler that has a 280mm radiator.
The interior of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 is well designed with plenty of room on the rear for cable management. There is a power supply shroud that extends into the 3 1/2 inch hard drive bays. The power supply shroud has a removable fan filter on the bottom to allow for airflow from the bottom of the case.
Even after installing a 280mm radiator with fans, there seems to be plenty of room for a GPU. According to the Phanteks specification I could fit an 15 inch GPU or 11 inch with the optional HDD brackets installed.
The side panel of the Eclipse P400 features a window that is quite sturdy since I didn’t notice too much flex or give.
The hard drive trays of the Phanteks Eclipse P400 allows me to install my hard disks without having to flex the tray. According to the diagram on the drive tray, there are plastic keepers on hinges that lock into the hard drive. Usually when I install hard drives, I feel like I have to do so on a bed in the event my fingers slips and I drop the hard drive mid installation.
On back end of the motherboard panel, Phanteks offers Velcro cable ties for mandatory jumper cables on the Eclipse P400. I wish Phanteks would include these in the accessories box since they’re reusable. The LED lights on the case are powered by SATA power cables and Phanteks was thoughtful enough to include a power connector for additional LED strip.
