Test System

Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means, with the use of spacers and screws. There is plenty of space on all three sides to connect the cables. Thanks to openings in the shroud, you are also able to route the audio and USB leads nicely.


Installing an SSD will require tools and the use of included screws. Once filled and secured on the tray, simply put the tray back into the position you got it from.


Adding a 3.5" drive does not require any screws or tools due to the butterfly trays. Simply spread the plastic pieces, put the drive into place, and snap them closed to lock the drive down. With that done, slide the tray into one of two bays. As you can see, the connectors face forward, so adding a drive should be fairly easy even with a fully assembled computer.


The power supply is secured by traditional means. It slides into the case underneath the shroud nicely even with case wires already routed. Normal screws are used to hold the unit in place properly.


Once everything is in place, the Phanteks Eclipse P360X makes a great impression. Everything is super clean on the inside, and things are fairly tidy on the backside because of the Velcro strips. Even though the P360X comes with several additional zip ties, I really didn't have to use any. While things are a little messy underneath the shroud, one could spend a little extra time there, but I see no immediate benefit in doing so as it will be perfectly hidden away anyways.

Finished Looks

With the panels back in place and the system turned on, the Phanteks Eclipse P360X makes quite the impression. The material mix and RGB LED elements really make you forget that the chassis is meant to be entry level. There are two lighting elements within the P360X: the embedded strips at the front, right besides the air vents and the thin line going across the bottom edge of the glass, visually dividing the solid metal shroud from the see-through element; dare I say it, it looks beautiful! In the process, Phanteks unfortunately decided to remove the RGB-equipped power LED element underneath the power button we really liked with the P300. Obviously, the RGB implementation now allows for multiple cool animations using all types of colors. You may toggle through them with the button on top of the case.


The rear looks like you would expect it to, and the partial glass side with its very light tint gives you an excellent view of all the awesome hardware you installed.


Just like in the P300, you may simply select a solid color of your choice. While some are quite different, Phanteks has also chosen to include two hues of blue and both purple and pink lighting modes.

Phanteks Vertical GPU Mount

With the system assembled, let's take a quick look at the vertical GPU mounting kit. It is best pre-assembled outside of the chassis. To install it, you have to remove six of the seven expansion slots brackets and screw the whole contraption down with three included thumb screws. Phanteks includes three foam spacers so that you can sandwich the right one between the case and shroud if your chassis comes with such a cover. Once installed, you can add a GPU of your choice easily even if the rest of the system is already fully assembled.


With everything put back together, you can clearly see that the GPU is now front and center, while the rear shows that you could technically still install a single bracket for ports or the likes on top of the now vertical GPU mounts.