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If ever I needed the nudge to rethink my rig's cooling set-up, a heatwave in the mostly AC-less UK would do it. Earlier this month, I admit I had the thought, "Is that smell coming from my PC and, if so, why does it smell of bacon?" So when Phanteks rocks up with an unconventional-looking case that rethinks airflow, you can consider me intrigued.
I'm a little late to the party on Phanteks' EX series of modular PC cases; these were first unveiled during Computex earlier this month, though obviously I was too distracted by the Sanrio cases also on the showfloor. Thankfully, a deep-dive by heavyweight hardware creator Der8auer has informed me that there is another way to do modern case design beyond the ubiquitous fish tank look.
The Phanteks EX isn't just notable for its compartmentalised design—cordoning off the GPU into its own little apartment and generally looking like a sci-fi block of flats—but also for how it handles airflow. The most affordable model, the Phanteks EX5, costs $110 and requires you to source your own cooler, but every other model comes with a side-mounted cooling system included.
This design helps the AIO to direct fresh, non-recirculated air squarely (cuboid-ly?) at your hottest components, such as a toasty GPU. This directed airflow makes for greater thermal efficiency and also means you won't need to fill your case up with additional fans.
Phanteks EX6 Max is the most expensive model in the lineup. Costing $330, it takes cooling efficiency even further. Rather than detachable windows of tempered glass, the EX6 Max's compartments enjoy opaque aluminium instead. It also comes with a rubber gasket for your GPU, essentially sealing off the top of your graphics card's chambers from the bottom and minimising the risk of hot air recirculating.
This premium model also comes decked out with high-performance X30 fans, its own special AIO liquid cooler, and even a 10-inch LCD display right there in the case. A further flourish is that its RGB light strips can be configured to keep track of your GPU temps, illuminating more of the strip the hotter your graphics card gets.
Obviously, going from the more affordable Phanteks EX5 to the $330 EX6 Max is quite a jump, so there are a few tiers in between. So, the EX5 Plus includes a custom cooler, plus tubing management for $160, whereas the EX5 Max includes the cooler and the tubing management, while also throwing in a 6-inch LCD display for $230. According to TechPowerUp, you won't have to wait long to get your hands on this sci-fi tower block PC case; the EX5 case is expected to drop in August, while the EX6 cases should show up sometime in September.
1. Best overall: Havn HS 420
2. Best budget: Phanteks G400A
3. Best midrange: Lian Li O11 Vision Compact
4. Best budget compact: Thermaltake S100 TG Snow Edition
5. Best high-end: NZXT H9 Flow RGB+
6. Best Mini-ITX: Fractal Design Terra
7. Best Micro-ATX: NZXT H3 Flow
8. Best full-tower: NZXT H7 Flow
9. Best pink: Hyte Y70
10. Best looking: Phanteks Evolv X2
11. Best for beginners: Be Quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX
