Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full-Tower Chassis Review

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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Phanteks fairly well known for offering colored CPU coolers, but they are also breaking ground in the chassis market lately. The first Phanteks chassis we had the pleasure of reviewing was the Enthoo Primo. Phanteks stormed onto the scene with the Enthoo Primo, and it turned out to be one of the most well designed and thought out layouts of any chassis we had seen before, or have seen since.

This chassis took water cooling into account at a level where the tubing and pump were even able to be hidden. The design also accommodated for plenty of radiator options for those looking to go nuts inside of a chassis, and still have a finished build that is amazingly clean looking.

Of course, then we got to see the much more economically friendly Enthoo Pro. This chassis surprised us in many ways. First off, you get a ton of case for the investment. Secondly, we were taken back with all of the carry over parts from the Primo that were still available in this much more affordable design. When we got our hands-on the slightly smaller Enthoo Pro, we soon found out that not only can Phanteks make an expensive chassis like no other, but even on a budget, they still broke the rules and offered one of the most feature rich full-tower designs in the $100 price range.

So, what is the next logical step for Phanteks to take? Well, it seems they were looking to somehow fill the gap between the Enthoo Primo, and the Enthoo Pro, and to do that, Phanteks is now introducing the Enthoo Luxe. With the Enthoo Luxe, we are dealing with space like the Pro offered, and Phanteks has somehow figured out a way to offer a design that aesthetically plays between the Primo and the Pro. However, despite the Luxe appearing as a hybrid of the Primo and the Pro, Phanteks has added something completely unexpected to make the Enthoo Luxe a chassis that can stand on its own, and be easily recognized.

Let's get to the heart of why we have you here today, and take the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe full-tower chassis for a spin around the block, and kick the tires a bit.

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Unlike any other company, Phanteks is sure to display every single option or specification that their chassis offers within their specifications list, so that you can be certain of what you are getting before the purchase is made. They start by listing the chassis' dimensions, which are 235mm of width, 560mm of height, and the 550mm of depth. Next, they state that this full-tower design made of aluminum, steel, and plastic. Then Phanteks dives inside of the Luxe to show us that it will house Micro-ATX, ATX, EATX, and even SSI EEB motherboards. We then move to the contents of the front I/O panel; here there are a pair of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, as well as the HD audio jacks. Taking the same elements in the side panel as its predecessors, we again find a split window, one for the name plate, and a much larger one to see your gear. Lastly, Phanteks makes sure that we know there is a PSU cover too.

Next, we find the Enthoo Luxe offers eight expansion slots in the back. At the front, we find a trio of 5.25" bays at the top. Below that, we find two racks that can hold six drives via plastic trays. These trays will work for either 3.5" or 2.5" drives, but there is an additional 2.5" drive tray that slides onto the back of the motherboard tray.

Cooling is not an issue with this design either. As we can see, the front can house a pair of 120mm fans, a pair of 140mm fans, or you can leave the supplied 200mm fan in place. The top of the chassis will allow for three 120mm fans, three 140mm fans, or there is an option to remove the pre-installed 140mm fan in order to make room for a 200mm fan. We still have options in the bottom too. Here we can install a pair of 120mm fans, or a single 140mm fan. The rear also has a 140mm fan already in place, but there are holes for a 120mm fan as well. Even the HDD rack offers room for a pair of 120mm fans. As for water cooling compatibility, the same rules apply as those for fan locations, with no mention of clearance issues.

Phanteks also provides us with a list of the chassis' limitations, if you can really call them that with a straight face. Video cards can be up to 347mm in length, or slightly less with a reservoir hung inside, and if you were to remove the HDD cages, that length increases to 472mm. APU coolers are allowed to be 193mm in height before they would rub the widow, and that covers almost every tower cooler known to man. They also offer a minimum of 27mm behind the motherboard tray for wiring, while other sections offer much more depth. They even go as far as to cover the 65mm of distance from the top of the chassis to the motherboard. We can also see that this chassis weighs 13.9 Kg while empty. Lastly, the Enthoo Luxe comes with a five-year warranty.

After shopping around, we did see that only a few select locations actually stock the Enthoo Luxe at this time. What we have found is that the Luxe does indeed fall between the Pro and the Primo when it comes down to pricing. Another note to add, which will affect pricing, is that this chassis comes in black as we received it, but it also comes in white as well. In the former color, we see the Luxe listed at $159.99, and for the latter, it will cost around $10 more. So, what does the Enthoo Luxe have that the Pro lacked? Stick with us and find out, as we are almost to the point where we can show you the awesomeness contained in this box.

PRICING: You can find the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for $159.99 at Amazon, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for $169.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for CDN$159.99 at Amazon Canada, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for CDN$169.99 at Amazon Canada.

Packaging

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With a high gloss, the black background of the front panel almost hides the naming at the top, but does still allow the image of the chassis in the middle to pop out and grab your attention.

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Since Phanteks is global, this side offers multilingual listings of nineteen things that will hopefully make you lean towards purchasing the Luxe.

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This same list is shown at the top in English, and is followed by images of the illuminated chassis. There is also an image of the front I/O panel and location. There are three larger images of the chassis across the middle for a full view of what you get with the Luxe, and at the bottom, there are four more features described in the smaller images.

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As we get around to the last side panel of the packaging, we find the Enthoo Luxe name at the top, which is then followed by a full specifications chart like the one we just addressed. This panel even has the model, color, and warranty period displayed at the bottom.

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Inside of the cardboard, we find our Enthoo Luxe to be well packed for transit considering its heavier weight. The top and bottom utilize very thick Styrofoam end caps, and for further protection under it, there is a plastic liner, and additional plastic to protect the pair of windows.

Also, to make sure the front of this chassis takes no bezel damages, there is a thick piece of foam that protects the bezel. Although it may seem excessive, it is all well worth it, as our sample arrived in great condition.

Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full-Tower Chassis

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The front bezel is made mostly of aluminium, and it has been blasted to give it a rough texture. Within it, there are four bay covers at the top, with the uppermost bay cover lifting up to expose the front I/O panel, and the LED light button. Rather than a full mesh section at the bottom, in the Luxe, we have a thick aluminium panel to add a bit of style.

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The top of the chassis offers the power button and power LED right near the front, while the rest of the top offers this large mesh panel that latches at the back, and is easily removable for access.

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This side of the chassis looks much like the other two. A flat panel with two windows, and body lines that are straight and tight. While right now things may look a bit plain, wait until we power this chassis, and you will see the real styling that this case has in store.

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The rear panel offers the adjustable height fan next to the rear I/O panel. Below that, we find well ventilated covers in the eight expansion slots, with mesh and holes for potential reservoir placement. At the bottom we see where the PSU goes, and we can also see the tab for the dust filter.

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The right is plainer than the left, but around the top, and down the front, there is the same incorporated lighting that will add some excitement to what would otherwise likely face the wall for most of its life.

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Under the chassis, we can see that the thick plastic on both sides is what supports this chassis, and we can see the six small rubber pads are there to give it grip. We can also see that the bottom is completely dust filtered, but it is in two sections; the PSU filter goes out of the back, but the longer filter slides out of the front.

Inside the Enthoo Luxe

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Upon opening the chassis, we find two hardware boxes. One of them, containing the main hardware for the chassis, has been tucked in the lower optical drive bay. The large box contains some additional bits of kit that Phanteks is introducing, which will go along with the Luxe, or any Enthoo Series chassis for that matter.

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Just like with the Enthoo Pro, we are again given three 5.25" bays to populate, and this side offers beefy tool-free mechanisms. Both on this side, as well as on the other, there is also the option to use screws for more secure mounting for things like a bay reservoir.

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Just like the other two Enthoo chassis, when it comes to the storage drive, access is from the right side of the chassis, and instead there is a full steel panel with the Phanteks name plate bolted to it.

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A view out of the top of the chassis shows that the fan locations go all the way up into the 5.25" bays. We can see the offset of the standoffs from the roof of the case, but there is also room to place some fans between the chassis and top cover, and have the radiator hung from inside. Alternatively, with thinner radiators, you could put them in the top as well.

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The motherboard tray has a huge access hole, and around it are seven large wiring holes with grommets in place, and fourteen locations to tie wiring down.

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We also get the same PSU cover we found in the Pro. It covers the floor almost entirely, and while making a gentle bend from the side to the top, it also offers another management hole for any potential wiring needs.

Inside the Enthoo Luxe Continued

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With the cover now gone, we see there is a large opening with a grommet at the back to get the wiring out and behind the tray. On the floor, we find plenty of ventilation and fan mounting potential, but we also find six dense foam pads to support and isolate the power supply.

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Inside of the rear panel we find the 140mm fan that requires a three-pin connection for power. Below that, we also see that there are thumbscrews holding in the expansion slot covers.

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Behind the tray, Phanteks has pre-wired the chassis if you wish to go with what is here. There are also eight Velcro straps to tidy things, a fan hub in the middle, and a 2.5" drive tray to the right, which can also be installed lower, twisted on its side.

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At this point we figured: Why not? So we went ahead and removed some thumbscrews, and slid out the HDD racks. Since we were in removal mode, we also took a dozen or so screws out, and got rid of the 5.25" bays as well. This now affords us a clear view of the 200mm fan supplied here.

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Of course, there are shorter wires like the fan leads, and a pair of SATA power leads -one for the lighting, and one for the fan hub, which were both too short for this image. For those that need to make longer runs, we find plenty of cable for the front panel buttons and lights; the native USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and HD audio are also long enough to get where intended, and still have some slack.

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The front bezel does come off easily, but there are two lighting leads that need to be disconnected to get it completely free, and it is the same for the top cover. We find the covers are clipped in, and there is ample mesh for a good intake. On the front of the chassis, we find the mounting setup and options for the fans.

Accessories and Documentation

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As we mentioned, we also got a larger box of goodies to show off what Phanteks has in store for us, and the paper on top covers what is in there. With every case shipped, you will find the smaller accessory box containing the goodies you need to continue forward with the build.

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The accessory box contains a parts sorter case that has all of your hardware separated for you. Long fan screws, regular fan screws, hardware to mount the additional pieces we have yet to see, motherboard screws, PSU screws, and all of your storage drive screws, are all there.

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Also, you can find these two optional plates wrapped up in some thin foam. The one at left is a steep plate with rubber padding to mount a pump onto, and then the plate will screw down onto the HDD rack base; of course, then you are out at least three bays. The plate on the right is made to allow for larger reservoirs (tube-style reservoirs) to also be mounted, as this plate will mount next to the expansion slots.

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The last bit that comes with each Enthoo Luxe chassis is this very thick user's manual that takes you from first looks, to included bits of hardware, and right on through the build with great images, and rich text descriptions. It also shows all of the restrictions for the components, and visually indicates what radiators will fit where.

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For those of you with the Enthoo Pro, Primo, or the Luxe chassis, you will be pleased to know that Phanteks is also going to start offering extra components. For instance, you can buy a pump bracket for the Pro like the one we just saw, since it does not come with one. Or, what if you have plans for dual loops? They also will ship SSD brackets like the one we found behind the motherboard tray. Since each chassis offers two locations, maybe you would like to use both, and now you can.

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Phanteks is also coming out with a standalone fan hub that is PWM controlled, and boasts 30W of power across it. If you plan to water cool, the two extra ports on the supplied fan hub may not be enough to cover your needs. Also, along with the chassis lighting that is built into this Enthoo Luxe (which we will soon show you), we find they are also offering multi-color LED strips that are waterproof, self-adhesive, and can be added on to end to end.

Case Build and Finished Product

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We decided to stick with air cooling for our build, and with a chassis designed as well as these Phanteks cases are, there is no set pattern to the installation. There is plenty of access to add the cooler at any point; the board and the wiring clear the PSU cover, and tending to the wiring was a cinch.

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The dust shield, video card, and the PSU all went in without any issues. As far as getting it all installed is concerned, you can pretty much screw it down, and move on.

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Wiring can get thick with all the leads ending up in the same areas, but with the tie down locations and Velcro strips to keep it close to the tray, it is good enough for us to get the panel on without issue. Also, without any drive bays in, you can see we took the option of the lower SSD location to boot our system.

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When the chassis was first turned on, we were greeted with the glow of red LEDs from the top and front of the chassis, but the added interior LED strip is not part of that lighting scheme. We added in the longer strip they had supplied us with just for a bit more style in these images, and also to show the potential.

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Push the button a couple more times and we end up with this deep blue color. The nice thing about the lighting system is that this LED strip ties right into it, and will mimic the light color of the chassis LEDs, all off of the same button press.

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We also liked the purple LEDs enough to give them an image of their own. Beyond these three colors, there is also yellow, orange, green, teal, and what we assumed to be white, but turned out to be more of a pale blue. Any color choice really makes this chassis stand out, but if you are not in the mood, the lighting can also be turned off.

Final Thoughts

With each chassis we see from Phanteks, we are taken back with just what goes on inside and out of their cases. The Enthoo Primo is hands down the most well thought out design for water cooled systems, and the Enthoo Pro is the most budget friendly, and leads the way in what is possible to obtain in a $100 chassis. When it comes down to the Enthoo Luxe, we find that it is worth every penny of the investment. With the accessories that bolster the feature set, along with the sleek and stealth way they hid the LEDs into the design, the Enthoo Luxe has us spinning around ways to use words like "fantastic," "exceptional," and "superb" without coming off as too aggressive. But, the Enthoo Luxe really is all of that, and more.

While the Luxe is not as large as the Primo, it is within reason of the Pro that starts at $100, and it fills the void in price gap. However, since it offers things like plenty of black wiring to cleanly manage the chassis, room for nearly any length PSU, CPU cooler, and video cards, and the ability to completely dismantle the chassis and leave components out as needed, there are no complaints on its feature set.

Even with the general aesthetics of the design, it is a cross between the two as it is, and the resemblance is easy to see. Although, once the Luxe is powered and the LED lights kick on, it just adds that certain something that the previous designs were lacking aesthetically. Where air flow is concerned, there is plenty of it to keep temperatures down across the system; since airflow is PWM controlled via the built-in hub, the most we ever heard from the fans was 35dB of noise.

It is rare that a chassis company can come up with such a hit even once, and to do it twice is heading in the realm of magic, voodoo, hocus pocus, or whatever it is you believe in. To do it three times in a row just seems impossible, but somehow Phanteks has managed to do so. The Enthoo Luxe shows us once again that Phanteks is setting the bar, and is doing a great job offering what the market needs at any price range, with any set of needs and desires.

To top it all off, Phanteks also plans to offer addition components for the chassis; you can even add storage, more pumps, get interior chassis lighting, or add an additional PWM hub for control of additional water cooling. It seems Phanteks has you covered from every angle, and with this Enthoo Luxe, we have found our favorite chassis from Phanteks yet. While you may not like the $159.99 pricing for the black model, or the ten dollars extra for the white version, you cannot deny that you are definitely getting every penny's worth with an investment into Phanteks' Enthoo Luxe full-tower chassis.

PRICING: You can find the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for $159.99 at Amazon, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for $169.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (Black) retails for CDN$159.99 at Amazon Canada, and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (White) retails for CDN$169.99 at Amazon Canada.