Which case has better airflow and by how much?

[Hisuoir]

Which case has better airflow through the default fan set up and how much better is the airflow? The two cases I'm deciding between are the Phanteks Evolv and the Phanteks Luxe. The Evolv has two 140mm intake fans in the front, and the Luxe has one 200mm intake fan in the front. They both have a 140mm fan at the back for exhaust, also the Luxe has one additional 140mm fan at the top rear where the Evolv does not. The top of the Evolv is pretty covered up with only small vents on the side where as the Luxe has a top opening with a giant mesh.

I’ve read that two 140mm intakes are better than one 200mm intake because a filter or a mesh will restrict a 200mm fan drastically (not sure if this is 100% correct) and also 140mm makes air more focused. Both of these cases have intake filters but the Luxe also has a metal mesh at the front whereas the Evlov doesn’t. The Evolv is a mid tower and the Luxe is a full tower if that makes a difference. So which case would be better with the default fan set up for airflow and by how much?

The case will be housing a GTX 980Ti with an i7-4790K and the CPU cooler I will use is a Noctua NH U14S.

Evolv: http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-ATX.html

Luxe: http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Luxe.html

 

[ninjacore]

I'd go with the Evolve. I like the looks of it a lot more (personal opinion). Nice that they did away with the 5.25" bays since no one really uses those anymore.

airflow-wise, the 200mm will give you 110ish cfm. With the two 140s, each will give you ~80cfm. You are losing an exhaust fan, but depending on its orientation, your PSU might act in its place.

Both are great cases. Phanteks is a great brand!

 

[AsRock]

I like the Luxe more than the other although i personally would get a Corsair Air 540.

 

[peche]

Thermaltake Corev51 midtower chasis, full modular, and also has dust filters on front and excellent support for fan configurations, also remarkable space for a full custom liquid cooling kit and also a window,

I did some kind of ghetto mod on my Commander G42 window, adding with zipties 3x120mm intake fans on front, also 1 intake on bottom and 2x120riing 12 on rear exhaust and 3 top exhaust fans… pretty excellent cooling and also pretty much important cable management is epic on this one,

also another great case is the Cosmos II from Coolermaster and suppressor F51 from thermaltake,
the fans you will use will take an important part on the airflow capabilities,
Please fill yuour current specs here!

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

The Luxe has room for more fans, including 2 slots at bottom of the case that the Evolv does not have. Also able to have separate HDD fans, on the right side (other side?) of the case.

One can use up to 10 fans, the other only 7.

I look at it this way, if you choose the Luxe, might as well go for the Primo for just a few bucks more.

 

[Hisuoir]

I'd go with the Evolve. I like the looks of it a lot more (personal opinion). Nice that they did away with the 5.25" bays since no one really uses those anymore.

airflow-wise, the 200mm will give you 110ish cfm. With the two 140s, each will give you ~80cfm. You are losing an exhaust fan, but depending on its orientation, your PSU might act in its place.

Both are great cases. Phanteks is a great brand!

The Luxe has room for more fans, including 2 slots at bottom of the case that the Evolv does not have. Also able to have separate HDD fans, on the right side (other side?) of the case.

One can use up to 10 fans, the other only 7.

I look at it this way, if you choose the Luxe, might as well go for the Primo for just a few bucks more.

I don't think I'll be adding any fans or changing the default fan set ups. Well for the Evolv, I don't see a reason to change anything other than adding fans. On the Luxe, I've read it's better to swap out the 200mm in the front for two 140mm but I'm not sure I want to do that. I guess the only thing that is holding me back from the Evolv is that I need to know whether it has good airflow or not without adding any fans. Like is it a case known for having bad airflow? Would you guys say the Evolv is better than the H440 from NZXT?

 

[ninjacore]

Google professional reviews on both, but in general, Phanteks cases are more feature-rich than NZXT. I would absolutely take the Evolv over the 440. Evolv should have great airflow. Nice open concept and it looks like the front fans might even be able to slide upwards a bit (again, check out reviews) so that all the intake air goes to the CPU and GPU and not down to the PSU (which could be setup to intake from the bottom).

 

[Niteblooded]

I just built my new system in a Phanteks Luxe this month. It was very easy to work. The airflow is GREAT! One of the best in class. The fan noise is actually quieter than I thought it would be. Not saying its a silent system but its definitely quieter than my last build.

I removed the top fan to make room for my H100i GTX (exhaust) and I been debating starting a thread asking for advice on what to do with it, but there isn't any rush because my temps are great. In full gaming load the highest my GPU has hit is 68C. That is always my hottest component. I'm driving a 2k 144Hz monitor with a GTX970 so it's not like I'm not putting any stress on it.

The Evolv is the most expensive case in the Enthoo line up so it is considered the top dog. The Luxe is simply their latest case so it is a mix of the Pro and the Evolv with its own features since its newer. Either way I don't think you can go wrong. Honestly I feel like the case choice is a personal choice, kind of like buying a car, you can't really ask someone else. You are leaning toward 1 over the other and this is really just to see if someone posts something to validate the direction you want to head in. Just buy that one. If you need to, wait for a sale. That is what I did... one weekend the Luxe went on massive sale on Newegg with Promo Code, Instant Rebate, and a MIR. So I got it for $110 but if I had bought it full price I would not complain one bit. I love it and I am so glad I watched it like a hawk. So buy the one you want.

 

[Hisuoir]

I just built my new system in a Phanteks Luxe this month. It was very easy to work. The airflow is GREAT! One of the best in class. The fan noise is actually quieter than I thought it would be. Not saying its a silent system but its definitely quieter than my last build.

I removed the top fan to make room for my H100i GTX (exhaust) and I been debating starting a thread asking for advice on what to do with it, but there isn't any rush because my temps are great. In full gaming load the highest my GPU has hit is 68C. That is always my hottest component. I'm driving a 2k 144Hz monitor with a GTX970 so it's not like I'm not putting any stress on it.

The Evolv is the most expensive case in the Enthoo line up so it is considered the top dog. The Luxe is simply their latest case so it is a mix of the Pro and the Evolv with its own features since its newer. Either way I don't think you can go wrong. Honestly I feel like the case choice is a personal choice, kind of like buying a car, you can't really ask someone else. You are leaning toward 1 over the other and this is really just to see if someone posts something to validate the direction you want to head in. Just buy that one. If you need to, wait for a sale. That is what I did... one weekend the Luxe went on massive sale on Newegg with Promo Code, Instant Rebate, and a MIR. So I got it for $110 but if I had bought it full price I would not complain one bit. I love it and I am so glad I watched it like a hawk. So buy the one you want.

Thanks for the feedback. May I ask what is your fan set up in the Luxe? What are you using for intake and exhaust and did you OC your 970? I have to say, I'm pretty evenly split in between the two. There are moments throughout my time researching reviews and looking for feedback that I would lean towards one but then soon to lean back towards the other.

I do believe the Luxe does have better airflow potential over the Evolv, but the question is, do I need all that air? I'm going to be running an MSI 980Ti gaming 6G with a 4790K with Noctua's NH-U14S. I won't be overclocking as I feel there is no need to (I might in the future). I know there is no such thing as too much air and cooling ( unless you go under ambient) so as long as I stay within the safe zone, a few degrees difference higher won't make much of a difference in lifespan or will it?

 

[Sasqui]

I can't speak for the cases in particular, but I do recall a site that did some kick-ass case reviews back when shopping for my HAF 932. ...They had a side by-side comparison of component temperatures in different cases, the HAF 932 rocked - hands down. I just wish I could find the article!!!

 

[rtwjunkie]

To really answer the question on the airflow of the fans in the cases, the cfm of each particular fan in the cases is needed. Two 140mm may not necessarily be better than a 200mm because cfm are wildly varying. 140mm can run as low as 30cfm and up to 118cfm for some and 200mm can run 110cfm.

Additionally, 140mm are not always more focused. Some are set up for high static pressure, others for lower, but high airflow. Normally 200mm don't have high Static Pressure, so pulling air in through a metal grill and filter, and then through a HDD cage can be somewhat ineffective. You'll have to do your research on the fans themselves. Replacing a 200mm with 2 140's that have low static pressure and low airflow would be even worse for intake use!

Also. are the exhaust fans the same exact model as the intakes on the cases? If they are, then it's not likely that either the intake or exhaust (one or the other) are optimal for their use.

My advice, is buy all new fans and buy them for their intended purposes and do the math on adding and comparing the volume of air of intake and exhaust.


EDIT: I apologize if it sounds a little OCD. I spent 30(+) hours the last 2 months researching airflow and fans, and boring myself to tears in the process. So I thought I'd share some of that boredom with you!

 

[Sasqui]

To really answer the question on the airflow of the fans in the cases, the cfm of each particular fan in the cases is needed. Two 140mm may not necessarily be better than a 200mm because cfm are wildly varying. 140mm can run as low as 30cfm and up to 118cfm for some and 200mm can run 110cfm.

Additionally, 140mm are not always more focused. Some are set up for high static pressure, others for lower, but high airflow. Normally 200mm don't have high Static Pressure, so pulling air in through a metal grill and filter, and then through a HDD cage can be somewhat ineffective. You'll have to do your research on the fans themselves. Replacing a 200mm with 2 140's that have low static pressure and low airflow would be even worse!

Also. are the exhaust fans the same exact model as the intakes on the cases? If they are, then it's not likely that either the intake or exhaust (one or the other) are optimal for their use.

My advice, is buy all new fans and buy them for their intended purposes and do the math on adding and comparing the volume of air of intake and exhaust.

Great point, fan models and performances vary wildly... particularly ones that come with a case.

 

[Niteblooded]

Thanks for the feedback. May I ask what is your fan set up in the Luxe? What are you using for intake and exhaust and did you OC your 970? I have to say, I'm pretty evenly split in between the two. There are moments throughout my time researching reviews and looking for feedback that I would lean towards one but then soon to lean back towards the other.

I do believe the Luxe does have better airflow potential over the Evolv, but the question is, do I need all that air? I'm going to be running an MSI 980Ti gaming 6G with a 4790K with Noctua's NH-U14S. I won't be overclocking as I feel there is no need to (I might in the future). I know there is no such thing as too much air and cooling ( unless you go under ambient) so as long as I stay within the safe zone, a few degrees difference higher won't make much of a difference in lifespan or will it?

I think your are going to get good airflow whether you pick Evolv or Luxe so if you are leaning toward the Evolv don't pick the Luxe just because you think it might have better airflow. I'm not sure which one has the best airflow but I doubt you are going to need the best of the two. The Noctua has a good rep for a reason so I wouldn't worry there and no a few degrees here or there isn't going to change the lifespan of your chip ...unless those few degrees are at the very high end ...but again, Noctua so no worries. You worry when you are overclocking with a sub-par cooler. I'd focus on the one that has the options you want and then maybe which you like the looks of since you're gonna have to look at it all the time.

My Enthoo Luxe Cooling Setup

• Removed Top 140mm (PH-F140SP) fan
• Replaced top fan with H100i GTX with both fans on the bottom of the rad exhausting up
  
• PSU exhausting to bottom air filter
• Removed top HDD cage ...though I don't think this actually does anything for temps
• H100i GTX plugged into motherboard rather than the PWM hub

I really didn't change much. Pretty much stock, just the H100i.

I'm not sure if my PWM Hub is just not working with the H100i plugged into it or if I'm powering the system off too soon to find out. When I power up with the H100i plugged into the motherboard those fans start spinning right away, but the case fans don't start spinning till POST starts. When I plug the H100i into the PWM fan header nothing spins right away and I freak out and power off immediately. Its not my comfort zone.

That said, I like my temps and fan noise is better than my previous builds but definitely not a quiet case ...more in the probably better than average or average area. One review did say the top fan sometimes vibrates and causes more noise but since I didn't go that route I can't tell you if that is true or not. It was a pretty quick review overall with little details so not exactly something I worried about.

 

[trog100]

two basic facts.. one the more air you move through a case the quicker it fills up with dust and crud.. two filters f-ck up (restrict) air flow massively..

blowing more air through a case than it needs achieves bugger all useful..

trog

 

[Hisuoir]

To really answer the question on the airflow of the fans in the cases, the cfm of each particular fan in the cases is needed. Two 140mm may not necessarily be better than a 200mm because cfm are wildly varying. 140mm can run as low as 30cfm and up to 118cfm for some and 200mm can run 110cfm.

Additionally, 140mm are not always more focused. Some are set up for high static pressure, others for lower, but high airflow. Normally 200mm don't have high Static Pressure, so pulling air in through a metal grill and filter, and then through a HDD cage can be somewhat ineffective. You'll have to do your research on the fans themselves. Replacing a 200mm with 2 140's that have low static pressure and low airflow would be even worse for intake use!

Also. are the exhaust fans the same exact model as the intakes on the cases? If they are, then it's not likely that either the intake or exhaust (one or the other) are optimal for their use.

My advice, is buy all new fans and buy them for their intended purposes and do the math on adding and comparing the volume of air of intake and exhaust.


EDIT: I apologize if it sounds a little OCD. I spent 30(+) hours the last 2 months researching airflow and fans, and boring myself to tears in the process. So I thought I'd share some of that boredom with you!

Thanks for the informative reply. The 140mm fans that I was thinking of getting to use as front intakes are these: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/noctua-case-fan-nfa14pwm

Would 2 of these Noctua 140mm fans be better than the single 200mm that comes with the case?

Here are the specifications from their respective sites:

Noctua: http://noctua.at/en/nf-a14-pwm.html

Phanteks: http://www.phanteks.com/PH-F200SP.html

I'm pretty sure that 200mm fan is the one that is preinstalled in the case as it is the only 200mm listed on their product page. According to the pcpartpicker site, the air flow for the Noctua can go from 68- 82.5 cfm. How do I make sure the fan runs at the higher cfm?

 

[rtwjunkie]

Checking the specs on both, the 200mm is 110cfm as guessed, 25db of noise, and 1.04 static pressure.

If you replaced it with two Noctuas you'd make the Phantek fan look like it doesn't even move air. They also have twice the static pressure. And more airflow each.

To directly answer your question, they are PWM fans, which means they can be controlled by the motherboard, and are 4-pin. The case has a fan controller, right? Most fan controllers are set up to accept 3 pin fans, in effect turning a fan that normally runs full blast into a semi-pwm fan, but controlled by you.

I would first find out what the fan controller on the case uses, 3-pin or 4-pin. If it is only 3-pin you'll need to find similar spec 3 pin non-pwm fans. On the fan controller, you can simply turn it all the way up and get the max speed.

If it doesn't have a controller, or you don't want to, then those Noctuas or any other 4-pin fan would be controlled by whatever you set in the BIOS. Caution: 2 fans means you need two 4-pin plugins on the motherboard.

I hope I at least partially answered your question?

Also, 2 fans, even though 140mm are going to be fairly quiet, will be noisier in tandem than one would be even though they are basically the same noise level as the Phantek 200mm fan.

If you will not have any hard drives in the way, static pressure is not such an issue, and the 200mm would be great!

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Phanteks fan controller is referred to as a PWM hub. Its not a true fan controller the way most people think, it really is more of a hub. You can use 3-pin or 4-pin fans on it, but only has 3-pin plugs to connect fans into. It uses power from the PSU to power the fans, the only 4-pin connector is used to connect to the MB, used for PWM control. Pin1 on the hub is used as the controlling [RPM] sensor to control the speeds of the other fans. on the hub.

What this means is that you need to use almost identical fans on all the PWM hub connectors. Not using similar fans you risk fans not performing as expected.

Basically the Phanteks PWM hub is used for non-critical case fan control. IF you have a MB that has true PWM on all the fan connectors, not just the CPU ones, you can control this hub with Speedfan or other software.

Since I also use an AIO water cooler I added Grid+ to control those fans separately.

 

[Hisuoir]

Phanteks fan controller is referred to as a PWM hub. Its not a true fan controller the way most people think, it really is more of a hub. You can use 3-pin or 4-pin fans on it, but only has 3-pin plugs to connect fans into. It uses power from the PSU to power the fans, the only 4-pin connector is used to connect to the MB, used for PWM control. Pin1 on the hub is used as the controlling [RPM] sensor to control the speeds of the other fans. on the hub.

What this means is that you need to use almost identical fans on all the PWM hub connectors. Not using similar fans you risk fans not performing as expected.

Basically the Phanteks PWM hub is used for non-critical case fan control. IF you have a MB that has true PWM on all the fan connectors, not just the CPU ones, you can control this hub with Speedfan or other software.

Since I also use an AIO water cooler I added Grid+ to control those fans separately.

Hmm this all seems a tad bit confusing to be honest. So the fan that I mentioned above, the Noctua NF-A14 PWM, I will be able to use it with the fan hub but it may not perform in sync with the other Phanteks fans that are also connected to the fan hub?

This was something I was concerned about before, as in how would these Noctua fans with 4 pin perform along side with the Phanteks fans which are 3 pins while all being connected to the fan hub. Actually I read somewhere that the PWM fan hub is not for PWM fans. Not entirely sure if this is true or not.

At the end of the day, will I or will I not be able to connect these fans to the hub (?) or should I just connect these fans to the PSU and have them run full blast? Or should I just order the same Phanteks fans as the ones used for exhaust to avoid any complications?

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Hmm this all seems a tad bit confusing to be honest. So the fan that I mentioned above, the Noctua NF-A14 PWM, I will be able to use it with the fan hub but it may not perform in sync with the other Phanteks fans that are also connected to the fan hub?

This was something I was concerned about before, as in how would these Noctua fans with 4 pin perform along side with the Phanteks fans which are 3 pins while all being connected to the fan hub. Actually I read somewhere that the PWM fan hub is not for PWM fans. Not entirely sure if this is true or not.

At the end of the day, will I or will I not be able to connect these fans to the hub (?) or should I just connect these fans to the PSU and have them run full blast? Or should I just order the same Phanteks fans as the ones used for exhaust to avoid any complications?

True, the PWM is very confusing, but I wouldnt use it for anything else except case fans.

I think of the hub this way: its 1 big happy fan-ily!

Those Noctua fans are close enough in speed to the Phanteks fans so I dont see any major reasons why you couldnt use them, use a Y splitter to attach them to 1 plug on the hub to keep them paired up.

 

[Niteblooded]

As I said, I couldn't get my H100i to work from the PWM fan hub so I cannot offer any more information on it. Mine is simply controlling the case fans keeping a cleaning look on the motherboard.

Not sure if you decided yet on which case to get but I did some more research and the Evolv is on the lower-average end of the spectrum competing against similar PC enthusiast cases. The Luxe competes very well with its competitors. On full gaming load with my setup (post #13) my CPU gets to a max of 52C and my GPU gets to a max of 68C. No point in giving my idle temps because my GPU doesn't even start spinning the fan until a load is registered. Fan noise, while audible isn't bad at all. Once a game starts it doesn't even register on my radar. So cooling is pretty good with the fans that come with the case.

As rtwjunkie said, once you have two 140mm fans spinning instead of one 200mm you will get more noise just from the simple fact you have two fans spinning. Also while the 200mm doesn't have the CFM of the 140 it has the diameter (so to speak) so the air flow may be more apt to flow the direction you want depending on your push/pull setup. But I would trust rtwjunkie on this one because sounds like he actually did the research on this stuff. I can just tell you that my temps are good.

If your only concern is longevity of your parts I don't think you need to worry with either case. If your goals is a quiet build than that's where to start looking for better fans. If you go Evolv you should be good with its factory fans but if you're really concerned about it and you're going to change some fans you might as well change all the fans while you're at it. I wouldn't think its necessary unless you have specific goal in mind you are trying to achieve.

 

[Hisuoir]

As I said, I couldn't get my H100i to work from the PWM fan hub so I cannot offer any more information on it. Mine is simply controlling the case fans keeping a cleaning look on the motherboard.

Not sure if you decided yet on which case to get but I did some more research and the Evolv is on the lower-average end of the spectrum competing against similar PC enthusiast cases. The Luxe competes very well with its competitors. On full gaming load with my setup (post #13) my CPU gets to a max of 52C and my GPU gets to a max of 68C. No point in giving my idle temps because my GPU doesn't even start spinning the fan until a load is registered. Fan noise, while audible isn't bad at all. Once a game starts it doesn't even register on my radar. So cooling is pretty good with the fans that come with the case.

As rtwjunkie said, once you have two 140mm fans spinning instead of one 200mm you will get more noise just from the simple fact you have two fans spinning. Also while the 200mm doesn't have the CFM of the 140 it has the diameter (so to speak) so the air flow may be more apt to flow the direction you want depending on your push/pull setup. But I would trust rtwjunkie on this one because sounds like he actually did the research on this stuff. I can just tell you that my temps are good.

If your only concern is longevity of your parts I don't think you need to worry with either case. If your goals is a quiet build than that's where to start looking for better fans. If you go Evolv you should be good with its factory fans but if you're really concerned about it and you're going to change some fans you might as well change all the fans while you're at it. I wouldn't think its necessary unless you have specific goal in mind you are trying to achieve.

I ended up sticking with the luxe.

Honestly, the reason why I wanted to change the 200mm fan in the front is because I've heard from numerous other posts from people who also own this case that the 200mm in the case isn't good. They all suggested to switch it out for 2 quality 140mm to move much more air for better airflow. Now, when your comparing 2 140s to the single 200, it may make the 200 look bad, but overall is the 200 actually "bad"? Like is the 200mm good and that 2 140s is better(?) Or is the 200mm actually useless?

They all called it useless but there is a difference between these two scenarios in that its actually a good fan but when compared to 2 quality 140s, it's useless.
I think for now I should stick with the 200mm to see how it goes with my 980Ti and if needed I'll swap in 2 140 3-pins.

 

[rtwjunkie]

I think for now I should stick with the 200mm to see how it goes with my 980Ti and if needed I'll swap in 2 140 3-pins.

I think you made a wise move! There's nothing actually wrong with the 200mm. You can always change later if the amount of airflow isn't to your liking.

 

[Hisuoir]

I think you made a wise move! There's nothing actually wrong with the 200mm. You can always change later if the amount of airflow isn't to your liking.

Yea I realized that ambient temperature inside my room also plays a big factor. Correct me if I'm wrong but the point of fans is to exchange the hot air inside the case with cold air from outside the case. If my room is already pretty cold already, then i think temps inside the case will be fine. It's not like the 200mm isn't moving any air at all. (this is sort of a self convincing comment lol but I think it's correct)

 

[rtwjunkie]

That fan is moving alot of air, and fairly quietly. You'll know if it's good enough by your component temps.

You are correct, if you already have low ambient room temperature, it makes it much easier for your system to stay cool under load.

 

[GhostRyder]

Which case has better airflow through the default fan set up and how much better is the airflow? The two cases I'm deciding between are the Phanteks Evolv and the Phanteks Luxe. The Evolv has two 140mm intake fans in the front, and the Luxe has one 200mm intake fan in the front. They both have a 140mm fan at the back for exhaust, also the Luxe has one additional 140mm fan at the top rear where the Evolv does not. The top of the Evolv is pretty covered up with only small vents on the side where as the Luxe has a top opening with a giant mesh.

I’ve read that two 140mm intakes are better than one 200mm intake because a filter or a mesh will restrict a 200mm fan drastically (not sure if this is 100% correct) and also 140mm makes air more focused. Both of these cases have intake filters but the Luxe also has a metal mesh at the front whereas the Evlov doesn’t. The Evolv is a mid tower and the Luxe is a full tower if that makes a difference. So which case would be better with the default fan set up for airflow and by how much?

The case will be housing a GTX 980Ti with an i7-4790K and the CPU cooler I will use is a Noctua NH U14S.

Evolv: http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Evolv-ATX.html

Luxe: http://www.phanteks.com/Enthoo-Luxe.html

Well not any experience with the Luxe but the Evolv it has very good directed airflow however its designed more as a very clean looking case with ventilations holes through the sides instead of directly out which can cause restriction. With that in mind, looking at the Luxe I would wager it would give a bit better airflow due to its designs especially with the mesh on top not interfering with air as much being pushed through. Overall you probably will not see much of a difference but based on the specs and design I would wager the Luxe would be better on airflow if that is what you are after.