Building this PC is quite straightforward. We start by dropping the CPU into the socket, slotting in the G.Skill memory, and popping the Sabrent SSD into its M.2 slot.
Once this is done, we prop the motherboard into place and secure it using nine screws. Because a couple of the standoffs preinstalled in the Phanteks Evolv X2 have a ridge to hold the motherboard in place, we can do this upright, without having to lay the entire case on its side.
Then, we assemble and install the Glacier One CPU Cooler. I noticed that the top bracket only allows the hoses to be installed on the rear side of the case – I would have preferred the look of the hoses at the front, to come down from the floating part, but oh well.
I then carried on to install the rear exhaust fan, along with the reverse-flow fans at the bottom of the chassis for air intake.
Following this, it was time to install the power supply. For this, I grabbed the be quiet! PSU and hooked up the 24-pin motherboard connector, two 8-pin CPU power connectors, and the 16-pin, 600W cable to power the graphics card, connecting them all before slotting the power supply into place.
Throughout the build, I had already been connecting up some of the fan and RGB cables, and now that everything but the GPU was in place, it was time to do some cable management. You’ll agree that this isn’t my tidiest work, but the Phanteks Evolv X2 has plenty of space at the rear to work with, along with a neat metal door to cover it all up before the glass panel goes on, so it doesn’t really matter anyway.
The trickiest part was figuring out how to hook up all the RGB connectors. The fans at the top have some; the case has a bunch; the bottom fans have their own; and the CPU block has its own, too. Moreover, you can wire in the Sapphire card too, setting it to either drive the other RGB devices or letting the motherboard take over the GPU's RGB.
But the motherboard “only” has 3 headers. That’s plenty, and Phanteks' kit includes more than enough adapter pieces to group areas together, but it still took a hot second to figure out which cable comes from what, and where it must go.
Finally, it was time to install the graphics card. For this, I removed the three expansion slot covers in the way on the chassis and slotted the GPU into place. Then I raised up the GPU support bracket that’s built into the chassis, and for added support, I also installed Sapphire’s bracket. Many cases come with some form of GPU bracket nowadays, and motherboards come with strengthened PCIe slots, but it’s nice to see GPU manufacturers also include their own brackets, especially with how big GPUs are becoming. The combo of these three factors, along with the triple-slot occupation at the back of the case, meant that the GPU is thoroughly supported and won’t sag.
Power for the Sapphire Radeon RX 9070XT Nitro+ is fed at the top of the GPU, underneath its magnetic backplate. This means the cable runs from behind the GPU, giving a cable-less appearance that I quite admire. Custom cable kits are still quite expensive, and this eliminates the need for one if you care about visuals. Well done, Sapphire!
With that done, the build is complete.
MORE: Best Gaming Desktops
MORE: How To Build A PC
MORE: All PC Builds Content
