Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Installation & Configuration
The installation kit for the Evolv Shift comes with a variety of items, including a plastic hard case full of screws, a handful of cable ties, a case badge with Phanteks’ logo, and set of foam feet for when the case is placed in a horizontal configuration. You also get a very detailed menu outlining the features, with recommendations on items like cable management and airflow.
The Evolv Shift does away with the normal cable configuration by cutting down the standard front I/O connections to a single USB 3.0 connection and a cable for the power switch. In place of the missing cables are a fortified PCIe ribbon cable and power/control connections for the RGB lighting controller.
While we normally strive to maintain a consistent test hardware configuration in order to eliminate variables from our tests, we do on occasion receive a sample that forces us to deviate from our standard setup. The Noctua NH-L12 we normally use in our tests has a height of 93mm, while the Evolv Shift has a maximum supported CPU cooler height of 82mm. In situations like this we generally swap out the NH-L12 with the 59mm Reeven Brontes, which features similar performance.
The smaller footprint of the Reeven Brontes coupled with the wide-open build space inside the Evolv Shift means that installation is a breeze.
The tempered glass side panels on the Evolv Shift give buyers a wide-open view of their finished build. Buyers who also opt to add to the lighting system will see additional benefit from the size of the panels.
The CPU cooler swap from the Noctua NH-L12 to the Reeven Brontes is today’s only change in test hardware.
Noise is measured .5m from the case's front corner, on the side that opens. The numbers are corrected to the 1m industry standard—used by many loudspeaker and fan manufacturers—by subtracting six decibels.
The test duration for today’s review was four hours at full load with the ambient air temperature for the test maintained at approximately 26°C (78.8°F).
Comparison Products
Test Configuration
Drivers and Settings
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Software | |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 353.30 |
| Chipset | Intel INF 10.0.27 |
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Prime95 v27.9 | 64-bit executable, Small FFTs, 4 threads |
| 3DMark 11 | Version: 1.0.3.0, Extreme Preset: Graphics Test 1, Looped |
| Real Temp 3.40 | Average of maximum core readings at full CPU load |
| Galaxy CM-140 SPL Meter | Tested at 1/2 m, corrected to 1 m (-6 dB), dBA weighting |
MORE: Best Cases
MORE: All Case Content