Phanteks P200A Review: Simple $70 ITX Glory

We are using the following system for today’s build: 

Step 1: CPU Block & Motherboard Installation 

We’re starting off with the CPU, memory, and SSD pre-installed onto the motherboard. We then chuck the CPU block of our AIO on the board, simply because it’s generally easier to do this beforehand in case the cutout at the back of the motherboard tray is too small to access the socket afterward.

One of the pre-installed standoffs has an anchor, meaning the board was held in place with the case upright before tightening it in – a little detail that makes life just a little easier.

Step 2: Finishing AIO installation 

Then, I installed the remainder of the all-in-one liquid cooler. I made sure to use the side vent as an intake, with the fans pushing air through the radiator. This would give the AIO access to cold fresh air for optimal CPU temperatures, which paired with the front intake should lead to impressive temperatures in the thermal tests.  

Step 3: PSU Installation 

After that, I installed the power supply at the top of the chassis, ensuring the fan was pointed down as there is no intake at the top of the case. I routed all the cables to the back of the chassis. You can slide it in from the inside of the chassis if the PSU isn’t too big, but if you’re having trouble, there’s also a mechanism to slide in from the back of the case. 

Step 4: Switching to Vertical GPU Layout 

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As Phanteks supplied us with a GPU riser cable, I figured it would be fun to put it to use. To do this, I first swapped two plates at the back of the chassis around to switch the expansion slots to the vertical layout.  

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Then, I installed the metal bracket that came with the chassis and the optional riser cable. I used position A, which sits a little deeper inside the case for better cooling, as otherwise the GPU gets too close to the glass panel. 

Step 5: Cable Management 

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At this point, I could install the GPU, but it would sit in the way of all the cables I still had to manage. With RGB, an RGB controller, four fans and the rest of the system, there were quite a few cables to tidy up, so I figured it would be easier to do this before putting in the GPU. 

As far as cable management goes, the P200A is surprisingly good for an ITX chassis. Of course, it’s still an ITX case – by which I mean that it’s still small and you’ll have to strain a bit to get everything where you want it to be, but there are cutouts in all the right places, along with plenty of Velcro straps and brackets to hold everything in place. In total, I spent about 30 minutes on cable management, though this could have been less if I hadn’t removed the Velcro strap at the top PSU area, as it was difficult to get back into its anchor point.

Step 6: GPU Installation 

After all that, dropping our Founder’s Edition RTX 2070 Super was simple. Nothing more to be said here. 

Build Complete 

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Despite being a $70 chassis, the Phanteks Eclipse P200A certainly doesn’t feel like it. Sure, the materials aren’t anything to write home about, but the design overall is quite well thought-out and it was a joy to build a system in this case. The end results were pretty, too.