Phanteks Eclipse P500A PC Case Review

When Phanteks released the older P400A, it was a refreshing inexpensive option that brought a lot of value into what was generally a weak market over recent years. The Phanteks P500a follows on from its older sibling, with enhanced aesthetics and useful features, coming to shelves available in two options – plain airflow and D-RGB.

Today we are looking at the D-RGB product which you will have to pay more for but lighting aside, the cases are the same. The P500A falls under the Eclipse line and has just enough features to justify its price tag, making it a very competitive option.

This PC case shares a similar interior layout to the more premium P600S, allowing for vertical mounting, multiple large radiators, and can also fit a secondary system if you were so inclined.

Let’s take a closer look.

Main Features

• Ultra-fine mesh front panel that also acts as a dust filter
• 3 x 140mm D-RGB
• Integrated case lighting
• Vertical GPU mounting with included bracket (No riser cable)
• Dual system support
• Anti sag bracket included

The Outside

The P500A, from every angle, looks sublime and is actually a relatively lightweight case (8KG) despite being of stellar quality. This is a common trend with Phanteks often nailing the aesthetics with their PC cases. The front panel is fitted with a full mesh panel and is easily removable with a small tug but isn’t so easy that you have to concern yourself when carrying it. The “ultra-fine” mesh is 1mm thick perforated metal and doubles up as a dust filter for the front intake fans. While this mesh may not be as effective as some of the fabric we are starting to see some manufacturers use, the airflow is excellent here and this is a massive plus for those that value performance.

The front of the P500A looks amazing and a lot of that is owed to the three included 140mm D-RGB fans. While it does look great, I found it odd that the fans are mounted on the inside of the case rather than externally as shown in all the images you will see for this online. When building, I decided to remove the fans and put them on the exterior of the bracket so that the lighting effects were not interrupted but I soon found out why it was configured this way – they don’t fit. Yea, strange one and one of the few negatives to the case but there simply isn’t room underneath that mesh to fit your fans, looks like a terrible oversight from Phanteks.

The Rear

The back of Phanteks cases always reveals a few lovely features that other manufacturers tend to leave out. On first appearances, everything looks fairly standard, we have seven horizontal expansion slots, with three vertical, just like the P600S, giving you a bit more choice with your GPU.

To the top, you will notice a strange metal plate that can be removed and this is for the dual system bracket. The dual system bracket can be purchased separately and while it is another feature, I’m not too sure many people who buy this case will really care about it but it is good to have options I guess. Just underneath, is space for a 120 or 140mm fan here with a bit of wiggle room to get the most optimal mount for your build.

Another great little feature with some of Phanteks’ cases is the included anti-sag bracket. This bracket is placed in the back panel and secured through the rear and actually works! The bracket makes a difference and you should definitely use it for extra support, especially if you plan on transporting your built system anywhere.

A few other things which are quite common with Phanteks case are the removable PSU mounting bracket for easy installation and the exposed side panel hinges. The hinges on the P500A are something I quite like, as the door can not only open 180 degrees but it can lift off entirely when needed.

The Side

The component side of your system features a full-length tempered glass panel that has also been framed with an opaque border. The border tidies up the overall looks of the interior and also hides the magnets and rubber seals. The rubber seals go around the entire edge of the TG panel to create an airflow seal, while also doubling up as a bit of sound dampening.

The back panel is one sheet of metal, nothing really to note here but both sides are tool-free and are extremely easy to add/remove. It would have been nice to see some sound-dampening material at the back but that would probably add extra cost and if you were after better acoustic performance then you would likely avoid an airflow case like this anyway.

The Top

The top of the case is very aesthetically pleasing, you can tell it’s a Phanteks case but the main issue is the dust filter. The filter is your standard budget-friendly type but, if I’m honest, I was expecting more from Phanteks here. The quality is poor and the material can easily crease, which catches the eye and can never be reversed.

The top of the case is where your I/O is located and you won’t be disappointed.

The I/O consists of:

• Power Button
• 2 x USB 3.0
• 1 x USB C Gen2
• 1 x Mic/Audio Jack
• LED Mode Button
• LED Color Button

The Inside

The Phanteks P500A shares a lot of similarities with other cases in the Eclipse range, offering a spacious interior with plenty of cooling support. This is a mid-tower and features E-ATX support but that is only for motherboards up to 280mm wide, so no SSI EEB form factor boards can go in here, which I doubt you would want anyway.

At the front, you can mount three 120/140mm fans and have enough space to mount a radiator up to 420mm long, with 95mm clearance for thick boys or a reservoir.

At the bottom, we have that classic Phanteks PSU shroud, which features a bit of branding, a cut out to show off your PSU or include a small LCD panel and an integrated lighting strip that looks absolutely sublime. The strip shares RGB lighting effects with the small power strip located on the front and you can change the effects/ colors via the front panel buttons. Alternatively, you can plug in the RGB connectors to the motherboard and control your lighting that way.

The shroud also features a small PCIe cable cutout with a sliding cover. The cable cutout is exactly like the one we saw in the P600S and is one of my favorite designs for this type of feature, as it allows you to effortlessly make your build look even cleaner. On the shroud towards the rear, you will see your mounting spot for the included vertical mount bracket that comes with the P500A. As previously mentioned, you don’t get a PCIe riser cable with this but, as always, it is great to see the support included. Beneath the basement, there is a PSU dust filter that slides out but it is only small, so it needs to be removed from the rear.

Towards the top, there is plenty of clearance (65mm) after you install a radiator to connect your CPU power and other hard-to-reach areas. You can mount up to three 120mm fans or two 140mm and have enough room to mount a radiator up to 360mm/280mm in length. A small issue when installing my 360mm AIO was that I could only fit it one way. I tend to favor having my AIO orientated with the pipes towards the rear of the case but, unfortunately, this wasn’t possible by only a couple of millimeters.

The Back Panel

In the back is where we see the storage support with the P500A. There are three 2.5” SSD trays pre-installed for vertical mounting your SSDs, which can all be easily removed thanks to their tool-free design. Along with these three, you also receive two drive caddies in your accessory pack that can be stacked together to save room and can fit any 3.5” HDDs you may have. The caddies can slot into three different locations depending on your build requirements and if upgraded/ configured correctly the case can fit up to 10 3.5” HDDs.

As you can see, I removed the three SSD caddies to make way for my fan controller.

Another feature, although not shown in the picture, is the Phanteks cable management system. With the use of the included velcro straps, you can easily route your cables in an efficient manner but I’d have liked to see more zip tie mounts.

My third and final negative to the case is something I’ve mentioned with others and it’s the slidable cable covers. These are terrible, they just don’t work effectively enough and seem way over complicated. I would love to see Phanteks ditch this design in the future and go with grommets or what Corsair has gone for in their 4000/5000-series cases.

Final Word

The Phanteks P500A is a great example of an airflow-focused case. With the P360 being their main budget case and the P600S featuring as their flagship case, the P500A fills a gap for the brand and is even cheaper if you avoid the D-RGB model. The D-RGB fans and integrated lighting looks fantastic though and you can create an attractive build in this case with little effort.

Is the P500A worth buying? Absolutely, it’s packed with features, supports water cooling, and if you are part of the dual system niche then add another tick to the pros column. The main issue many may find is that there are cheaper airflow cases out there but this is competitively priced, with three D-RGB fans included, and is a solid option for any prospective builder.