CFI Pharaoh Evo CFI-A1128 Black SECC / Mesh & Plastic Front Bezel ATX dual system full tower Computer Case

Pros: Read Other Thoughts
-Is HUGE (almost 31 inches tall)
-Two system design
-Wide range of compatibility and customization
-Sturdy main-construction
-Includes sufficient case fans for initial build
-Two sets of headers and power buttons for each build
-6 easily usable 5.25" drive bays
-8 3.5" hotswap bays (6 bottom, 2 top), each pair connect to a board that also has 3-pin fan connectors powered by a single molex power connector
-4 2.5" hotswap bays, run by a single board and two molex power connector.
-Top of ITX system case supports 480mm Watercooling rack, or 4 120mm fans, or 3 140mm fans or one/two larger fan
-Top of ATX system case supports 360mm Watercooling rack, or 3 120mm fans, or 2 140mm fans or one larger fan
-Bottom supports 1 larger fan, or 2 smaller fan
-Magnet on front swinging panel with 2 120mm fans(pleasant surprise for the magnet part)
-1 rear 140mm fan
-Tons of internal room for my Tuniq Tower 120 CPU cooler, and for any GPU on the market.
-Allows for PSU to be mounted upside down
-Nice air filters
-CFI is responsive to emails

Cons: Read Other Thoughts
-Very heavy, 50 pounds empty
-A lot of separate items
--Standoffs not pre-installed
--Legs not pre-installed
-Plastic expansion-slot covers are hard to work with/remove
-Thumb screws are awful
-Thumb screw holes are awful
-Quality control is among the worst I've ever seen on a high cost case
-Too much plastic, It's already 50 pounds, what's another 10?
-Bottom case fan too large, had to trim the plastic to fit EPS12V PSU
-Random grommets sticking out of case interfere with things like GPU placement, had to modify/cut parts of the case (it was also blowing out, which is incorrect for my setup)
-Hot swap bays require you to screw in the HDD for the connections to seat properly, this is stupid. Should have been completely tool-less
-Not enough screws, I kinda expected a ton of extra screws for the price paid...
-Top 2 "drive bays" aren't really bays, they've been blocked off and are really reserved so that you can use the top for a radiator, not for drives. It would take a lot of work and grinding to get the last 2 bays open
-Useless window on the side panel, I'd much prefer the older Diablo version, or the AZZA OEM version that had the fan slots. I am contacting CFI for cost estimates.
-Top part of the case came broken, almost like the box had been set down upside down (contacted seller directly, they were awesome about it and didn't even require me to RMA, just sent a pic and they're gonna send a replacement)
-When fully equiped with fans, it will end up being a negative pressure system, not good...

Other Thoughts: On the one hand, I love this case, on the other hand, I hate it. This case is NOT for beginners. It takes a significant amount of work and coaxing for things to seat correctly and for any initial setup. The thumb screws are terrible, they're hard to turn in the sockets, which are poorly cut, and the plastic feels cheap. There's random grommets everywhere which interferes with expansion slot placements, I had to tear stuff off the case which I really shouldn't have to worry about. I also had to put the standoffs on and screw in the legs, which is hard to do alone, because of the cases weight.

All in all, the case is sturdy, but cheaply made. I don't worry about putting my expensive components in it, but it is a pain in the behind to work with, and for the stupidest reasons too. I give 5 stars because I really do love it, but it comes with some very severe reservations.

You're purchasing this case because:

1) You plan to use the top bay for more HDDs, or for a mini-ITX system
2) You plan to use a very high end system that requires either radiator cooling, or a ton of air movement
3) You understand that this case is enormous, it's heavy, and it's one of the only cases of its kind available
4) You want to have a future proof case through it's enormous expand-ability

You should be warry of this case because:

1) It's build quality is bad, and will require some sweat to make it work for you
2) It is REALLY big and heavy

I ONLY recommend this case to someone who knows what they're doing, and genuinely plans to use both the sections in this computer. Otherwise, get a different case, this isn't worth it. It's too expensive for the build quality.

Extra info:

Top ITX backpannel is supposed to be used with an SFX12V PSU, notice the 6 holes required for mounting. A good SFX that will run high end i7 + GPU ITX systems will run you at least $65 bucks, I spent $100 on a gold rated 450W modular one.

This case was really built for water cooling, but I don't use water cooling. It's air flow isn't the best, cuz it would naturally create a negative air pressure system inside which invites dust buildup.

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This is all I can think of for now. If anyone has any questions, I'd love to answer them... seeing as I made a pretty big gamble in buying this case through the severe lack of information on it. zeon.voxidon@gmail.com

Pros: Nicely accommodates two systems as advertised.

Hot swap bays are pretty slick, they screw on to the bottom of the hard drive. Supports both 3.5" and SSDs without the need for an adapter.

Support for large motherboards. I have an ATX board installed, and there is plenty of room to work with.

Back planes have 3-pin fan connectors built into them.

Back planes require Molex connectors, so you don't have to worry about having enough SATA power cables.

Cons: First and foremost, I did not receive any screws what so ever with this case. I'm pretty unhappy about that, as I had to scavenge other cases I have to get what I needed.

If you have any WD Velociraptor hard drives, make sure that your SATA connectors are positioned in the usual spot. One of mine is mounted oddly compared to the rest of my drives, and it won't work in the hot swap bays.

Comes with a giant case fan in the bottom of the case that would accomplish nothing but sucking up dust. I had to remove it to be able to install a power supply.

Would have been nice if the case came with some wheels to help move it around.

Not sure what the deal is with the expansion slots. They have plastic covers over them, but nothing to secure the cards with once you install them. Don't know if they were supposed to be tool-less or use screws. I had to scavenge screws to secure the cards.

Other Thoughts: Massive, I'm 5' 10" and it nearly comes up to my waist. When it is fully loaded with two systems, it weighs a ton. Might want some help moving it if you are a smaller person. Might want some help anyways so you don't drop it and break your foot.

You need a low profile heat sink for the CPU in the top compartment, as a stock heat sink will probably not fit because the power supply is directly above the CPU. An AMD stock heat sink will definitely not work.

Top compartment requires a Micro ATX size power supply, the same type you find in PCs sold by computer manufacturers.

In the top compartment, you need to buy a left angle and a right angle SATA cable for the back plane. I tried the straight cables, and the back panel wouldn't close because of it. I was lucky and happened to have some.

Cable management is okay, would recommend that you buy a modular power supply. Mine isn't modular, so it took a bit to get everything out of the way.

Would also recommend you buy long SATA cables so you can route them. The ones I have are shorter, so because of the position of the back plane I have SATA spaghetti in the case.

Make sure your power cables are long enough to reach. I bought extensions for the 24-pin connector, 8-pin CPU connector, and 8-pin PCI express connectors. My 24-Pin and 8-Pin connectors are at the top of my motherboard, and they barely reach.

The case has a lot of plastic on it, so it's something to keep in mind.

Overall, unless you want to have two systems in a single case, I would pass on this. Just hope you receive some screws.

Pros: Same oem as the azza fusion, great features

Cons: Overpriced for what is is

Other Thoughts: Think of it as comparing a sager to ibuypower laptop, both using the same clevo base design, the only difference is the cfi is a bit overpriced

Pros: If big is what you want,, this thing is massive.taller than most desks. Houses two systems and or water cooling super setup. As large as it is,, you will feel dumb having anything smaller than an HPTX size Mobo.

awesome swap drive setup, 1 of the main reasons i bought it.

A window that actually displays the cpu and motherboard,, not the wires.

excellent cable management. Up with the best of em.

Cons: Waaaaay overpriced for quality/features.

some of the steel is cheap and bendy. everything red,, is flimsy and cheap.

top system is removable,,, but,, the brackets for itx system hook to the main systems body,, so removable but not usable if removed.

Only 6 SIX 5.25 expansions. The dual part up top,, behind the CFI logo,, has a mini super thick strong steel wall behind it, that would take some serious dremel work,, and a lot of bits,, to cut through,, then you would still have to make your own bracket. 6,, not 8.

The vents are pointless. I dont see how up or down would have any differing effect on airflow. They are cheap and squeak.

Other Thoughts: I did a lot of research before I bought this case.
I originally was looking at the AZZA Fusion 4000, then saw this (which is almost,, 99% identical,, weird)
I found the chyang fun website and got iffy descriptions. I was already set to go on the AZZA version, but decided, hey, this is new,, they updated the vent, window and added more usb ports, ill try it out.
Im really dissappointed. It just feels like a $150 kind of case, not $230. The features I wanted that would justify this purchase for me were not there. 8 expansions and removable top system.

In addition, when compared to their other cases, this really seems overpriced. The B1010 for example, is a single system version of this that houses an ATX, not HTPX board, and has 3 swap slots,, and is $80. Compare that to the A1168($200) which is same as this(A1128, $230) without top unit, and you are paying $120 more, for a few swap spots (basically glorified extension cables) and a little bit bigger.

They dont pay enough attention to details and quality to warrant the extra money. $150 feels right,, especially if your used to $50-100 Coolermaster standard cases. (i have the 690 II now)

In the end I have already been issued an RMA, and will likely buy the CM Storm Trooper instead, because it has all the bays I need, room for enough liquid cooling, and I can add swap bays myself with the saved money,, and feel better about spending this much.

I have owned about 4 CM cases and have built many more, andhave never felt bad about a purchase I made with them.

This is the only case I have ever purchased where I felt like I didnt get my moneys worth. Its not that bad,, its really kind of a cool case, just the description is off and when you compare it to some of their other cases like the B1010, it feels way overpriced. Not enough extra and quality to justify the difference.

It is ginormous btw. (pro or con is up to you,, just be prepared)

I hope this helps, CFI needs to step up with updating their website and pictures. (they actually have two prior versions of this case, the a1008 and the a1068) and most current details online and video,, are based on those cases. Really a weak move for a company moving in with a high priced product.

They are also unreachable through their website, I did call and leave a message for them (number received from newegg page) to update pictures on neweggs site,, which was done within 48 hours (but newegg may have done it because pictures here seem unique) Dont know if it was becuase they were being attentive to my request or if newegg was just doing a good job (more likely)

This case may still be cool for people who want it big, but with 6 expansions and non removable usable top