Hey there, my name is Darren and I’m a gamer. I have a Phoenix. I use it. A lot. And now, with the next rev of this beast – now called the HP ENVY Phoenix h9 – we’re getting a few of the tweaks that I’ve been hoping to see. Namely, the interior gets a tool-less facelift so that you can dig into the guts freely without having to go scramble for your screwdriver as often. The wiring is bundled and routed through the case so that you don’t have to jimmy in a new graphics card. The hard drives slot in and you can unplug / undock three drives as needed.
For sake of comparison, let’s look at an original phoenix case layout and a quick shot of a new one.
Note how with the original unit (the one with the red circles) the hard drive cage is facing inward and the cables are running over the graphics card.
With the newer case in the ENVY Phoenix h9, check out where those orange circles are. The drive cage in the lower left is EASILY accessible and the wiring throughout the case is under control, cable-wise. [Insert the golf clap here!]
Yep, you’re also going to get access to the latest, top-of-the-line third-generation Intel processors. The h9-1320t model comes spec'd with an Intel Core i7-3770 processor with 10GB of memory. You’ll have a choice of NVIDIA or AMD high-end, discrete graphics performance. Want to go for more performance-enhancing options such as ExpressCache, solid state drives (SSDs) and liquid cooling….rock it proudly. You still get the subtle-but-cool armored design with tinges of red lighting from inside the case.
OF COURSE, this desktop is capable of doing a TON more than just games. Movies and music more your speed? No problem, it’s armed with beats audio jacks on the top panel of the Phoenix and there’s a full retinue of ports all around the Phoenix: On the top (two USB 3.0), in the drop-down front panel (four USB 2.0 and flash memory card slots), and in back (two more USB 3.0, four more USB 2.0 and an optical audio port).
Oh, and get this – the redone ENVY Phoenix h9 starts at $899 when it hits stores for the holidays. Keep in mind that just at the beginning of this year the first Phoenix hit the scene with a starting price just north of $1,100. Now, starting at over $200 less, you’re getting a potentially better rig. Just think of this as a quick head’s up until I get a chance to really dig into the guts and see how this guy works in the field. Y’know, with games….and….other activities.
What do you think of the new design scheme for inside the Phoenix case?
