Bizarrely, the fan can be controlled from the side of the case also, including an on/off switch (handy) and a fan direction reverse switch, which isn’t something we’ve seen on a fan of any size to date.

Beyond the inexplicable blue bling, the Enermax Chakra is a decently built steel case. Though it’s not near the standards of the ultra-premium case market (SilverStone, Lian Li and Zalman), it’s far from the worse steel case we’ve seen.

The edges are rounded, and there’s little opportunity for doing unscheduled reconstruction of the skin on your hands. The Chakra can squeeze in five 3.5in drives and five 5.25in drives, and also includes an eSATA port on the top front of the case. The 3.5in drive bays are removable and toolless, and all 5.25in drive bays have front access.

The case’s 12cm front-mounted fan includes a dust filter, but considering a huge percentage of the side of the case is constructed from mesh, we wonder if it’s of any value. The air flow on this case can’t help but be good, and the 25cm fan is suitably quiet. There’s nothing specifically bad about the Chakra case, but it doesn’t leave a great impression overall.