Mid-Tower cases are the most common, and arguably the most popular. They work very well for the average user, allowing room to install their hardware, and all of the most common features we've come to expect. For some of us, however, that's just not enough. With multiple graphics cards, full ATX motherboards and water cooling setups, some people just need more room. Enermax has one solution to your space problems in the Uber Chakra full tower case.
Until recently, I was one of the many who used mid-tower cases exclusively. They had always done the job, and there was a huge variety available to choose from. Then I got into water-cooling. There are some great mid-tower cases available thet are made with water-coolers in mind, but there is only so much that can be done within the size limitation of the mid-tower format. I used to own an Enermax Phoenix mid-tower case that I loved, with its sleek aluminum front panel and huge but somehow understated 250mm side fan. The people at Enermax recently sent us another of their cases, the Uber Chakra, to look over, so I was eager to test it out.
The package arrived with less wear than normal, I am happy to say.
Inside, the shipping protection was adequate, though not as complete as I've gotten used to seeing, with full side and front coverage. Still, it was obviously enough, as the Uber Chakra arrived at my door without a scratch.
And here it is fully unpacked:
It's certainly an eye-catcher, isn't it? I'm still not sold on the striking blue trim, but it is also available in black and silver, and there is even a limited-edition "ruby" case with custom ATI graphics here. The first thing that caught my eye, regardless of the color scheme, was the huge fan on the side, and the admittedly odd shape of the frame around it. The Phoenix didn't have this... what is that, anyway? Ellipsoid? Figure-eight? Regardless, this is different. All I can think is that it allows for more ventilation beside the fan as well as through it. This fan is supposed to move 90cfm of air at only 17dBa, and while I lack the acoustic equipment to test it, I have no trouble believing it at all. In short, it's quiet and effective. And best of all, it's easily controllable.
Here are the controls on the outside frame. The fan is reversible and can be turned off if needed, and though it has five very bright blue LEDs in it, there is a button included to turn them off. Nice touch.
The Uber Chakra also ships with a single 120mm fan in front, also with blue LEDs, though these do not include an off switch, much to my disappointment. The front fan is also framed in blue with yet another odd shape, almost making it look like Batman's computer.
All of the Uber Chakra's controls are top-mounted, useful for those that store their system on the floor or in the lower portion of a desk, but not so much for people like myself that keep it on the desk next to them. The Uber Chakra is large enough to make this an issue when trying to access the ports.
This portion of the case is really the only glossy part to speak of, and they thought of that at the factory, including the classic peel-away vinyl to protect it during shipping.
This top panel includes two USB ports, headphone out, mic in, and one eSATA port. The eSATA is getting to be more of a standard of late and I am glad to see it. After using it, my USB just seems to crawl. Also on top are the HDD activity light, power on light, and a small reset switch to the left. This switch is well designed, as it sits flush with the panel, out of the way, and is thus very unlikely to be pressed by accident. The main power switch is also well placed, right in the center of the panel on the front of the case, easily reached whether stored above or below the desktop.
The Uber Chakra has five external 5.25" drive bays, two external 3.5" bays, and six internal 3.5" bays. Plenty of room for whatever bay devices you may have, likely with room to spare. Each of the external bays is covered in an attractive black mesh, with a foam filter behind each, thus allowing excellent air intake while still keeping a sleek appearance.
The back of the case is standard fare, with a top-mounted PSU, seven expansion slots, and a grill that will accomodate a 120mm, 92mm or 80mm fan.
The Uber Charka is 21.6 inches deep and 21.7 high, with a width of 8.5 inches. The team at Enermax must have realized that a case this tall might end up being top-heavy, especially with the top-mounted PSU. They have included four plastic feet, preassembled and mounted at the factory, that can be positioned in three different spots: retracted (completely under the case and unexposed, but providing no stability benefit), half-way extended (forty-five degrees and extended slightly outside the case), and fully extended (ninety degrees to the base of the case and extending about three inches outward, providing maximum stability). Builders need to be aware of these and be sure that they are in the fully retracted position while building, as they move fairly easily and can collapse into this position while moving the case or laying it on its side.
Like most cases on the market today, the Uber Chakra is tool-less. Included are all the rails needed to fill every drive in the case, each marked with its function: HDD, ODD, or FDD. Also included in the case are standoffs, mounting screws for any motherboard, fan screws, a single self-adhesive wire tie connector, a speaker (why do they include these any more?), and two Enermax-branded velcro cable ties.
The inside of the left panel shows the back of the huge side fan and the vent alongside it. This fan is powered by a single 4-pin Molex connector, which is on a fairly long lead and does have a pass-through on it, should power be needed elsewhere also.
It is necessary to remove the front panel of the case to install optical drives or to replace the front fan. When I saw this I was not happy. The main drawback that my old Enermax Phoenix had was the difficulty in removing this panel. I have to say the Uber Chakra is a huge improvement in this area. There are no screws to remove, just three plastic tabs on each side, and with a small flat screwdriver the job really is painless. The entire panel comes off and can be easily set aside, as there are no wires running to it or through it.
Taking the cover off shows the bare front of the Uber Chakra, and exposes the annoying bend-and-break covers on the drive bays. These were particularly troublesome on this case, though since the user only has to do this once, it's not a big problem.
When I removed the front intake fan I was a bit surprised by the mounting mechanism. The fan is held inside a plastic frame of sorts, with a tab which locks in place in a cavity at the bottom of the case. I've seen these before, but in this case, the fan is actually mounted into the frame with screws. The only advantage I can see is that the screws are obviously easier to access with the frame out and laying on the bench than if the fan were screwed directly to the case inside the cavity.
Opening the Uber Chakra up reveals its cavernous interior. This is why I wanted it. There is plenty of room in here for all of my gear and my water-cooling equipment. In fact, I could remove the entire lower drive cage and still have more than enough room for all of my drives and even more room for hardware inside. All of the exposed bay edges have been rolled, both to prevent injury and to strengthen the assembly, and note the two upper rails to support the PSU.
Looking a bit closer at the lower internal 3.5" bays, you can see that they are situated not only close to the front intake fan but nearly touching it. While this is probably good for the hard drives themselves, I have concerns about blocking the intake air, just with the empty cage, much less with drives mounted. Still, with the huge side fan, optional rear fan and extra ventilation in the side panel, air flow shouldn't be a problem.
The included tool-free clips fit my hard drives perfectly without having to fight them on, and slid into the drive cage easily with the satisfying click I was hoping for.
My particular build included the installation of two Lite-On DVD drives, and the amount of space in the Uber Chakra allowed for comfortable spacing between them, something I'd not had until now.
One of the most innovative features of the Uber Chakra is its approach to expansion card security. We've all seen cases where each card has to be screwed in place individually, usually in an awkward position, and the tool-less cases that include a separate plastic clip for each position, which work fine for network cards and other small hardware, but often not so well for a top-of-the-line video card. The Uber Chakra has the best solution I have seen to date. By lifting the plastic handle at the top of the expansion slot area, a single metal bar that covers all seven slots actually pivots outward on a hinge, allowing you to add or remove cards as needed, then swing the locking bar back in place and secure the handle. Completely tool-free, but also very secure. Kudos to the engineers at Enermax on this one.
An example of the very bright LED lighting on the side and front fans:
At the time of this writing, the Uber Chakra from Enermax runs from $89.99 here to $114.95 here. Even at the high end of the price spectrum, I think the Uber Chakra is a good buy.
Pros:- Size (if you need room, it's got it)
- Cooling
- Front eSATA port
- Excellent expansion card retention system
Cons:- Potential intake airflow restriction
- No pre-cut water-cooling holes
Verdict:
The Uber Chakra full-tower case from Enermax is an excellent purchase for anyone who needs extra room for their hardware, providing ample space with excellent airflow, well-designed access, and an eye-catching appearance.
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