Akasa Infiniti Bakersfield CA

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Thanks to its smart looks, ease of build and comprehensive cooling, Cooler Master's CM 690 case won a Best Buy award in our Labs test in Shopper 241. Akasa's Infiniti is a smart case that costs a similar amount and is a worthy rival for those building a mid-range PC.

The Infiniti is taller than the CM 690, and its front panel consists almost entirely of removable plates for 5¼in drives. The case is designed to be as flexible as possible with the configuration of your disks and drives. There are two hard disk caddies, each of which has room for three disks. The caddies are cooled by 120mm fans, and are removable to make way for optical drives.

With both caddies fitted there's room for three optical drives, and the 3¼in external bay is also removable to make way for a fourth. The top of the case has a fold-down panel that covers the front panel ports: there are two USB2 ports, one FireWire and one eSATA port. Their position at the top of the case makes them easily accessible when your PC is on the floor and, unlike the CM 690's top-mounted panel, you can still keep things on top of your PC.

The Infiniti's layout makes it easy to build. There's a removable tray for the motherboard, and the power supply is mounted at the top of the case, rather than at the bottom as in the CM 690. This means the PSU may get warmer as it sits in the hottest part of the PC, but it makes it easier to route cables to the motherboard. If you find your PC gets too warm, you can install a couple of extra 120mm fans at the top of the case. The lack of quick-release clips for drives and expansion cards means maintenance isn't as quick as it is with the CM 690, though.

Akasa's Infiniti is an impressive case. It's easy to build, has plenty of room for expansion and extensive cooling. Cooler Master's CM 690 is better for regular upgraders, but the Inifiniti is unbeatable for space.Six 5¼in bays, six internal 3½in bays, one 3½in external bays, two USB2, one FireWire, one eSATA ports, 540x204x538mm, one-year RTB warranty

Author: Chris Finnamore

Akasa Infiniti