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Akasa have years of experience in the chassis sector and the Venom Toxic is a very impressive piece of engineering. Their entry into the gaming sector has yielded a well designed, capable airflow chassis which will suit overclocked system builds with high levels of heat emission.
The Venom Toxic might not attract the eye in the same way as a streamlined, understated Lian Li chassis, but the bold, bright colours will certainly appeal to the gaming audience who want to make a statement. The front panel functionality is extremely impressive, and the dual controls for two sets of tri fan configuration means that the noise to performance ratio can be carefully balanced.
The meshed panel design is proving popular with a wide audience, and the side panel mounting system allows the user to configure either a quad 120mm configuration or a single larger fan, up to 230mm. We know that people in this sector love the ability to choose how they cool their new system build, so while not unique to the Venom Toxic, it is a welcome addition.
Internally, the black paintwork is complemented by the yellow accenting on the fans, and mounting brackets. The only concern I have, is the expansion slot lever system, which is supported by a rather fiddly plastic implementation. We feel utterly spoilt by the latest Lian Li lever locking configuration, which is metal and clearly built to last a very long time.
The Akasa Venom Toxic is available in the United Kingdom for £119.95 inc vat, and it offers good value for money. There is no doubt that the Cooler Master Storm Trooper is a superior design, with better cooling prowess, but it will set you back £30 extra. Both cases are extremely appealing however and if you are willing to make a few compromises, then the Akasa Venom Toxic is certainly ‘worth buying'.
Pros:
- dramatic design will appeal to gamers.
- plenty of fans.
- fan control is useful.
- loads of internal space.
- can accept the biggest graphics cards.
- Great design for cable routing.
- side panel means multiple fan configurations can be used.
- front panel is fully loaded.
Cons:
- The appearance might alienate some people with more ‘reserved' taste.
- Competition is tough in this sector.
- expansion bay locking system isn't great.
Kitguru says: An excellent gamers oriented chassis from Akasa which will prove popular for those people who really want to make a statement, without spending a fortune.
