Verdict: This Kandalf hasn't cast a spell on us

In the classic fantasy novel 'The Lord of the Rings', Gandalf is a crotchety old wizard who makes a career out of saving the world from the powers of Mordor. He's also one of the lead characters in some of the most successful movies in cinema history. Unfortunately, the Kandalf is a PC case that looks as if it's been smeared in superglue and then tossed around a plumber's yard.

This is a shame because, on the inside, the Kandalf is exactly the same as the rather good Thermaltake Armor. The front panel is hidden away behind two small doors, but the strangest feature is the protruding aluminium pipe, which, even more bizarrely, has a mirror at one end. Quite what purpose this serves, apart from resembling a broken submarine periscope, is beyond us. When the pipe lights up with the blue glow of a hidden LED, it looks even weirder.

In a similar vein to the Cooler Master Centurion 530 and Stacker, the Kandalf has a fully ventilated front panel, with four external 3.5in and five 5.25in drive bays. However, when the doors are closed, very little air can get inside. An additional three internal 3.5in drive bays are provided in a removable cage that sits above the motherboard next to the PSU. This cage has its own dedicated 92mm fan, so it's ideal for hot-running drives. At the bottom of the front panel is a compartment the size of a 5.25in bay for storing CDs and case accessories.

Cooling is provided by two 120mm fans - one intake and one exhaust - plus a 92mm exhaust fan on the roof. The latter suffers from poor airflow, due to the air vent being too small. In order to get effective cooling from the 92mm fan, you'll need to cut open the plastic surround with a Dremel. However, at least Thermaltake supplies all three fans with the Kandalf as standard.

While there's nothing technically wrong with the chassis, the front panel of the Kandalf leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps it's one of Gandalf's spells gone wrong, resulting in a nightmarish hybrid of a submarine and a troll.

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