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The Dark Fleet DF 85 case comes in a huge, red and black coloured box with details of the key elements on the outside. The case is protected inside two heavy duty pieces of Styrofoam which protect it completely during shipping. Antec supply a manual as well as screws for the system build and some cable ties to tidy it all up afterwards.
The case is an attractively designed product with a side window – this comes protected with two plastic sheets on both sides to stop scratching during shipping. The first thing you notice is the sheer mass of the case, it is very tall. It is made of SECC Steel and weighs around 11kg without any system installed inside. This won't be a case you will easily lug around to lan parties.
The case is supplied with 3 fans on the front and two on the rear, these are red Antec branded fans, and they come with dust filters to help with maintenance. I think the design is stunningly attactive, as it is extremely unusual, like nothing I have seen before.
The side window has been cut into two sections seperated by a accented metal strip. The top of the case also features two additional fans, these are black units and are larger than the others (140mm).
There is a place to fit an extra 120mm in the smaller part of the side window. Antec supply screws to fit an additional side window case fan.
One of the most eye catching features is the inclusion of a tray system on the top of the chassis which allows the direct fitting of a 2.5 inch drive. This is a great idea for a storage unit, or even for the security concious amongst us – you can install your main OS on an SSD, and disconnect it simply by sliding it out whenever you are away from your computer. We really love this concept.
At the front there are 4 USB 2.0 ports and a single USB 3.0 port, as well as headphone and microphone ports. There is also the obligatory power and reset switch along this bank.
The rear of the chassis has a control section at the top left, which allows for a low/high adjustment of the banks of ‘TwoCool' fans installed along the top and back of the chassis. There are also two watercooling holes which are fitted with rubber mounts.
The front of the case has three 120mm LED fans built into the fascia, These have removable, washable dust filters. Each of the fans has a control knob on the top right which allows for a variety of speeds, independent of each other.
By pulling a lever inside the case, all three of these fan bays unlock from the outside and you can open the doors.
By opening the three bay doors you can also get access to the hard drive locations, directly.
By flipping a little lever on top of the fan bay, you can then remove the dust filter, wash and dry it then slide it back in. This is one of the best systems we have seen on any chassis to date.
The 5.25 inch drive bays at the top are also accessible by a similar system, although you don't need to unlock the catches – simply push and pull and they unclip.
The top mounted bay as seen above can be populated by any 2.5 inch drive – we tested with a standard laptop drive and the fitting was perfect. A little force is required for the sata and power connectors to engage.
Finally, the PSU is mounted at the bottom of the case.
