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[O/C]Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Case and CP-1000 PSU

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Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Case and CP-1000 PSU
by David

Antec has kindly sent me a Dark Fleet DF-85 case and CP-1000 PSU to review. These products are aimed at the upper end of the market; both products are in Antec's 'CPX' form factor and designed to work together.

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Case looks great with the teddy bears :D

Good review
 
I was ordering some spare parts a few days back for my nine hundred directly from Antec and was told they were phasing out the Gaming series, considering to me the gaming series is a lot more conservative looking than the Dark Fleet I hope they release another high airflow series that appeals to people not taken up with bling and like simplicity and function over crazy looking plastic over the front. Also they really need to stop using that same old side door look from the gamer cases if they want to create a new series...besides that performance wise they are headed in the right direction dropping the big boy fan and using 120mm slot that you can buy any quality drop in you chose.

Good Review...wish they would somehow make all their future cases compatible with their new form factor of power supplies.
 
Excellent review content!! Im damn curious to see some details about that PSU though... Hokie... when are you getting that rig of your up so we can take proper reviews (ripple, noise, etc)

I have to agree about the case. Not the biggest fan of that styling its pretty agressive and blingy, but something tells me Im not the demographic they are looking for (early 30's "professional", and I use professional quite loose, LOL). It kind of reminds me of the HAF-X a bit but I did like how that one looks...
 
Whenever my father-in-law is done with it. He has made progress (saw it over a weekend in August) and has all the parts (he was waiting on some shunts), it will just take time for him to complete it.

I asked him to take it and work on it, but it would take him more time to draw out his plans on paper than to just build the thing, both of which would happen in his spare time. Unfortunately that spare time isn't very plentiful...he still works at 68 and loves what he does (engineer).
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

The teddy bears belong to my girlfriend. When we moved in I started stacking my PC stuff there but she wouldn't have it :shrug:. PC stuff got relegated to the spare room (where most of the review was done, had more space there).

I think the HAF-X looks a bit nicer than the DF-85 at the front top half, but the DF-85 looks better at the bottom. I do like the fact that the DF uses a standard size of fan, which ought to make things easier if one fails in the future.

Jonnyguru have reviewed the CP-1000 from an electrical point of view (see the link in the article) as well as the CP-850. The CP-1000 isn't a bad unit (the only major downside is the cable lengths are far too short) but it isn't much better than the 850 really.

The CPX PSUs are huge, which ought to be a good thing (more room for components and cooling) IMO.
 
Its the front that did it for me... Then again, Im staring at a completely flat front panel box in the 800D... *looks admiringly over at the 800d*... :)

Again, great write up... and I loved the addition of that pint of coffee, err beer.

love the latin in the sig too... :)
 
Very nice looking case indeed, looks better than the HAF-X and at least the CPU cutout on the Mobo tray is wider too, than that on the HAF-X

Pity that the PSU cables were short, and was also quite surprised for a PSU of that size it doesnt have both 4+4 and 8 pin CPU mobo power plugs as other PSU's of similar size do.

Great Review overall,thank you David
 
Its the front that did it for me... Then again, Im staring at a completely flat front panel box in the 800D... *looks admiringly over at the 800d*... :)

The 800D looks amazing, but costs 1.5x what the DF-85 does over here. If I spent £200 on a case I'd get murdered. To be honest, I've never spent >£60 on a case, but the DF-85 has convinced me that spending a bit extra (ca. £120-£140) does actually get you something better :)

Again, great write up... and I loved the addition of that pint of coffee, err beer.

My girlfriend makes a fantastic stew with Guiness, but only ever uses a little. So, naturally, I need to finish it off :D.

love the latin in the sig too... :)

Nullias in verba - "On the word of no-one" (Royal Society of London Motto)
Nemo me impune lacessit - "No-one strikes me with impunity" (Scottish motto)
Nec temere, nec timide - "Neither rashly, nor timidly" (University of Edinburgh motto)

Very nice looking case indeed, looks better than the HAF-X and at least the CPU cutout on the Mobo tray is wider too, than that on the HAF-X

The tray looks pretty good, apart from the fact I'd have loved for it to be removable.

Pity that the PSU cables were short, and was also quite surprised for a PSU of that size it doesnt have both 4+4 and 8 pin CPU mobo power plugs as other PSU's of similar size do.

I'm really surprised they aren't longer - surely someone at Antec tested the CP-1000 in the DF-85, the P183 and the Twelve Hundred? I don't get it. :shrug:

Which mobo power plugs do you mean? There's the ATX power plug, an 8 pin and a 4+4 I'm sure (I can check)?

If anyone wants any specific pictures taken or parts checked, just let me know and I'll do my best to oblige :)
 
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Well written review. But that case... Gaahh... Why is getting harder and harder to find an elegant case with nice lines? Not gunked up with plastic, and knobs and bobbles all over the place?
 
Jesus...that case looks like everything I wish my HAF was.

edit: closer inspection, and Im not as partial to the front facing hdd bays. I always prefered the sideways ones. I see CM listened and made the 942 black inside. I do like the fan covers on that antec though.
 
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Prior to seeing this reviews I was looking into this case to do the paraflow mod on it with dual 120.3 rads on the side.
If you still have the case could you measure from the bottom, to the first 5.25 bay please?
 
For those looking to fit rads in:

It's 39 cm from the floor of the case to the first 5.25 in bay. In that space there is a rack for holding 3.5 in drives which is, as you may guess, the width of a 3.5 inch hard disk drive. It's riveted in, which may make it a challenge to remove. It may also contribute to the sturdiness of the case.
 
Looking at upgrading to a full-tower that supports liquid cooling, pretty sure this is the case I want to go for, only other cases that have really caught my eye are the thermaltake armour series, are these much better?
 
I love the case, nice review David. I have heard those PSUs are very good...but I wonder what the boys at Antec were thinking making the wires too short on what is basically a proprietary PSU designed for their own cases. Amazing, walk down the hall...measure something.
 
Any possibility to know if an triple rad fit in the front?


Well I was wrong when I typed that up. The rads fit vertically into the case, you just have to give them a little push to get them in. They fit very snug between the bottom of the case and the first bay.
But the mobo tray is about 3/4 of an inch to long and needs to be trimmed in order to make the back rad fit.

ps. my rad is the gtx360
 
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