Legit Case Reviews

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower PC Case Review

Manufacturer: Antec Inc.
Product: DF-85
Date: Mon, Jul 26, 2010 - 12:00 AM
Written By: Shane Higgins -
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Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower


Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower

Antec has been making cases for well over 20 years for all levels of users. Today we are looking at the newest line from Antec called Dark Fleet. The Dark Fleet line was designed with gamers and power users in mind. The new Dark Fleet series are completely new builds and has 3 cases in the lineup, the DF-30 and DF-35 mid towers, and the case we are looking at today the DF-85 full tower.

With the Dark Fleet Antec brings some new features to the table that are improvements over previous cases they have made. The newest features are Fleet-Swap and Fleet-Release. Fleet Swap is drive bay SATA hot swap system that can be relocated anywhere in the drive bay. Fleet Release is the new front drive bay access door system that not only holds an LED fan with independent variable speed control knob, but an improved tool-free removable fan filter. On the DF-85 there are 3 front access fans, each can be opened individually.

Other features of the DF-85 are windowed side panel, top mounted external 2.5” hot swap bay, and bottom mounted PSU bay that can accommodate standard ATX power supplies or Antec’s CPX form factor power supply. The DF-85 also does not have the single 200mm fan in the top, this time Antec went with twin 140mm TwoCool fans, and twin 120mm TwoCool fans in the rear. The DF-85 has room for large video cards up to 12.5” (318mm), Full size ATX boards and it has a total 14 drive bays.

Currently the DF-85 can be found for around $170 plus shipping depending on where you shop. This put DF-85 in very close pricing with the Cooler Master HAF-X which is the DF-85’s biggest competition. Let's look at the complete features list and specifications of the DF-85 before we get to much father.

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Product Tour Video:

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Features:

  • 3 x variable-speed 120mm red LED fans with control knobs
  • Top 2.5” hot-swap SATA (SSD-compatible) hard drive caddy
  • 3 x washable fan filters in tool-free Fleet-Release™ mounts
  • 2 x 140mm top TwoCool™ fans included standard
  • 4 x internal 3.5” Fleet-Swap™ SATA drive bays
  • Windowed side panel with optional 120mm fan mount
  • CPU cutout and cable management
  • Rubber ports for optional water cooling
  • Lockable front doors ensure security
  • Bottom-mounted power supply for noise reduction. Compatible with a standard ATX PSU as well as Antec’s exclusive CPX form factor power supplies.

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Specifications:

  • Weight: 26.3 lb / 11.3 kg
  • Dimensions: 23.5” (H) x 8.4” (W) x 19.9” (D) 596mm (H) x 213mm (W) x 505mm (D)
  • 14 drive bays
    • Up to 9 x internal 3.5”
    • 3 x external 5.25”
    • 4 x external 3.5” Fleet-Swap™ drives (position changeable)
    • 1 x external top 2.5” hot-swap SATA drive bay
    • 1 x internal bottom-mounted 2.5” SSD drive
  • Advanced cooling system
    • 2 x top 140mm TwoCool™ fans
    • 2 x rear 120mm TwoCool™ LED fans
    • 3 x front 120mm red LED fans with speed control knobs
    • 1 x side 120mm fan for graphics cards (optional)
    • Water cooling capable
  • 7 expansion slots to support multiple graphics cards
  • Maximum video card size: 12.5” / 318mm
  • Front ports - 1 x USB 3.0 - 3 x USB 2.0 - Audio (AC’97 and HDA compatible) In and Out
  • Motherboards: Mini-ITX, microATX, Standard ATX
  • Power supply not included
  • 3 year warranty

Next Page - Antec DF-85 Retail Packaging


Review Index
Page 1 - Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Full Tower
Page 2 - Antec DF-85 Retail Packaging
Page 3 - DF-85 External Impressions
Page 4 - External Impressions Contiuned
Page 5 - Moving inside the DF-85
Page 6 - Installing parts into the DF-85
Page 7 - Antec DF-85 Final Thoughts