Antec Dark Fleet DF-30 ATX Case

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The crew at PC Perspective have posted a review of the Antec Dark Fleet DF-30 ATX case today for your viewing pleasure. The DF-30 is a nice looking case with some interesting features, hit the link to read the full review.

Antec worked extremely hard in 2010 to meet the enclosure needs of enthusiasts and PC gamers and the DF-30 is proof that they did their homework with this target audience. The $89 (after mail-in rebate) price tag is perfectly positioned to make the DF-30 a unique option for those users looking for a standard mid-tower chassis with unique features that won't be found with any other chassis in its price range or class.
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Not a bad case. There are things I like and things I don't.

I do like the way the front fans can come off like a door hinge style, that's nice.

I don't like the HDD mounts are not sideways and I really don't like cases that mount there HDD's that way. They tend to get in the way more of longer video cards.(Especially if the power on the Video cards go in the back, On my Antec 900 I actually had to move my HDD out of the way of my Radeon 4890 for that exact reason)
 
No tool-less features, no bottom intake vent for PSUs, and extremely ugly design. There also appears to be no way to route cables behind the motherboard tray. Better luck next time, Antec.
 
Zero82z said:
No tool-less features, no bottom intake vent for PSUs, and extremely ugly design. There also appears to be no way to route cables behind the motherboard tray. Better luck next time, Antec.
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Which is what I truly don't get. Antec has been doing this just as long, if not longer, than most everybody else in this space. They should be totally aware of a form and function balance but it seems like they get this dual fan on a door concept and then miss the tool less part that almost everybody is doing in the same price range?
 
Kenworth said:
Which is what I truly don't get. Antec has been doing this just as long, if not longer, than most everybody else in this space. They should be totally aware of a form and function balance but it seems like they get this dual fan on a door concept and then miss the tool less part that almost everybody is doing in the same price range?
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Well, people are still buying Antec cases, and reviewers are still giving them good scores, even for cases with crippling design flaws like the Lanboy Air. I haven't seen a single reviewer call them on all of the issues I found with the case. It baffles me, but so long as things stay as they are, I guess Antec doesn't have much motivation to change.
 
Everyone seems to hate on the DF series (myself included), the DF-30 is probably the least offensive of the group...But it just feels like Antec rehashed old designs, threw on some junk on the front and called it a day. I was pumped when I found out they were creating a new line, then it came and a giant "meh" resounded from the community. When people recommend cases in the price range that any of the DF cases come into, the DF's are *never* recommended.
 
DOOMHAMMA said:
Everyone seems to hate on the DF series (myself included), the DF-30 is probably the least offensive of the group...But it just feels like Antec rehashed old designs, threw on some junk on the front and called it a day. I was pumped when I found out they were creating a new line, then it came and a giant "meh" resounded from the community. When people recommend cases in the price range that any of the DF cases come into, the DF's are *never* recommended.
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One would think they are plugging the price gap to justify their higher-priced offerings...
 
Ugh, no thanks. I just bought a Rosewill Challenger at a cheaper price then what Antec is asking for there and it has tool less hdd standoffs. So it's bs when they said you need a 100 dollar case to have that feature. If you ask me they used what they saved money and added that 2.5 external hot swapable thing on top which looks like a after thought when they designed the case; not to mention most people probably wouldn't use it.

Don't add features for tomorrow Antec when you don't have standard features of today...
 
Talic said:
Ugh, no thanks. I just bought a Rosewill Challenger at a cheaper price then what Antec is asking for there and it has tool less hdd standoffs. So it's bs when they said you need a 100 dollar case to have that feature. If you ask me they used what they saved money and added that 2.5 external hot swapable thing on top which looks like a after thought when they designed the case; not to mention most people probably wouldn't use it.

Don't add features for tomorrow Antec when you don't have standard features of today...
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Yes, and even a sub-$50 Cooler Master case has a lot of tool-less features. In fact, I have two Cooler Master Elite 335 cases that are almost completely tool-less (as stock, only the right side panel required a screwdriver - but the two screws could be replaced with thumbscrews).

By contrast, in the Antec 900 series, only the side panels and the hard drive cages use thumbscrews - but everything else requires a screwdriver.
 
Zero82z said:
Well, people are still buying Antec cases, and reviewers are still giving them good scores, even for cases with crippling design flaws like the Lanboy Air. I haven't seen a single reviewer call them on all of the issues I found with the case. It baffles me, but so long as things stay as they are, I guess Antec doesn't have much motivation to change.
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I think the user reviews we've got on the Lanboy Air have been enough for us to know what we should and shouldn't do if we were to make another version of the product. Any time you make something that far outside the box, you're going to take some lumps - and we certainly have.

In the DF-30's defense, it was launched about nine months ago so you can't really look at it like a new product. We have cable routing in other cases that we've released since then and we've also added it to cases that we launched before it. For example, we just launched the One Hundred that has cable routing holes, a generous CPU cutout and space for five 120mm fans all in a mid-tower that'll cost less than $75.
 
Seriously? is 2010/2011 the year of Ugly plastic and terribly designed cases or what?

Man it has been so long since a really good looking aluminum case came out it is almost depressing.
 
Antec_Jessie said:
I think the user reviews we've got on the Lanboy Air have been enough for us to know what we should and shouldn't do if we were to make another version of the product. Any time you make something that far outside the box, you're going to take some lumps - and we certainly have.

In the DF-30's defense, it was launched about nine months ago so you can't really look at it like a new product. We have cable routing in other cases that we've released since then and we've also added it to cases that we launched before it. For example, we just launched the One Hundred that has cable routing holes, a generous CPU cutout and space for five 120mm fans all in a mid-tower that'll cost less than $75.
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I certainly hope so, although in the future, I think it would be helpful for Antec to consult people during the development of new products rather than after their release, so design issues can be ironed out during the conception phase. I know it's often difficult for a designer to see the flaws in his own work, and an outside perspective definitely could have helped in this case.

The DF-30 was released a while ago, but even then, there were plenty of other competing products on the market that offered more attractive features and without the issues I mentioned before. As far as the One Hundred, it does have better cable management, but it still doesn't have any tool-less features or a PSU intake vent at the bottom of the case (which is baffling considering most Antec PSUs use a bottom-mounted fan, and they aren't able to work optimally inside Antec cases). Again, there are other products on the market that match all of the One Hundred's features while having even more. The only thing the One Hundred has that a lot of other cases don't is a painted interior, but that's a merely aesthetic characteristic. I'd much rather have a case that's functionally better than one with pretty insides, and I think most people would agree with me.

Just some food for thought. I'm saying these things not because I think Antec sucks, but because I think they can and should be doing a hell of a lot better.
 
Zero82z said:
No tool-less features, no bottom intake vent for PSUs, and extremely ugly design. There also appears to be no way to route cables behind the motherboard tray. Better luck next time, Antec.
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Its $89 after rebate. Not going to get everything you want at that value price range.
 
I don't understand the benefit of having a 'hot-swappable' 2.5" drive bay at the top of the case. Pretty much anyone that is using a 2.5" drive in a desktop system is going to be using a SSD, where the OS is usually installed. I don't know about you but I don't hotswap my OS drives too often.

Now I could be wrong and people could be using the system to backup numerous laptop hard drives to their system where hotswapping would be helpful, but I kinda doubt it. Not a feature to advertise IMO.
 
Ultima99 said:
Its $89 after rebate. Not going to get everything you want at that value price range.
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Here are some cases in that price range with all the features I mentioned:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119215
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112238
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112235
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112236
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112237
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112247
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112239
 
The best thing to come out of Antec has been the P180 series. The P183 is so close to perfect right now, but it's still lacking a few features. I'd like to see an option for wheels or hideaway handles. Maybe even an accessory LAN carrying strap pack-in.

Edit: Also room for 3rd 140's in front. 1 3.5" bay is enough.
 
I, for one, like the Dark Fleet cases. I'm thinking about the big one right now.
Could be a little better on the cable management but a lot of case for the money.
 
Zero82z said:
Here are some cases in that price range with all the features I mentioned:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119215
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112238
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112235
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112236
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112237
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112247
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112239
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Owned :D
 
Ultima99 said:
Its $89 after rebate. Not going to get everything you want at that value price range.
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Actually, it is expensive for a case whose only tool-free feature is the thumbscrews holding the two side panels and which offers the most rudimentary of cable management features (merely one or two plastic ties tied down to the motherboard tray with no provision whatsoever to reroute the cables to the opposite side of the motherboard tray). Otherwise, the hard drives are screwed directly into the fixed, nonremovable hard drive mounting bracket (it does not have even a drive cage) - and using screws that require a screwdriver. Even the expansion slots require a screwdriver.

By contrast, even the Cooler Master CM 690 II cases have a tool-free design for just about everything. And even the low-budget Elite case I mentioned above has a virtually tool-free design. Both of those cases can have their cabling rerouted to the right-hand side of the motherboard tray, and the cabling in those two cases can be secured with additional plastic ties. And neither of these two cases look particularly flashy or ugly - but relatively unobtrusive instead (which means that neither of those two Cooler Master cases stick themselves out like a sore thumb).
 
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Heh, beauty is in the eye of the beholder gentlemen. I dont think its particulary good OR bad looking, but there will be people who do like it.

I understand the cable management thing, but as far as the screws go, I'll just say it doesnt bother me in the least. Guess I'm old fashioned in that regard.
 
While I know many of you greatly dislike this case's design (and features to some), I'm quite taken with it and picked one up a few months ago; I couldn't find anything wrong with it. Everything worked as it should and performs solidly. Sure, it doesn't have a drive cage and is not tool-less, but I'm not exactly swapping drives in and out of it very often anyway. As far as I'm concerned, I could have done a lot worse and I rather do like the look.
 
What a waste of resources that could have been used to make improvements to Sonata,Solo,P1xx models.
 
This thing needs to be dropped in a hole, buried, and forgotten.

Those of you who like this case also need to be dropped...j/k. :D
 
It looks functional, and might be esthetically pleasing to some... Personally, I don't go for the cases that look like they belong in the engineering bay of the Starship Enterprise... but to each their own.

As far as lack of features go, I've always viewed Lian-Li as the innovator in this arena (in conjunction with the price premium). I don't think that it's necessarily core to Antecs business model. So features may take a bit longer to come to market, or they may only appear initially on their higher-line products.

Now, if they put out a new 2011 design targeting the sub-$100 market without a PSU vent, or some basic tool-less implementation, tsk-tsk.
 
this case is the little brother to the DF-85, which i own, and the only thing i see "inconvenient" is the 5.25" drive bays have the fleet release brackets . the cooling and airflow is phenomenal for both case sizes, im very pleased with antec's new design and my system never gets higher than 25 degrees C. dust filters are a big plus.
 
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