Gelid Darkforce Review
Introduction and Technical Specification
Published: 14th March 2012 | Source: Gelid | Price: £89.99 |
Introduction
Gelid have been around since 2008, a HongKong based company with a Swiss management team. Well known for some nifty tower coolers, the Tranquillo being a case in point, Gelid now spread their wings into case manufacturing releasing the Darkforce into the wild.
The case is a reasonably sleek looking Mid tower. Finished in black inside and out. Able to accept GPUs up to 11.5" without modification, and up to 16" with the removal of either section of the split 3.5" rack. CPU cooler wise the Darkforce will take anything up to 165mm in height.
So... Sleek, Black, good GPU and Cooling capacity, ample storage capacity. All the basics seem to be present and correct so lets take a look at things in a bit more detail and see if the Darkforce is a Force to be reckoned with or needs to slink off to the shadows.
Technical Specification
3.5" Drive Bay: | 6+1 (Converted from one 5.25" Drive Bay) |
5.25" Drive Bay: | 4 (Without the Use of 5.25" to 3.5" Tray) |
Acrylic Window: | 361.5 X 280 mm Visible Area with 3mm Thickness |
Color: | Black |
Dimensions (LxWxH): | 530 x 207 x 505 mm / 20.9 x 8.1 x 19.9 inch |
Extension Slot: | 8+1 |
Fan Power Extention PCB: | 2 (Supports up to 6 Fans) |
Fans (Base): | 2 x 140 or 120mm (Optional) |
Fans (Front): | 2 x 120mm (1 x 120 x 25mm Fan @1200rpm included) |
Fans (Rear): | 1 x 120 x 25mm Fan 1200rpm |
Fans (Right): | Side: 1x 80 or 120mm x 15mm Fan (optional) |
Fans (Top): | 2 x 140 or 120mm (Optional) |
Hot-Swap Harddisk Dock: | 1 (Recommend Enabling AHCI Hard Drive Mode) |
Material: | 0.7mm SECC Steel Body; Arcylic Side Window; Plastic Bezel with Metal Mesh |
Motherboard Type: | Full ATX / Micro-ATX |
Net Weight: | 9.2KG / 20.08LBS |
Power Supply: | Support ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (Optional) |
Key Features
- Optimized Cooling Options for up to 8 fans
- Two silent 120mm fans (Rear and Front) are preinstalled in the case
- Enables a 80mm or 120mm fan with a max. 15mm thickness to be installed onto the side panel
- Supports a 120mm or 240mm radiator at the bottom of the case
- Offers 8+1 slots for extra connection of peripheral devices
- 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 and an eSATA port
- Top I/O bay for Hotswap 3.5" or 2.5" hard disk or SSD at the top of the case
- 5.25" to 3.5" drive bay converter for any optional 3.5” device
- Extra large transparent acrylic side panel for the best view of the exclusive components inside the case
- 6 individual HDD trays and a removable HDD cage for extra-long VGA cards (up to 410mm)
- Enough space for large size CPU coolers (up to 165mm height)
- Tool free optical drive mounting concept
- 2 internal fan extension PCB’s
- Built-in base dust filter
- Intelligent Sleeved Cable Management
Most Recent Comments
I really wish companies like Gelid just focused on their strengths. What's the unique selling point of this case? Derivative, bland looks, average price at best, average build quality. How anyone at Gelid thought it's a good idea releasing it is beyond me. Case might not be terrible on its own, but when put against the competition there is really no reason for anyone to buy this case. The R3 has the minimalist looks and sound insulation, Utgard better features and a more competitive price, lower end Corsair cases offer better looks and build quality for the same prices. I could go on with this. Lesson for Gelid and other similar outfits is if the best you can do is release an adequate, me too, product, then just don't bother.
Especially when it take ttl's precious time which could have been used for moving the review of the Shinobi XL up a day or two
I hope this one is shaping up nicely.|
Originally Posted by SieB
Another 690 II OEM design, do people even try anymore |
Good review Tom! I am looking forward to your 680 review as it should be coming out really soon
|
Originally Posted by SieB
Another 690 II OEM design, do people even try anymore |
cooler master 692
enermax fulmo
gelid darkforce
j/k
airdeano
hummm... a case shoot-out...
cooler master 692
enermax fulmo
gelid darkforce
Don't forget Rosewill BLACKHAWK-ULTRA, a parent company must make all there cases.
CSS Valid
Well known for their fans and cooling solutions Gelid Branch out into cases and their brand new Darkforce. A Mid tower case pitched at £89 it enters into what is probably the most competitive sector of the market.
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