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DarkForce Computer Case
Discontinued
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Gelid Solutions DarkForce Computer Case Ultra

Introducing Gelid’s magnificent computer case; the DarkForce. It features a sleek, clean black design, space for up to six fans, built-in fan headers and a drive/SSD docking station.

Famous for their high-performance processor coolers and thermal pastes, Gelid have now applied their cooling expertise to computer chassis design and have announced the impressive DarkForce case. It certainly looks the part with its smooth black finish and hot-swappable SSD/HDD docking station but what really makes it stand out from the crowd are its clean lines and excellent build quality at this price point.

Features

  1. Optimised cooling options
  2. 3.5” or 2.5” HDD/SSD hot-swappable drive bay
  3. 5.25” to 3.5” drive bay converter
  4. Six individual HDD trays and a removable HDD cage
  5. Intelligent sleeved cable management

The Look

The case is manufactured from high quality 0.7mm SECC black matt anodised steel throughout, whilst the top and front bezels are made from tough plastic but have a metal appearance that gives the DarkForce a simple and clean look. It also features a large transparent acrylic window which is ideal if you like to show off your PC.

Drive Bays

There are enough drive bays in the DarkForce to accommodate virtually all storage scenarios. The case has four external 5.25” drive bays, one of which can be converted into an external 3.5” bay thanks to the included adapter. Internally, the DarkForce has six 3.5” drive bays available. Each drive bay has a plastic tray which holds the 3.5” device on rubber grommets. Also, each tray has hole mounts for 2.5” devices so mounting smaller drives or SSDs is no problem.

The 3.5” bays are made up of two cages with each cage holding three drive bays. Each cage can be removed from the case if required. The benefit of this is increased airflow as there will be no cage blocking airflow from the intake fans. Also, if you remove a cage you will be able to install a longer graphics card. Obviously removing the HDD cages will reduce the number of 3.5” devices which the case can accommodate.

Cooling Options

For a mid tower case, the DarkForce has a surprisingly number of cooling options. In total, the case can accommodate up to nine fans; three at the front (one supplied), two on the roof, one at the rear (supplied), two on the floor and one on the side. To view which fan sizes can be fitted to which locations, please see the specifications table below.

To allow the use of three 120mm fans at the front of the case, Gelid have utilised EMI plates for the bottom three 5.25” bays allowing a 120mm fan to be mounted. It is possible to continue to use the drive bays but they would be converted into internal bays rather than external. Also, to be able to mount two fans on the floor of the case the bottom HDD cage would need to be removed.

If you plan to utilise all or most of the fan options, Gelid have strategically placed two Fan Power Extension PCBs that will allow you to connect up to six 3-pin fans so you do not have to rely on the motherboard to provide fan headers. The PCB does not control the speed of the connected fans; it just provides them with power.

Finishing Touches

As well as the great features mentioned above, Gelid have also included many smaller features that add to the overall quality of the DarkForce. For example, all the cables that route to the front USB/audio ports etc are either coated in black sleeving or are black wires. This helps to build a more attractive system.

Other finishing touches include an extra extension slot, PSU securing straps, a Hard Drive Docking Station, one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, one e-SATA, headphone and mic ports, rubber coated feet, internal USB 3.0 connector, ventilated extension slot back plates, PSU anti-vibration gaskets, rubber coated cable management cut-outs, a large CPU motherboard cut-out and last but not least, three rubber coated holes for users planning on installing an external water cooler.

Image Gallery

Example installations

Reviews

  • legitreviews.com

    Gelid Solution makes its first PC case and any PC builder who reads about it should rejoice! The DARKFORCE enters as one of the best in its class and will make any PC builder hungry for what is next from the innovative minds at Gelid Solutions!

  • hardwareheaven.com

    The two fan configuration offers decent airflow but the real winner is noise levels. The fans used by Gelid are some of the quietest we have ever seen in a case which allows consumers to build a very low noise system if they wish.

SpecificationsDarkForce
3.5” drive bays6 + 1 (converted from one 5.25” drive bay)
5.25” drive bays4 (without the use of a 5.25” to 3.5” tray)
Acrylic side window361.5 x 280 mm visible area, 3mm thickness
Case colourBlack
Dimensions530 x 207 x 505 mm (L x W x H)
Maximum CPU cooler height165 mm
Maximum video card length410 mm
Extension slots8 + 1
Fan Power Extension PCB2 (supports up to 6 fans)
Fans (base)2 x 140 or 120mm (not supplied)
Fans (front)2 x 120mm (1 x 120mm fan @ 1200 RPM supplied)
Fans (rear)1 x 120mm fan @ 1200 RPM supplied
Fans (right)1 x 80 or 120mm x 15mm fan (not supplied)
Fans (top)2 x 140 or 120mm (not supplied)
Hot-swap HDD dock1 (recommend enabling AHCI hard drive mode in BIOS)
Material0.7mm SECC steel body; acrylic side window; plastic bezel with metal mesh
Motherboard typeATX or MicroATX
Top front ports1 x eSATA, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, headphone and microphone
Weight9.2 kg
Warranty24 months
EAN barcode4897025780514
SpecificationsDarkForce
3.5” drive bays6 + 1 (converted from one 5.25” drive bay)
5.25” drive bays4 (without the use of a 5.25” to 3.5” tray)
Acrylic side window361.5 x 280 mm visible area, 3mm thickness
Case colourBlack
Dimensions530 x 207 x 505 mm (L x W x H)
Maximum CPU cooler height165 mm
Maximum video card length410 mm
Extension slots8 + 1
Fan Power Extension PCB2 (supports up to 6 fans)
Fans (base)2 x 140 or 120mm (not supplied)
Fans (front)2 x 120mm (1 x 120mm fan @ 1200 RPM supplied)
Fans (rear)1 x 120mm fan @ 1200 RPM supplied
Fans (right)1 x 80 or 120mm x 15mm fan (not supplied)
Fans (top)2 x 140 or 120mm (not supplied)
Hot-swap HDD dock1 (recommend enabling AHCI hard drive mode in BIOS)
Material0.7mm SECC steel body; acrylic side window; plastic bezel with metal mesh
Motherboard typeATX or MicroATX
Top front ports1 x eSATA, 1 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, headphone and microphone
Weight9.2 kg
Warranty24 months
EAN barcode4897025780514

Customer Reviews

Big. Heavy. Solid. Awesome.

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Absolutely awesome case!

Except the space for cable management - at least 3-5mm wider could come in handy. It was difficult to put the lid back in place as the power and sata cables for the hdd were sticking out a bit. I recommend to use right angle sata cables. And, depending on the PSU size (in my case a FSP HydroG 750W), a 140mm Fan (slim or regular) may not fit in the holes near the PSU.

Overall I can thoroughly recommend it.

It's big. It's very big.

,

Or as my son put it “that case is f***ing huge”! It also looks good in an understated, unobtrusive way.

I bought a pair of these to replace Antec 902s. This is bigger than the 902 but nowhere near as heavy. It is somewhat easier to work in and a lot more flexible. I would recommend using a modular PSU if your budget permits as there is limited space for spare cables. Space behind the motherboard tray could be better - another 5mm would probably be sufficient increase and 1cm would be a massive help.

Others have remarked about the difficulty in connecting hard drives: an additional 1cm here would be enough of an improvement to warrant the fifth star. On the other hand with a bit of ingenuity hard drives could be mounted in spare 5 1/4” bays and both drive cages removed leaving space for two or three of the most humongous graphics cards imaginable!

The feet are very tall so that even on carpet the PSU can breathe through the bottom of the case - a major plus. The front panel is easy to remove, the top (which has to come off to allow for fitting of fans) less so. The top is further restricted by the wiring for the various external connectors. That wiring also makes it impossible to install an optical drive in the topmost 5 1/4” drive bay.

To me the PCBs allowing connection of a bunch of 3 pin fans are a waste of space. No one, surely, is going to want to install 6x 3 pins fans and have them all running at full speed. The lower one gets in the way whichever of its two fitting positions is used. I simply removed both. I used the two supplied fans as intakes, each run off a mobo fan header and used a Gelid 1-to-4 PWM fan splitter to power and control the CPU, rear exhaust and pair of top exhaust fans.

On second thoughts, although I’ve not revised my words above, I have given it the fifth star because despite my criticisms above I know of no other case that I would prefer to use for a moderate to high power rig. It is that good. I want an excuse to build another two rigs!

More than just a box

,

This Gelid case came at a brilliant price. It’s well-designed and built, very easy to work on, spacious, quiet case fans. You even have a choice whether to admire your LED fans through an acrylic case side, or hide them discreetly.

I can thoroughly recommend this kit.

Very good case

,

At first i would like to thank you quietpc for another smooth transaction. Case it self is great, I dont think you can find anything better for this price, Gelid made there first PC case and its almost perfect, I cant wait for another. One thing 3.5” HD trays should be moved a little bit to the left side so sata and power cable have more space on right side, i had to use 90 degree sata and bend pretty hard HD power cables, apart from that no down sides for me.

Really nice case with one slight issue.

,

The case it self is solid and has a nice touch to it, has plenty of space and I really liked the hdd caddies with the rubber pads. The attached screws were packed in plastic bags with labels to indicate their purpose (e.g. HDD screws, MB/power screws..) so even inexperienced builders can get everything done fairly quickly. All openings for cable management on the back plate have rubber covers so you don’t have to worry about cable cuts. But there is on small issue; the space for cable management is quite small and it was very difficult to put the lid back in place as the power and sata cables for the hdd were sticking out a bit . I had to use quite a lot of force to push the lid in place, I recommend to use right angle sata cables and either a power supply with right angle power connections or making sure that the cables are flexible enough. Other than that It is really a nice case.

Good Value for Good Case

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It actually has 2x240/280 mm radiator slots on top and on bottom (you need to remove bottom HDD Cage). It comes with 2 nice fans and 2 nice fan expansions, you can fit lot of fans on it! Totally on front you can fit 3 Fans, if you remove front doors you will see what i mean, there is a precut 120mm fan holes, so it will fit, like mine. on side panel (behind motherboard side) there is also fan slot but it only fits a 120x120x15mm fan. Dust filters are a bit hard to take out and take in again, but easy to clean. About spacing i had lot of problems cuz I’m using 1 5990 and 1 5970 they are longest cards ever i think but with gtx770 or gtx 295 i didnt get any issues. 10/8.

Stunned by the quality - 5*

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I ordered this to replace my Xclio Touch case because all the fans on it just stopped working one day. I took a bit of a risk with this as I had never heard of Gelid before (they are an up and coming company) and with a little research I discovered that this is their first and only case so far. However confident on being able to return it to Quiet PC if it didn’t work, I ordered it anyway. It arrived the next day, a little bigger than expected (same size as the xclio) but it’s not huge. It has a highly superior build quality and is a mix of metal and plastic, which helps with the durability and weight. The case is solid and sleek, with all the features of a much more expensive model. It is mostly tool-less and has a small cavity behind the motherboard panel for a slim 120mm fan* behind the CPU, and space for cable routing to make the main area of the case much tidier and cleaner which I also believe helps with airflow.

I have a lot of short cables in mine and couldn’t quite get them to spread out a little more, so the side panel on my case was hard to get on and bulges a bit when it is finally on, but it should be fine if you are good at cable routing or have longer cables, however even then it still looks good. The main downside is that I found the fans included in the case are not as quiet as I would have hoped, so I will be having to replace those in the near future. Also the main side panel that comes with the case, is not very attractive. It is the same colour and metal as the rest of the case but instead of having a nice viewing window in the case, its just a big square hole with a piece of perspex just plonked on top of it. this side panel really let down this case however it also came with a plain black metal side with no window which is much nicer. Please Gelid if you make a windowed side panel please try and make it nicer?

In summary it might be the first case by Gelid, but my god what an entrance into the market. If your future cases are as good as or even better than this one then you have a new lifelong customer. I would happily recommend this case to anyone whether on sale or not! It Is high quality, fits a lot of equipment and full of ingenious little features that you find as you go along, I won’t spoil the surprise for any of you :) Thanks a lot to Gelid and Quiet PC!

At time of writing, this was the only one thin enough on this site - Scythe Slip Stream 2000 RPM 120mm Slim Case Fan, SY1212SL

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