INTRODUCTION

   As we’ve mentioned in previous reviews PC cases haven't undergone the same number of aesthetical changes/improvements through the years as most hardware components and peripherals for the PC so the three points in time that really stand out was the introduction of partial plexiglass (plexi) side panels back in the late 90's, the addition of LED illumination (both single color and RGB later on) roughly 5 years ago and of course perhaps the most important one which is no other that the introduction of tempered glass panels 3-4 years ago which basically replaced plexi in the higher-end models (plexiglass is still being used however). Largely thanks to growing competition today however one doesn't have to spend a lot to get a great looking mid-tower with both RGB illumination and a tempered glass side panel and that's exactly what the brand-new Dark Avenger DA601 model by Antec seems to be.

      Antec, Inc. is the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in the industry and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of quiet, efficient and innovative products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

   The Dark Avenger DA601 is perhaps the most unique looking mid-tower ever released by Antec not only because of its 4mm thick tempered glass side panel and its rather “aggressive” fascia but also because of the single 120mm Prism ARGB fan located at the center of that fascia (2000RPM/32.6dBA/45.03CFM/18 Independent RGB LED Beads - compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, RGB Fusion and ASRock Polychrome Sync enabled mainboards). Still the DA601 is not only a very good looking mid-tower, it’s also a spacious one since it has enough room for 6 drives (4x2.5” and/or 2x2.5/3.5”), 7 fans (7x120mm or 4x120mm and 2x140mm) and/or a two radiators (front 240/360mm and top 240/280/360mm), 160mm tall CPU coolers, 200mm long power supply units and 400mm long graphics cards. Also let’s not forget that the DA601 comes ready with a built-in ARGB Control Module, two pre-installed 120mm fans (one Prism ARGB and one non-RGB fan), top/front magnetic air-filters, removable bottom air-filter, 4 front RGB stripes and a PSU shroud (partial).