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).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The DA601 arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front and rear right next to a sticker pointing to its tempered glass side panel.

On both sides left side of the box we find a list of the main product features and specifications in 8 languages.

Two Styrofoam spacers and a synthetic bag keep the case safe during transport.

Along with the DA601 Mid-Tower you'll also get a 5 cable ties, RGB to mainboard header cable, bag filled with screws and the user manual.

THE DARK AVENGER DA601 EXTERIOR

The Dark Avenger DA601 weighs 7.8Kg and measures 500mm tall, 480mm long and 220mm wide.

Antec has used a 4mm thick tempered glass panel for the entire left side of the case.

The plastic fascia is open at the middle and has diagonal 2 RGB stripes at the top end and 2 at the bottom end.

Taking a closer look at the opening we find a mesh filter (located in front of the 120mm Prism ARGB fan).

You can remove the fascia by pulling it outwards to access the front fan/radiator area (a magnetic air-filter is present here).

As mentioned earlier here we find the single 120mm Prism ARGB fan.

The I/O is located at the top and it includes a LED button (rotates between available modes/colors), two USB 3.0 ports, on/off power button with LED, microphone and headphone jacks and the reset button.

A magnetic air-filter is also located at the top of the tower (beneath it you can mount either 3x120mm fans, 2x140mm fans or a 240/280/360mm radiator).

Turning the DA601 around we find the pre-installed 120mm fan, 7 PCI expansion slots and the PSU area.

A removable slide in/out air-filter is located at the base of the DA601.

THE DARK AVENGER DA601 INTERIOR

The Dark Avenger DA601 may not be the largest mid tower to ever reach our lab/office but it does extremely well in terms of interior space.

At the front there’s enough room for 240/360mm radiator up to 30mm in thickness (240mm radiators regardless of thickness).

The shroud has an opening at the front from where you can see part of your PSU.

The mainboard tray has a total of 9 large holes for cable management (aside the two located on the PSU shroud).

Taking a look from the right side of the case we see the ARGB control module for the fans, two 2.5” mounts on the mainboard tray, two 2.5” vertical drive trays, two 2.5/3.5” drive trays inside a drive cage and the PSU area.

The 2.5” drive trays are made out of steel whereas the 2.5/3.5” trays are made out of plastic.

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

We suggest starting from the PSU first and as you can see although there’s just enough room for up to 1KW models for anything larger you will need to remove the drive cage.

Due to the lack of any drive cages at the top end of the case there's plenty of room left after mounting an ATX sized mainboard.

160mm tall CPU coolers can be installed inside the Dark Avenger DA601.

240mm radiators like the one we installed in the DA601 can be a lot thicker compared to 360mm ones which should not exceed 30mm. Likewise at the top you can mount 240/280/360mm radiators again up to 30mm in thickness.

As for graphics cards even if you use a radiator at the front you still should have enough room for up to 360-370mm long models. 

With both the 4 LED stripes and the 120mm Prism ARG fan turned on the DA601 looks pretty impressive (especially in the dark).

NOISE LEVEL TEST

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically ontop of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one we use our own).

CONCLUSION

   The Antec Dark Avenger DA601 Mid Tower may not be the largest PC case of its kind and it may lack quite a few features found in more expensive models but thanks to its tempered glass side panel, 4 forward RGB LED stripes and the 120mm Prism ARGB fan (compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, RGB Fusion and ASRock Polychrome Sync enabled mainboards) it does score very high in terms of looks (would score even higher with a 2nd 120mm Prism ARGB fan located at the rear). However, looks aside the DA601 scores high in terms of interior space since you can equip it with up to 6 drives, 7 fans and/or two radiators (240/280/360mm), 160mm tall CPU coolers, 400mm long graphics cards and 200mm long power supplies. The addition of a PSU shroud is always a good thing although in the case of the DA601 (just like with many other models lately) the many holes on it reduce the dual-chamber effect (something which I seriously doubt will be of concern to potential buyers).

   At the moment of this review the Dark Avenger DA601 Mid-Tower by Antec retails for just USD121.27 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 86.77Euros inside the EU (Amazon.uk) a price tag which is extremely balanced for what you are getting in return. Of course, if you are willing to climb even more you can find even better towers but at this price point not many can compete with a budget friendly RGB tower with the looks of the Dark Avenger DA601 and that along with its interior space are enough for us to give it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Looks (Prism ARGB Fan / Forward RGB Stripes)
- Tempered Glass Side Panel
- Interior Space (400mm GPUs/160mm CPU Coolers/200mm PSU’s)
- Room For Up To 7 Fans (120/140mm) Or 2 Radiators (240/280/360mm)
- PSU Shroud
- Top/Front Magnetic Air Filters
- ARGB Control Module
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- “Plain” Rear Fan (No RGB)