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THE ADVANCED
D F - 3 5
DARK FLEET
GAMING FORCE
U S E R M A N U A L
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DF-35 USER’S MANUAL Congratulations on your purchase of the Antec Dark Fleet DF-35. The DF-35 is a completely unique chassis – massively convenient, but in a swifter, lighter mid-tower size. It starts with the brilliant white LEDs set in variable-speed, knob-controlled Fleet-Release™ 120 mm access door fans. They open to allow rapid access to the DF-35’s 11 total drive bays and two Fleet-Swap™ modular SATA interfaces, in a blacked-out presentation interior with cable routing. Two more S
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TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Getting to know your case…………………………………………………. 5 1.2 Case specifications…………………………………………………………. 6 1.3 Before you begin…………………………………………………………… 7 1.4 Locating and positioning your computer…………………………………... 8 SECTION 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION 2.1 Setting up…………………………………………………………………... 10 2.2 Motherboard installation…………………………………………………… 12 2.3 Standard ATX power supply installation…………………………………... 14 2.4 Cable management…………………………………………………………
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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 4
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1.1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CASE 6 5 11 1 7 2 9 8 3 8 10 4 Drive bays Hardware mounts 1 5.25” drive bays 9 Motherboard standoffs (pre- 2 3.5” drive bays installed) 3 Fleet-Swap SATA bays 10 Power supply mounts 4 2.5” internal SSD bays 11 Front I/O ports 5 2.5” external hot-swap Cooling 6 140 mm top TwoCool™ fan 7 120 mm rear TwoCool™ fan 8 Fleet-Release access door modules w/fro
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1.2 CASE SPECIFICATIONS CASE TYPE Mid Tower COLOR Matte black 19.1″ (H) x 7.8″ (W) x 19.1″ (D) DIMENSIONS 485 mm (H) x 198 mm (W) x 486 mm (D) WEIGHT 15.1 lbs / 6.9 kg 1 x top 140 mm TwoCool™ fan COOLING 1 x rear white 120 mm TwoCool™ white-bladed fans with white LED 2 x front variable-speed 120 mm white-bladed LED fans with white LED 1 x side 120 mm fan for graphics cards (optional) DRIVE BAYS 6 x internal 3.5 ″ 3 x external 5.25 ″ 1 x top external 2.5”
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1.3 BEFORE YOU BEGIN In order to ensure that your building experience with the Dark Fleet DF-35 will be a positive one, please take note of the following: • While working inside your Dark Fleet DF-35, keep your case on a flat, stable surface. Make sure your build area is clean, well-lit, and free of dust. • Antec cases feature rounded edges that minimize the occurrence of hand injuries. Nonetheless, exercise caution and control when handling case interiors. We strongl
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1.4 LOCATING AND POSITIONING YOUR COMPUTER Your DF-35 has backwards- and top-facing exhaust fans, as well as front-mounted intake fans and one side- mounted front air intake. For optimum performance, we recommend leaving the front air intakes unobstructed. When open, the DF-35’s Fleet-Release™ doors take up an additional 15.5 cm of space in the front. Since loading and unloading the DF-35’s internal Fleet-Swap™ SATA bays through the doors will require opening and closing t
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SECTION 2 HARDWARE INSTALLATION 9
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2.1 SETTING UP Put the case upright on a flat, stable surface so that the rear panel (power supply and expansion slots) is facing you. To remove the left and right side panels, remove these thumbscrews: Note: Place the panel thumbscrews aside carefully and remember where they are – they look very similar to the HDD cage thumbscrews, but they are NOT interchangeable. 10
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Now rest your case with the left side up. Here’s what we’ll be working with first: E D B C A A – Power supply mounts B – 5.25” drive bay area C – 3.5” drive bay area with Fleet-Swap SATA bays D – Front panel wiring E – I/O panel Note: Do not use your fingernails to pry or lift the panels. Damage to the panels or injury to your fingernails may result. Note: This manual is not designed to cover CPU, RAM, or expansion card installation. Please consult your motherboard manu
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2.2 MOTHERBOARD INSTALLATION Before proceeding: - Check the manual for your CPU cooler to find out if there are steps you must do before installing the motherboard - Make sure you have the correct I/O panel for your motherboard. If the panel provided with the case isn’t suitable, please contact your motherboard manufacturer for the correct I/O panel. Make sure you have the correct I/O panel. This mismatched I/O panel can cause difficulties down the road. 1. Lay the
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3. Now remove your motherboard by lifting it up. Lift your motherboard out to install the standoffs. 4. Install standoffs as needed and put the motherboard back in. 5. Screw in your motherboard to the standoffs with the provided Phillips-head screws. Caution: Make sure to remove any unused motherboard standoffs. They may come into contact with the back of the motherboard and may electrify your case exterior if left connected. Step 5: Screwing in the motherboard after standoffs ar
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Note: The DF-35 comes with a CPU cutout on the motherboard tray, which will allow you to change your CPU heatsink without removing the motherboard. 2.3 STANDARD ATX POWER SUPPLY INSTALLATION The DF-35 can accommodate a standard-size ATX power supply. 1. With the case upright, place the power supply on the bottom of the case. PSU resting on the standard PSU mount. 2. Push the power supply to the back of the case and align the mounting holes. 3. Attach the p
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Use these screws to secure your power supply to the case. Note: Power supplies with fans on the bottom of the power supply will need to be mounted so that the fan is facing the top of the case. The DF-35 provides mounting holes for power supplies with standard mounting layouts to be installed right side up or upside down. 2.4 CABLE MANAGEMENT There is a cable management compartment behind the 3.5” drive cage. You can tuck or route excess cables in this compartment.
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2.5 INTERNAL 3.5” DEVICE INSTALLATION The DF-35 includes two Fleet-Release™ access doors. With the front bezel facing you, they are located by default on the bottom nine drive bay slots (each door covers three drive bays). TM 1. Open the Fleet-Release access door. Opening the Fleet-Release™ access door by gently pressing the left side to release it, and then swing it open. 2. Insert your 3.5” device into the 3.5” drive cage from the front of the case. You will fe
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Make sure to install screws on the left side… …as well as the right side. 4. Mount any other 3.5” HDD devices accordingly. 5. Connect the appropriate power and data cables to the device(s), using cable routing as desired. 6. Close the Fleet-Release™ access door. 2.6 EXTERNAL 3.5” DEVICE INSTALLATION There is one external 3.5” drive bay under the 5.25” drive bays. Remove this drive bay cover. 1. Carefully remove the 3.5” drive bay cover from the bezel. Load the drives from th
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Insert your drive as shown. 2. With one hand supporting the drive, fasten the drive with the screws provided. 3. Find a small 4-pin white connector on the power supply and connect it to the male 4-pin connector on the floppy drive. 2.7 USING FLEET-SWAP™ TM The DF-35 includes one set of Fleet-Swap 3.5” drive bays. Each set contain two connectors, for a total of two hot-swappable SATA drive bays, pre-installed on the bottom of the internal 3.5” drive cage. A. PREPARING YOUR FLEE
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A B B A A – Fleet-Swap™ SATA and power connectors B – Fleet-Swap™ bay screws 2. You may wish to move the Fleet-Swap bays. There are two screws securing each Fleet-Swap bay to the drive cage. To move or remove the Fleet-Swap bay, remove these screws, slide the Fleet-Swap bay towards the side opposite the screws, and carefully remove it. 1 2 Moving or removing a Fleet-Swap™ bay 3. Now move the Fleet-Swap bay to the desired location, secure it in place and screw it in. Fleet-
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One example of AHCI configuration – your motherboard may vary B. LOADING THE FLEET-SWAP BAYS Fleet-Swap™ bays are designed to be accessible from the front of the case, through the Fleet-Release™ access doors. 1. Open the Fleet-Release™ access door, and insert your 3.5” SATA device into a 3.5” drive bay that contains a Fleet-Swap bay at the back. 2. Push gently until it engages the adapter pins on the Fleet-Swap bay and stops in position. Do not secure the device with screws if
