DF-85 DARK FLEET THE ADVANCED GAMING FORCE USER MANUAL
DF-85 USER’S MANUAL Congratulations on your purchase of the Antec Dark Fleet DF-85. Your DF-85 is the gaming case re-envisioned, with all the award-winning build quality that made Antec cases famous and plenty of airy, wide-open expandability with 14 total drive bays and 7 expansion slots. FleetRelease™ front drive bays allow swift customization of front fan and drive configurations and easy access to tool-less, washable fan filters.
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Getting to know your case…………………………………………………. Case specifications…………………………………………………………. Before you begin…………………………………………………………… Locating and positioning your computer…………………………………... 5 6 7 8 SECTION 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Setting up…………………………………………………………………... Motherboard installation…………………………………………………… Standard ATX power supply installation…………………………………...
SECTION 1 4 INTRODUCTION
1.1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CASE 6 5 12 1 7 2 10 8 3 8 8 Drive bays 1 5.25” drive bays 2 3.5” drive bays 3 Fleet-Swap SATA bays 4 2.5” internal SSD bays 5 2.
1.2 CASE SPECIFICATIONS CASE TYPE Full Tower COLOR Matte black - 23.5” (H) x 8.5” (W) x 19.9” (D) - 596 mm (H) x 213 mm (W) x 505 mm (D) 26.3 lbs / 11.3 kg 2 x top 140 mm TwoCool™ fans 2 x rear 120 mm TwoCool™ red LED fans 3 x front 120 mm red LED fans with speed control knobs 1 x side 120 mm fan to cool graphics cards (optional) Water cooling capable DIMENSIONS WEIGHT COOLING DRIVE BAYS EXPANSION SLOTS MOTHERBOARD SIZE FRONT I/O PANEL 6 9 x internal 3.5” (4 x external 3.
1.3 BEFORE YOU BEGIN In order to ensure that your building experience with the Dark Fleet DF-85 will be a positive one, please take note of the following: 7 While working inside your Dark Fleet DF-85, keep your case on a flat, stable surface. Make sure your build environment 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.
1.4 LOCATING AND POSITIONING YOUR COMPUTER Your DF-85 has backwards- and top-facing exhaust fans, as well as front-mounted intake fans and one sidemounted front air intake. For optimum performance, we recommend leaving the front air intakes unobstructed. When open, the DF-85’s Fleet-Release™ doors take up an additional 15.5 cm of space in the front.
SECTION 2 9 HARDWARE INSTALLATION
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.
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.
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.
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.
CPU cutout Note: The DF-85 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 POWER SUPPLY INSTALLATION The DF-85 can accommodate either a standard-size power supply or an Antec CPX form factor CP-series high performance power supply. 1. Open the case. With the case upright, place the power supply on the four silicone pads on the bottom of the case. PSU resting on the standard ATX PSU mount.
2. Push the power supply to the back of the case and align the mounting holes. 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-85 provides mounting holes for power supplies with standard mounting layouts to be installed right side up or upside down. 3. 2.4 Attach the power supply to the case with the screws provided.
2. 2.5 With the case upright, place the power supply on the four silicone pads on the bottom of the case. Push the power supply to the back of the case and align the mounting holes, and attach the power supply to the case with the screws provided. CABLE MANAGEMENT There is a cable management compartment between the motherboard and right side panel, as well as cable ties located on the back of the motherboard panel. You can tuck excess cables in this compartment or route them to the drive bays.
3. For cables which will be routed back to front drives or other internal accessories, feed the cables back through the insertion point nearest the destination of the cable. Connect the cable and then pull the slack back to the right side of the case. 4. For cables which will be routed directly to front drives or other internal accessories, cable tiedowns are located along the drive cage. Bundle front drives’ or other internal accessories’ cables together and secure them using tiedowns.
The DF-85 includes three 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). 1. Open the Fleet-ReleaseTM access door. Gently press the left side to release it, and then swing it open. Note: Do not attempt to open up the Fleet-Release™ access door by removing the left side panel and pushing the front panel retention clips – they do not hold the Fleet-Release™ access doors in place.
Installing a 3.5” internal device 3. Fasten the device in place with the provided screws on both side of the drive cage. 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-ReleaseTM Access Door. 2.7 USING FLEET-SWAP™ The DF-85 includes two sets of Fleet-SwapTM 3.5” drive bays.
Fleet-Swap™ default locations A A B B A – Fleet-Swap™ SATA and power connectors B – Fleet-Swap™ bay screws 2. 20 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-Swap bays can be relocated to anywhere in the 3.5” drive cage. 4. Before you can use the hot-swap feature of the Fleet-Swap™ bays, you must install all related drivers for your motherboard and enable the “AHCI” function in the BIOS to activate the hot swap feature. One example of AHCI configuration – your motherboard may vary B.
Loading a Fleet-Swap drive. 3. Mount any other 3.5” HDD devices accordingly. 4. Close the Fleet-ReleaseTM Access Door. C. UNLOADING THE FLEET-SWAP™ BAYS 1. Ensure that your HDD is not in use. 2. Open the Fleet-ReleaseTM Access Door by pressing the left side to release it, and then swing it open. Open the Fleet-Release Access Door to access the drive you want to unload. 3. 22 Grasp the top and bottom of your HDD. Now pull the HDD free.
Removing a Fleet-Swap drive 4. 23 Close the Fleet-ReleaseTM Access Door.
2.8 USING THE TOP 2.5” HOT-SWAP BAY The DF-85’s top 2.5” hard drive bay is hot-swap capable. To use the hot-swap feature, ensure that your motherboard is configured for hot-swap. Make sure to install all related drivers that come with your motherboard and turn on the AHCI function in the BIOS to activate the hot swap feature. Using the top 2.5” hot-swap drive bay A. LOADING: 1. Align your SATA HDD with the drive bay with the connector facing the case. 2.
2. Slide your 5.25” device into the bay from the front of the case. 5.25” device installation 25 3. Secure the drive into position in the drive bay using the provided screws on each side of the drive. 4. Mount any other 5.25” devices accordingly. 5. Connect the appropriate power and data cables to your device(s). 6. Replace both side panels.
SECTION 3 26 FRONT I/O PORTS
3.1 USB 2.0 Connect the front I/O panel USB cable to the USB header pin on your motherboard. Check your motherboard user’s manual to ensure that it matches the table below: 1 9 3.2 2 Pin 10 Signal Names Pin Signal Names 1 USB Power 1 2 USB Power 2 3 Negative Signal 1 4 Negative Signal 2 5 Positive Signal 1 6 Positive Signal 2 7 Ground 1 8 Ground 2 9 Key (No Connection) 10 Empty Pin USB 3.0 There is a USB 3.0 connector in the front I/O panel.
3.4 POWER SWITCH / RESET SWITCH / HARD DISK DRIVE LED CONNECTORS Connected to your front panel are LED and switch leads for power, reset, and HDD LED activity. Attach these to the corresponding connectors on your motherboard. Consult your motherboard manual for specific pin header locations. For LEDs, colored wires are positive ( + ). White or black wires are negative ( – ). If the LED does not light up when the system is powered on, try reversing the connection.
SECTION 4 29 COOLING SYSTEM
4.
4.2 TOP 140 MM TWOCOOL™ FANS The DF-85 comes with two 140mm TwoCool™ fans. This fan has a two-speed switch that lets you choose the speed best suited to your need. These two switches are located at the rear of the case. The default fan speed setting is Low. 140MM FAN SPECIFICATIONS: Size: Rated Voltage: Operating Voltage: Speed High 1200RPM Low 800RPM 4.3 140 x 25mm two-speed fan 12V DC 10.8V ~ 13.2 V Input Current 0.3A 0.2A Air Flow Static Pressure 1.7m³ / min (58.9 CFM) 0.95m³ / min (33.6 CFM) 0.
4.4 REAR EXHAUST 120 MM TWOCOOL™ FANS There are two 120 x 25mm TwoCool™ Red LED fans preinstalled at the rear of the case. These fans are designed to pull hot air out of the case. Each fan comes with a two-speed switch that lets you choose the speed best suited to your need. These switches are located at the rear of the case. The default fan speed setting is Low.
4.6 WASHABLE AIR FILTERS There is a filter located behind the faceplate of each Fleet-ReleaseTM Access Doors. There are total of three front air filters that come with the case. Removing the washable air filter. Note the filter tabs. To clean the filter: 1. Open the Fleet-ReleaseTM Access Doors. Locate the filter tab behind the faceplate. 2. Note: 33 Lift the tab right and pull it upwards to remove the filter. See picture. From time to time it will be necessary to wash the installed air filter.
4.7 WATER COOLING This case comes with a 5.25” metal plate pre-installed in the 3rd 5.25” drive bay. This is designed to mount your water-cooling hardware (such as a water pump or a reservoir). In addition, water cooling grommets are located at the back of the case, allowing you to run water cooling hoses through.
Antec, Inc. 47900 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 tel: 510-770-1200 fax: 510-770-1288 Antec Europe B.V. Stuttgartstraat 12 3047 AS Rotterdam The Netherlands tel: +31 (0) 10 462-2060 fax: +31 (0) 10 437-1752 Technical Support: US & Canada 1-800-22ANTEC customersupport@antec.com Europe +31 (0) 10 462-2060 europe.techsupport@antec.com www.antec.com © Copyright 2010 Antec, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
