Antec clearly intends the Dark Avenger DA601 to appease gamers, and calls the Dark Avenger a new line-up in cases. The cool-looking front panel really does help make it stand out from others in the same price segment, which may be exactly what gamers with a limited budget are looking for.

The universally expandable RGB controller and PWM fan hub are also useful functional additions that should really help consumers who are in the midst of picking which board brand to go for without worrying about whether their chassis will work with their choice. It also clears the users path to easily upgrade freely in the future. Thanks to the slightly elevated height, you may also install liquid cooling in the ceiling, while the front is already geared towards holding either active cooling or a radiator of up to 360 mm.

With all that in mind, there are a few unfortunate shortcomings as well. Unfortunately, the LEDs in the front—a main design element—are very dim compared to what is out there, which will be disappointing to the target audience really wanting some flashy lights in their system. On top of that, Antec is overzealous by advertising E-ATX for a chassis that wasn't really designed for it, as the already difficult cable management would become even trickier with such a motherboard installed. Antec tries to soften that issue by advertising two drives to fit over the openings, which leaves an opening open, but the frame is actually designed for up to three drives, which covers all openings. I would have also liked grommet-covered holes and for that second fan to be equipped with RGB for an overall flashy and well-lit design.

Don't get me wrong, having seen other cases out there that utilize a very similar body, Antec manages to offer a much better and well-thought-out balance between their own tooling elements and what the factory provides, so they do present a case that circumvents issues others have had. This includes the RGB/fan controller and use of separate 2.5" trays, as well as large, sturdy hooks to allow for cable management.