A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the darkFlash DLX4000 in white makes a very clean impression. There is no plastic in sight anywhere and the glass panels, with their lack of tint and white framing, really work well together. On the side, there is a sticker to let you know how to gain access to the interior, which fortunately also comes off nice and easy.


The glass side panel of the chassis is clear & framed beautifully, the final appearance should allow you to focus on the internal components. On the opposite side, you will find two large vents. The one towards the front is intended to allow side fans access to fresh air, while the vent towards the back offers the same to any hard drives and the PSU.


In the front, as this is the glass variant of the DLX4000, you will find another solid, clear glass piece, to allow you to show off your components from this additional angle easily. You may pop it off as well, to gain access to the interior, which could be handy when installing cooling on the side of the chassis. In the rear, the layout of the darkFlash DLX4000 is pretty traditional with the unique element that things are segmented, allowing you to reduce the motherboard compatibility from ATX to mATX and then install a thick radiator in the ceiling for example.


In the rear, the PSU bay is located at the very bottom and uses a mounting frame to which the power supply will be attached, which in turn is then slid into the chassis from the rear. Above that are the seven expansion slots. These are segmented into one five-slot piece as well as a two-slot part to allow the aforementioned movement for thick radiator setups in the ceiling of the DLX4000. In the very top you will find a fan mounting spot for a 120 mm unit. It may be installed on elongated mounting holes, so that you can adjust its height to fit your needs. As you can see, out-of-the-box, there isn't a lot of room above this area within the case, meaning you are likely limited to classic AIO thickness at best.


At the top, there is a metal cover with a fine perforation to allow for airflow. As such there is no need for a dust filter. Underneath of this cover, you find mounting holes that are offset to allow for two 140 mm or three 120 mm fans. Alternatively radiators of up to 280 or 360 mm size will fit here as well. The IO ports at the top of the darkFlash DLX4000 are made up of two USB-A, one USB-C and a pair of audio plugs. The power button sits in the center, while the reset button is at the left end & shaped like the USB-C port. This makes the whole set of IO look symmetrical, and darkFlash went as far as to employ white USB ports, which is a nice touch.


On the underside of the case, there is a full-length, fine mesh dust filter, which you may pull out the back of the darkFlash DLX4000.


Before we dive into the interior of the chassis, it is worth taking a closer look at the modularity the case provides. You may remove the rear pieces and leave out the bottom two expansion slots, instead utilizing the separately provided cover at the very top of the chassis. With this configuration you gain a ton of extra headroom, while sacrificing ATX compatibility.