darkFlash V22 White Mid Tower ATX Case Review
Unboxing
The V22 comes in a printed brown cardboard box, which is pretty typical of modern cases. The front and rear of the box both feature a picture of the V22, along with some small images depicting various features of the case. The front of the box also has a few lines of text which were likely translated for English speaking markets.
The side of the V22’s box has a basic specifications sheet printed on it. Interestingly, the numbers on this sheet do not quite match up with the numbers listed on the case’s official Amazon page. Unfortunately, it seems that darkFlash doesn’t really have their English language documentation fully sorted out yet since not only do their spec sheets not fully match up, their official product page for the case is still full of sample text months after the case launched. This isn’t a particularly encouraging sign, but it isn’t the worst I’ve seen. If you look in enough places you can find all of the relevant information.
Inside the box is where things really start to get exciting. The V22 is protected by large blocks of soft closed cell foam, including a block that protects the glass side panel from damage and prevents it from opening in transit. The case itself comes wrapped in a plastic bag, the glass panel is covered in plastic film on both sides, and the panel is taped shut to add an extra layer of protection. darkFlash did an excellent job here. Also in the box is a small, but well thought out manual that explains all of the case’s features at a good level of detail.
A Closer Look at the darkFlash V22
Our review sample is the white version of the V22, a refreshing break from the monotony of all black cases. Both the metal and plastic panels have a satin feel to them and don’t pick up fingerprints. Color and texture matching between panels is excellent. The front edges of the case have a thick black stripe that covers the front vents and a bit of the panel underneath them. The feet of the case, the expansion slot covers, and the hinges are also black.
On the right side of the case, we can see that the glass side panel does not extend all the way to the bottom of the case. Instead, there’s a steel panel that covers the part of the case where the power supply and hard drives go.
The left side of the case is a simple one-piece steel side panel with captured thumb screws.
Because the V22 has a rotated motherboard, the back of the case is very different from the back panels of most ATX cases. Much of the panel is taken up by the two 120 mm fan mounts. The remaining panel houses a power supply cutout, a large cable grommet, and a pair of cable management loops for securing any cables that run down the back of the case.
The top of the case contains all of the case’s I/O ports. The front I/O is mounted at the leading edge of the case and consists of power and reset buttons, two USB 3.0 ports, and a pair of audio ports. Behind the front I/O is a large plastic dust filter that covers the expansion slots and rear I/O panel.
The bottom of the case is largely featureless aside from a set of rubber soled plastic feet and a sturdy plastic dust filter for the power supply.
