$55 mATX Case with Hinged Glass Side Panel - The DLM21 by Darkflash

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R4L54NX/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Newegg link to black or white version for $54.99

I've never seen this hinged glass door feature in any case under about $80. I bought one (DLM21) a few months ago in white with the solid front panel. I don't need high airflow for the build I have in it. I'm using an i7-4790 that can't be overclocked and the graphics card is an Aorus RX570 that already has a good heatsink, copper pipes and two fans. It doesn't run hot at all and I don't game with this system.

I really like the build quality and fit & finish. Haven't seen any mATX case in this price range as good. There is another related DLM22 version with a flat solid steel front that is still available at Amazon. It comes in an all black color. Kind of a "blackout" of everything that some prefer. There is a white version too but I prefer the DLM21 in that color.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RBKWH8P/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

If you do want to put a mini-ITX or mATX gaming rig into a Darkflash case it's probably best to go with the version that has mesh in front. Those are 5 dollars more. Looks like the glass has a darker tint but I haven't seen one in person.

I'm going to put some white paint over the DF logo on the PSU shroud and put a black Apple logo there. Their logo reminds me of a reversed Philadelphia Flyers hockey team logo for some reason. What do you think ? Wish they would have made it a lot smaller than they did.

Here's a pic from a review on Amazon. You can see that they painted over the grey DF logo. Amazing amount of interior room for such a small case. The glass isn't that important to me but I love the hinged part that makes it open and close so easily. I hate taking out and putting back in (or losing) the screws that hold most case side panels on. I'm not a fan of liquid cooling or RGB lighting but you can certainly get those things and make it look good with this case.

Here are the case dimensions and GPU length + CPU cooler height

NOTE: CPU cooler max height is closer to 160mm.
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[UtterDisbelief]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R4L54NX/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

Newegg link to black or white version for $54.99

I've never seen this feature in any case under about $80. I bought one (DLM21) a few months ago in white with the solid front panel. I don't need high airflow for the build I have in it. I really like the build quality and fit & finish. Haven't seen any mATX case in this price range as good. There used to be a DLM22 version with a flat solid steel front that might still be available other places than Amazon or Newegg.

If you do want to put a mini-ITX or mATX gaming rig into a Darkflash case it's probably best to go with the version that has mesh in front. Those are 5 dollars more. Looks like the glass has a darker tint but I haven't seen one in person.

I'm going to put some white paint over the DF logo on the PSU shroud and put a black Apple logo there. Their logo reminds me of a reversed Philadelphia Flyers hockey team logo for some reason. What do you think ?

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Here's a pic from a review on Amazon. You can see that they painted over the grey DF logo. Amazing amount of interior room for such a small case. The glass isn't that important to me but I love the hinged part that makes it open and close so easily. I hate taking out and putting back in the screws that hold most side panels on.

View attachment 450001​

Looks like a good design and for the money, a steal. I particularly like the space at the top of the case because it just makes it easier for us to plug in those aux power cables which are usually in that area of the motherboard.

Plenty of fan/cooler mounting options too. Good idea to cover the logo - and here's an idea - put a copy of The Missfits Apple poem/blurb on it. That would be very cool. Not sure how mind you, letraset? Yes, especially in white I think that would work well

 

[trs96]

Looks like a good design and for the money,

I really didn't expect the excellent paint job, relatively thick steel panels and the fit and finish that this provides. The majority of mATX cases under 60 USD don't come anywhere close to this, even the Corsair mATX cases that many people buy because of the recognizable name brand. I had one of their 88R cases and sold it about a month later. I had a Fractal Core 1000 mATX case and that was also a major disappointment.

This is a lengthy YT review of the version (DLM21 in white) that I bought. All steel and glass. No plastic in the case itself, just a covering over the feet. I don't like the white plastic feet but don't really ever see them because my case is on the floor next to my desk so I can live with that. In a 55 dollar case, completely tolerable. It was 50 dollars when I bought one. The 3 RGB fans are not included in the base $55 version. If they were, it would be giving the case away for about 20 dollars. Aigo would be losing money on these.

 

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Here's the Newegg Insider review of this case. Has a lot of pics and goes into detail about what to expect.

darkFlash's DLM 21 case and CF8 Pro fans balance elegant beauty with reliable performance - Newegg Insider

darkFlash puts on another strong showing with their DLM 21 luxury PC case and CF8 Pro 120mm RGB fans, delivering reliable performance and elegant designs.

www.newegg.com

 

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This video shows how to make it into a blinged out RGB goodness case for gaming. This is the DLM22 that they no longer sell with the flat/solid front panel. The reviewer says "Chinese case" but it's actually from a company based in Taiwan. Close but still wrong. Like almost all other cases they do manufacture it in China. The major players like Corsair, Fractal Design etc. all do this to keep costs lower.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

This video shows how to make it into a blinged out RGB goodness case for gaming. This is the DLM22 that they no longer sell with the flat/solid front panel. The reviewer says "Chinese case" but it's actually produced by a company in Taiwan. Close but still wrong.

Yeah, the early constant references to "Chinese case" seemed pointless - and as you say slightly inaccurate. Most IT is built there nowadays - components at any rate. So what? My old Lian-Li's were made in Taiwan too, but my latest CoolerMaster is China and the build is superb quality.

As for your case, it does look good. I think you must be on to a great build there. I'm even beginning to get sold on LED fans! Okay, my latest build has one too, but no glass door

The space above the motherboard being for AIO twin-fan coolers is obvious even though I appreciate the space for other uses. And the lack of big hard-drive bays behind the front fans, which was how cases used to be built, really opens-up the inside for airflow and easy working.

I preferred that first video. The guy kept it clean and on-topic.

For $50 it's excellent.

 

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The space above the motherboard being for AIO twin-fan coolers is obvious even though I appreciate the space for other uses.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the room for cable mgt. I've never owned a Micro-ATX case that had this much. It's usually an afterthought in sub 50 dollar cases. You then end up with a lot of visible cable clutter inside the case. Something that would look terrible in a case with a glass side panel.

 

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This is a more lengthy "hands on" review. Gives you more of a sense of the build quality. Again this is an older version (DLM22) that doesn't have the front mesh to improve airflow. The DLM21 with mesh is what you want if higher airflow to cool a larger, power hungry graphics card and/or overclocked system is important.

Here's how the front looks on the Meshify C like DLM21 case.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

This is a more lengthy "hands on" review. Gives you more of a sense of the build quality. Again this is an older version (DLM22) that doesn't have the front mesh to improve airflow. The DLM21 with mesh is what you want if higher airflow for a graphics card and/or overclocked system is important.

Here's how the front looks on the Meshify C like DLM21 case.

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and on the black edition.

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Yes, it's got a lot going for it. That clever front mesh makes an otherwise potentially boring front look interesting. The ports are a good combination. Interesting in the video review about the 'soft edge' feel to the metal folding. Clearly a lot of thought has gone into it, not just another case to make up the numbers. I think white as a colour is actually very sensible as well as stylish in a home environment. Building my latest in a black case, with black motherboard, black GPU and black PSU meant I needed to use a torch to illuminate areas I was working in. I don't joke, it was hard to see detail at times. Could be my 'mature' eyes though I guess ...

 

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The only other white, standard mATX case I've ever seen, that isn't a smallish cube, is this one by Silverstone. It sells for about 10 dollars more on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XW3BVRM/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

It may have some better features but I really don't like how the interior looks, especially since it's all exposed through the glass side panel. Who wants to look at their PSU and the cables that come out of it anyway ? Since this case retails for 70 USD, you should strongly consider the Fractal Design Meshify C Mini if you have a case budget of 75 to 85 dollars.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BCGCPFH/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

It may be worth looking into if you want to mount a longer 240 Mil radiator in the front instead of on top. The deal breaker for me is that the glass side panel has those 4 thumbscrews to deal with. Not ideal for me. So unless you are attached to the Silverstone brand for some reason, the Darkflash DLM cases are the way to go for mATX cases.

Here's how a budget build may possibly look in this case. Not great in my opinion. Here you'd want a solid steel side panel.