Be Quiet! has cultivated its reputation through an unwavering commitment to acoustic refinement across its product portfolio. The German manufacturer's approach prioritizes noise reduction without sacrificing performance, a philosophy that resonates with enthusiasts who reject the notion that powerful systems must operate at audible volumes. Their engineering focuses on thermal efficiency, premium bearing technologies, and intelligent fan control algorithms that minimize acoustic output during typical operation.

We take a close look at the Pure Power 13 M 1200W to see if it earns a spot on our best power supplies list. This unit represents the company's latest effort in the high-wattage segment, targeting builders who require substantial power delivery without the advanced specifications and features of higher-end series. It provides capacity for demanding single-GPU configurations with considerable overhead for transient loads, a characteristic increasingly relevant as graphics cards demonstrate aggressive power excursion behavior.

The ATX 3.1 compliance ensures compatibility with current-generation hardware, particularly graphics cards utilizing the 12V-2x6 standard. The 1200W output positions this unit as a reliable foundation for premium systems, though the single 12V-2x6 connector reveals the intended use case centers on single, powerful graphics cards rather than multi-GPU arrangements.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Pure Power 13 M 1200W arrives in robust cardboard packaging featuring an all-black aesthetic. A picture of the unit dominates the front panel, while specifications populate the remaining surfaces. Internal protection employs a fabric pouch and foam packaging inserts, providing premium transit protection without excessive material waste.

The included bundle remains almost rudimentary. Mounting screws, an AC power cable, and several wide cable ties constitute the entirety of accessories. A basic printed manual provides essential guidance to amateurs.

The fully modular cable configuration allows every cable to be removed, even the core 24-pin ATX connector. All cables feature uniform black coloring across connectors and wiring. Most cables employ a simpler flat ribbon-style construction, though the 24-pin ATX and 12V-2x6 cables feature black nylon sleeving. The 12V-2x6 connector carries a 600W rating – not that we expected any less from a unit this powerful. Actually, the presence of only one 12V-2x6 connector alongside four 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors represents a significant limitation for users contemplating multi-GPU configurations. The total connector count appears conservative for a 1200W unit, suggesting Be Quiet! positioned this primarily for single high-performance graphics card systems with substantial headroom rather than maximum connectivity density.

External Appearance

The chassis measures 86 mm × 150 mm × 160 mm (H × W × D), exceeding standard ATX dimensions by 10mm in depth. This 160mm length represents an acceptable compromise for a 1200W unit, providing adequate internal volume for component arrangement and thermal management without imposing severe case compatibility restrictions. The dimensions demonstrate appropriate scaling for the power output, comparing favorably to competing designs in this wattage class.

The external finish employs satin black chassis paint with excellent application quality. Be Quiet!'s embossed logo appears on the right side panel, providing subtle branding without visual excess. A removable parallel wire fan guard sits above the intake, with a white decorative ring beneath that creates modest visual contrast. The left side hosts the standard electrical specifications sticker. The top panel remains entirely unadorned, maintaining the minimalist aesthetic.

The rear panel houses the standard on/off switch adjacent to the AC receptacle. The front accommodates modular cable connectors with subtle white legends printed alongside each position. The marking clearly indicates connector types and power delivery capabilities, preventing confusion during installation. The 600W rating for the PCIe 5.1 connector receives appropriate notation, though with 1200W total capacity this specification becomes somewhat self-evident.

Internal Design

The heart of the cooling system employs a Be Quiet! QF2-12025-HS 120mm fan featuring a rifle bearing engine. Rifle bearings represent an enhanced sleeve bearing design with improved lubrication systems and structural refinements that extend operational lifespan compared to basic sleeve implementations. While they typically exhibit shorter lifespans than fluid dynamic bearing or ball bearing alternatives, they deliver excellent acoustic characteristics during operation. The maximum speed of 2700 RPM is extremely high and, hopefully, the fan will not be reaching this speed during normal operation. As a matter of fact, as we will find out in the following pages, the fan barely ever works at all under normal operating conditions.

Channel Well Technologies (CWT) serves as the OEM behind this design, a significant departure from the FSP platform employed in the 650W model. CWT represents one of the industry's most reputable manufacturers, established in 1993 and behind platforms spanning all market segments. Their engineering expertise appears in products from mid-range offerings to extreme enthusiast units, with the company demonstrating remarkable versatility.

The platform employs contemporary topologies optimized for efficiency and thermal management. Input filtering comprises six Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. This comprehensive filtration stage exceeds minimum requirements, providing excellent noise suppression. Two rectifying bridges occupy a substantial heatsink immediately following the filtration stage.

The APFC circuitry features three Vishay 105N60EF MOSFETs and one diode mounted on a sizable heatsink. Vishay represents a premier silicon manufacturer, and the selection of their components for APFC duties indicates attention to quality in critical circuit positions. One encased inductor and one massive Teapo capacitor rated at 1100 μF complete the APFC components.

The primary stage utilizes two Infineon 60R099P6 MOSFETs forming a half-bridge topology. Infineon silicon enjoys an excellent reputation for reliability and thermal characteristics. These components occupy another substantial heatsink with considerable surface area, contributing to the unit's excellent thermal performance under load. The heatsink dimensions appear generous even for this power level.

Eight CMR0130N045NS MOSFETs from a manufacturer we could not identify generate the primary 12V rail through synchronous rectification. Small PCB-mounted heatsinks are the primary source of cooling for these components. DC-to-DC conversion circuits on a vertical daughterboard generate the 3.3V and 5V rails.

Secondary side capacitors consist primarily of Teapo units, with some APAQ solid-state capacitors present. The Teapo capacitors represent the first indication of cost optimization in component selection, as Japanese manufacturers like Nippon Chemi-Con or Rubycon would represent a premium choice. However, Teapo maintains an acceptable reputation among Taiwanese manufacturers, occupying a middle ground between budget Chinese brands and premium Japanese alternatives. APAQ represents another Taiwanese manufacturer with an adequate reputation for mid-tier applications. The absence of Japanese capacitors represents a clear cost optimization decision. While Teapo and APAQ produce acceptable components for their market position, enthusiasts often prefer Japanese manufacturers for critical filtering applications. The 10-year warranty suggests Be Quiet! possesses confidence in these components' longevity despite their mid-tier positioning, though some buyers may view this choice with skepticism given the high retail pricing.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

The Pure Power 13 M 1200W achieves respectable electrical conversion efficiency despite the official Gold certification labeling. With 115 VAC input, the unit demonstrates 90.3% average efficiency across the nominal load range (10% to 100% capacity). This figure increases to 92.5% with 230 VAC input. Peak efficiency occurs near 40% load, reaching approximately 94% with 230 VAC input. These figures meet Cybenetics Platinum certification requirements, creating the same curious situation observed in the 650W model where the unit carries Platinum certification from Cybenetics but Gold branding from Be Quiet!. The company apparently maintains this conservative marketing approach to preserve product segmentation with their Straight Power series, preventing internal cannibalization despite the unit's actual performance capabilities. Very low load efficiency demonstrates acceptable performance, ensuring reasonable power consumption during idle or light usage scenarios.

The thermal management strategy employs semi-passive cooling with the fan remaining stationary until the load exceeds 700W. This threshold represents approximately 60% of rated capacity, a very high activation point that prioritizes silence during moderate usage. Once operational, fan speed increases rapidly but remains below 2000 RPM even at maximum load, demonstrating excellent thermal management. Internal temperatures remain remarkably low throughout testing, validating the design approach and demonstrating the effectiveness of the heatsink and component selection.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

Elevated ambient temperature testing reveals a measurable efficiency degradation characteristic of all power supplies operating under thermal stress. Average efficiency drops to 88.7% with 115 VAC input and 90.8% with 230 VAC input. This represents an approximately 1.6% reduction compared to cold testing. While the unit carries a 40°C maximum ambient rating, it still managed to output its full power in 45°C test temperature, but the stress signs became evident at maximum load.

The semi-passive mode demonstrates slightly more aggressive activation characteristics under elevated temperatures. The fan engages when the load exceeds 550W rather than the 700W threshold observed during cold testing. Fan speed also increases substantially faster than during cold testing, though maximum speed occurs only at 100% load. Internal temperatures remain very tightly controlled, even at maximum output. The acoustic performance remains outstanding under moderate loads under these conditions, but the unit will get loud if very heavily stressed.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The electrical performance demonstrates competitive characteristics within the premium segment. Voltage regulation maintains good tolerances, with the 12V rail exhibiting a 1.4% variance across the entire load range. Although this is not the premium <1% we are used to from premium units, it still is a very good performance figure from a middle-tier product. The 3.3V and 5V rails demonstrate superior regulation at 0.6% and 0.8% respectively. Ripple suppression achieves exceptional results that vindicate the unit’s market positioning. The 12V rail exhibits maximum ripple of merely 38 mV, while the 5V and 3.3V rails measure 18 mV and 16 mV maximum respectively. These figures represent approximately a third of the ATX specification limits, demonstrating filtering capabilities that substantially exceed requirements.

During our routine evaluation, we examine the fundamental protection features of all power supply units we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). The 3.3V rail triggers OCP at 138% of maximum current, while the 5V rail activates at 136%. These thresholds provide reasonable headroom for transient loads without exposing components to excessive stress. The 12V rail OCP activates at 112% and the OPP permits sustained operation up to 114% of nominal capacity before triggering shutdown - very conservative thresholds for an ATX 3.1 certified unit, suggesting the platform is operating at its edge and the company did not want to risk the unit’s reliability.

Bottom Line

The Pure Power 13 M 1200W occupies a defined position in the power supply market. CWT's platform delivers robust performance through proven design methodologies rather than innovative experimentation. This conservative approach ensures predictable behavior and reliable operation while potentially limiting differentiation beyond core electrical specifications.

The construction quality meets the baseline expectations for a unit carrying a 10-year warranty from an experienced OEM. The electrical characteristics exceed Gold-level certification requirements, with the unit featuring Platinum-level certifications from Cybenetics despite conservative marketing. The ripple suppression achieves exemplary results, delivering cleaner power than numerous higher-certified competitors. Voltage regulation demonstrates precision that benefits sensitive components and provides stable operation across varying load conditions.

The component selection may be of concern to users seeing the Pure Power 13 M as a premium product. While active components utilize quality silicon from reputable manufacturers like Vishay and Infineon, the reliance on Teapo and APAQ capacitors for filtering represents a significant compromise at $215. These Taiwanese manufacturers occupy the mid-tier segment, a choice that would be acceptable in a low cost Gold-certified unit but raises serious questions at this price point. The 10-year warranty may suggest confidence, though it equally suggests Be Quiet! understands buyers will scrutinize this decision.

Thermal and acoustic performance delivers results consistent with Be Quiet!'s brand philosophy, with the results being nothing short of exceptional. The semi-passive mode provides expected silence during light and medium loads. The controller keeps the fan entirely disabled under typical operation. Once activated, the fan will speed up fairly quickly as the load increases, making the unit audible but also keeps the internal temperatures fairly low.

The connectivity configuration represents the most damaging limitation. A single 12V-2x6 connector on a 1200W unit is a major restriction. This restriction confines the unit to single graphics card configurations, rendering a fair portion of the capacity as mere headroom rather than usable power for additional components. The four 6+2 pin connectors provide backward compatibility, though the overall connector count appears deliberately restricted.

The Pure Power 13 M 1200W targets an increasingly narrow audience, with retail pricing that currently is very high for a unit essentially marketed as mid-tier. The ATX 3.1 compliance and 1200W capacity provide future-proofing value, though the single 12V-2x6 connector is a limitation. The unit performs admirably in electrical testing, though performance alone cannot justify the pricing when alternatives exist. The value proposition of the Pure Power 13 M 1200W unit is questionable but, on the other hand, it cannot be denied that this is a very high quality product that does offer exceptional acoustics performance. A sale or reduced price would significantly improve the value proposition and make this a very reasonable choice for single-GPU premium builds.

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German company be quiet! (henceforth referred to as Be Quiet) is well known in PC builder circles for its coolers and cases, which (as the company’s name implies) focus on low noise levels. The Dark Rock Pro and Elite air coolers performed excellently in our testing, and the Dark Base Pro 901 is personally my favorite PC case.

The Silent Loop 3 420 is the company’s largest AIO, and the latest to land on our test bench. Will it make our list of the best CPU coolers? Let's take a look at the specifications and features of the cooler, and then we’ll go over thermal and noise benchmarks so you can decide if this is the right large AIO for your next build.

Cooler specifications

Packing and included contents

The Silent Loop 3 arrives in a black box, showcasing the product on the front.

Included with the product are the following:

● 420mm radiator

● Three 140mm fans

● Mounting for AMD and Intel platforms

● Thermal Paste

● Extra coolant

● Cable management ties

Features of the Silent Loop 3 420 AIO liquid cooler

▶️ 140mm Silent Wings 4 fans

Three black Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM fans cool the radiator, featuring rated speeds of up to 1900 RPM, 78.4 CFM, and up to 2.36 mm H20 air pressure. As we’ll see in our testing, they deliver solid performance while running at lower noise levels than most competitors on the market.

▶️ Large CPU block suitable for Threadripper

The CPU block included with this AIO is large, and it supports AMD’s TR4 and TR5 Threadripper platforms. The tubes are fully rotatable, as is common with most AIOs.

▶️ Extra coolant

The cooler is DIY and user-repair friendly, with extra coolant and an accessible refill port in case you want to service the AIO after years of use.

▶️ (Optional) ARGB lighting on the CPU block

For those who prefer illumination, ARGB lighting is supported on the CPU block. Of course, if that’s not your thing, you don’t have to plug in the ARGB header. It has a sleek grey and black aesthetic without the lighting enabled.

AMD AM5 installation

1. First, you’ll need to connect the fans to the radiator, then secure the radiator to your PC’s case.

2. Next, remove the default AM5 brackets and place the included rubber standoffs.

3. Take the included mounting bars and place them on top of the standoffs, and then secure them with a screwdriver and the included screws.

4. Apply the included thermal paste to your CPU. If you aren’t sure how to do this properly, please refer to our handy guide on how to apply thermal paste.

5. Press the pump block on top of the CPU, and secure the built-in screws using a screwdriver.

6. Once complete, connect the PWM and ARGB headers to your motherboard, then installation is complete.

Real-world testing configuration – AMD AM5 platform

The 9950X3D setup that we started testing coolers with last year has suffered an unfortunate death. So we’ve begun to test coolers on a system with AMD’s 9950X.

There are some differences in how the 9950X and 9950X3D CPUs are impacted by thermal events – while the heat output of the CCDs of AMD’s 9950X3D are relatively balanced, the 9950X I’m using has one CCD that runs much hotter than the other, with a difference of over 10 degrees Celsius in some scenarios, shown below.

The benchmark results shared in these reviews may differ from others because I place an emphasis on having results that are comparable to real-world use.

This means that I generally test CPU coolers inside of a closed desktop case, which increases cooling difficulty compared to other testing methods - many will test CPU coolers outside of a case, on an open test bench. Open benches have lowered ambient temperatures, which in turn makes weak coolers appear stronger than they really are. Some publications have used generic thermal plates to test cooling solutions. I reject both of these methods because they don’t accurately reflect the real-world PC cooler conditions.

That said, this review bends this rule a little: The MSI Pano 100R PZ case that we use for cooler testing doesn’t technically support 420mm radiators. So I had to place it on top of the case to make it fit. This likely affects thermals and acoustics at least somewhat, but short of re-testing all our coolers in a different case, we didn’t have a better option.

We tested Arctic’s competing Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 in this same way for comparison, while the smaller 360mm coolers were tested in a typical fashion, with the radiator and fans inside the case. If there is heavy interest in large 420mm cooler testing, we will revisit these results in a larger case later this year.

Noise-normalized testing

Most testing is performed with the cooler tied to the default fan curve of my MSI X870E Carbon motherboard, but some of y’all prefer to see tests when the noise levels of coolers are equalized. This is especially important to those of you who prefer silent computers.

We’ll start with the “easiest” of these tests, which runs Cinebench R23 with a “stock” power limit. On our motherboard, this means the CPU will consume ~200W. The results are pretty much within expectations – outperforming all competing 360mm AIOs tested here, but falling a few watts behind Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro 420.

The next test is a bit harder, with PBO enabled to allow the CPU to use as much power as it can handle – it handled an impressive 257W on average.

For the next test, we’ve added the heat of a GPU to the mix – which contributes 295W of thermals into the PC case. The results are similar to our other noise-normalized tests, and Be Quiet maintained its second-place position once again.

Noise levels

We’ve measured noise levels at two points to give you an idea of how the cooler operates when tied to a motherboard’s default fan curve. Our first measurement is when the fans are allowed to run at full speed, delivering the loudest noise levels possible.

In terms of maximum volume, Be Quiet’s Silent Loop 3 420 reaches 45.3 dBA – quieter than most AIOs that we’ve tested.

Our next acoustic measurement is the cooler’s volume when the CPU consumes 150W. This might be similar to your “worst case” gaming scenarios, especially if PBO is enabled. Noise levels are very good here, reaching only 37.3 dBA. This means the cooler runs virtually silent in most common workloads, and will only become audible in stressful scenarios.

PBO Performance – full fan speeds

While some of y’all prefer to run coolers at low noise levels, I know a lot of you just want maximum performance. This test lets the fans run at their full speeds, to test the full potential of the AIOs cooling capabilities. Turning on PBO allows AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X to stretch its legs and guzzle power, pushing the limits of any CPU cooler on the market.

The Silent Loop 3 420 cooled more than 260W in this test, just a few watts behind the best results we’ve recorded – maintaining its overall second-place position.

200W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

For the next thermal test, I leave motherboard settings at their defaults – which results in a power limit of 200W when running Cinebench R23. CPU temperatures averaged 73.7 degrees C, which is rather impressive when you consider that our best result – with Arctic’s Liquid Freezer III Pro 420 – was only 0.1 C cooler.

150W thermal benchmarks and noise levels

For the next thermal test, I’ve set the power limit to 150W.

In this lower-intensity scenario, Be Quiet’s Silent Loop 3 slipped to third place – with an average temperature of only 59.7 C.

100W thermal results

Our next test is the least difficult benchmark featured in this review, with a workload consuming only 100W. As with the previous low-intensity test, Be Quiet’s ranking slipped – this time taking our fourth-place result. However, noise levels were dead silent – quieter than the noise meter we’re using is capable of measuring!

Conclusion

Be Quiet’s Silent Loop 3 420 offers a great combination of strong cooling and quiet performance. In stressful scenarios, it outperforms competing 360mm AIOs on the market – and in low-intensity workloads, it runs whisper-quiet – quieter than our noise meter is capable of measuring. If you’re interested in this AIO, it has an official MSRP of $189.90, but is frequently available for only $139 on Amazon.

Be quiet! has systematically established itself within the power supply market by prioritizing acoustic performance as a fundamental design criterion rather than an afterthought. While competitors chase specification sheet supremacy, the German brand has built its reputation on a straightforward philosophy: power supplies should deliver reliable performance while remaining as imperceptible as possible to the user's ears. This approach resonates particularly strongly with users assembling media production workstations, home theater PCs, and gaming systems, where mechanical noise fundamentally detracts from the experience.

The Power Zone 2 1200W enters the high-wattage mainstream segment with this acoustic-first philosophy firmly intact, with Be quiet! engineering a unit balancing contemporary features with aggressive noise reduction. The result adheres to the Intel ATX 3.1 specification while achieving an 80Plus Platinum certification. Combined with dual native 12V-2x6 connectors featuring thoughtful 90-degree angles, the Power Zone 2 addresses modern high-end system requirements while maintaining characteristic acoustic refinement. At approximately $230 MSRP, however, this positioning creates competitive challenges against the best power supplies in its category, raising questions about whether Be quiet!'s acoustic expertise and thermal engineering can overcome specification sheet compromises.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 1200W arrives in cardboard packaging employing be quiet!'s signature all-black aesthetic theme, with the front dominated by a high-resolution photograph of the unit itself. Inside, protective foam inserts and a nylon pouch ensure the unit survives the shipping gauntlet intact.

The accessory bundle approaches minimalism that does not elevate the unboxing experience beyond bare necessity. Beyond the mandatory mounting screws and AC power cable, be quiet! includes only some basic cable ties, but there are also two reusable cable straps that originally secure the included modular cables in organized bundles.

The Power Zone 2 implements full modularity, allowing builders to connect only necessary cables and minimize interior clutter that impedes airflow. Every cable features all-black construction with matching connectors and wires, all employing flat, ribbon-like profiles without exterior sleeving. This design choice creates a uniform appearance that integrates seamlessly into modern builds, emphasizing clean aesthetics while maintaining excellent flexibility. Notably, the unit includes two 12V-2x6 cables, each with a 90-degree connector on the GPU end – which is its only advantage over the 1000 watt version of itself.

External Appearance

Be quiet! has invested considerable resources making the Power Zone 2 visually distinctive through subtle sophistication rather than aggressive styling. The chassis receives a textured black paint finish that stands apart from typical smooth alternatives, providing tactile interest without visual loudness. On the right side, a decorative company logo appears subtly embossed into the chassis - so imperceptibly integrated that it reads more as refined detail work than overt branding. The left side displays the typical electrical specifications and certifications sticker, providing essential information without disrupting the overall aesthetic, as this surface remains hidden in most build configurations.

The unit measures 160mm in length, exceeding the ATX design guide's standard 140mm specification by a notable margin. This extended depth allows for improved component spacing and superior thermal management, as well as comfortably accommodating the oversized 140mm fan that forms the cooling strategy's foundation. Most modern ATX cases accommodate this dimension without issue, but builders working with compact form factor or vintage enclosures should verify clearance before purchasing. The extra 20mm can occasionally cause interference in cases with unusual internal layouts or aggressive component placement near the PSU bay.

The front panel features only the standard AC cable receptacle and on/off switch, maintaining clean lines without superfluous embellishment. The rear side hosts the connectors for the modular cables. The top surface remains completely flat and devoid of decorations, allowing the unit to blend seamlessly into chassis interiors. The fan finger guard integrates directly into the chassis, featuring a distinctive rhombus pattern that provides both protection and visual interest.

Internal Design

At the heart of the Power Zone 2's acoustic philosophy sits a Pure Wings 3 140mm fan, designed entirely in-house by be quiet! themselves. The fan employs a rifle bearing engine, representing a middle-ground solution between basic sleeve bearings and premium fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) alternatives commonly found in flagship units. Rifle bearings advance traditional sleeve bearing technology through enhanced lubrication retention mechanisms, delivering meaningfully better longevity while maintaining characteristically low noise output. The maximum rotational speed of 2100 RPM is a little high but not unwarranted for a unit with this power output.

The OEM behind the Power Zone 2's creation is HEC (Compucase), one of the industry's most established manufacturers with decades of platform development experience dating back to 1979. This is a major difference between the 1200W unit and the lower wattage units of the series, which are made by FSP – essentially, they may look identical externally but they are completely different PSUs. HEC produces a substantial portion of mid- and high-tier power supplies available today under various brand labels, lending credibility to the final product despite their mixed reputation in enthusiast circles. This particular platform from HEC, we have seen it before used in several 1000-1200 watt models over the past few years, although most of them were carrying Gold-level certifications.

The input filtering stage implements a comprehensive configuration featuring four Y capacitors, three X capacitors, and one substantial filtering inductor. Two rectifying bridges share real estate on the unit's primary heatsink, positioned immediately after the filtering components. This filtering arrangement greatly exceeds basic requirements and should effectively suppress EMI, protecting both upstream power infrastructure and downstream components from electrical noise.

The APFC circuitry components share a generously-proportioned heatsink with the primary inversion components along the unit's edge. Active components consist of three NCEPower NCE65TF099F MOSFETs paired with a single diode. One exposed inductor and two Teapo capacitors (470 μF each) comprise the passive components.

The primary inversion stage employs two Great Power GP47S60 MOSFETs configured in half-bridge topology on their own dedicated heatsink positioned near the main transformer. Half-bridge topologies represent standard practice for mainstream high-wattage units, offering reliable performance and proven thermal characteristics without the complexity and cost of full-bridge alternatives. The heatsink appears sizable and should provide more than adequate thermal capacity for sustained high-load operation, suggesting HEC engineered meaningful thermal margins into the design.

The secondary side implementation places six synchronous rectification MOSFETs on the PCB's underside, though their markings suffered damage during disassembly preventing positive identification. They must be quite good if they are efficient enough to place this unit in Platinum-level territory. The unit employs DC-to-DC conversion circuitry for the 3.3V and 5V minor rails, mounted on a vertical daughterboard that features a heatsink literally engulfing it.

The capacitor selection throughout the secondary side presents the Power Zone 2's most controversial design decision and merits extended discussion. Teapo supplies all secondary side capacitors, and while all carry appropriate 105°C temperature ratings meeting basic specifications, Teapo does not command the reputation associated with premium power supply construction. Teapo represents a respectable Taiwanese manufacturer—certainly not as prestigious as Japanese manufacturers like Nippon Chemi-Con, Rubycon, or United Chemi-Con, but possessing an established reputation nonetheless. For a unit backed by a 10-year warranty and positioned at a $230 price point, this component selection demands faith in HEC's engineering margins and be quiet!'s confidence in the platform's reliability.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

Under controlled testing conditions, the be quiet! Power Zone 2 1200W delivers efficiency performance that comfortably satisfies its certification requirements while revealing some interesting characteristics. At 115 VAC input voltage, the unit achieves an average nominal load efficiency of 91.4%, while 230 VAC input meaningfully improves performance to 93.0%. The unit has an 80Plus Platinum certification for an input voltage of 115 VAC from CLEAResult but no Cybenetics certification at the time of this review. The efficiency curve exhibits typical behavior for LLC resonant topology implementations, peaking at approximately 50% load before gradually declining as output increases. Low-load efficiency proves adequate rather than exceptional.

The fan behavior during cold testing validates be quiet!’s acoustic-first design philosophy spectacularly. The Power Zone 2 1200W features a zero-RPM fan mode, with the Pure Wings 3 fan remaining completely silent at lower loads. The fan only begins spinning when load exceeds approximately 700 watts, delivering virtually silent operation for typical computing tasks. Even when the fan does engage, it remains exceptionally quiet - very quiet even when the unit operates at its full 1200W rated capacity. The acoustic signature remains minimal throughout the entire load range, creating an experience that essentially eliminates the power supply as a noise source during typical gaming, content creation, or productivity workloads. The thermal performance proves equally impressive, with internal temperatures remaining exceptionally low throughout testing.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

Elevated ambient temperature testing reveals the Power Zone 2's engineering margins with particular clarity. At approximately 45°C ambient - representing extreme environmental conditions that exceed typical case interior temperatures even in warm climates - high temperatures exert measurable detrimental effects on electrical performance. Average nominal load efficiency measures 90.2% at 115 VAC and 91.8% at 230 VAC under hot conditions, representing an efficiency drop of 1.2% compared to cold testing. There exist some signs of thermal stress at maximum load, as the efficiency drop measures slightly greater when the unit is very heavily loaded, but the effect remains modest and well within acceptable parameters for a Platinum-certified unit.

In hot conditions, the fan behavior adjusts appropriately while maintaining exemplary acoustic performance. The fan starts spinning at a load of approximately 420 watts, noticeably earlier than in cold testing, but remains remarkably quiet throughout most of the load range. The unit maintains low noise levels until load approaches 950 watts, at which point the fan increases to full speed to manage the thermal load. Despite the more aggressive fan response at maximum load, internal temperatures remain exceptional throughout hot testing, with components operating well below their maximum rated temperatures even at sustained full load. This is crucial, especially considering that the unit managed to output its maximum power output under such conditions even though it is rated at up to 40°C. The thermal performance and acoustics are exemplary, demonstrating intelligent engineering that balances cooling effectiveness with noise control. For users in warm climates or systems with restricted airflow, this represents an intelligent engineering tradeoff.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 1200W's electrical performance delivers results that align appropriately with its Platinum certification and mainstream positioning. Voltage ripple filtering proves good across all rails, with maximum measurements of 26 mV on the 12V rail and 16 mV on both the 5V and 3.3V rails. These figures comfortably satisfy ATX specifications, which permit up to 120 mV on the 12V rail and 50 mV on minor rails. While the Teapo capacitors are not top-tier, they assist greatly here, lending them a redeeming performance. Voltage regulation proves fair across all rails, meeting expectations for a modern DC-to-DC design. The 12V rail maintains 0.7% regulation, while the 5V and 3.3V rails achieve 1.2% regulation each. These results are competent but uninspiring by today’s standards.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

The protection features function correctly. OCP on the primary 12V rail activates at 122%, a reasonable threshold that provides substantial headroom for transient spikes while protecting against sustained overcurrent conditions. The minor rail OCP settings prove notably higher, triggering at 152% on the 3.3V rail and 150% on the 5V rail. Over Power Protection (OPP) activates at 124% under hot conditions, allowing the unit to briefly handle loads approaching 1490 watts before shutting down protectively. All protection mechanisms activated sharply and correctly during testing, shutting down the unit cleanly without damage when triggered.

Bottom Line

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 1200W represents a calculated bet on user priorities, wagering that real-world acoustic experience matters more than component specification sheets. This gamble largely pays off for the target audience. The zero-RPM fan mode with the Pure Wings 3 fan allows the unit to remain completely silent during light to moderate loads. During actual use (gaming sessions, content rendering, productivity workflows), the power supply effectively disappears from the system’s acoustic signature for most workloads. Even under sustained moderate loads approaching 700-800 watts, the fan either remains off or operates at barely perceptible speeds. The thermal engineering deserves particular recognition; internal component temperatures stay remarkably conservative throughout testing, suggesting the unit will age gracefully even in systems with marginal case ventilation.

The efficiency performance delivers exactly what the 80Plus Platinum certification promises without exceeding it. The peak efficiency figures represent solid engineering for a high-wattage mainstream unit. The dual 12V-2x6 connectors with 90-degree orientation demonstrate practical thinking about modern GPU power delivery, eliminating cable strain and improving aesthetics in window-side builds. The two 12V-2x6 connectors theoretically are the only advantage the 1200W unit offers over its own 1000W counterpart, as the Power Zone 2 1000W unit shares the same specifications but has only one 12V-2x6 connector (and a slightly lower power output, of course).

Where the Power Zone 2 stumbles is in component selection. Teapo capacitors dominate the secondary side, representing an unambiguous cost-saving measure that places this unit firmly in budget-tier territory regarding internal quality. HEC has engineered sufficient margins to make the 10-year warranty credible, but users accustomed to Japanese capacitor selections will rightfully view this as a downgrade. The electrical measurements do not really support this qualitative assessment, though - ripple suppression has been exceptional.

For system builders constructing high-wattage quiet workstations or gaming systems where PSU noise genuinely matters, the Power Zone 2 1200W makes compelling sense despite its compromises. The acoustic achievement is genuine and meaningful, not marketing hyperbole. Users in temperate climates with reasonable case ventilation will experience near-silent operation during typical computing tasks, with the fan only asserting itself during extended high-load scenarios that stress the entire 1200W capacity.

However, the $230 MSRP creates positioning challenges. At this price point, competitors offer premium components, tighter voltage regulation, and comparable or superior feature sets. The Power Zone 2 needs lower street pricing to represent compelling value against alternatives. Users who absolutely prioritize silence above all else may find the current pricing acceptable, but most builders would be better served waiting for inevitable sales or considering alternatives if premium component quality matters to their purchasing decision. The 10-year warranty provides some reassurance regarding longevity concerns, and be quiet!'s reputation suggests they stand behind their products. The Power Zone 2 1200W will not fail catastrophically or deliver inadequate power quality for modern systems. It simply represents a specific set of engineering choices: exceptional thermal management and acoustic performance financed through budget-tier component selection. Whether this trade-off aligns with individual priorities determines whether this unit represents an intelligent purchase or a missed opportunity.

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Not long ago, we tested two popular case fans, pitting Noctua’s NF-A12x25 G2, an industry legend, against the also well-liked Arctic P12 Pro. We had some surprising results, as the Arctic fan almost kept up with the much pricier Noctua. However, Arctic also sent us some P12 Pro’s of the RGB variety, so we thought it would be fitting to put Artic’s colorful spinner up against some competitors in its own price category.

In this round of testing we’ve rounded up five 120mm RGB fans that don’t cost a whole lot, so here, you won’t be seeing Lian Li’s fancy LCD-infused, wireless, infinity-mirror fans. Instead, we’re pinning the P12 Pro up against Be Quiet’s Light Wings LX, Fractal Design’s Aspect 12 RGB, Phanteks’ M25 G2 RGB, and finally, Levelplay’s Combat Fan 120 A-RGB. This last one was sent to us as a surprise, and I thought it was fitting to include in the roundup.

Let’s dive straight into the testing.

Testing Methodology

For evaluating PC fans, there are two main terms you should be aware of: Airflow and Static Pressure.

Airflow is easy – how much air does a fan move (through a wind tunnel in our tests) when not burdened by a radiator, mesh, or any other restriction.

Static pressure can be measured by placing the fan on a wind tunnel, closing the end, and measuring the pressure generated with a sensor, which spits out a value in millimeters of water. The higher the number, the better a fan is likely to be at overcoming restrictions.

However, I find that a fan’s measure of static pressure isn’t actually all that useful – all it tells you, really, is how well a fan can push air up against a wall, which is obviously not how you want to position the back of your PC. Instead, I prefer to test for noise and airflow through a radiator and intake mesh, as well as the standard suite of unrestricted tests for a more nuanced, real-world picture.

Testing Results of 5 Budget RGB Fans

(Not) Breaking the Noise Floor

On the day of this testing, the noise floor in my office sat between 32.4 and 32.7 dBA, and I am happy to be able to write that all five fans, when run at their minimum speed, were completely inaudible and did not break the noise floor, even with the dB meter placed at just 20 cm from their hubs.

This used to be something I only saw in premium fans, where manufacturers have designed quiet hubs, so I was delighted to see this kind of performance from budget-friendly RGB fans.

Airflow is not recorded for these tests, as none offer enough air speed for the anemometer to register.

dBA VS. Airflow: Unrestricted

The first series of tests I subject the fans to is measuring their acoustics in an unrestricted environment. I target every whole dB between 34 and 44 dB(A), and record the associated RPM. Then, I put that same fan on our wind tunnel, and record the windspeed at said RPM figures. This is then calculated over to cubic meters per hour for airflow.

In this test, Arctic’s P12 Pro leads the pack by a significant margin, followed by Be Quiet’s Light Wings LX. Phanteks’ M25 G2 RGB only performs a smidge worse than Be quiet’s fan.

Note the dip in the curve of Fractal Design’s Aspect 12 RGB at 37 dB(A). This fan creates quite an annoying resonance at certain speeds, where it gets louder at a certain RPM, and then quiets down again once past this RPM. I suspect that if I were to test at even smaller increments, the graph would become quite wobbly.

Most fans exhibit this kind of behavior to some extent, where they create unwanted noises at certain RPMs – even Arctic’s fan does this, but the level to which the Aspect 12 RGB made this noise was really quite bothersome.

Similarly, for the Phanteks’ fan (while its curve looks alright), I was unable to test at 35 dBA, which is why its line starts at 36. No matter how much I fidgeted with its speed, I simply could not get the dB meter to hit 35 – it was either over, or under, but not on.

The Levelplay Combat fan had the same issue, but at 41 dB(A), where I just couldn’t hit the mark.

All of this is not to say that Arctic’s fan is without imperfections either, though. This sample exhibited a light high pitch at certain RPMs which didn’t affect the readings, but I did notice, and at speed it started wobbling – a sign that it is unbalanced.

The predicament: Whether to test with more fans

I’ve wondered throughout testing these fans whether I should test with more fans and take the average results, but I have two problems with this: firstly, testing this thoroughly already takes quite some time, and more importantly, averaging out the results would mask defects.

In a premium fan from Noctua, we expect near-perfection. However, these are RGB fans that cost no more than $15 each. There will be some variance in issues between samples, but not averaging out the results means you get to see the fan’s performance for what it really is with one specific fan. Some of these behaviors will be down to their design and consistent across samples, while other issues may differ between units.

I do request three samples for each fan to review, however. If I do run into any issue like those mentioned above, I grab the other samples and quickly run them from lowest to max RPM and judge the results. If they exhibit similar behavior, I roll with the data, but if they to suddenly sound much cleaner, then I know there’s a manufacturing defect at play.

dBA VS. Airflow: Radiator Restricted

Pin these fans on a radiator, and something very interesting happens. Four of the fans perform nearly the same as each other, with the Arctic P12 Pro standing out by a huge margin.

Note that for this test, the acoustics are measured separately from the acoustics without the radiator, and the fans follow similar noise-to-RPM patterns.

dBA VS. Airflow: Mesh + Filter Intake Restricted

When placing the fans behind a mesh intake, things again get interesting. This is the most challenging test of the three, as placing intake mesh in front of a fan fundamentally changes the way they sound – intakes punish airflow more than radiators, not because they’re more restrictive, but because placing something in front of a fan has a much more profound effect on the noise than something behind it, and this is where a fan’s blade design really starts to shine.

The Arctic P12 Pro continues to lead the race here, with Be Qquiet’s Light Wings LX following behind. The Combat fan, despite being from a lesser-known brand, does OK for itself.

However, Fractal Design’s Aspect 12 RGB and Phanteks’ M25 G2 put down appalling performances on this test, offering only 60% of the P12 Pro’s airflow at the same noise levels.

Maximum performance

Finally, the fans get a test at full blast.

This isn’t a useful test to compare noise-to-performance efficiency of the fans, but if you’re looking for a fan with low maximum speed to keep noise levels down without having to make a custom fan curve, Levelplay’s Combat Fan is your best pick. On the other hand, if you’re looking for maximum peak performance, Arctic’s P12 Pro RGB is a beast in a league of its own that can spin at well above 3000 RPM.

The dBA figure doesn’t say everything

Just because a fan performs well on the charts doesn’t necessarily mean it may be pleasant to listen to. One example of this is the Combat Fan from Levelplay. It’s not a terrible performer, but at certain speeds, something starts humming at an annoying mid-frequency. It was one of those frequencies that echoes through the room, and if I weren’t testing it but had it in my PC, it would drive me mad, wondering what the source of the noise in the room is.

The Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB also suffers from a painfully dirty noise profile that did show up on the charts, as it limited the fan’s ability to reach the speeds it otherwise would have had it not made these noises. It sounds a bit raspy, almost like there’s grit in the motor, and it had similar resonant noises as the Combat Fan.

The M25 G2 didn’t have weird noises – it was just inefficient in its noise-to-airflow ratio.

Judging the RGB, feature set and pricing

Fractal Design Aspect 12 RGB

Fractal Design’s Aspect 12 RGB fans have the worst RGB of the lot. The blades are almost opaque, which makes the RGB on anything but the hub rather dim compared to the competition. It also does not have a zero-RPM mode – when fed a 0% PWM duty, it will still spin, and with a minimum speed of about 500 RPM; I consider this a problem. Yes, it’s quiet at its minimum speed, so that’s not an issue, but high minimum speeds combined with no Zero-RPM implementation can lead to excessive dust buildup, as the constantly whirring blades accomplish nothing but to pull small particles towards your filter and / or fan.

This fan is available for $51.47 as a 3-pack, which brings the per-unit cost to $17.16.

Combat Fan 120 A-RGB

Levelplay’s Combat Fan 120 A-RGB comes with a ring around its blades, which makes for a cool look. Despite the RGB coming from the hub, it still lights up the ring moderately. It also responds correctly to a Zero-RPM signal.

Pricing for the Levelplay Combat fan sits at $12.23 per unit.

Be Quiet! Light Wings LX

Be Quiet’s Light Wings LX fans feature good RGB and a slick blade design, but no Zero-RPM feature. That being said, the minimum RPM is extremely low, tested at just 213 RPM, so I can forgive the lack of a zero-RPM mode.

Pricing sits at $47.90 for a 3-pack, bringing the per-unit price to $15.97.

Phanteks M25 G2 RGB

Phanteks M25 G2 RGB, although not being the quietest fan, offers a properly complete feature set that makes a compelling case for forgiving its performance shortcomings. The RGB is gorgeous and it comes with an infinity-mirror hub. The fans can also clip on to each other, daisy-chaining in a not-quite-wireless fashion but certainly better than the competition. The fan even comes with plastic covers for the screw holes for a tidy appearance. It also responds correctly to a 0% PWM duty signal.

Pricing sits at $36.99 for a 3-pack, which is a surprisingly good price if you consider the amount of effort that went into their design. It may not be the quietest fan, but it sure is the prettiest and comes with most bits and pieces to complete the set.

Arctic P12 Pro RGB

Arctic’s P12 Pro lights up bright and uniform, offering a fantastic visual spectacle. It also comes with a proper Zero-RPM implementation, but that’s where its feature set ends.

This fan costs just $28.49 in a 3-pack, which is a mighty good deal that’s hard to pass up at $9.50 per fan.

Picking a winner

It would come as no surprise if I said that Arctic’s P12 Pro was the winner of this test, but I’m not sure about that. The P12 Pro RGB is clearly the best performer, but it was a tad unbalanced and had some light high-pithed whining. It also clicked a few times upon startup, but most of the fans did that. Mechanical noises.

If you’re looking for the best value offering, the Arctic P12 Pro RGB is hard to pass up with the 3-pack costing just $9.50 per fan.

The Light Wings LX, although being the second-place fan in testing for noise levels, is my favorite of the bunch. Why? It’s clean! It makes a crisp, clean sound ---just a whoosh, with no extraneous noises on top. It’s a slightly louder whoosh, but a clean whoosh. Of course, that’s not to say it may be your favorite. Personally, I’m sensitive to these kinds of noises, and I’m willing to pay a little extra for a clean-sounding PC, but that little bit extra is quite a bit if you tally it up over multiple spinners.

Costing $15.97, this puts the be quiet! Light Wings LX right on the edge between budget and mid-range RGB fans.

If, on the other hand, you’re someone who doesn’t mind noise too much, and wants to build something that you’re truly proud to show off, Phanteks’ M25 G2 fans do away with the focus on silence, and prioritize looks with bright RGB, an infinity mirror, seamless daisy-chaining, and even a mechanism that clips the spinners into one unit and covers for the screw holes.

I’m someone that works many hours a day in silence, with my open air PC on my desk near me, so I’ll prioritize silence any day of the week. But if you’re a gamer, keep the PC on the ground, or wear a headset all the time anyway, the quality of the RGB may be far more important.

If picking a winner is so difficult, should we pick a loser?

If there’s one clear conclusion I can draw from this batch of testing, it’s that Fractal Design’s Aspect 12 RGB is on my do-not-buy list. It offers no real redeeming features to make up for its shortcomings – it produces a dirty, inconsistent noise, performs disappointingly compared to the competition, has no Zero-RPM mode, and even the RGB doesn’t look all that great. It doesn’t even come with vibration-damping rubber pieces on the corners.

I honestly don’t understand what it’s doing in Fractal Design’s product portfolio at all, other than making the company’s other fans look good. And the wildest thing is, it’s also the most expensive fan tested here, at $17.16 a piece.

In this respect, fans are much like tires for cars: they come in all shapes and sizes, each with different purposes, from different manufacturers, and they all seem to do the same thing. And much like tires, in the world of fans there are a few great ones, many good ones, and some to avoid entirely.

Be quiet! maintains its reputation for engineering products that prioritize acoustic performance without compromising functionality. The German manufacturer's portfolio spans power supplies, cases, and thermal solutions, all designed with noise reduction as a fundamental principle. This focus has cultivated a loyal following among enthusiasts who refuse to accept unnecessary system noise as inevitable.

The Pure Power 13 M 650W represents Be quiet!'s latest effort to balance performance, efficiency, and value in the mid-range segment. This unit targets builders constructing systems where reliable power delivery and quiet operation matter more than bleeding-edge specifications. The ATX 3.1 compliance ensures compatibility with current and upcoming hardware, particularly graphics cards utilizing the 12V-2x6 connector standard. This 650W model provides adequate capacity for mainstream gaming configurations while maintaining headroom for transient load spikes, making it one of the best power supplies on the market.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Pure Power 13 M 650W arrives in sturdy cardboard packaging with an all-black aesthetic. A picture of the unit dominates the front panel, while specifications occupy the rear. Internal protection consists of a nylon pouch and basic paper inserts that secure the PSU during shipping. This packaging approach prioritizes function over presentation.

The bundle includes only essential items. Mounting screws and an AC power cable constitute the entirety of included accessories. A few cable ties assist with management. A basic printed manual provides necessary installation guidance without excessive documentation.

The fully modular cable configuration allows complete customization of connected cables, including the 24-pin ATX connector. All cables feature uniform black coloring across connectors and wires. Most cables utilize flat ribbon-style construction for simplified routing, though the 24-pin ATX and 12V-2x6 cables feature black nylon sleeving. The 12V-2x6 connector carries a 450W rating, appropriate for the unit's capacity. An unusual CPU power configuration provides one 4+4 pin EPS connector alongside a single 4-pin EPS connector, creating an asymmetric arrangement rarely seen in modern designs.

External Appearance

The chassis measures 86 mm × 150 mm × 160 mm (H × W × D), exceeding standard ATX dimensions quite a bit. This 160mm depth represents a compromise. Given the 120mm fan and 650W output, a more compact design could have been achievable with a slightly different internal layout, but Be Quiet! is primarily focused on optimal heat dissipation and would not let 20 mm’s of extra length get in the way

The external finish employs satin black chassis paint, applied with precision. Be Quiet!'s embossed logo appears on the right side panel, providing subtle branding without visual clutter. A removable parallel wire fan guard sits above the intake, with a white decorative ring beneath creating modest visual interest. The left side contains the standard electrical specifications sticker. The top panel remains completely unadorned.

The rear panel houses the standard on/off switch adjacent to the AC receptacle. The front accommodates modular cable connectors with subtle white legends printed alongside each position. Notably, Be Quiet! clearly marks the 12V-2x6 connector's 450W limitation, preventing confusion about power delivery capabilities. With a total sustained output of just 650W, this unit is definitely not designed to power a top-tier graphics card.

Internal Design

The cooling solution employs a Be Quiet! QF2-12025-MS 120mm fan featuring a rifle bearing engine. While rifle bearings represent an advancement over basic sleeve designs through enhanced lubrication and structural improvements, they typically exhibit shorter operational lifespans compared to fluid dynamic bearing or ball bearing alternatives. The 10-year warranty mitigates concerns about premature failure.

The platform employs established but modern topologies, emphasizing on reliability and cost effectiveness. Input filtering incorporates four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors at the AC receptacle entry point. Two rectifying bridges occupy a dedicated heatsink immediately following the filtration stage, providing adequate thermal management for the rectification components.

The APFC circuitry features two Toshiba TK20A60W MOSFETs and one diode on a substantial heatsink spanning the PCB edge. One filtering inductor and two Elite capacitors (330 μF and 270 μF) complete the APFC components. These Elite capacitors represent the first indicator of cost optimization in component selection.

The primary stage utilizes a half-bridge LLC resonant converter topology with two STM 24N60DM2 MOSFETs mounted on the same heatsink as the APFC components. This configuration has become standard in modern mid-range units, offering good efficiency characteristics. The heatsink dimensions provide ample thermal dissipation area, contributing to strong thermal performance.

Four MOSFETs generate the 12V rail through synchronous rectification, with small PCB-mounted heatsinks providing cooling. DC-to-DC conversion circuits on an additional daughterboard produce the 3.3V and 5V rails.

Secondary side capacitors consist primarily of Elite units, with just one Rubycon capacitor present. Elite typically appears in lower-tier products, rarely in units carrying extensive warranties. This component choice contrasts with the otherwise premium design and raises questions about long-term reliability despite the company’s confidence indicated by the warranty period.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

The Pure Power 13 M 650W achieves remarkable electrical conversion efficiency despite the Gold certification badges on its box. With 115 VAC input, the unit demonstrates 91.2% average efficiency across the nominal load range (20% to 100% capacity). This figure increases to 93.3% with 230 VAC input. Peak efficiency occurs near 50% load, reaching approximately 94% with 230 VAC input. These figures comfortably exceed 80Plus Platinum requirements and approach Titanium-level performance, making the Gold certification a curious understatement. It actually does have a Platinum certification from both Cybenetics and CLEAResult. Be Quiet! likely chose conservative marketing to position this unit below their Straight Power series, avoiding internal product cannibalization.

The semi-passive cooling mode keeps the fan stationary until load exceeds approximately 200W. Once operational, the fan maintains extremely low speeds across most of the load range. This design choice prioritizes acoustic performance during typical operating conditions. Beyond 600W, fan speed increases very sharply but not to its top speed. Internal temperatures remain remarkably low throughout testing.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

Elevated ambient temperature testing reveals measurable but passable efficiency degradation. Even though the unit is technically rated for operation up to 40°C, it effortlessly delivers its full output while maintaining commendable performance levels. The efficiency drops by about 1% evenly across the load range, without any signs of significant thermal stress. This thermal headroom demonstrates robust component selection and effective heatsink design.

The semi-passive mode activates more readily under elevated temperatures, with the fan engaging right after the load exceeds 100W. Despite earlier activation, fan speed remains subdued until load reaches approximately 90% of capacity. At this threshold, the thermal control circuit prioritizes reliability over acoustics, commanding maximum fan speed. This transition is very aggressive, suggesting that the unit it programmed to prioritize component protection over consistent acoustic performance when stressed. The internal temperatures remain relatively low even at maximum output, well below the point where over-temperature protection would engage.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The electrical performance demonstrates competitive characteristics within its segment. Voltage regulation maintains tight tolerances, with the 12V rail exhibiting approximately 1% variance. The 3.3V and 5V rails demonstrate even tighter regulation at 1.5% and 1.6% respectively. This precision is rather typical performance for Gold-certified units but not bad compared to more premium Platinum-certified products either. Ripple suppression achieves outstanding results. The 12V rail exhibits maximum ripple of 30 mV, while the 5V and 3.3V rails measure 20 mV maximum. These figures are way below the ATX specification limits, demonstrating exceptional filtering capabilities.

During our routine evaluation, we examine the fundamental protection features of all power supply units we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). The 3.3V and 5V rails trigger OCP at 146% and 142% of maximum current respectively – a bit high but not unnaturally so for a modern PSU. The 12V rail OCP activates at 120%, a bit sharp for an ATX 3.1 unit. The OPP permits sustained operation up to 128% of nominal capacity before shutdown, offering substantial headroom for transient loads.

Bottom Line

The Pure Power 13 M 650W occupies an interesting position in the power supply market. FSP's platform delivers very solid performance through mature design choices rather than innovative approaches. This conservative strategy ensures reliability while potentially limiting competitive differentiation beyond the core specifications.

The construction quality meets expectations for a unit carrying a 10-year warranty from an experienced OEM. FSP's in-house manufacturing and quality control processes provide consistency that contract manufacturing arrangements often struggle to match. The electrical characteristics consistently exceed its Gold-level markings substantially, with efficiency and power quality reaching Platinum-tier performance. The ripple suppression achieves exemplary results, delivering cleaner power than many higher-certified competitors.

The component selection presents the primary concern. While active components utilize quality silicon from reputable manufacturers, the reliance on Elite capacitors for bulk filtering raises questions about long-term stability. Elite is an established manufacturer and has been around for decades but we rarely see their products in top-tier products. The company’s willingness to back this design with a decade warranty suggests confidence in the platform's longevity despite the unconventional capacitor choice.

Thermal and acoustic performance delivers great results, with a hint of paranoid overreaction when heavily stressed. The semi-passive mode provides excellent silence during light loads, aligning with Be Quiet!'s brand philosophy. However, the aggressive thermal management above 90% load creates noticeable noise as the control circuit prioritizes component protection. This design choice favors reliability over consistent acoustic refinement, a reasonable engineering decision that nevertheless creates a slight contradiction with the company's quiet-focused branding.

The pricing represents the most significant consideration. At approximately $100 retail, this Gold-certified unit commands a premium compared to competitors with identical certification. However, when evaluated against Platinum-certified alternatives with similar specifications, the value proposition becomes more compelling. The 10-year warranty, ATX 3.1 compliance, and genuine Platinum-level efficiency provide tangible benefits that justify the price premium for users prioritizing long-term reliability over initial cost savings.

The Pure Power 13 M 650W targets a specific audience. Budget-focused builders seeking minimum cost for adequate Gold certification will find better value elsewhere. Conversely, enthusiasts and professionals valuing balanced performance, comprehensive compatibility, and warranty-backed reliability will appreciate the investment. The ATX 3.1 compliance ensures compatibility with current and future mainstream graphics cards, providing partial protection against obsolescence. The only setback is the high retail price but, considering this should be compared to Platinum-level products when reaching the shopping cart, the Pure Power 13 M 650W is a great investment for those seeking a premium unit at this power range.

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be quiet! has carved a distinctive niche in the power supply market by elevating acoustic performance from afterthought to primary design criterion. While competitors chase efficiency percentages and component provenance, the German brand has built its reputation on a simple premise: power supplies should be heard as little as possible while maintaining reliable operation. This philosophy has resonated particularly strongly with users building media workstations, home theater PCs, and gaming systems, where noise pollution detracts from the overall experience.

The Power Zone 2 850W enters the upper end of the mainstream market with this acoustic-first philosophy firmly in place. be quiet! has partnered with FSP (Fortron-Source), one of the industry's most experienced OEMs, to create a unit that balances modern features with aggressive noise reduction. The result adheres to the Intel ATX 3.1 specification and achieves both 80 Plus Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum certifications, targeting builders who demand contemporary connectivity without compromising on silence.

The unit introduces semi-passive cooling to be quiet!'s power supply lineup, allowing the 140mm Pure Wings 3 fan to remain completely inactive during typical usage scenarios. Combined with a native 12V-2x6 connector featuring a thoughtful 90-degree angle for improved cable management, the Power Zone 2 appears positioned to address modern system requirements while maintaining the brand's characteristic focus on acoustic refinement. At approximately $140 on sale, however, the Power Zone 2 must navigate increasingly competitive waters. This pricing positions it against established competitors offering various combinations of premium components, extended warranties, and feature sets. The unit's reliance on FSP manufacturing and budget-oriented components raises questions about whether be quiet!'s acoustic expertise can overcome specification sheet compromises. Is it good enough to compete against our list of the best power supplies in the market? We take a closer look.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 850W arrives in a cardboard box that employs be quiet!'s characteristic all-black theme, with the front dominated by a high-quality image of the unit itself. Inside, foam inserts and a protective nylon pouch ensure the unit survives shipping intact.

The accessory bundle is almost stripped down to the bare essentials but includes minor thoughtful touches that elevate the unboxing experience. Beyond the mandatory mounting screws and AC power cable, be quiet! includes several disposable cable ties alongside two reusable cable straps that originally hold the included cables bundled together.

The Power Zone 2's implements full modularity, allowing builders to connect only necessary cables and minimize interior clutter. Every cable features all-black construction with matching connectors and wires, all employing flat, ribbon-like profiles without exterior sleeving. This design choice creates a uniform appearance that integrates seamlessly into modern builds emphasizing clean aesthetics. It also includes a single 12V-2x6 cable with a 90-degree connector on the GPU end.

External Appearance

Be quiet! has invested considerable resources in making the Power Zone 2 visually distinctive, even if subtly so. The chassis receives a textured black paint finish that stands out from typical satin-smooth alternatives. On the left side, a decorative company logo appears subtly embossed into the chassis, so imperceptibly integrated that it reads more as sophisticated detail work than overt branding. The right side displays the typical electrical specifications and certifications sticker, providing essential information without disrupting the overall aesthetic as it will be hidden from sight in most builds.

The unit measures 160mm in length, exceeding the ATX design guide's standard 140mm specification. This extended depth allows for improved component spacing and thermal management, as well as it makes the use of a 140 mm fan comfortably possible, but requires verification for compatibility with compact cases or unique chassis designs. Most modern ATX cases accommodate this dimension without issue, but builders working with small form factor or older enclosures should confirm clearance before purchasing.

The front panel features only the standard AC cable receptacle and on/off switch, maintaining clean lines without unnecessary embellishment. The rear side is home to the connectors for the modular cables. The top surface remains completely flat and devoid of decorations. The fan finger guard integrates directly into the chassis, featuring a distinctive rhombus pattern. Beneath this guard, positioned at the fan's center, the company logo decorates the 140mm Pure Wings 3 fan blade hub.

Internal Design

At the heart of the Power Zone 2's acoustic philosophy sits a Pure Wings 3 140mm fan, designed in-house by be quiet! themselves. The fan employs a rifle bearing engine, representing a middle-ground solution between basic sleeve bearings and premium fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) alternatives. Rifle bearings advance traditional sleeve bearing technology through improved lubrication retention, delivering better longevity while maintaining characteristically low noise output. The maximum rotational speed of 1800 RPM appears aggressive for a unit in this power class, though be quiet!'s semi-passive control strategy ensures this maximum rarely engages during typical operation. The oversized 140mm diameter provides a distinct advantage over standard 120mm implementations.

The OEM behind the Power Zone 2's creation is FSP (Fortron-Source), one of the industry's most established manufacturers with decades of platform development experience. FSP produces a substantial portion of mid- and high-tier power supplies available today, lending credibility to the final product. This partnership allows be quiet! to leverage proven design expertise while focusing internal resources on acoustic optimization and thermal management refinement.

The input filtering stage implements an adequate configuration of four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. Two rectifying bridges share a sizable heatsink positioned immediately after the filtering components. The APFC circuitry shares a large heatsink with the primary inversion components along the unit's edge. Active components consist of two Magnachip 65R090R MOSFETs paired with a single diode, handling power factor correction duties. One wrapped inductor and two Elite capacitors (330 μF and 270 μF) comprise the passive components.

The primary inversion stage employs two Magnachip 65R115R MOSFETs configured in half-bridge topology. These components can be found on the same generously-proportioned heatsink as the APFC circuitry. Half-bridge topologies represent standard practice for mainstream units, offering reliable performance without the complexity and cost of full-bridge alternatives.

The secondary side implementation places four Nexperia PSMN1R4-40YLDX MOSFETs on the PCB's underside, handling synchronous rectification for the primary 12V rail. These represent solid mainstream components with appropriate specifications for their role. The unit employs DC-to-DC conversion circuitry for the 3.3V and 5V minor rails, mounted on a vertical daughterboard - a design approach that has become standard practice for modern power supplies and offers improved regulation compared to older group-regulated alternatives.

The capacitor selection throughout the secondary side presents the Power Zone 2's most controversial design decision. Elite supplies all secondary side capacitors, and while all carry appropriate 105°C temperature ratings, Elite does not command the reputation associated with premium power supply construction. Elite products typically appear in budget-oriented designs rather than units targeting mainstream or enthusiast markets. This represents a clear cost-optimization decision—Elite capacitors will function reliably within their specifications, but they typically do not offer the performance margins or longevity expectations associated with Japanese manufacturers like Nippon Chemi-Con, Rubycon, or even respected Taiwanese alternatives like Teapo. For a unit backed by a 10-year warranty, this component selection requires faith in FSP's engineering margins and be quiet!'s reputation.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

Under controlled cold testing conditions with 25°C ambient temperature, the be quiet! Power Zone 2 850W delivers efficiency performance that comfortably satisfies its certification requirements. At 115 VAC input voltage, the unit achieves an average nominal load efficiency of 90.6%, while 230 VAC input improves performance to 93.1%, figures that place it solidly within 80 Plus Platinum parameters and validate its Cybenetics Platinum certification. The efficiency curve exhibits almost typical behavior, peaking at approximately 40% load before gradually declining as output increases, but we can see that the platform is optimized towards a 230 VAC input. Low-load efficiency proves fair rather than exceptional. The Power Zone 2 delivers acceptable performance across its entire operational range without chasing diminishing-return optimizations.

The fan behavior during cold testing validates be quiet!'s acoustic-first design philosophy spectacularly. The Pure Wings 3 fan remains completely inactive across an impressive portion of the load spectrum, maintaining absolute silence until the load exceeds 70%. Even after activation, the fan maintains low speeds until load reaches 90%, creating an acoustic experience that essentially eliminates the power supply as a noise source during typical gaming or productivity workloads. Only when pushing the unit to operate at its rated capacity for prolonged periods does the fan become clearly audible, which is not a feasible real-world scenario. The thermal performance proves equally impressive, with internal temperatures remaining exceptionally low throughout testing. The component choices create substantial thermal headroom, allowing the unit to operate well below maximum temperature specifications even when the fan runs at minimum speeds.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

Elevated ambient temperature testing reveals the Power Zone 2's engineering margins with particular clarity. At approximately 45°C ambient, high temperatures exert modest detrimental effects on electrical performance, but the effects are measurable. Average nominal load efficiency measures 89.3% at 115 VAC and 91.8% at 230 VAC under hot conditions, representing a significant efficiency drop of 1.3% compared to cold testing. Efficiency degradation remains relatively uniform across the load range rather than concentrating at maximum output. This behavior suggests that component thermal limits remain comfortably distant even at full load under adverse conditions. There are some signs of small thermal stress at maximum load, as the efficiency drop is slightly greater, but the effect is not worrying.

The fan profile under hot conditions reveals the unit's thermal management priorities with crystal clarity. The semi-passive threshold drops to 60% load, allowing the fan to engage only slightly earlier than in cold testing. Once active, the fan increases speed more aggressively than before, reaching near-maximum RPM by the time the unit operates at full load. The unit becomes clearly audible when heavily loaded in hot environments, with the fan producing substantial airflow noise. However, context matters tremendously. Despite the aggressive fan response, internal temperatures remain exceptional throughout hot testing and components operate well below their maximum ratings, even at full load. The PSU maintains internal thermal conditions that would be considered passable for cold testing, let alone operation in a 45°C environment. The Power Zone 2 becomes audible when pushed hard in challenging environments but it ensures components never approach thermal limits that could compromise reliability or lifespan. For users in warm climates or systems with restricted airflow, this represents an intelligent tradeoff. The unit will generate noticeable noise during sustained high-load operation but it will continue operating reliably while keeping components in thermal conditions that promise excellent longevity. Users in cool environments or with well-ventilated cases will rarely experience this behavior, instead enjoying the benefits of silence-centered design across nearly all realistic usage scenarios.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 850W's electrical performance delivers results that align appropriately with its positioning and Platinum certification. Voltage ripple filtering proves adequate across all rails, with maximum measurements of 54 mV on the 12V rail and 20 mV on both the 5V and 3.3V rails. These figures comfortably satisfy ATX specifications, which permit up to 120 mV on the 12V rail and 50 mV on minor rails. While the results do not achieve the elite sub-30 mV 12V performance found in premium units, they represent solid mainstream implementation that ensures stable power delivery for all components. However, the 54 mV maximum 12V ripple merits brief discussion. This measurement occurs at maximum load under challenging test conditions and represents worst-case behavior rather than typical operation. Modern components tolerate ripple well within these specifications without issue, and the vast majority of users will never operate their systems at sustained maximum load where these peak ripple values appear. Nonetheless, enthusiasts accustomed to flagship power supplies delivering sub-30 mV ripple across all conditions may find these figures less impressive, representing one area where the Power Zone 2's budget-oriented component selection manifests in measurable performance differences. Voltage regulation proves fair across all rails. The 12V rail maintains 1.2% regulation, while the 5V and 3.3V rails achieve 1.4% and 1.1% regulation respectively. The regulation results reveal a competent but unsurprising design.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

The protection features function correctly, though with characteristics typical of FSP designs. Over Current Protection (OCP) on the primary 12V rail activates at 120%, a reasonable threshold that provides headroom for transient spikes while protecting against sustained overcurrent conditions. The minor rail OCP settings prove notably higher, triggering at 140% on the 3.3V rail and 142% on the 5V rail. These aggressive thresholds represent characteristic FSP implementation, providing substantial margin for legacy devices and unusual load conditions while potentially offering less protection than more conservative designs. Over Power Protection (OPP) activates at 126% under hot conditions, allowing the unit to very briefly handle loads approaching 1070 watts before shutting down protectively. All protection mechanisms activated sharply and correctly during testing, shutting down the unit cleanly without damage when triggered.

Bottom Line

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 850W can very well exist as a study in priorities: a high-tier PSU that unapologetically elevates acoustic performance and thermal management above all else, including component pedigree. From a user experience perspective, this unit excels dramatically. The cooling system delivers genuine silence during the vast majority of real-world usage, the thermal performance ensures components operate in conditions that promise excellent longevity, and the efficiency meets Platinum certifications while keeping operating temperatures and noise levels remarkably low.

However, the specification sheet reveals compromises that cannot be ignored. The extensive use of Elite capacitors and budget-tier components represents clear cost optimization that places the Power Zone 2's internal quality below competitors at similar price points. These component selections do not suggest the unit will fail - FSP's engineering margins and be quiet!'s 10-year warranty provide reasonable assurance of reliability - but they indicate the unit operates with less margin than alternatives.

Yet these criticisms must be weighed against what users actually experience. The Power Zone 2 delivers exceptional acoustic performance that genuinely enhances the computing experience, particularly for users building quiet workstations or minimizing noise pollution in shared spaces. The thermal management proves genuinely impressive, maintaining component temperatures that suggest components will operate reliably for years even under challenging conditions. The electrical performance, while not class-leading, proves entirely adequate for modern systems and meets all relevant specifications with comfortable margins.

For builders assembling gaming systems, workstations, or home theater PCs where noise reduction matters significantly, the Power Zone 2 represents a thoughtful option that delivers on its primary promise. The core design genuinely eliminates PSU noise from the acoustic equation during typical usage, the modern connectivity ensures compatibility with current and near-future components, and the competitive pricing makes the acoustic benefits accessible without top-tier investment. The 10-year warranty provides reassurance that be quiet! stands behind the unit's longevity despite budget-oriented component selections. However, for users who primarily operate systems under sustained high loads in warm environments, the acoustic benefits diminish significantly as the fan engages more aggressively and reliability will be compromised. Similarly, enthusiasts who scrutinize component provenance and demand absolute electrical perfection will find the Power Zone 2's specifications underwhelming compared to true flagship units.

At its current $140 sale retail price, the Power Zone 2 positions itself competitively within the mainstream Platinum-certified segment. This pricing sits below many premium alternatives while remaining above budget options that sacrifice features or performance for lower cost. It succeeds admirably at what it attempts, which is delivering exceptional acoustic performance and impressive thermal management at a competitive price point, backed by modern connectivity and appropriate certifications. Whether those priorities align with individual needs determines whether this represents an excellent choice or merely an adequate one.

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Be Quiet!, the German specialist known for prioritizing acoustic performance in computer components, has cultivated a devoted following among builders who value silent operation without sacrificing reliability. Since their establishment, the company has maintained a philosophy that computing need not be intrusive, developing products that disappear into the background through thoughtful engineering and meticulous attention to noise profiles.

The System Power 11 550W positions itself as the entry point to Be Quiet!'s power supply lineup, targeting budget-conscious builders who still expect fundamental quality and quietness. We took a closer look to see if this budget-friendly PSU can compete against the best power supplies in its category. This unit adheres to the modern ATX 3.1 specification and delivers 80 Plus Bronze efficiency certification, promising respectable energy conversion while remaining accessible to mainstream builders. At its retail price of approximately $60 or 50€, the System Power 11 faces fierce competition from established players, making its value proposition dependent on execution quality and the inclusion of forward-looking features like native PCIe 5.1 support.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Be Quiet! System Power 11 is supplied in a cardboard box featuring the company's characteristic all-black theme, with the front panel dominated by an image of the power supply itself. Inside, a protective nylon pouch and foam inserts provide adequate protection during shipping.

The included accessories take an absolutely minimal approach, containing only the essential mounting screws and standard AC power cable. Be Quiet! has not included any cable management accessories, zip ties, documentation beyond basic specifications, or other supplementary items.

The power supply features completely hardwired cables throughout, a design decision that has become increasingly uncommon in the modern power supply landscape where modular connectivity has penetrated even budget segments. All cables employ an all-black color scheme with flat, ribbon-like wires and black connectors. Most cables lack any exterior sleeving, though the ATX and PCIe 5.1 connectors receive black nylon sleeving that forms a more traditional circular cable profile.

Of particular interest is the inclusion of a 12V-2x6 connector, demonstrating Be Quiet!'s commitment to forward compatibility despite the unit's budget orientation. However, this connector carries a significant caveat: its power output is limited to 300 watts rather than the 600-watt maximum that the PCIe 5.1 specification theoretically allows. This restriction means the connector will work adequately with potentially with more power-efficient future GPUs, but high-end graphics cards requiring substantial power delivery will be limited by its capabilities. The connector selection also includes only a single Molex connector, which may prove limiting for builders with older peripherals or specialized cooling equipment.

External Appearance

Be Quiet! kept things aesthetically simple and functional with the System Power 11. The chassis adheres precisely to the ATX standard's 140mm length specification, ensuring universal compatibility with any ATX-compliant case without clearance concerns. The unit receives a satin black chassis finish that provides an attractive appearance while remaining neutral enough to complement virtually any build theme. However, this particular coating proves somewhat prone to smudges and fingerprint marks, requiring a bit of care after handling. A decorative logo is subtly embossed on the right side of the unit.

The front panel employs the expected minimalist approach, featuring only the standard AC power receptacle and rocker-style power switch. The completely hardwired design results in a plain rear panel devoid of any modular connectors. The electrical specifications and certifications label covers the left side of the unit. The top surface remains completely flat and free of decorative elements.

The fan guard integrates a typical circular wire guard design, with a large company logo decorating its center and the series branding prominently printed beneath. This approach balances functional characteristics with simplistic, yet tasteful branding that avoids the excessive RGB lighting and aggressive styling.

Internal Design

A Yate Loon D12SM-12 120mm fan equipped with a sleeve bearing system is responsible for the active cooling of this unit. Yate Loon represents a well-established manufacturer in the cooling industry with a proven track record spanning decades, instilling confidence in the component selection despite the budget nature of the unit. However, sleeve bearings represent a cost-conscious choice that prioritizes quiet operation over ultimate longevity. While sleeve bearings operate more quietly than ball bearing alternatives under normal conditions, they prove more susceptible to wear under sustained high-temperature operation and may exhibit reduced lifespan in demanding thermal environments or systems with poor ventilation. The fan carries a maximum rotational speed of 1650 RPM, which proves perfectly adequate for a power supply with this output level and should provide sufficient airflow without becoming excessively loud.

The original equipment manufacturer behind the System Power 11 is Heroichi, also known as HEC or Compucase. This revelation carries significant weight, as HEC represents one of the oldest participants in the power supply manufacturing field, having been founded in 1979. Their longevity in this competitive industry speaks to fundamental competence and manufacturing capability. However, the platform used for the System Power 11 appears to be a subtle refinement of HEC's older Bronze-level design that has been in circulation for well over a decade. This aged architecture brings both advantages and disadvantages: proven reliability and known characteristics balanced against the absence of modern innovations that newer platforms incorporate.

The input filtering stage implements a very basic configuration utilizing just two Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. A single rectifying bridge handles AC-to-DC conversion, and interestingly, it lacks a dedicated heatsink of its own, relying instead on convective cooling alone.

The Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) circuitry and primary inversion stage share a common heatsink, a space-saving design approach that proves adequate given the modest power output. The active components of the APFC stage consist of two GPT13N50DG MOSFETs paired with a single diode, while the passive components include one small inductor and a Teapo 330 μF capacitor. The primary inversion stage employs two Infineon 60S180P7 MOSFETs configured in a half-bridge topology, a classic and well-understood arrangement that balances efficiency with simplicity.

The secondary side implementation reveals the fundamental upgrade HEC applied to their decades-old platform design: the inclusion of DC-to-DC conversion circuitry for the minor voltage rails. This represents the essential modernization that distinguishes this iteration from its now-ancient predecessors, where group regulation topology once handled all voltage rails. The DC-to-DC circuits allow the 3.3V and 5V rails to maintain independent regulation regardless of load distribution across different rails, providing more stable voltage delivery for modern computing loads that place increasingly asymmetric demands on different voltage rails. This upgrade demonstrates HEC's effort to keep their aging platform relevant for modern applications, even if the underlying architecture remains largely unchanged from designs that debuted over a decade ago.

Six secondary side MOSFETs handle the 12V rail's synchronous rectification duties, marked as PFR30L60CT. These mount on a sizable heatsink positioned immediately after the main transformer, providing adequate thermal management for the switching components. The secondary side capacitors are supplied entirely by Teapo, all rated for 105 degrees Celsius operation. The capacitor choice here represents a pragmatic decision: Teapo does not command the prestige of Japanese manufacturers like Nippon Chemi-Con or Rubycon, but they have established a proven reliability record in budget and mainstream applications over many years.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

During cold testing, the Be Quiet! System Power 11 demonstrated respectable efficiency performance that comfortably meets its 80 Plus Bronze certification requirements. At 115 VAC input voltage, the unit achieved an average nominal load efficiency of 86.7% across the 10% to 100% load range, while 230 VAC input improved performance to 88.2%. These figures place the unit solidly within Bronze certification parameters, though they trail more efficient designs by several percentage points. The efficiency curve exhibits typical characteristics, peaking at approximately 50% load, where most power supplies achieve their optimal performance due to the inherent characteristics of switching PSU topologies. Low load efficiency proves reasonable for a unit in this market segment, suggesting that users running basic systems will benefit from acceptable power conversion characteristics even during idle or light usage scenarios. The unit does not carry any Cybenetics certification.

The fan behavior during cold testing proved exemplary, maintaining low rotational speeds across most of the load spectrum and becoming audible only when the unit approached heavily loaded conditions exceeding 80% capacity. The thermal performance under normal ambient temperatures proves more than adequate for typical desktop computer environments, with internal temperatures remaining well within reasonable limits during sustained operation.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

Elevated ambient temperatures reveal the System Power 11's thermal limitations and the age of its underlying platform design. Under hot testing conditions that simulate poor ventilation and/or very warm climate operation, average nominal load efficiency drops precipitously to 85.0% at 115 VAC and 86.5% at 230 VAC. This represents significant performance degradation that suggests thermal stress within the design, with efficiency losses of approximately 1.7% compared to cold testing conditions. This degradation proves more severe than observed in modern platforms utilizing more thermally robust components and advanced topologies.

The fan responds more aggressively under elevated ambient conditions, ramping up rotational speed earlier in the load curve and approaching maximum RPM during sustained high-load operation. However, the relatively modest 1650 RPM maximum speed means the unit never becomes excessively loud even under worst-case thermal conditions. The acoustic profile transitions from virtually silent at low loads to audible but not intrusive at high loads, maintaining Be Quiet!'s acoustic performance standards even when thermally stressed. Internal temperatures remain within safe operational margins.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Be Quiet! System Power 11 delivers commendable electrical performance that exceeds expectations for its budget market positioning and aged platform architecture. Voltage ripple filtering proves quite good for a unit in this price category, with maximum ripple levels of 48 mV on the 12V rail, 30mV on the 5V rail, and 30 mV on the 3.3V rail. These measurements fall comfortably within acceptable industry standards and well below the typical thresholds where ripple begins causing system instability or component stress.

Voltage regulation across all rails proves fair given the aged platform architecture, though it trails the tighter regulation possible by a modest margin. The primary 12V rail maintains 1.7% regulation across the load range, while the secondary 5V and 3.3V rails achieve 2.1% and 2.0% regulation respectively. These figures represent acceptable performance, delivering notably better regulation than the group-regulated designs of the past and are entirely adequate for modern computing applications.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

The Over Current Protection triggers at appropriate thresholds: 135% for the 3.3V rail, 132% for the 5V rail, and 115% for the 12V rail. These settings prove well-calibrated, providing adequate headroom for transient loads while protecting against sustained overcurrent conditions that could damage components. The OPP activates at 116% under hot test conditions, which represents a reasonable threshold that allows brief power excursions while preventing sustained operation beyond the unit's design capabilities. All protection features function sharply without excessive delay or hunting behavior, suggesting proper tuning of the protection circuitry parameters.

Bottom Line

The Be Quiet! System Power 11 550W occupies a nuanced position in today's competitive power supply landscape, successfully delivering fundamental reliability and modern connectivity while making necessary compromises to achieve its accessible price point. The unit succeeds in its primary mission of providing stable, quiet power delivery with adequate efficiency certification. However, it cannot escape the inherent limitations of its decade-old platform architecture and budget-oriented component selection. HEC's platform engineering proves thoroughly competent if unremarkable, delivering electrical performance that meets industry standards while avoiding the concerning issues that have plagued some truly budget power supply designs. The company's decades of manufacturing experience become evident in the refined nature of this aged platform.

The electrical performance may not impress enthusiasts accustomed to premium units, but it proves entirely adequate for typical desktop computing applications. The assembly quality deserves particular praise, with excellent soldering work, proper component placement, and attention to manufacturing details that suggest HEC takes pride in their work despite the budget nature of this product. Thermal performance under elevated ambient conditions reveals the limitations of both the component selection and platform age, with efficiency degradation and increased noise levels indicating thermal stress within the design. More efficient platforms handle elevated temperatures with less performance degradation. However, the unit maintains stable operation throughout testing without exhibiting dangerous behaviors or protection failures, demonstrating that the design remains fundamentally sound even when pushed beyond its comfort zone. The inclusion of a 12V-2x6 connector demonstrates forward-thinking product planning and provides genuine value for builders planning to use modern graphics cards. However, the 300-watt power limitation is immediately restrictive. This represents a pragmatic compromise given the unit's overall power output and thermal capabilities. The connector will serve adequately for less powerful graphics cards or potentially more efficient future GPU generations, providing reasonable futureproofing for mainstream builds.

The five-year warranty provides adequate peace of mind for budget-conscious builders, though it falls short of the seven-year or even ten-year periods offered by premium alternatives. This warranty duration aligns appropriately with the unit's market positioning and expected use cases, suggesting Be Quiet! has confidence in the platform's reliability without making unrealistic promises about longevity. The current retail price of approximately $ 70 or € 60 represents a reasonable value for a unit with this feature set and performance profile, particularly given the inclusion of the 12V-2x6 connector that many competing Bronze-level units still lack. However, availability proves problematic in the United States market, where the unit faces stock shortages and inflated pricing when available. European buyers enjoy better availability and more favorable pricing, making the System Power 11 a more compelling proposition in those markets.

For budget-conscious builders assembling mainstream systems for office work, casual gaming with mid-range graphics cards, or general computing applications, the System Power 11 provides adequate service with the reassurance of Be Quiet!'s reputation behind it. The unit proves particularly well-suited for typical home and office computers that will not stress the aging platform with extreme loads or thermal conditions. However, enthusiasts planning high-performance builds, overclockers, or users intending to install power-hungry flagship graphics cards would benefit from considering alternatives that offer superior thermal performance, more modern platform architecture, and enhanced long-term reliability prospects. The System Power 11 delivers honest performance for its market segment without pretending to be something it is not, making it a reasonable choice for appropriate applications while acknowledging its clear limitations.

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German computer hardware brand be quiet!, known for its high-performance silent products, is showing off several new items at Computex 2025. The Tom’s Hardware team visited the company booth in Taiwan, and these are some of the products that grabbed our interest as we roamed around the exhibition center. There’s the Pure Loop 3 family of AIOs, new bases for the Light Base 900 series PC cases, and the Dark Mount modular mechanical keyboard.

The simplest addition to be quiet!’s line-up is the new wooden bases for the Light Base 900 series of PC cases. The standard Light Base 900 PC cases come in either black or white, but the competition has been releasing PC cases with wooden accents. One example of this is the Fractal Design North, which received our Best-Looking PC Case award from our list of the best PC cases. So, be quiet! decided to jump on the bandwagon and create these wooden bases for its premium PC cases.

The good thing about this is that you can just swap out your existing metal base with either the dark walnut or white oak wooden base. This will save you money, as you don’t have to buy a completely new case just to change the feel of your desktop PC. Aside from that, you don’t have to transfer all your components when adding this base, making swapping simple and easy.

We also saw be quiet!’s latest upgrade to its AIO lineup with the Pure Loop 3. These all-in-one liquid coolers come in two variants — the base Pure Loop 3, which comes in 240 mm, 280 mm, 360 mm, and 420 mm size options and do not have RGB lights, and the Pure Loop 3 LX, available in 240 mm and 360 mm versions, both of which have ARGB lighting. These AIO coolers are the latest iteration of the company’s Pure Loop 2 AIO coolers, which we’ve previously reviewed as a “strong tier one cooler featuring an upgraded in-house pump design”.

Aside from those items, we also saw the company’s Dark Mount modular mechanical keyboard, which features a hot-swappable Numpad and Media Dock, making it perfect for multiple use cases.

For example, you can place the Numpad on the right side of the keyboard while you’re using your PC for work and productivity. But when you launch your favorite RPG, you can then move it to the right so have access to the customizable shortcut keys while giving you more space to move your mouse across your desk.

For anyone looking to put together a new PC or upgrade their old case, today's deal is an absolute bargain. I'm a fan of Be Quiet! cases - I've used the Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 for the last couple years, and it's been nothing but a pleasure to build in and keep clean. Today's deal is on one of the 802s stable mates - the Shadow Base 800 DX. Somewhat similar in looks, the Shadow Base 800 DX also sports an airflow-inspired design and stylish looks with a distinct lack of RGB. 

You can find today's deal at Amazon, where Be Quiet! are selling the Shadow Base 800 DX for just $79 - the lowest-ever price this case has been on sale. Usualy the Shadow Base 800 DX is priced at $169, so you're saving over 50% on this fantastic price cut. For a large mid-tower case of this quality, this is an absoute steal. 

We've revieved the Shadow Base 800 FX which is the same case bar the 800 FX comes with ARGB and has an extra 140mm Pure Wings fan included. We gave the Shadow Base 800 4.5 stars out of 5 and also awarded it an Editor's Choice award for its great thermal performance and low noise - thanks to plenty of mesh panels and sound-dampening foam layers on the indside of the case panels.

The Be Quiet! Shadow Base 800 DX is an airflow case with large mesh panels at the front and top of the chassis. There is a dust filter behind the front panel and a magnetic filter sits on top of the case to help keep the paesky dust out of your case and off of your components, there's even a filter in the bottom of the case. Included with the Shadow Base 800 DX are 3 x Pure Wings 3 140mm PWM fans for generating the airflow through this case as quietly and efficiently as possible.

German PC component manufacturer be quiet! brought a new glass case series and updated its Light Wings illuminated case fans to Computex 2024. The latest cases are highly configurable “fish tank” designs that are usable in three orientations for showcasing your PC just the way you want.

Be quiet! introduced the Light Base 600 and Light Base 900 cases. These include fully windowed front and side panels allowing a gorgeous panoramic view of your gaming rig’s components, with the power supply, storage drive, and cables neatly hidden away in a separate chamber.

These cases aren’t run-of-the-mill PC enclosures since they can be used in three different orientations. You can set them up like a traditional tower or invert them, switching the feet from the bottom to the top of the case. You can also position the case horizontally, placing the glass on the top and front. The back of the case offers support for your motherboard’s back I/O plate.

Be quiet! told Tom’s Hardware that the company would even provide 3D print files for mounts for the case’s feet so that owners could make custom designs for their cases.

The Light Base 900 DX is the standard version of the case, shipping without fans. It has ample space for up to two 420mm radiators and includes a 1.5-meter addressable RGB (ARGB) light strip for customizing lighting effects. The Light Base 900 FX adds four Light Wings LX 140mm PWM fans to maximize your lighting and cooling. 

The slightly smaller cousin, the Light Base 600 DX, offers the same benefits as the larger variant. Again, the case supports rear I/O plates on the motherboard and includes an ARGB light strip. The smaller footprint still allows for radiators up to 360mm. The Light Base 600 DX does not include preinstalled fans, but the 600 LX variant comes with four preinstalled Light Wings LX 140mm PWM fans.

The updated Light Wings LX fans offer high airflow while operating quietly and feature reverse fan blades for the side fans. Because of this, the fan's more aesthetically pleasing front side is facing out for all to see.

Be quiet!’s Light Wings LX fans have an illuminated hub and frosted fan blades. They have 16 LEDs in a variety of colors and illumination modes. The ARGB connection supports daisy-chaining for improved ease of use. The Light Wings LX is available in 120mm PWM, 120 PWM high-speed, 140mm PWM, and 140mm PWM high-speed.

All models are black or white, and the high-speed models have a closed-loop motor that ensures the RPM remains constant. 

Be quiet! will start shipping the Light Base cases in September or October 2024. The Light Wings LX fans will also ship in September.

German case and cooling company be quiet! (henceforth formatted as Be Quiet) has announced that its “no compromises” Dark Base 701 PC case is scheduled for release on Nov. 14. This E-ATX case, which was originally showcased back at Computex, is designed for gaming PC builders who are looking for maximum airflow and versatility.

As a follow-up to the Be Quiet Dark Base 700, there have been quite a few changes implemented to bring the design up to date. The predecessor was released in the era of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti — an $800 and 250W TDP Nvidia flagship. But in 2023, the best graphics cards are bigger, pricier, and have a much higher peak power consumption.

In order to house today’s choice gaming PC components comfortably, the new Dark Base 701 includes prolific venting with a full-mesh design. To deliver excellent airflow, Be Quiet has pre-installed a trio of its Silent Wings 4 fans (140mm high-speed variants) as standard. These design decisions make the 701 adequate for “the most powerful CPUs and graphics cards,” according to the company.

Users will find plenty of versatility to make the best use of the airflow for a speedy, powerful system. Some airflow highlights of this highly perforated 69.64 liter case include a multitude of mounting options for up to eight system fans and multiple PSU shroud options (vented, fully covered). There are also extensive inner configuration choices which include a system inversion option, and the vertical fitting of GPUs (with optional riser cable) — just like this case’s big brother, Be Quiet's flagship 82.7 liter Dark Base Pro 901.

Be Quiet says the new Dark Base 701 is easy to build into, with well-thought-out accessibility features, cable routing channels, a versatile motherboard tray, and a range of choices for storage mounting. PC DIYers will probably appreciate the max compatibility figures:

• GPUs up to 3 slots and 415mm in length
• CPU coolers up to 185mm in height
• Radiators up to 360mm x2, and one 120mm rad at the rear
• Up to eight 140mm system fans
• Storage capacity up to 5x 3.5-inch and x2 2.5-inch drives
• PSUs up to 260mm long

Though it has ‘Dark’ in its name, the new 701 comes with some RGB lighting frills. There is a PWM fan controller on board (for up to 8 fans), which also functions as an ARGB hub for two components. Be Quiet has included a pair of lighting strips: one down either edge of the front panel. A tempered glass side window helps show off your selected PC build components, and the Dark Base 701’s easy access I/O resides at the top of the front panel and includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, dual USB 3.2 Type-A ports, and HD Audio I/O, as well as the power button.

Be Quiet has only revealed the Euro pricing of the Dark Base 701 at this stage. It is normal for Euro pricing to include VAT (20%), so you can take off about a fifth of the dollar conversion prices shown to get more indicative US pricing levels. The firm says that from Nov. 14 the following will be available for purchase:

• Dark Base 701 for €229.90 ($244)
• Vertical GPU riser cable at €59.90 ($64)
• HDD Cage 2 for €9.90 ($10.50)

If you are interested in a new PC, case we recommend you look at our list of best PC cases. (Of course, the Dark Base 701 isn't there yet — but we'll see if it makes the grade once we get it in for testing.) 

In the PC building realm, German company be quiet! (henceforth referred to as Be Quiet) has a reputation for quiet cooling that’s perhaps only surpassed by its Austrian neighbor, Noctua. But Noctua has stuck mostly to the realm of fans and air coolers (if you don’t count the hoodies and keycaps), while Be Quiet also sells other products you might like to… be quiet, like power supplies, liquid coolers, and cases.

Be Quiet’s latest case, the Shadow Base 800 FX, features an abundance of RGB, excellent airflow, and some sound-dampening foam for $220. If you don’t care about lighting, the company also offers a non-FX model that drops the included fan count down from four to three, which sells for $170. Neither model is near the affordable end of the mid-tower case spectrum. But as we’ll see in testing, both the thermal and acoustic performance of the Shadow Base 800 FX are excellent, making it a strong contender for a spot on our Best PC Cases list. 

Features of the Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX

The Shadow Base 800 FX is an airflow-focused mid-tower, which sounds weird given the company’s name and the fact that most airflow cases are at least a little noisy. But the company didn’t forget its origins, as it includes a sheet of sound-dampening foam on the rear side panel to keep things quiet.

Design-wise, the Shadow Base 800 FX looks pretty standard – offering a filtered mesh front panel with two columns of RGB lighting. It doesn’t look bad; it just doesn’t particularly stand out. But I was much more impressed by the 800 FX’s performance and what’s included in the box. The case comes with four 140mm Light Wings fans, which are 4-pin, giving you the ability to easily adjust the speed and aRGB.

While this is a mid-tower, Be Quiet isn’t holding back on cooling support: 420mm worth of radiators or fans can be placed at the front of the case or at the top. The rear of the case can house a single fan, either 120 or 140mm.

Despite the Shadow Base 800 FX not following the recent trend of adding side fans, this chassis does have fan cut-outs at the bottom. You’ll just have to remove the hard drive cage to add fans there.

The Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX has the ability to hold four 2.5-inch SSDs or two 3.5-inch mechanical drives. The placement of the drives is fairly standard: behind the motherboard tray and/or in the hard drive cage. I was a bit surprised to see that this case can hold 3.5-inch hard drives behind the motherboard tray, given the fact that there is a sheet of foam on the rear side panel. But that may help deaden mechanical drive noise.

The case’s IO is also standard: You get one USB 3.2 Type-C port and two USB Type-A 3.2. I’d love to see more here, but most motherboards don’t have more than one USB-C front-panel header anyway. There are also two audio jacks and an RGB control button here, to the right of the power switch.

Internal Layout of the Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX

The Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX stands at 21.6 inches tall and is 9.7 inches wide and 19.8 inches deep. Again, these are fairly typical mid-tower dimensions. Big CPU coolers, like the company’s very own Dark Rock Pro 4, will fit in this case. Coolers up to 180mm (7.01 inches) and GPUs up to 430mm (16.93 inches) are supported.

When I was installing our hardware into the Shadow Base 800 FX, my eyebrow rose when I saw the cable management bar. It looks shocking like those found in an NZXT case – which certainly isn’t a bad thing.

Graphics cards can be installed intwo ways in this chassis: the traditional orientation, or vertically. The Shadow Base 800 doesn’t come with a riser cable, but the PCIe bracket can be rotated, which is nicet. I was slightly annoyed that a riser cable wasn’t included, but you can get one on Amazon for $20-$50, with PCIe 4 cables landing near the high end of that spectrum.

Testing Hardware

Our testing hardware is based on Intel’s 12 Gen “Alder Lake” platform, specifically a Core i7-12700KF, which is cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Our graphics card is a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC.

Acoustic Results for the Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX

Our acoustic tests consist of three scenarios: We run the CPU at full load, the CPU and GPU at full load, and an optimized mode. The CPU full load test runs the CPU and case fans at their maximum speed. For the CPU and GPU full load acoustic test, we also stress the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and set the fans at 75% speed, because in gaming the fans never run at 100 percent and are far too loud when they do.

For the optimized mode, we run the GPU fan speed at 30% and run the CPU and included case fans at the lowest speed that they will spin.

The Shadow Base 800 FX certainly lives up to its company’s name. During our acoustic testing, the case stayed dead-silent when I ran the case and CPU cooler at full speed. When I added the GPU into the mix, the noise level went up a significant amount, but sound levels were still quite reasonable. These results show how well Be Quiet Engineers its fans and how much a sheet of sound-dampening foam can help.

Thermal Results for the Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 FX

For the thermal tests, all case and CPU fan speeds are set to 100%. The Core i7-12700K is set at a fixed 4.7GHz clock at 1.3v on all performance cores to ensure consistent power consumption across test scenarios. Letting the GPU run at 75% fan speed enables it to maintain its power target while sticking to one set, reasonable fan speed so that the temperature is the only variable.

The Shadow Base 800 FX is nearly as thermally impressive in our tests as it was with noise levels. Sure, these results are somewhat expected given the case comes with four fans. But Lian Li’s Lancool III also comes with four 140mm fans, and its numbers were roughly 10 degrees warmer in our test.

Bottom Line

Be Quiet’s Shadow Base 800 FX is much more than your average RGB-sporting mid-tower, even though it may look like one at first glance. The case may not turn heads based on its looks alone, but it’s one of the best-performing thermal and acoustic cases we have tested. At $220, it’s fairly expesnive, especially for a mid-tower. But its stellar performance and inclusion of four aRGB fans make it worth the investment.

MORE: Best PC Cases

MORE: Best Mini-ITX Cases

Be quiet! announced and showcased a selection of attractive new case and power products at the recent Computex show in Taipei. Today it has come forward with pricing and availability for both the new Dark Base Pro 901 flagship case, and the updated Straight Power 12 series ATX 3.0 power supplies.

Dark Base Pro 901

The new be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 becomes the firm's latest flagship case for PC enthusiasts and DIYers. A significant update to the Dark Base Pro 900, which we reviewed back in 2016, the new case leverages "innovative solutions and state-of-the-art features," for demanding users.

According to be quiet! the new flagship took three years to develop, and over that time the firm worked to ensure the Dark Base Pro 901 met the needs of users aiming to build "high-end workstations, overclocked and silent water-cooled systems." Moreover, the 901 is now easier to build with a "significant reduction of screws and small parts." Several modern trends have been accommodated, with feedback from the community, and you will find the new flagship comfortably fits the biggest graphics cards, radiators, and even includes a built-in wireless charger and touch sensitive I/O panel.

You've probably already ascertained that the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 is a big beast, and it measures 633 x 357 x 684mm (82.7 liters), with buyers receiving a hefty 20.8kg package. Of course, the sheer physical size makes it easy for be quiet! to boast impressive max compatibility figures, such as: room for motherboards up to E-ATX, for GPUs as long as 495mm, CPU coolers as tall as 190mm, radiators as big as 420mm, and lots of drive bays, PCI slots and fan positions. It even has room for a full sized 5.25-inch drive (e.g. an ODD) under the front bottom flap.

Though it is undeniably a significant physical presence, be quiet! helps users configure this system for minimal noise pollution with extensive insulation and dampening throughout the construction. Alternatively, panels can be swapped / removed for optimal airflow considerations. For full specs, please refer to the data sheet graphic below.

Moving onto the topic of price and availability, be quiet! says that the Dark Base Pro 901 flagship case will be released on June 27, with an MSRP of €319.90 / $299.90 / £319.99.

Straight Power 12

As the successor to the be quiet! Straight Power 11 PSUs, which we reviewed back in 2020, there appears to be plenty of latitude for improvement with the new generation. The firm describes the updated PSU series as "easy to handle and future-proof ATX 3.0 power supplies."

Other key features of these designs are the use of a "virtually inaudible" 135mm Silent Wings fan for active cooling, and PCIe 5.0 compatibility. be quiet! says that the Straight Power 12 series also handles high power demands with ease, while boasting 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency.

Standard features across the range include: modular cabling, sleeved cables, 12VHPWR 600W power connectors (up to two) and PCIe 6+2 connectors (up to four), in addition to a high-performance 12V rail. Full specs for all the Straight Power 12 PSU models can be compared in the data sheet image below.

Like the new flagship case, be quiet! is releasing the Straight Power 12 PSUs on June 27. Pricing will range from €159.90 / $189.90 / £149.99 for the 750 W model, up to €349.90 / $379.90 / £349.99 for 1500 W.

German cases and cooling specialist be quiet! has launched a new low profile (LP) cooler which is claimed to tame up to a 100W CPU. That’s enough for a vast swathe of mainstream users, whether they use their PC for multimedia, content creation or even gaming. Thanks to its diminutive dimensions, the new be quiet! Pure Rock LP is described as the cooler of choice for ultra-compact Mini-ITX builds, and its headlining quality is that it is just 45 mm tall.

The dimensions of the cooler are 92 (W) x 92 (D) x 45 (H) mm. You will have probably deduced that it uses a 92 mm diameter fan (which is 15 mm thick). Larger fans are usually preferable in PC air cooling, and while 100 mm or even 120 mm fans are welcome, 92 mm fans aren’t unusual in compact coolers. The worry would be that the smaller fan will have to spin faster to push through the necessary cooling air flow, and thus be noisier. Later you can check the comparison table and ponder over such details.

With the fan being 15 mm thick, that leaves this be quiet! design with a 30 mm heatsink depth. Be quiet! appears to use this remaining depth to its maximum extent with the cuboid base completely surrounding the processor. Inside the black brushed aluminum finned heatsink are a trio of “high-performance 6mm heat pipes.” The whole product weighs in at 358 grams.

We previously mentioned that be quiet! uses a 92mm fan, and this fan is powered / controlled with a 4-pin PWM connector. The maximum rotation speed is 2,500 rpm, and at this speed the cooler will make about 30.6 dB of noise, according to be quiet!’s figures. Noise levels of 30dB are classed by the US CDC as “whisper quiet.” To put that into some further perspective, check out the table below, comparing the Pure Rock LP with a Noctua LP design, as well as the larger but more premium / powerful LP designs from be quiet!’s Shadow Rock and Dark Rock series.

Another important factor in buying a CPU air cooler is undoubtedly the price. Be quiet! says that the new Pure Rock LP will be available for an MSRP of $49.90 / €49.90 / £46.99, starting December 13. That sounds reasonable, and is better than the Noctua LP competitor in the table in versions for modern Intel and AMD platforms, which are $56 and $58, respectively at the time of writing via Newegg.

If you are currently in the market for an air or AiO cooler, and not so restricted for space that you must choose a low profile fan design, please take a look at our recently updated Best CPU Coolers 2022 featuring designs from Arctic, Deepcool, Noctua, Zalman and more.

Be Quiet is well known for its silent cooling, with products like the Silent Base 802 Computer Case and Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU Cooler having raised the bar for quiet cooling performance. The company’s latest product to land on our test bench is the recently launched Pure Rock 2 FX air cooler. Like the previously reviewed Pure Loop 2 FX, this is one of Be Quiet’s new products from its FX line, featuring addressable RGB (ARGB) lighting.

Can the Pure Rock 2 FX live up to its name while looking good and keeping things cool, earning a spot on our Best CPU Coolers list? We’ll have to test it to find out, but first let’s take a look at the Pure Rock 2 FX specifications, direct from Be Quiet. 

 Specifications for the Be Quiet Pure Rock 2 FX 

Packing and Included Contents

The Pure Rock 2 FX comes in a small box, with foam cutouts and cardboard for protection.  

Included with the package are the following:

• Single-tower Radiator
• 1x Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed fan
• Mounts for modern Intel and AMD platforms
• Pre-applied thermal paste
• Information Leaflet

Cooler Installation

The installation of Be Quiet’s Pure Rock 2 FX wasn’t hard; the main steps are shown in the image from Be Quiet below. You’ll remove the stock mounts on an AMD motherboard, install the appropriate back plate with posts and washers, add the mounting brackets on the front of the board, which vary by platform and screw them down with four screws. Next, you place the cooler on your CPU after adding the mounting bar, line that up with the mounting brackets, and screw each side down with a screw. The fan gets installed via a pair of wire clips, and you’ll of course need to plug it in to your board, along with a header for the ARGB lighting.

New Testing Configuration

Cooler Features

• Mid-range price of $52.99
• 4x 6mm Heatpipes

• 52 Aluminum Fins
• All black radiator
• Copper heatsink with pre-applied thermal paste

• 1x Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed fan

There’s more to an air cooler than just a heatsink. The fan included has a significant impact on cooling, noise levels, and performance. Included with Be Quiet’s cooler is a single Light Wings 120mm ARGB fan. A second pair of clips are also included, should you want to add a second fan for a push/pull setup. 

Testing Methodology

Most of the coolers featured in this review wouldn’t be up to the task of cooling Intel’s Core i9-12900K without power limits enforced, so I’ve paired them with a more appropriate CPU: Intel’s i5-12600K. Since many of the coolers I’m testing below might be considered for use in SFF builds and for those wanting silent performance, I’ve tested Cinebench with three power configurations

Values shown are for the average CPU package temperature over the course of running the Cinebench benchmark. Peak temperatures will be a few degrees higher than the results shown below. 

• MORE: How to Buy the Right CPU Cooler
• MORE: How to Overclock a CPU
• MORE: How to Check CPU Temperature
• MORE: All CPU Cooling Content

Cinebench Thermal Results (130W, 95W, and 65W)

In all power configurations, Be Quiet’s Pure Rock 2 FX performed well and ran quietly. With power limits removed, it averaged 50 degrees Celsius over a 23 degrees C ambient (83C). Overall, Be Quiet’s cooler performed just a bit behind DeepCool’s AK500. 

Noise Levels and Acoustics

To test noise levels, I used the SLM25TK Sound Level Meter positioned 18 inches behind the rear of the Cooler Master HAF 700 Berserker, and recorded early in the morning to achieve the lowest noise floor possible. To prevent the system fans from vastly overpowering the sound of the cooler, I limited all of the case fans to 50% speeds. Noise measurements were taken while running Cinebench with no power limits enforced on the CPU.

Not only was the Be Quiet cooler the quietest of this bunch, but its fan was running at 1,973 revolutions per minute (RPM), much faster than the DeepCool AK400 (1,269RPM) and slightly faster than the Cooler Master (1,806RPM). The Silverstone’s fan was spinning significantly faster in our tests, at 2,660RPM, but it kept our CPU far less cool and was noticeably noisier while doing so.

Conclusion

The Pure Rock 2 FX is BeQuiet’s first air cooler with ARGB lighting, and it performs well when paired with Intel’s i5-12600K. True to its namesake, Be Quiet’s Pure Rock 2 FX performs silently even while cooling up to 130W. It doesn’t deliver the best cooling possible in its class, but you won’t need to wear headphones to cover up the noise of the fans when using this cooler.

• MORE: How to Buy the Right CPU Cooler
• MORE: How to Overclock a CPU
• MORE: How to Check CPU Temperature
• MORE: All CPU Cooling Content

German component company be quiet! (henceforth Be Quiet) has long shied away from RGB lighting. But in conjunction with the company's 20th anniversary, it launched an FX line of new and modified cases, air coolers and AIOs that embrace colorful lights, mostly in the form of the company's Light Wings fans. 

We've got one of the new FX coolers on our test bench, specifically the Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm. It's the larger of three new FX AIOs, with a 280 and a 240mm model also available. Aside from the RGB-ringed fans, the company also includes some rainbow glow in a ring around the cold plate, so if you're looking to light up the inside of your case in your color(s) of choice as well as keeping your CPU cool, Be Quiet has you covered here.

Most liquid coolers today are based on Asetek designs, which have the pump included in the CPU block, but this cooler features an in-house design by Be Quiet, which places the pump along the cooling lines near the radiator. Does Be Quiet's big and bright cooling beast keep CPU temps and fan noise low enough to earn it a spot on our Best AIO Coolers list? We'll have to put it through out testing regime to find out. But first, here are the specs, from Be Quiet.

Specifications for the Be Quiet Pure Loop 2 FX

New Testing Configuration

I'll be testing the Pure Loop 2 FX with Intel's i9-12900K. Due to the increased thermal density of the Intel 7 manufacturing process, as well as changes to core and component layouts, Alder Lake CPUs are more difficult to cool than previous generation CPUs in the most heat-intensive of workloads. This means that coolers that kept previous generation products like the i9-10900K nice and cool sometimes struggle to keep Intel's i9-12900K under TJ max–the top temperature before the CPU starts to throttle. Many coolers I've tested aren't able to keep the i9-12900k under TJ max when power limits are removed in workloads like Cinebench and OCCT.

Please note that there are many factors that can influence your cooling performance. A system's motherboard can influence this, as there are motherboards on the market with CPU sockets that are not up to Intel's spec, which can cause warping or poor contact with the CPU. The case you use will also influence cooling results.

With this in mind, I'll be rating CPU Coolers in 3 different tiers.

Tier 1: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K below TJ max in most loads, with no power limits enforced. I expect only the best liquid coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 2: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max with CPU power limits of 200W enforced. I expect most liquid and air coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 3: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJMax with CPU power limits of 140W enforced.

Packing and Included Contents

Be Quiet's Pure Loop 2 FX is packaged in a large box that's approximately 2 feet in length, with molded cardboard for protection.

Included with the package are the following:

• 360mm Liquid Cooler
• 3x 120mm Light Wings Fans
• Mounts for all modern CPU sockets, including LGA1700 & upcoming AM5 motherboards
• Zip Ties
• Thermal Paste
• User Manual
• aRGB & Fan Controller Hub
• Extra Coolant

Cooler Installation

Installing the Be Quiet Pure Loop 2 FX was fairly simple. To begin, you secure the backplate screws to the backplate using the O-rings. Once the backplate is pressed against the motherboard, screw in the standoffs to secure it. Next, use the screws to secure the mounting brackets to the standoffs. Finally, attach the CPU block.

What's different than other coolers?

The Pure Loop 2 FX is user-refillable and includes extra coolant.

Most AIOs are not user serviceable – which means if/when a certain amount of coolant escapes (via evaporation or leaks) they have to be thrown out. Be Quiet not only allows you to refill the coolant using an easy-to-access port covered by a screw, but also includes spare coolant in case you ever need it. That said, unless you plan on using your cooler for several years, across multiple platforms –which tends to be difficult given socket changes requiring new mounting hardware– coolant loss isn't usually a major issue with AIOs.

In-house Pump Design

The vast majority of Liquid Coolers on the market today are based around Asetek designs (licensed or not), with pumps integrated into the CPU block. But the Pure Loop 2 FX incorporates an in-house design from Be Quiet, where the pump is located near the radiator, along the cooling lines.

There's more to a liquid cooler than just its radiator and pump. The fans have a huge impact on cooling performance and noise levels. Included with the Pure Loop 2 FX are Be Quiet's latest Light Wings fans, which include ARGB lighting in a ring around the blades – a first for a Be Quiet product, although the company launched several products with its Light Wings fans as part of a new FX lineup.

New Testing Configuration

I'll be testing the Pure Loop 2 FX with Intel's i9-12900K. Due to the increased thermal density of the Intel 7 manufacturing process, as well as changes to core and component layouts, Alder Lake CPUs are more difficult to cool than previous generation CPUs in the most heat-intensive of workloads.

This means that coolers that kept previous generation products like the i9-10900K nice and cool sometimes struggle to keep Intel's i9-12900K under TJ max. Many coolers I've tested aren't able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max when power limits are removed in workloads like Cinebench and OCCT.

Please note there are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance. A system's motherboard can especially influence this, as there are motherboards on the market with CPU sockets that aren't up to Intel's spec, which can cause warping or poor contact with the CPU. The case you use will also influence cooling results.

With Alder Lake's cooling demands in mind, I'll be rating CPU Coolers in 3 different tiers.

Tier 1: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K below TJ max in most loads, with no power limits enforced. I expect only the best liquid coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 2: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under the TJ max threshold with CPU power limits of 200W enforced. I expect most liquid and air coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 3: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max with CPU power limits of 140W enforced.

Testing Methodology

To test the limits of a cooler's thermal dissipation capabilities, I run two primary stress tests: Cinebench and OCCT each for 10 minutes. While this may be a short amount of time, it is sufficient to push most coolers - air and liquid - to their limits.

While stress testing in Cinebench, I run both with power limits removed and with an enforced 200W CPU power limit. In this test setup using MSI’s z690 A Pro DDR4 Motherboard and Be Quiet’s Silent Base 802 Computer Case, only the best coolers are able to pass Cinebench testing when power limits are removed.

I don’t test OCCT without power limits because attempting to do so results in CPU package power consumption jumping to over 270W and instantly throttling with even the best AIO coolers. Instead, I test at 200W to give coolers a chance at passing. I also include 140W results to give data closer to a lower-end CPU, such as AMD’s Ryzen 5600x or Intel’s i5-12400.

Core i9-12900K Thermal Results

Cinebench Test Results

Running Cinebench without power limits is the most thermally demanding load in my testing, and most coolers don't pass this specific test. The Pure Loop 2 FX managed to pass – but just barely. It did peak at the TJ max temp, but the CPU didn't throttle.

When power limits are restricted to a more reasonable 200W, both with the default fan curve and while limited to 50%, the Pure Loop 2 does well. Here it was 2 degrees Celsius behind Cougar's Poseidon GT360 at the default fan curve, and 2 degrees ahead when 50% speeds are enforced.

OCCT Test Results

I usually like to run OCCT's small set stress testing for stability when overclocking, but on Alder Lake I haven't found a cooler that's capable of handling OCCT without throttling unless power limits are enforced.

I test OCCT at 200W to demonstrate a thermally demanding load, but also with a 140W power limit enforced to show how these coolers might perform with a CPU that's easier to cool, like Intel's i5-12400 or AMD's Ryzen 5600X.

OCCT's thermal results were a bit different than the Cinebench results. Across all power limits and fan settings, the Pure Loop 2 FX performed slightly behind Cougar's Poseidon GT360, but it also ran quieter than Cougar's AIO in all of these tests.

Noise Levels and Acoustics

To test noise levels, I used the SLM25TK Sound Level Meter positioned 18 inches behind the rear of the Be Quiet Silent Base 802 PC case, and recorded early in the morning to achieve the lowest noise floor possible. The chart below shows averaged results, measured over the course of five minutes, to account for sudden variations in measurements.

In most situations, the Pure Loop 2 FX will run rather quietly. When limited to 50% fan speeds, it is the quietest cooler of the three units tested for this review. When run at maximum fan speeds, the Pure Loop 2 isn't exactly silent – but it does run quieter than both DeepCool's and Cougar's AIOs. The company is true to its name, it seems.

Conclusion

I wondered if the Pure Loop 2 FX would pass my testing because when I tested the first-generation Pure Loop AIO, my results weren't the greatest. But I was pleasantly surprised to find Be Quiet's Pure Loop 2 FX greatly improved and capable of cooling the i9-12900K even in demanding workloads. Lovers of silence will be pleased to know that this is the best-performing cooler I've tested thus far when fan speeds are limited to 50%.

During its initial launch, the Pure Loop 2 FX will be on sale at various retailers for up to $30 USD off the MSRP of $154.90 USD, through the end of September 2022 (or while supplies last). If you can find this cooler at that price, it's a steal if you like good, quiet cooling performance and lots of RGB.

• MORE: How to Buy the Right CPU Cooler
• MORE: How to Overclock a CPU
• MORE: How to Check CPU Temperature
• MORE: All CPU Cooling Content

As its name strongly implies, German case, PSU and cooling company be quiet! (henceforth Be Quiet for the sake of editorial sanity) has traditionally been far more focused on silent performance than flashy RGB lights. But as the company rolls into its twentieth year of operation, it seems to be embracing the will of the rainbow light-loving masses with a new FX line, which includes the Pure Base 500 FX case, a trio of Pure Loop 2 FX AIO coolers (in 240, 280 and 360 mm varieties), and a Pure Rock 2 FX air cooler. And to celebrate its anniversary, the company will be offering its latest products at some fairly substantial discounts, while supplies last.

All of the FX devices are based on existing Be Quiet products, with the addition of the company's 120 mm or 140 mm Light Wings PWM high-speed fans. The fans feature an 18-RGB diffused light ring running around the outside of the blades. True to the company's name, the Light Wings fans are rated at a fairly low 31dB(A) for their maximum speed of 2,500 revolutions per minute. The company also says the fans use rifle bearings with an expected operational lifetime of 60,000 hours (nearly 7 years of constant use), and they ship with a three-year warranty.

Pure Base 500 FX

By far the biggest of the new FX products is the Pure Base 500 FX, which packs in four Light Wings fans (three 120 mm up front and one 140 mm in the back), in addition to two light strips that run down the front, between two large mesh sections for facilitating airflow. The ATX case also features an RGB and PWM hub to control the lights and fans. Aside from the addition of three RGB fans, the 500 FX is the same case as the Pure Base 500DX, which we reviewed and mostly liked in 2020 (though this model only comes in black). It supports up to a 360 mm radiators, but that's at the front (where you generally don't want it). The top, where there's also a nice magnetic dust filter, supports a 240 mm radiator.

Pure Loop 2 FX

The Pure Loop 2 FX AIO cooler lineup is based on the existing Silent Loop 2 line, with Light Wings fans on the radiators and RGB replacing the white LEDs around the cooling plate. In addition, Be Quiet says the pump is now PWM-adjustable, along with the fans. The Pure Loop 2 will be available in 240, 280 and 360 mm varieties for your varying cooling needs.

Pure Rock 2 FX

Last up, the Pure Rock 2 FX is an air cooler based on the Pure Rock 2, which was one of the best CPU coolers when we tested it in 2020. On this model, the Pure Wings 2 fan is replaced with a 120mm Light Wings PWM fan. And while the previous model was available in bare silver or black, the new Pure Rock 2 FX is only offered in black, just like the FX case. 

The Be Quiet FX lineup isn't the most exciting, given that all the products are existing components that Be Quiet added its Light Wings RGB fans onto. But the company is at least making an effort to sweeten the deal by offering up some enticing pricing. The MSRP of the Pure Base 500 FX ($149), the Pure Rock 2 FX air cooler ($52) and the Pure Loop 2 FX ($129-$154, depending on size) are decent for what you get (although the AIO prices seem a bit high, specifically). Note that European prices are listed as the same in euros as US dollars. 

But as part of a promotion celebrating the company's twentieth year of existence, Be Quiet says you should see a limited supply of the 500 FX for $30 off ($119), the AIO coolers for up to $30 off ($99-$124) and the Pure Rock 2 FX air cooler for $13 off ($39), as long as supplies last, or until early September 2022. 

If you're in the market for a new case or cooler and like a bit of RGB, the Be Quiet FX products are well worth considering–especially at these sale prices. I've had a good experience with the non-RGB Pure Rock 2 cooler in particular, and the case packs a lot of features if you can pick it up for about $120. But remember, the company says the sale will only last until early September or as long as the initial supply lasts. The FX Products will continue to be offered after the anniversary sale ends, but at prices closer to the MSRPs noted earlier.

In the world of CPU cooling, be quiet! has been busy lately. We recently tested (and liked) the company’s Shadow Rock Slim 2 budget air cooler. Now the company is adding to its Dark Rock series with a high-end cooler defined as a top flow (downdraft) ‘TF’ model, aptly called the Dark Rock TF 2.  Making use of six copper heatpipes and a pair of whisper-quiet Silent Wings 3 fans, be quiet! has performed some metallurgy origami to create its newest stealthy air cooler.

As a dual-heatsink downdraft cooler, the Dark Rock TF 2 utilizes a pair of large+small fin stacks, turned on their side to allow for compact or cramped builds where traditional coolers might exceed installation clearance.

Specifications

The be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 ships with mounting hardware suitable for most current Intel desktop sockets and AMD’s AM3(+)/AM4 socket CPUs.  All the hardware also arrives dressed in the company’s usual stealth-black color scheme.  A 4-pin PWM splitter allows for single-header fan control and a syringe of non-descript thermal paste is included--presumably it’s be quiet! compound.

be quiet! covers the Dark Rock TF 2 with a 3 year warranty.

The Dark Rock TF 2 features a downdraft design, meaning the cooling fans move air down through the cooler toward the motherboard rather than through the cooling tower.  Making use of six heatpipes, the large, upper cooling stack evenly distributes heat across the broad face of the cooler directly below the top-mounted fan. 

Below, the smaller heatsink sits centered beneath the middle fan, collecting the folded-ever ends of the heatpipes, while providing some surface area to dissipate any heat that doesn’t make its way further up the cooler’s pipes. From one end to the other, the six heatpipes pass between a milled base plate, the mounting block and fixed hardware brace, and wrap up and around to form the folded dual-heatsink downdraft design of the Dark Rock TF 2. 

A pair of 135mm fans accompany the Dark Rock TF 2; one is a Silent Wings and the other as a Silent Wings 3 variant.  Each are 4-pin PWM managed and rated up to 1400 RPM. 

The milled base of the Dark Rock TF 2 is completely flat, leaving ambient light unable to squeeze through between our steel ruler and the cooler’s mounting surface. Beneath the small lower cooling tower, we can see a milled, broad-tooth heat exchanger protruding between the heatpipes and lower tower cooling fins, providing even more surface area for the cooler to utilize. 

The milled 40mm x 43mm Dark Rock TF 2 heatsink plate allows for a quality thermal compound, and is quite capable of universal paste distribution over the CPU integrated heat spreader (IHS) during the installation process.   

The Dark Rock TF 2 mounts across a pair of stabilizing braces and secures via the two permanently integrated machine screws.  Note that the heatpipe cluster has the potential to cause some mounting incompatibility issues with memory DIMMs, depending on motherboard spacing and clearance, making cooler orientation important when choosing how to mount. 

Once installed, the cooler sits noticeably lower than most heatpipe coolers, thanks to the downdraft design.  This allows the Dark Rock TF 2 to be utilized in system builds with lower cooler clearance. The center-mounted fan slides easily between the small and large cooling stack, and the upper fan rides on a set rubber fan glides. Both get locked down by a set of spring clips to hold them firmly in place. 

For our CPU cooling tests, we use the same hardware, overclock and configuration for every test to minimize environment variables in testing. This allows for all results across all coolers tested on the platform to be viable as side-by-side examination for direct compare and contrast. 

Comparisons are based on data collected from testing performed on our Intel i9-10850k system, including re-visiting many previously tested products which were originally covered using our old test platform, which pivoted around an i7-5930k (4.20ghz @1.20v).  

All data reported for this article has been collected on the current Intel i9-10850k platform and will be maintained as like-for-like evaluation of ongoing cooling coverage. We’ve recently swapped the taller, Corsair Dominator RGB DIMMs with Corsair Vengeance LPX for lower-profile memory allowing for higher cooler compatibility for testing.

Prime95 v29.4b8 (no AVX) is used for two-hour intervals, one managing fans at 50% PWM and the other at 100% PWM with RPM measurements being taken every 3 seconds and averaged across the duration of each 2-hour capture.  Omitting AVX instruction sets allows for accurate, 100% loads at chosen clock speeds, while allowing AVX instructions would provide higher, albeit, unrealistic synthetic CPU loads and excessive heat production, less indicative of real-world use.  

This also allows for a greater range CPU coolers to be tested and compared without the need to configure the system differently for smaller coolers, which may not handle the excessive thermal loads being generated during testing, while larger coolers might be better equipped to manage heat output produced by the Core i9-10850k.  

While the test platform is quite capable of a 10-core overclock at 5.0Ghz and 1.265v, we were seeing 360mm AIOs struggle to keep core temperatures in check at lower fan speeds, providing insight that the enthusiast-grade i9’s need excellent cooling if the goal is overclocking.

HWInfo64 is used for real-time core temperature readout, thermal throttling alerts, motherboard power consumption, CPU speed and logging of data, while a CrystalFontz CFA-633-TMI-KU is used to monitor and later average both ambient room (2 probes) and motherboard voltage regulator heatsink (2 probes).

With these temperature readings collected, CPU Core is defined as an average of all CPU core temperatures, reported once per second for the entirety of the testing run from HWInfo64 data.  This value is then taken as an offset difference from the reported ambient room temperature collected from the CFA-633-TMI-KU (also once per second and averaged). 

CPU PWM is defined by the voltage regulator heatsink direct temperature probe as an offset different from the same reported ambient room temperature reading for the same CPU Core test (100%, 50%).  This helps define a working model of how well the evaluated cooler performs as a process of also cooling nearby hardware also under loads, like our overclocked motherboard voltage regulator heatsink.

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Immediately we can see that the be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 is in good company, aligning nicely with some of the best premium air coolers we’ve covered.  But while it does a respectable job, it still cannot reach the level of potential exhibited by the Noctua NH-D15, Deep Cool Assassin III or the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4. 

Making use of a pair of 135mm fans, the be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 boasts neither the fastest nor slowest fans of our testing group as many utilize smaller 120mm blades or larger, 140mm fans. 

Fan speed can be a good indication of noise levels, but this isn’t necessarily true in all scenarios.  Regardless, our noise level chart is absolutely impressive, as all compared coolers post sub-30 decibel noise readings under all circumstances. Silence truly is golden. 

In our acoustic efficiency chart, both the be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 and Noctua NH-D15 see large bias, but for different reasons. The Dark Rock TF 2 sees very low noise levels and good cooling capacity, while the NH-D15 posts the best air cooling results we’ve seen and also is nearly silent. 

Our performance value chart brings price into the equation, and we begin to see how the balance of lower-priced coolers prove their practicality by sticking close to the pack in performance, while remaining quiet during operation. Priced on release at around $86, the be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 might be at the upper limits of some budgets, but there are more-expensive air coolers out there. 

Thermal images from our FLIR ONE Pro shows a marked difference at both 100% and 50% fan speeds, although each shows consistent heat loads across the entire cooler.  We can also see that the heat bloom is slightly cooler at 100% around the perimeter of the cooler and around the motherboard and roof of the case due to the additional volume of air being moved by the pair of 135mm Silent Wings fans.

The be quiet! Dark Rock TF 2 lives in a complex habitat in terms of price and performance. Unless you’re buying it specifically for its low profile, it directly competes against other be quiet! offerings, which also have their own distinct advantages. If you don’t need a compact, downdraft design, there are alternatives in both the price and performance range the Dark Rock TF 2 occupies.

The $86 Dark Rock TF 2 is nearly as pricey as some of the largest and most powerful heatpipe air coolers on the market, depending on sales and general availability. One of these the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, which surpasses the Dark Rock TF 2 in performance at the same price point.  Another comparison exists with both the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 and Shadow Rock Slim 2, as both perform within ~2C of the Dark Rock TF 2, while costing not much more than half the TF 2’s price.  

However, the Dark Rock TF 2 has a more focused purpose, as a cooler in PC builds which require a lower profile premium air solution where other options are too tall or too large, such as in low-noise media HTPCs, recording studio workstations or powerhouse small-form-factor systems. This specific niche may not be huge, but with so many other capable coolers in the Dark Rock family already, it’s obviously one that be quiet! is happy to occupy.

German case, PSU and Cooling mainstay be quiet! have introduced a new budget-friendly quad-heatpipe cooler for system builders with intermediate TDP requirements. The Shadow Rock Slim 2 features a single 135mm Silent Wings fan and large heatsink, offering up an attractive option for those seeking a premium CPU heatpipe cooler for modest to moderate PC builds. About the only thing lacking is RGB. But  that’s par for the course for be quiet!, and a pro for many potential buyers more interested in performance and price than a fancy light show. 

be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 Specs

The Shadow Rock Slim 2 comes bundled with mounting hardware for most common AMD and Intel desktop CPU sockets popular here in 2021.  While it does offer support for Intel 2011x and 2066x sockets (square ILM mounts only), it really is meant for CPUs below the high-end desktop (HEDT) space. Even our overclocked i9-10850k is a bit outside the upper threshold of what this cooler should really be utilized for. But of course the vast majority of systems, particularly those whose owners are after a budget-priced air cooler, will be using a CPU that’s less thermally demanding than a recent 10-core Intel Core i9.

be quiet! Covers the Shadow Rock Slim 2 with a three-year warranty.

Rather than printing documentation on paper, be quiet! has opted to provide product information and installation instructions via scannable QR code.  This helps prevent paper waste as well as always ensuring the Shadow Rock Slim 2 has the most up-to-date version of content for builders and upgraders. 

The Shadow Rock Slim 2 features four copper heatpipes which are situated side-by-side and then offset as they move up into the aluminum fins of the cooling stack.  

The cooling stack is built of 54 individual pieces, including a top bezel with a brushed finish, polished heatpipe cover caps and machine screws. 

The base of the cooler features direct contact from the milled heatpipes and a milled aluminum block which doubles as a mounting point for the cooler.  The fixed mounting block also helps to handle thermal load as a small, solid heatsink with its aggressively milled teeth. 

The base of the Shadow Rock Slim 2 is milled smooth and flat, without any visible light being seen between the base of the mounting block and a steel ruler.  A universal mounting face allows for smooth thermal compound distribution. 

Our paste spread shows a slightly irregular patch during thermal compound spread, but it does cover nearly all of the i9-10850K’s integrated heat spreader (IHS).  We also see a very consistent patch, making for a good mount of the cooler to our test CPU.  As a bit of foreshadowing, we’ll soon see that the slightly incomplete-looking spread did not impact cooling performance. 

The Shadow Rock Slim 2 utilizes a single 135mm Silent Wings fan that’s rated up to 1400 RPM and up to 80,000 hours of operation. The nine-blade PWM fan is designed for quiet operation and optimized airflow. 

The be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 utilizes a relatively simple mounting process and once it’s secured, the 135mm fan is secured with a pair of spring clips for adjustment over memory DIMMs as needed.  The cooler can technically be mounted for vertical or horizontal airflow, but horizontal (as pictured) will provide the most clearance for builds utilizing system memory with taller heatsinks. 

For our CPU cooling tests, we use the same hardware, overclock and configuration for each test, to minimize environment variables in testing. This allows for all results across all coolers tested on the platform to be viable as side-by-side examination for direct compare/contrast. 

Comparisons are based on data collected from testing performed on our Intel i9-10850K system, including re-visiting many previously covered products which were originally covered on the prior testing platform which pivoted around an i7-5930k (4.20ghz @1.20v).  

All data reported for this article has been collected on the current Intel i9-10850k platform and will be maintained as like-for-like evaluation of ongoing cooling coverage.  We’ve recently swapped the taller, Corsair Dominator RGB DIMMs with Corsair Vengeance LPX for lower-profile memory, allowing for higher cooler compatibility for testing.

Prime95 v29.4b8 (no AVX) is used for two-hour intervals, one managing fans at 50% PWM and the other at 100% PWM with RPM measurements being taken every 3 seconds and averaged across the duration of each 2-hour capture.  Omitting AVX instruction sets allows for accurate, 100% loads at chosen clock speeds, while allowing AVX instructions would provide higher, albeit, unrealistic synthetic CPU loads and excessive heat production, less indicative of real-world use.  

This also allows for a greater range CPU coolers to be tested and compared without the need to configure the system differently for smaller coolers which may not handle the excessive thermal loads being generated during testing, while larger coolers might be better equipped to manage heat output produced by the i9-10850k.  

While the test platform is quite capable of a 10-core overclock at 5.0Ghz and 1.265v, we were seeing 360mm AIOs struggle to keep core temperatures in check at lower fan speeds, providing insight that the enthusiast-grade i9’s need excellent cooling if the goal is overclocking.

HWInfo64 is used for real-time core temperature readout, thermal throttling alerts, motherboard power consumption, CPU speed and logging of data, while a CrystalFontz CFA-633-TMI-KU is used to monitor and later average both ambient room (2 probes) and motherboard voltage regulator heatsink (2 probes).

In terms of overall thermal load performance, the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 keeps up with some of our better-performing mid-size and high-end air coolers, while also pulling ahead of some of the more budget-friendly competitors within a dollar or two. The Shadow Rock Slim 2 even trades blows with the ID Cooling SE-207-XT which is a larger, dual-fan cooler. 

The be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 makes use of a 135mm fan, while some of the other options use either 120mm or 140mm size options. Larger diameter fans often turn in slower rotational speeds, but can still move substantial volumes of air. 

Larger diameter fans typically spin slower than their 120mm counterparts, but this does not always equate to lower noise levels. However, for most of our larger fan options in this comparison, coolers with 135mm and 140mm fans lead the way for the lowest recorded decibel levels. 

Coolers with the best acoustic efficiency are seen performing rather well on this chart due to their excellent thermal load performance and the very low noise levels they are able to achieve.  

Performance value favors coolers who function well as a product of thermal performance and acoustic efficiency, but also do well when evaluated based on average unit cost.  A great performer like the Noctua NH-D15 takes a big hit here, whereas budget-centric coolers like the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 that perform well across but are also more affordable, do better.  With an estimated price of $46 at release, the Shadow Rock Slim 2 offers a good balance of price and performance. 

Images with our FLIR ONE Pro show a moderate difference between 100% and 50% PWM fan speeds, with 50% seeing more heat soak throughout the cooling tower as well as around the mount location where the fan seats against the Shadow Rock Slim 2.  Imaging for each also shows evenly distributed thermal loads throughout the cooler, without any hot spots forming.

The be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 fits into a sweet price/performance slot, making it one of the best low-cost coolers we’ve tested. Not only does it perform very well in comparison to these direct-cost comparisons, it also operates almost silently.  As with all be quiet! products, the only feature omission by comparison might be that RGB lighting options here are, well, not an option. But of course for many, that’s ideal. And unless you’re actively trying to avoid RGB, there’s a good chance you have enough lighting in your rig already to outshine most CPU coolers anyway.

System builders looking for a budget cooling option with a focus on function should strongly consider the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 as a no-nonsense performer.  Whether it’s a first time build, a silent workstation or a performance gaming machine, the Shadow Rock Slim 2 is an excellent option for most PC builds, until you cross the threshold into higher core counts and aggressive overclocks. If that’s your aim, you should opt for something bigger, or opt for a  liquid cooler.

When you think of Asus, generally, you only think of its as a motherboard, graphics card, and laptop manufacturer. But the company has expanded its influence over the past few years to include PC peripherals, PC cases, and AIO liquid coolers. So it should come as no surprise that Asus is entering the case fan market with its own ROG Strix XF120 120mm chassis fan. 

The XF120 features high-end specs. Similar to the ML120s from Corsair, the XF120 comes with a MagLev bearing, reinforced fiberglass material, grooved fan blades with rounded edges, and anti-vibration pads.

The operating range for the XF 120 is quite good, with its minimum RPM targeted at just 250RPM and a maximum RPM of 1800RPM. This is perfect for a case fan, as generally, case fans don't need to run at the same RPM levels as CPU cooler fans.

XF120 Specs:

Acoustics:
22.5dba

Cooling Stats:
62.5CFM/3.7mmH20

Longevity:
400,000 hours

For Asus' first chassis fan, the specs for the XF120 are quite good; compared to big case fan brands like the Silent Wings 3 from Be Quiet! or the Fractal Design Venturi, the XF120 brings similar performance with better acoustics.

But compared to Asus' biggest competitor, the Corsair ML120, that fan has better cooling performance specs-wise. But that fan also has a much higher RPM range and is optimized towards airflow and static pressure, whereas Asus' XF120 is optimized purely for airflow, not static pressure.

The Asus XF120 looks promising, but we still don't know what it will cost – all we know is a release target for April. Hopefully, we can get a few of these XF120s in our lab to test in the future.

Although 2020 might have mesh-fronted cases dominating our Best PC Cases list, and be quiet! did indeed also introduce such a chassis earlier this year, the company isn’t straying from its roots entirely. The new Silent Base 802 chassis primarily focuses on silence above all else. But, with the avalanche of high-TDP components landing this year and the next, the update brings forth a welcome addition: an optional mesh intake and mesh top cover, to give the Silent Base 802 a little more cooling performance.

Indeed, if you’re not sure you can commit to a mesh chassis or a closed-front chassis, the Silent Base 802 might be just for you, packing both a damping front panel and a mesh front panel in its box. The silent front panel and side panels all come with thick damping material, which should lead to impressively quiet performance – this is staple be quiet! stuff we have here.

But, all that acoustic and thermal versatility doesn’t come cheap: The standard version we’re testing today costs $160, and if you tack on a tempered glass panel, the chassis will run you a steep $170. Let’s find out if it’s worth your money.

Specifications

External Tour 

Normally, I would begin by touring around the outside of the chassis by describing its looks, but today I’m starting at a different place: the bottom. Why? Because be quiet! hasn’t mounted the feet on this chassis in its shipping box.  

There’s a good reason for this: Once they’re clipped on, the case no longer fits in its box, so they have to come separate. That in itself isn’t a problem as they’re easy to clip on, but once they’re clipped on, the feet are challenging to remove. You can remove them with a flat screwdriver and a bit of violence via the inside of the chassis to get to the clips, but you will damage and scuff some of the internals in the process. 

Following the foot attachment, the external tour reveals no major surprises. One thing to note is that the chassis is truly enormous (21.8 x 11.06 x 21.22 inches), and probably one you’ll want to keep under your desk. Of course, there is a simple reason for its size: all that padding and re-routing of air needs to happen somewhere, which in turn helps grow the case’s dimensions. 

In white, I also find that it looks like something straight out of Portal, or the Citadel in Mass Effect. The chassis has this simplistic, elemental sci-fi vibe to it, which I quite like. Much like its acoustic intentions, the chassis also looks calm and quiet. “Are you still there?” 

You’ll spot the I/O at the top of the chassis, and it does come lavishly equipped. You get two USB 3.0 ports, individual headphone and mic jacks, power and reset switches, an HDD activity LED, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-C port, and a fan controller with three speeds and a PWM mode that detects the signal from your motherboard.  

To pop off the side panels, simply press the button at the rear of the chassis to unlatch the top of the panels, after which you can simply lift them off the chassis. Putting them back on is also as easy as lining up the bottom and pushing the top into place – the mechanism automatically secures it in place. 

With the panels off, you’re greeted with a roomy interior that offers space for up to ATX-size motherboards. You can fit wider motherboards here and cover the cable management grommets, but we would opt for a different chassis at that point. In front of the motherboard you’ll spot five rectangular cutouts. In these places, you can slot HDD trays -- just one of which comes included in the box. These sleds mount the drives in a way that makes them look like they’re floating, which paired with their connectors being on the backside results in a very tidy appearance, even if you populate all the drive slots. 

Pair these five locations with the additional two underneath the PSU shroud, and you can install up to seven 3.5-inch drives, or three with the factory-included accessories. Jump over to the other side of the chassis and you’ll spot three 2.5-inch drive mounts on the back of the motherboard tray, along with the six-port fan controller. This fan controller uses 3-pin ports, so don’t think of connecting your PWM fans up here – in Auto mode, it converts a PWM signal to a voltage-regulated signal. 

Cooling and Noise Padding 

As you pop off the side panels, immediately you’ll be impressed by their weight and the sheer thickness of the damping material. This padding here is 10mm thick, and you’ll find the same thickness on both side panels and the damping front panel. The damping top panel has 3mm-thick padding, as there isn’t space for more.  

Next to having the ability to swap the dampened front panel for a mesh intake, the dampened top panel can also be swapped out for a mesh top. This will be especially attractive to those using all-in-one liquid coolers at the top of the chassis, but if you’re just going the air-cooling route, you’re best left with the dampened top panel unless you’ve installed extra fans here for additional exhaust. 

From the factory, be quiet! includes three 3-pin 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans, which are high-quality spinners. They’re not the top-end Silent Wings 3 PWM fans included with the Dark Base 700, but there’s three of them instead of two, which makes for a more complete package for those who just want to add an AIO or air-cooler to their CPU and call it a day.

The top of the chassis supports up to three 140mm fans or up to 360mm radiators, while the front will house up to three 140mm spinners and up to a 420mm radiator if you remove a plastic cover from the PSU shroud. The PSU shroud also allows you to remove two more covers and replace them with up to two more 140mm fans, and the rear exhaust supports up to a 140mm fan, too. 

Filtration is offered at the front and bottom of the chassis, and the filters are a snap to remove from the front of the case for quick and easy maintenance.

Given this internal layout, it’s clear this chassis is aimed primarily at air-cooled builds, or builds with all-in-one liquid coolers. You can opt to go the custom loop route in this chassis, but you’ll have to make sacrifices to your drive support, and with a steel side panel, I don’t see why you would bother going down that cooling road. 

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 We are using the following system for our case test bed:

Installing our motherboard, graphics card, and power supply into the system was all a breeze. The power supply installs with a faceplate to side in from the rear  -- because look at the side; you won’t get a PSU through there). This is my favorite PSU installation mechanism, and I wish more cases should do it this way. It allows you to make a little extra space inside to easily plug modular cables in, making it possible to install the biggest of PSUs without much fuss. 

Cable Management 

Cable management in the Silent Base 802 is what I would call adequate. There was a time when I would have praised this chassis, but it’s not at the same level as something like the Fractal Design Meshify 2. be quiet! includes Velcro ties, but doesn’t install them for you. There’s no cable guides, just a handful of tie-down points scattered across the back panel.

That being said, there’s plenty of space for cables back here, and with cutouts in all the right places, the main motherboard compartment ends up looking tidy, whatever you do behind the motherboard. With the panel that pops on easily by pushing it into place, we honestly wouldn’t bother ily managing the cables back here because there’s just no need. The amenities might not be there, but there’s so much space that there’s no need for a good system – just ensure the motherboard side is tidy, whack the rear panel on and call it a day.

Build Complete 

In the end, the Silent Base 802 offers a great building experience simply due to the spaced-out nature of its internals. The HDD trays offer plenty of spacing with good airflow between the drives, and everything is easy to reach.

Intriguingly, another key feature of this chassis is the ability to invert its internal layout. If you have the glass side panel, you can swap which side it is on, and the entire internal skeleton can be dismantled and inverted for an upside-down layout. The chassis achieves this seamlessly as it has almost the same internals as the Dark Base 700. But be warned, it’s a lengthy process: recently, I inverted my Dark Base 700 (which has almost identical internals) with a friend who wanted his system placed on the left of his desk, and in the end, that entire build took us the better part of a day to complete. But it’s possible, and once finished, other than a few upside-down texts on your motherboard, it doesn’t look weird at all. 

If you do opt for the variant with the glass panel, be quiet! also includes five plastic covers for the HDD tray cutouts so that you can’t see the cable clutter behind them.

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For thermal and acoustic testing, we are using the following software and settings: 

Fan Characteristics 

The three included 140mm Pure Winds 2  fans might not be top-tier spinners for be quiet!, but they do perform well. Their top speed I measured at about 1000 RPM, with the lowest speed they liked to spin at as low as 400 RPM. This is a perfectly adequate range. 

Acoustic Results 

For our acoustic tests, we run three scenarios: CPU full load, CPU and GPU full load, and an optimized idle. The CPU Full Load test runs the CPU and case fans at their maximum speed. For the CPU and GPU full load acoustic test we add the Nvidia RTX 2070 Super FE at 75% fan speed, because in practice it never runs at 100 percent and is far too loud when it does.

For the optimized idle, we run the GPU fan speed at 40 percent (the 2070 Super FE GPU does not have a Zero-RPM mode), and run the CPU and included case fans at the lowest speed they will spin at.

The noise floor in this room is measured as 34.0 dB during the day. Switch on the Silent Base 802 in the optimized idle scenario, and we get a reading of 34.3 dBA, which is among the quietest I’ve recorded yet. Bump the included fans and CPU fan up to max speed, and we once again get a very quiet chassis, but it’s when the loud RTX 2070 Super runs at 75 percent speed that we get the most impressive result, with a reading of 43.7 dBA. The other lowest reading is 44.7 achieved by the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX, which is notably louder. Most of the noise from the GPU was also that which bounced off the wall behind the chassis, so place it under your desk and you’ll notice it far less.

Putting the mesh panelling on led to a lot more noise coming through the front and top of the chassis, with the RTX 2070 Super being much more intrusive, subjectively, despite the 0.8 – 1.0 dB increase in noise level.

This chassis is also especially good at damping HDD noise compared to open cases.

Thermal Results

For the thermal tests, all case and CPU fan speeds are set to 100 percent. The i9-9900K is pegged at a 4.6GHz clock at 1.1v on all cores to ensure consistent power consumption across test scenarios, and letting the GPU run at 75 percent fan speed enables it to maintain its power target while maintaining one set reasonable fan speed, so that the temperature is the only variable.

Thermally, the Silent Base 802 performs surprisingly well, for a silence-optimized chassis. The included fans don’t let it run very loud, but despite that, its thermals are more than acceptable with the dampened front panel, and switching to the mesh panel makes it offer up almost chart-leading thermals with an improvement of about 3 °C. That’s not a huge thermal penalty for the dampened front panel though, especially given the improvement in acoustics, so I know which option I would choose to use every day. 

Standardized Results

To correct for differences in case fans, for the standardized test we remove the standard case fans and replace them with Corsair ML120 or ML140 units. Up to three fans may be installed, preferably one at the default exhaust location and two at the front intake, in the biggest sizes the case supports. The above tests are then repeated, but because the Corsair ML fans have absurdly high maximum speeds, we run those at 50% duty for the tests, as no case fan should ever need to run above those speeds. 

Subjecting the Silent Base 802 to our standardized suite, we find that the differences between it and other mesh cases are minimal in terms of thermals, albeit a little to the high side, with noise levels slightly higher too. We’re not sure why we recorded slightly higher noise levels, but we do have to note that the noise readings were, unusually, just shy of a dB higher than we normally, get, so we feel there is a bit of a deviation. We did replace the battery in our dB meter recently as the old one ran out, and although it shouldn’t, it is possible that it is responsible for the unusually-high reading.

Using the silent panel, the Silent Base 802 has among the higher thermals of the various cases we’ve tested, but they’re no cause for concern, and it’s among the quieter cases (despite the seemingly high dB reading).

Conclusion

With the Silent Base 802, be quiet! delivers a chassis that lives up to the company’s name. But in 2020 and 2021, mesh-intake cases seem to be on the rise, which is no surprise given the high TDP’s of Intel’s chips and Nvidia’s GPU. Because of this, in a way, it’s nice to see that be quiet! is including a mesh front panel and top cover for those seeking better thermal performance.

But, the thermal penalty for using the dampened front panel is about 3 degrees Celsius on both the CPU and GPU, which isn’t bad at all if you consider the 1 dB improvement in acoustics. 1 dB doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it made a significant subjective difference. Because of this, I honestly question the inclusion of the mesh intake, as it essentially takes everything this case does right to keep the noise from leaking out and sticks a big, gaping hole in it – completely defeating the point of buying a silence-optimized chassis. If you’re buying this chassis with the intention of using the mesh as your main front panel: don’t – there are better mesh cases out there. 

But if it’s silence you’re after, the Silent Base 802 offers impressive acoustics, paired with more-than-adequate thermal performance. It’s also extremely pleasant chassis to work with as it has tons of room for building, the panels come off easily, as do the filters for easy maintenance. As a case that sits under your desk and just does its job, this thing is brilliant. Whack the mesh on in summer if you don’t have AC and the thermals get out of control, and voila.

The only other things holding the 802 back from greatness are its steep price of $160 ($170 with tempered glass), the sheer size of the thing, and its outdated cable management system. That, and it’s a little inconvenient that the feet are so difficult to remove, because you’ll have to fight it to get it back in the box -- which you may want to do with your build if you need to move it to a new house or apartment at some point.

Also, if you’re in the market for a premium quiet case like this but with tempered glass, be quiet! has some stiff competition in its own lineup: I’d pony up the extra $10 to get the be quiet! Dark Base 700 instead, as that chassis offers more flexibility with the drive mounts, PWM fans, (non-addressable) RGB lighting, and actual brushed aluminum instead of painted steel – which all go a long way to making you feel like you get more for your money, even if it’s a hair more expensive. I like the Silent Base 802, but I’m not in love with it the way I am with the very-similar Dark Base 700.

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be quiet! has a strong offering in the super high-end PSU category, the Dark Power Pro 12 with 1500W max power. It achieves high overall performance, and it remains quiet, even under severe operating conditions. It isn't as efficient, though, as the Corsair AX1600i, something expected since it doesn't use at totem-pole PFC converter. Moreover, its overall performance is notably lower than Corsair's top offering. The Dark Power 12 1500 might take the performance lead from the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2, which has proven its bullet-proof design, though, though the mining era, but it doesn't pose a severe threat to the Corsair AX1600i, so it cannot be included in our best power supplies list in the high-Wattage category. 

The new flagship line from be quiet! is named Dark Power Pro 12 and lists two members, with 1200W and 1500W max power. Both are made by CWT and use a new platform that features digital control for most of its circuits. According to be quiet! these units can achieve up to 94.9% efficiency, which sounds impressive. They don't state the input voltage, though, but we can safely assume that it is 230V, because such high-efficiency levels with 115V are super hard to achieve. 

Both Dark Power Pro 12 units are 80 PLUS Titanium certified, with the 1500W model also featuring a Cybenetics ETA-A+ efficiency rating, which is even tougher to achieve. Moreover, Cybenetics rated the Dark Power Pro 12 1500W as LAMBDA-A-, which means that it is very quiet for such a powerful power supply. Nonetheless, its stronger competitor, the Corsair AX1600i, achieves an even better noise rating (LAMBDA-A).

There are several innovations in this product. For starters, its fan utilizes a frameless design for increased airflow and lower noise output. Moreover, according to be quiet! the fan speed profile is digitally controlled. Finally, there are six +12V virtual rails in total, combined into one if you use an overclocking key (jumper). Lastly, the individually sleeved cables are an added luxury, which will be highly welcomed by most users. 

Specifications

Power Specifications

Cables and Connectors

A large number of cables accompanies the PSU. This is expected, of course, given the huge capacity. All cables are super long and individually sleeved, with adequate distance between them. 

Besides two EPS connectors, you also get ten PCIe ones, so you can easily build the gaming system of your dreams or a powerful workstation.

If you decide not to use the overclocking key jumper, which combined all 12V rails in one, you should pay attention to the scheme shown above. It explains the power distribution of the 12V rail among the PSU's sockets. 

If you need up to two PCIe connectors, use connector A. If you need more, use the connectors marked as B and leave A last. If you follow the above instructions, you will have balanced power distribution.

Component Analysis

We strongly encourage you to have a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss.

Although CWT used digital controllers to control the APFC converter along with the primary switching FETs and the +12V regulation circuit, still the minor rails and the 5VSB circuit use analog controllers. Moreover, this platform isn't as advanced as in the Corsair AX1600i and the Wentai Aidan-T1616 units. There is no Bridgeless totem-pole PFC and GaN MODFETs, a state-of-the-art combination that allows for up to 99% efficiency in the APFC converter. 

If you want to learn more about the totem-pole PFC converter, take a look at the review of the AX1600i. 

The transient/EMI filter has more than enough parts to do a good job. Still, we noticed several high EMI spurs during the EMC pre-compliance test that we conducted. 

There are two powerful bridge rectifiers. Combined, they can handle up to 50 Amperes of current. 

The power supply uses an interleaved PFC converter, meaning that two APFC converters operate in parallel with a phase difference between them. This minimizes input/output current ripple and lowers conduction losses, increasing efficiency, and doubling the effective switching frequency. 

Since there was no space on the APFC heat sink, two FETs had to be left out. This is why CWT used two beefy and two standard FETs in this converter. It is a great shame, though, that they didn't choose a bridgeless totem-pole PFC converter, which would offer up to 3% higher efficiency. The digital control that this PSU has is ideal for this kind of PFC converter. 

The bulk caps have a high capacity, 1830uF in total. So we expect a pretty long hold-up time, although this also has to do with the programming of the main PWM controller.

A pair of driver ICs handle all four FETs of the PFC converter. 

The four primary switching FETs are arranged into a full-bridge topology. Typically, an LLC resonant converter is also used, to boost efficiency through the lossless switching of the primary FETs. Lastly, the IC drivers that handle the primary FETs are two Si8233BD, provided by Silicon Labs. 

Since there was no room for one large, main transformer, CWT had to use two smaller ones. 

Texas Instruments provides the pair of digital controllers. Their model number is UCD3138A, and this is not the first time we see this type of MCU. One of them handles the APFC converter, and the other one the primary switching FETs and the 12V regulation circuit. One of these MCUs also takes care of the system's protection features, cooperating with the two analog supervisor ICs.

Twelve On Semiconductor NTMFS5C612N FETs regulate the 12V rail. They are installed on vertical boards, which are right beside the main transformers, to minimize voltage drops and energy losses. 

The DC-DC converters that generate the minor rails are installed on the same daughter-board. In total, six FETs are used, and a single PWM controller. There is no digital control for these rails, unfortunately. 

Not many electrolytic caps are used,  but most of the caps that CWT used are of high quality. Ripple filtering relies mostly on polymer caps, and there is a massive number of those, 40 to be more specific. 

Many polymer caps are installed on the modular board, along bus-bars that handle power transfers. 

One of the supervisor ICs is installed on the center of the modular PCB, while the other one is on the solder side of the main PCB. Weltrend provides both supervisor ICs. 

The 5VSB rail is regulated by the circuit shown in the photos above. It uses analog controllers, as the minor rails. CWT has higher efficiency 5VSB circuits in its portfolio, so we wonder why it didn't use one of these in such a high-end PSU. 

Soldering quality is good, as expected in such an expensive product. 

The cooling fan uses a frameless design, which helps in producing more airflow. According to be quiet! this design also allows for lower noise output. 

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To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units. 

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

The following charts show the main rails' voltage values recorded between a range of 40W up to the PSU's maximum specified load, along with the deviation (in percent). Tight regulation is an important consideration every time we review a power supply because it facilitates constant voltage levels despite varying loads. Tight load regulation also, among other factors, improves the system’s stability, especially under overclocked conditions and, at the same time, it applies less stress to the DC-DC converters that many system components utilize.

Load regulation is tight but not tight enough to meet the competition, even the analog platforms from Super Flower and SilverStone. On the other hand, the minor rails achieve fantastic performance. 

Hold-Up Time

Put simply; hold-up time is the amount of time that the system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption.

The hold-up time is notably higher than 17ms, thanks to the large capacity of the bulk caps. 

Inrush Current

Inrush current, or switch-on surge, refers to the maximum, instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when it is first turned on. A large enough inrush current can cause circuit breakers and fuses to trip. It can also damage switches, relays, and bridge rectifiers. As a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as it is turned on, the better.

Inrush current is low with 115V and remains below 90A with 230V. Given the capacity of the three bulk caps and the PSU's 1500W max power, we cannot expect much lower inrush currents with 230V. 

Leakage Current

In layman's terms, leakage current is the unwanted transfer of energy from one circuit to another. In power supplies, it is the current flowing from the primary side to the ground or the chassis, which in the majority of cases is connected to the ground. For measuring leakage current, we use a GW Instek GPT-9904 electrical safety tester instrument.

The leakage current test is conducted at 110% of the DUT's rated voltage input (so for a 230-240V device, we should conduct the test with 253-264V input). The maximum acceptable limit of a leakage current is 3.5 mA and it is defined by the IEC-60950-1 regulation, ensuring that the current is low and will not harm any person coming in contact with the power supply's chassis.

The high amount of Y caps used in the EMI filter increases leakage current. The larger the Y caps are, the better attenuation of asymmetrical interferences (at high frequencies), but the increased capacity also leads to higher leakage currents. 

10-100% Load Tests

These tests reveal the PSU's load regulation and efficiency levels under high ambient temperatures. They also show how the fan speed profile behaves under increased operating temperatures.

The PSU doesn't have the slightest problems delivering full load at high operating temperatures. Moreover, the PF readings are high, thanks to the adequately tuned interleaved PFC circuit. Some manufacturers don't pay much attention to power factor, but it is as important as efficiency. Briefly, the higher the power factor, the less energy goes wasted back to the mains network. Although residential consumers do not have to pay for apparent power, it is of immense importance for all of us to waste as little energy as possible. 

20-80W Load Tests

In the following tests, we measure the PSU's efficiency at loads significantly lower than 10% of its maximum capacity (the lowest load the 80 PLUS standard measures). This is important for representing when a PC is idle with power-saving features turned on.

Efficiency with 20W is dead low since this load level is close to 1.3% of the PSU's max-rated-capacity, and the new ATX spec states that the 70% threshold applies to 2% of max power.

2% or 10W Load Test

Intel plans on raising the ante at efficiency levels under ultra-light loads. So from July 2020, the ATX spec will require 70% and higher efficiency with 115V input. The applied load is only 10W for PSUs with 500W and lower capacities, while for stronger units we dial 2% of their max-rated-capacity.

The PSU is very close to 70% with 2% load, so we will mark it as a pass here. 

Efficiency and Power Factor

Next, we plotted a chart showing the PSU’s efficiency at low loads, and loads from 10 to 110% of its maximum rated capacity. The higher a PSU’s efficiency, the less energy goes wasted, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and lower electricity bills. The same goes for Power Factor.

This is a highly efficient platform, but it cannot keep up with the digital competition, and with 2% load, it is second, from the bottom. 

5VSB Efficiency

CWT has much more efficient 5VSB circuits in its portfolio, so, weirdly, it didn't use one of them in this platform. Not that we have a serious problem with the existing one, but when you want to meet high-end competitors like the Corsair AX1600i and the Wentai T1616, you have to bring your top guns into the fight. 

Power Consumption In Idle And Standby

Vampire power consumption is dead low, helping the 5VSB circuit achieve high efficiency at super light loads.

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature, and Output Noise

All results are obtained between an ambient temperature of 37 to 46 degrees Celsius (98.6 to 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

be quiet! instructed CWT to keep the fan speed profile as relaxed as possible, without jeopardizing the PSU's reliability. 

The following results were obtained at 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) ambient temperature.       

There is no passive operation, but this is fine with us since the fan operates at low speeds, even with loads exceeding 1000W. The PSU enters the 30-35 dBA zone once the load reaches 1150W, and it moves to the next region (35-40 dBA) with higher than 1300W loads. All in all, under normal ambient temperatures, you will barely hear this PSU's fan. 

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Protection Features

Check out our PSUs 101 article to learn more about PSU protection features.

Evaluating the protection features of this PSU was a daunting task because of the high number of 12V rails. Moreover, according to our new testing protocol, we evaluate OCP and OPP under both hot and cold operation to have a clear view of the protection features circuit under different environmental conditions. 

Keeping the same triggering points at both high and low temperatures can be a problem for PSUs that utilize analog controllers and passive parts like resistors and current transformers. These passive parts are affected by ambient temperature. On the contrary, this is not a problem for digital controllers where you can easily compensate for a possible drift, which is clearly shown in the OCP cold and hot rows, where the triggering points are identical. 

The OCP triggering points are higher than our ideal setting (130%), but in no case, this leads to high voltage drops or/and increased ripple. Moreover, the PSU was able to deliver a pretty high load before shutting down, something that it wasn't the case in our standard tests at 46 degrees Celsius, where anything close to 110% of the unit's max power led to shutting down, with both 115V and 230V input. Most likely, the high operating temperature played a role there. 

DC Power Sequencing

According to Intel’s most recent Power Supply Design Guide (revision 1.4), the +12V and 5V outputs must be equal to or greater than the 3.3V rail at all times. Unfortunately, Intel doesn't mention why it is so important to always keep the 3.3V rail's voltage lower than the levels of the other two outputs.

The 3.3V rail is always lower than the other two, as the ATX spec requires. 

Cross Load Tests

To generate the following charts, we set our loaders to auto mode through custom-made software before trying more than 25,000 possible load combinations with the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails. The deviations in each of the charts below are calculated by taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) as point zero. The ambient temperature during testing was between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Load Regulation Charts

Efficiency Chart

Ripple Charts

The lower the power supply's ripple, the more stable the system will be and less stress will also be applied to its components.

Infrared Images

We apply a half-load for 10 minutes with the PSU's top cover and cooling fan removed before taking photos with a modified FLIR E4 camera able to deliver an IR resolution of 320x240 (76,800 pixels).

The highest temperature is recorded on one of the two coils of the DC-DC converters. The large electrolytic caps between the 12V board and the modular PCB take a bit of stress under the conditions we applied. Still, if the unit's fan is in operation, which will be the case in real life, their operating temperatures will be lower since nothing obstructs airflow in this area.

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Advanced Transient Response Tests

For details about our transient response testing, please click here.

In the real world, power supplies are always working with loads that change. It's of immense importance, then, for the PSU to keep its rails within the ATX specification's defined ranges. The smaller the deviations, the more stable your PC will be with less stress applied to its components. 

We should note that the ATX spec requires capacitive loading during the transient rests, but in our methodology, we also choose to apply a worst case scenario with no additional capacitance on the rails. 

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 20ms

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 10ms

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 1ms

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 20ms

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 10ms

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 1ms

The transient response is good at 12V, but nothing can beat Super Flower's Leadex platform (used by the EVGA 1600 T2) in this area. Voltage deviations are low in the other rails, too.

Turn-On Transient Tests

In the next set of tests, we measure the PSU's response in simpler transient load scenarios—during its power-on phase. Ideally, we don't want to see any voltage overshoots or spikes since those put a lot of stress on the DC-DC converters of installed components.

Fantastic performance here, with no notable spikes or voltage overshoots. 

Power Supply Timing Tests

There are several signals generated by the power supply, which need to be within specified, by the ATX spec, ranges. If they are not, there can be compatibility issues with other system parts, especially mainboards. From year 2020, the PSU's Power-on time (T1) has to be lower than 150ms and the PWR_OK delay (T3) from 100 to 150ms, to be compatible with the Alternative Sleep Mode.

The PWR_OK delay is lower than 150ms during the first test and slightly higher in the second, so we can safely assume that this PSU will support the alternative sleep mode once it becomes available to mainboards. 

Ripple Measurements

Ripple represent the AC fluctuations (periodic) and noise (random) found in the PSU's DC rails. This phenomenon significantly decreases the capacitors' lifespan because it causes them to run hotter. A 10-degree Celsius increase can cut into a cap's useful life by 50%. Ripple also plays an important role in overall system stability, especially when overclocking is involved.

The ripple limits, according to the ATX specification, are 120mV (+12V) and 50mV (5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB).

Ripple suppression is good, especially on the minor rails. But nothing can even touch the AX1600i at 12V. 

Ripple At Full Load

Ripple At Cross-Load 1

Ripple At Cross-Load 2

EMC Pre-Compliance Testing – Average & Quasi-Peak EMI Detector Results

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is the ability of a device to operate properly in its environment without disrupting the proper operation of other nearby devices.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) stands for the electromagnetic energy a device emits, and it can cause problems in other nearby devices if too high. For example, it can be the cause of increased static noise in your headphones or/and speakers.

Things don't look so good here since we measured lots of high EMI spikes at 1 MHz and 600 kHz.

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Performance Rating

The overall performance is high, but it isn't even close to the AX1600i, which remains the king in this category.

Noise Rating

The graph below depicts the cooling fan's average noise over the PSU's operating range, with an ambient temperature between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Dark Power Pro 12 features silent operation, but it cannot beat the AX1600i even in this region, which is be quiet's specialty. 

Efficiency Rating

The following graph shows the PSU's average efficiency throughout its operating range with an ambient temperature close to 30 degrees Celsius.

The average efficiency is high, but we would like to see more from a new platform that tries to enter the big boys club. 

Power Factor Rating

The following graph shows the PSU's average power factor reading throughout its operating range with an ambient temperature close to 30 degrees Celsius.

The average PF rating is high. 

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Instead of trusting its favorite manufacturer, FSP, be quiet! trusted CWT for its new flagship PSU line. The Dark Power Pro models utilize a new platform with good build quality and high-performance levels in all areas, while at the same time manages to keep noise output low. 

Nonetheless, we have a feeling that CWT should use a more advanced design. Yes, there is digital control for the APFC converter, the primary side, and the 12V circuit. Still, there is no bridgeless design that the much older EVGA 1600 T2 utilizes, or the super high-end bridgeless totem-pole PFC converter that both the Corsair AX1600i and the Wentai Aidan T1616 use. If you want to go after products like the ones mentioned above, you have to try hard. You have to use cutting edge technology, and not just a traditional recipe which might still work well, but it cannot threaten today's top-performing units in this high wattage category.

There is no doubt that the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1500W should be on your short list if you want to combine a pair of RTX 3090s with a power-hungry AMD Threadripper CPU. It has the power to support all parts mentioned above while keeping noise output low. 

If you are after the best performance possible, you should take a look at the Corsair AX1600i, which costs a bit more but also features control and monitoring capabilities through Corsair's iCUE suite. On the other hand, if you want even more power you should grab an EVGA 1600 T2 if you find any available. It has a lower overall performance than the Dark Power Pro 12 1500W, but it is bulletproof and can deliver huge amounts of power, much higher than its advertised levels, even under high ambient temperatures.

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Disclaimer: Aris Mpitziopoulos is Tom's Hardware's PSU reviewer. He is also the Chief Testing Engineer of Cybenetics and developed the Cybenetics certification methodologies apart from his role on Tom's Hardware. Neither Tom's Hardware nor its parent company, Future PLC, are financially involved with Cybenetics. Aris does not perform the actual certifications for Cybenetics.

Introducing a new all-in-one liquid cooler in the US isn't easy if you're not using Asetek's designs, but be quiet! has come up with a creative solution to circumvent their patents. The German company's latest AIO is called the Pure Loop, which comes with a double-decoupled pump. Could this be a future addition to our Best CPU Coolers guide?

The double-decoupled pump is essentially one that is placed along the fluid lines, and be quiet! says that this design is to ensure quiet operation and minimal vibration.  

be quiet! is equipping the Pure Loops with CPU blocks that come with nickel plating, a 27 mm thick radiator, and white LED lighting on the block. Even though most AIO's last long enough nowadays to not warrant early replacement, be quiet! built a refill port into the Pure Loops and ships it with a small bottle of coolant, so that you can refill it or top it off after running for 5 years to get a bit more life out of it, rather than retiring it to the landfill. 

The Pure Loop will come in 120mm, 240mm, 280mm, and 360mm variants, with pricing ranging from $85 to $120.

In the same briefing, be quiet! also informed us that it is coming out with a white version of the Shadow Rock 3 cooler, and it is updating the Silent Base 801 to the 802, which will come with extra front and top mesh covers so that you can pick between silence or performance.

The Pure Loop and white Shadow Rock 3 will be available in October, with the updated Silent Base chassis landing towards the end of November.

The be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum with 650W capacity (E11-PT-650) offers dead silent operation and has compact dimensions. Are those two features enough, though, to match opponents like the formidable Corsair RM650x and the Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum 650W? Although the RM650x has a lower efficiency rating in the 80 PLUS scheme, still its overall performance is notably higher than the E11-PT-650, and the same goes, of course, for the Seasonic model. Given the high prices of all be quiet! products in the US, there is no reason to select the E11-PT-650 over the two products mentioned above. It's a solid choice but not one of the best power supplies.

The new Straight Power 11 Platinum line from be quiet! is made by FSP, like the previous one, and uses a new platform featuring a full-bridge topology. The Straight Power 11 Platinum models start from 550W and go up to 1200W, for users that need more power. The older, Gold, line starts from 450W and reaches up to 1000W. Besides the different capacities, the number of EPS connectors has also been increased in the new models. Only the E11-PT-550 comes with a single EPS, with all the other models featuring two, except the 650W and 750W units, which have three EPS connectors! There is no need, of course, for three EPS in any power supply. The E11-PT-750W and 650W might come with three EPS connectors, but only two of them can be used at the same time, with both of them hosted on the same cable. You can read more on this below, in the cable and connectors description.

The E11-PT-650W is the second smallest member of the family. Besides a fully modular cable design, it also features a Silent Wings 3 fan, which is driven by a relaxed fan speed profile. All be quiet! products are known for their quiet operation, and this PSU is not an exception. Finally, for the internals, FSP used high-quality components, and this is why the price of this product is increased, especially in the US market.

Specifications

Power Specifications

Power Distribution

The power distribution is good, because the EPS and PCIe connectors are powered by different rails.

Cables & Connectors

Since the PSU only has one EPS socket, and be quiet! wanted to equip it with a pair of those connectors, it comes with two different EPS cables. The first hosts a single connector while the second has two of these connectors. The problem is that you cannot fully exploit two of those connectors with the same cable, especially if you use 18AWG gauges. Each EPS can draw up to 336W, so a pair of them can easily damage the corresponding socket on the modular panel, along with the connector on the PSU side. Nevertheless, be quiet! chose to go on with this weird cable because the PSU has four +12V rails, so with the proper OCP setting on the corresponding rail, it is safe to use a pair of EPS on the same cable. 

All cables are long enough, and the number of peripheral connectors is satisfactory. Finally, the distance between the SATA and the 4-pin Molex is adequate, at 150mm.