be quiet!’s CES 2020 booth had a few little gems for us to look at this year. Most notably was the announcement of its latest budget-oriented A-RGB case, the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX. Available in both black and white variants, this airflow oriented ATX design is an evolution of the original Pure Base 500. Announced at Computex 2019, and released in September of the same year, it’s impressive to see be quiet! launch an iterative variant of this chassis so soon. We’ve been told that although the 500 appeals to those who prefer a simple, sleek look on a budget, the 500DX expands on that by giving users a more sophisticated design, with better airflow, and stronger stock performance thanks to the inclusion of a third Pure Wings 2 140mm fan inside.
On top of that, be quiet! has also integrated a brand new lighting design to the Pure Base 500, with completely addressable RGB LED strips located in the front panel shining light both internally and externally around the chassis. You can control these directly via the motherboard with the usual bevy of software suites from the likes of Asus, MSI, Gigabyte and others, or alternatively through the buttons located on-top of the front I/O panel. Rather unsurprisingly given the nature of the lighting, be quiet! Is only selling the 500DX in a tempered glass windowed variant unlike its predecessor which comes both with and without window.
That aside, the interior looks quite nice to build in, you get a full-length PSU cover with a unique triangle air flow cutout above the power supply location, good cable management, and plenty of dust filters located in the front and the roof as well. What’s particularly nice is the finish on the internal steel, of course all the corners are folded and smooth, but it’s completed with an almost sandblasted texture to it, which certainly helps during the build process to avoid any untimely fingerprint smudges, and it's oddly satisfying to build in, despite how little time you actually spend tinkering inside of your case.
be quiet! expects the Pure Base 500DX to launch in March of this year and it’s aiming for a price of around $100, about $15 more than the standard Pure Base 500.
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 - PSU
Next up on the list of interesting things the company's launched, is the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12. This full-sized power supply is the successor to the original Dark Power Pro 11. A PSU that has been my staple test-bed power supply for over five years now without fault. Upgrades over the old one include a complete redesign of the circuitry within, a fully modular cable interface, a patented frameless Silent Wings 135mm fan setup (providing “flawless air cooling and virtually inaudible operation"), and of course you get that 80 Plus Titanium certification as well, with power conversion efficiency upwards of 94.9%. It also comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
be quiet! informed us that it’ll be available in both a 1200W and a 1500W variant this February, for $400 and $450 respectively.
The big thing for me however is the design of it. The clean aluminum shroud just looks incredible, and combine that with the pre-single sleeved cables with included (removable) cable combs, and we’re immediately on to a winner. PSUs are a bizarre thing for a system-builder like me. Despite the fact you rarely ever see them once a build is complete, it’s still very nice to know you’ve got a good looking power supply, as vain as that is. The reality is its the internal hardware, the efficiency, the wattage-rating, and the warranty that matters the most when picking up a PSU not its looks. Yet that said, be quiet! has nailed all of the above with the Dark Power Pro 12, so what’s not to love?
