be quiet! Dark Base Pro 900 Case Review

By Avery Little
published

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Building

Pushing the upper left corner inward produces a tactile click, and then the door swings out smoothly. Extending the modular theme, this latch and hinge set can also be swapped to the other side of the door. A thick layer of foam inside the door dampens noise.

A fine mesh dust filter covers slots for two 140mm or 120mm front fans, beneath two optical drive bays. Above the optical drive is an analog fan controller, and a case-length dust filter slides out from below the fans.

The two optical drive covers are held in place by a pinching mechanism. The circuit air flow system provides airflow throughout. The case is entirely modular, providing the ability to install the motherboard tray and side panels on any side that’s desired.

Besides mounting on either side of the chassis, the motherboard tray can also be installed at different heights. The Dark Base Pro 900 was delivered and tested at XL-ATX spacing, and dropping the tray one hole still allows enough room to install a single slot card at the bottom of an ATX motherboard.

The HDD storage system is modular as well. Basically, if you can think of a way to configure your system then this case can support it. The only thing that can’t move is the power supply (which, by the way, is separated from the frame of the case in order to reduce vibration noise.

The case supports water cooling, with radiator mounts in the front, back, top and bottom. The top supports radiator sizes of 120, 140, 180, 240, 280, 360 and 420mm. The bottom supports 120mm, 140mm and 280mm. The front supports 120, 140, 240, 280, 360 and 420mm. The rear supports 120 and 140mm. The support for water cooling is exceptional. Combined with the modularity of the case, enthusiasts should be pleased with the options available for customization with the Dark Base Pro 900.

Orange rubber grommets for cable routing are positioned alongside the motherboard. The inside also features a PCB fan controller board, which also powers the Qi charger on top.

The included installation kit comes with the owner’s manual, velcro straps, an extra rubber grommet, a rubber stud, assorted screws and extra storage trays.

The tempered glass does a great job of showcasing the enclosure with great views on the inside of the case. Finally, the two included LED strips can really light up your high end case.


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Avery Little
15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Sam Hain
    Corsair 760T in this... "case", LOL.
    Reply
  • cliffro
    Pricewise this is more comparable to the Enthoo Primo than the Evolv.
    Reply
  • jimmysmitty
    18191231 said:
    Pricewise this is more comparable to the Enthoo Primo than the Evolv.

    It is quite expensive.

    My question is why is the PSU upside down? The pictures have the PSU fan facing the GPU which means the PSU is pulling air from the GPU and might be causing the CPU to run warmer since it will get less cool air.
    Reply
  • CBender
    This is something i'll say for a first time for a case. This is so damn BOXY.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    This may just be the perfect case I have been looking for. There are plenty of reasons to choose this case. I love the functionality you have. The modularity, the silence. I also love the high-grade materials used in the design, aluminum and tempered glass. Lastly, I find this case beautiful, more visually appealing than the competition. I think this is the case I'm going to get.

    Does anybody know when it becomes available?
    Reply
  • JustanotherSith
    July sometime I believe.
    Reply
  • 3ogdy
    Finally a case a Noctua fan looks good in. Didn't think I'd ever say that. Well, except for the Sabertooth / military color combination.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    18191231 said:
    Pricewise this is more comparable to the Enthoo Primo than the Evolv.
    I agree, but the Evolv was the closest Phanteks case we'd received. Let's not forget that the Dark Base Pro 900 is a smallish "full tower", and finding cases from our collection which were both size-appropriate and price-appropriate was difficult. Having said that, I'd like to get the Primo into our charts.

    Reply
  • Compuser10165
    I have a bequiet Silentbase 800 and I am very please with it. However I sth remove the side panel to help cool my R9 390 when needed, and that is with and extra fan on top. This case cooling also seems to be limited to the fans being low static pressure. Altough it is silent, nonetheles. I consider the 900 as a bigger 800 with higher build quality (aluminium) but also a much higher price. I don't know if I would choose it in that price range.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    18199801 said:
    I have a bequiet Silentbase 800 and I am very please with it. However I sth remove the side panel to help cool my R9 390 when needed, and that is with and extra fan on top. This case cooling also seems to be limited to the fans being low static pressure. Altough it is silent, nonetheles. I consider the 900 as a bigger 800 with higher build quality (aluminium) but also a much higher price. I don't know if I would choose it in that price range.

    I had a similar problem with my MSI R9 390 in my NZXT H440. The temps were reaching 90C. However, unlike your situation, I simply installed two top exhaust fans and then my temps lowered all the way down to 70C and fan RPM went down by 60%. I love this Be Quiet case despite its lack of effective cooling, as seen in the review, but I am having a lot of trouble deciding between two cases:

    -Be QUiet Dark Base Pro 900
    -Lian Li PC-O8WGN (Link)

    I love features that both have, but I am kind of attracted to how the Lian Li looks. Only thing that concerns me is the airflow in the Lian Li. There are three intake and exhaust, but the intake are all in the back by the HDD cages and PSU, and so are two exhaust. On the motherboard side of the case (since it is a cubical case it has two zones) it just has a single exhaust fan.


    What I find strange, though, is that the CPU and GPU both got great temps on the overclockers' review: http://www.overclockers.com/lian-li-pc-o8-case-review/ but they actually had a radiator at the top and the fans were top intake. So I don't know what to do at this point - Be Quiet or Lian Li. The Newegg promo on the Lian Li would let me get it for under $300 and it ends in two days! So I ought to decide by then.
    Reply