Pure Base 500 Loudly Announced by be quiet!

Announced for a mid-September launch, the Pure Base 500 puts a true mid-tower within reach for customers of be quiet! We’re talking a PC case with a height of less than 17.2 inches in a market where the line has been blurred between mid and full towers of similar feature sets. We’ll excuse you for a minute if you’d like to party like it’s 1999.

To be available in both windowed and windowless versions and the buyer’s choice of black, white or gray, MSRPs range from $75/£70 for the windowless black version upward, with the tempered glass window adding $10 and the nonblack finishes $5. The glass for the black version is tinted, the glass for the other colors clear and the steel for the windowless versions damped with an antivibration sheet.

Highlights include two Pure Wings 2 140mm/900-RPM fans, a removable section on the top panel that can be replaced with an included mesh filter, a bottom-panel filter that pulls from the front, support for up to three 120mm radiators and two 140mm radiators on top, a cable concealment panel that also supports two SSDs, a removable drive cage and a removable power supply mount that allows installation from the rear.

Low points viewed thus far include a card bracket that extends out the rear panel, which can make card installation more difficult.

Front panel support is reduced to a pair of USB 3.0 ports, which some manufacturers will call 3.1 Gen1, despite the lack of update for the internal header. These are found next to a power button, headset and microphone jacks on the top edge of the front panel.

With the extra space shown in front of an ATX motherboard in the first photo and the removable concealment panel, we have yet to determine whether an oversized (10.6-inch deep) motherboard might fit.  

be quiet! Pure Base 500 Specs

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Motherboard CompatibilityATX, M-ATX, Mini-ITX
Case TypeMidi-Tower
PSUPS2 ATX (not included)
Dimensions (LxWxH)450 x 231 x 463mm
MaterialSteel (SGCC), ABS plastic
Weight6.95kg (net) / 7.92kg (gross)
I/O Panel2x USB 3.0, HD audio (microphone + audio)
PCI Slots7
Drive BaysUp to 2x 3.5-inch (2 included) Up to 5x 2.5-inch (5 included)
Preinstalled FansFront: 1x Pure Wings 2: 140mm / 900 RPM Rear: 1x Pure Wings 2: 140mm / 900 RPM
Optional FansFront: 1x 140mm / 3x 120mm Top: 2x 140mm / 120mm
Optional Radiators (mm)Front: 120, 140, 240, 280, 360 Top: 120, 240 Rear: 120, 140
Maximum DimensionsCPU cooler: 190mm PSU: 258mm / 225mm (depending on position of the HDD cage) GPU: 369mm
Noise cancellationSound insulation mats (front / regular top cover / sides)

Photo Credits: be quiet!

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • jim465
    No USB-C on front panel - no thanks.
    They need to start thinking about the future.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    jim465 said:
    No USB-C on front panel - no thanks.
    They need to start thinking about the future.
    Future? I doubt future low-budget cases will have it. You're looking at a $60 case with a $10 silent treatment. And don't just ask for Type C, because we saw non-quieted cases for under $100 a few years ago that had Type C on a USB 3.0 header. If you want performance, ask for Gen2 specifically.
    Reply