BeQuiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White review – Reference case now also available in bright white

1 - Introduction and unboxing 2 - Techical data and features 3 - Building report and assembling 4 - Temperatures 5 - Gallery and conclusion

Gallery

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Conclusion

Since only minimal details have changed compared to the black version, e.g. improved rivets in some places and a radiator slide in the front that is a few millimeters longer, I’m taking the liberty of adopting both the conclusion and the award from the original review.

Price

Let’s talk about the price first. Big tower cases are expensive, especially if they are insulated. And even if the price is still in the mid-range compared to the competition, €320 is a lot of money for a computer case. Should a case cost that much? Is the price justified or is the case really worth the price? I can’t answer that question because everyone has to decide for themselves. What I can say, however, is that I have never seen such a well-equipped and flexible case. The quality of the Dark Base Pro 901 also leaves no doubt that you are dealing with a premium product.

Features

When it comes to the features and equipment, you can tell that a lot of brainpower has gone into the development of the case. Cable routing is child’s play thanks to the many channels, and the fan control with contact connectors saves a lot of cable clutter and makes installation easier. The completely inverted installation is only interesting for people who have their PC on the left-hand side of the desk, but the ability to remove the mainboard tray alone is great – I haven’t seen that for a long time. The countless application possibilities offered by the case are also exciting: Large custom loops are no problem, data collectors can mount several hard disks and silent freaks can cover almost all openings with insulated panels.

Airflow and volume

Which brings us to the subject of airflow and volume. I’m certainly not a silent freak, but I am definitely sensitive when it comes to PC noise. In particular, the whirring of poorly decoupled water pumps, mechanical hard disks and uneven or high-frequency fan speeds drive me crazy. I don’t even want to think about the rattling bearing noises of poorly manufactured fans. The pre-assembled Silent Wings 4 fans are still quiet enough on level 1 of the integrated fan control (approx. 500rpm) to meet my requirements for a silent system. In my opinion, this is quiet enough that I can see no reason to smother the fans behind the front and top panels with the closed (insulated) covers. The fans could still blow out or suck in air through the perforated transitions on the lid and front – as with the predecessor – but without this resistance, the air flow has a much easier time. With the open covers and slowly rotating fans, very good temperatures can be achieved at a low noise level. Thanks to the stable construction, the large rubberized feet and the absence of loose/rattling parts, the transmission of vibrations should also be kept to a minimum.

Appearance, personal conclusion and minor points of criticism

The point “optics” cannot be assessed objectively in and of itself, which is why I have moved it to the personal conclusion. I have to admit that I have rarely liked the look of previous BeQuiet! cases. They were either “too closed” for me, had a strange design language, color accents that couldn’t be changed or features that didn’t make enough sense for me to have to make any compromises. When I first saw the Dark Base Pro 901 in pictures, it was no exception. My opinion only changed when I saw Igor’s Computex video. And now that I’ve seen it in the flesh and have it sitting on my desk, I have to admit that it’s actually a real visual treat – which doesn’t come across at all in the pictures. I really like the feet, the subtle ARGB accent stripe is something to behold and the illuminated front I/O is not only an eye-catcher, but also quite practical in a dark room. All in all, the Dark Base Pro 901 impressed me both visually and haptically.

However, there are a few small things about the Dark Base Pro 901 that annoy me a little. I’m used to the large Corsair and Thermaltake cases having hinged side panels, which allows quick maintenance or a small handle inside without fiddling – with the 901, I first have to remove two thumbscrews and then fiddle around again until the side panel sits correctly in the guides. From my point of view, there are also discrepancies in the proportions. The case is so deep that I can only place it crosswise on my desk. This is probably mainly due to the hard disk cages, which – and this is just a personal assessment – probably only a fraction of buyers will use to the extent that they should take up so much space anyway. For me, it would have made more sense to take away some depth from the case and give it 2-3cm more height instead, so that you could also use three 140mm fans (ideally even a 420 radiator) AND the 5.25″ drive in the front. As it is, you can unfortunately only use 2x 140 or 3x 120mm fans in the front in conjunction with the ODD slot. Unfortunately, despite the changes made to the front radiator bracket, the latter has not been realized, which I think is a bit of a shame.

The case was provided by BeQuiet! for this test. The only condition was compliance with the embargo period, there was no influence or compensation.