be quiet! has introduced some new products from their FX series. Among them is a modified version of the well-known Pure Base 500DX case – the Pure Base 500 FX. Innovations are mainly found in the installed fans and the lighting in the case. I was allowed to use the Pure Base 500 FX already and would like to share my experiences with this case in this review.
Design
Quite be quiet!-typical, the Pure Base 500 FX is mainly kept simple. However, it also has a few playful design aspects to show for it.
The case is monochromatic in a classic black. Other colors are not yet available for the case. The left side panel is completely made of tempered glass, which offers a generous view into the case and the installed hardware. The front of the 500 FX allows a lot of surface area for air exchange due to two large and rounded grilles. Between the aforementioned air-permeable grilles run two vertical LED strips that can be operated with different RGB modes. The top of the case is very open in design, just like the front. Here you will find a very coarse honeycomb grille that can be magnetically covered with a thinner mesh mat.
The front panel could use a few more ports for my taste. Besides the power button and a button to control the RGB lighting, only one USB-C 3.1 and USB 3.0 port each, as well as the headphone and microphone slots have been installed here.
The interior has a classic design with a cover for the power supply at the bottom of the case. At the front end of the case is a removable bar that allows two SSDs to be visibly mounted inside. There are cutouts for cable management on all sides of the interior. A total of four Light Wings RGB fans are installed in the case. Three of them are 120 mm fans behind the cover in the front of the case and one larger 140 mm fan, which already provides a good airflow in the case by default. There are no fans on the top cover of the case. Here exists enough space to mount AIOs with a maximum size of 280 mm.
Workmanship
There is nothing to complain about the workmanship. Be quiet! relies completely on steel for the Pure Base 500 FX except for the front cover and the removable cover on the top. The side panel is made of tempered glass, as already mentioned. The covers for the PCIe slots can be unscrewed and do not have to be broken out. On the back of the case you can find an ARGB and PWM hub, to which the built-in case fans are also already connected.
Typical for be quiet!, the inside of the back cover is covered with a layer of sound-absorbing material.
Space
Especially the width of the Pure Base 500 FX has been chosen very generously, which means that you are not limited by the case in your choice of CPU cooler. Likewise, there are no restrictions for graphics cards due to the length of the interior. In the Pure Base 500 FX ATX, M-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards can be used.
I did have one issue to contend with during the Pure Base 500 FX test, however – namely, the gap between the motherboard and the case lid. This was unfortunately a few millimeters too small for my configuration. With the Pure Loop 2 FX AIO from be quiet! installed on the case lid, my RAM didn’t find enough room at the top of the motherboard. Fortunately, I was still able to finish the build by removing the heatspreaders from the sticks. Then the RAM sticks just fit.
With a different motherboard and RAM, it may well not be a problem. Still, the case would have liked to be another 1-2 inches taller so edge cases like this wouldn’t be a problem.
Airflow
Thanks to the open design of the Pure Base 500 FX, nothing stands in the way of good airflow with this case. The three front 120mm fans draw in plenty of air through the open front, which can then be released through the slightly larger fan at the back or through the cover on the top. There is room for an AIO in both the front and top. In the front with a size of up to 360 mm – on top with up to 280 mm.
The space for the PSU at the bottom of the case also gives the PSU a separate air circuit that feeds under the case.
There are dust grilles underneath the case as well as in the front. Therefore, large-grained dust cannot penetrate the case, which can reduce cleaning efforts. Nevertheless, the grilles should be cleaned regularly so that the airflow is not affected by collecting dust.
Loudness
Despite the case’s focus on airflow, be quiet! hasn’t forgotten their focus on quiet PCs with the Pure Base 500 FX. Thanks to the insulation on the right side panel and the sophisticated fans, the PC remained pleasantly quiet during testing even under full load and was not distracting. Other cases from be quiet!, which have fewer vents and, for example, no glass panel as a sidepanel, are even a bit more sound-noisy. Due to the open character of the case, the volume is also relatively dependent on the installed hardware. However, the Pure Base 500 FX strikes a good compromise between insulation, airflow and design.
Value for money
At a price of €149.90, the Pure Base 500 FX is available from be quiet!. This puts it in the upper midfield in terms of pricing. Cheap cases are available starting at around €50, but the Pure Base 500 FX comes with many features that justify the price. On the one hand, the workmanship is impressive, which especially inexpensive cases often can’t show. In addition, there are the four already installed fans, which also belong to the better RGB fans on the market, as well as the ARGB hub of the case. Of course, you also pay something for the brand on this, but I still think that the Pure Base 500 FX is a good choice in this price segment. Especially at the asking price of €119.90, the case is a pretty good deal.
Conclusion
On the whole, the Pure Base 500 FX is a good all-rounder that can convince in terms of airflow, design as well as volume. The price is also reasonable for the quality that the case offers. Therefore, I think the Pure Base 500 FX is a good choice if you are looking for a case in the range of around €100.
be quiet! Pure Base 500 FX
Design
Workmanship
Structure
Airflow
Noise level
Value for money
88/100
An appropriate successor for the Pure Base 500DX.
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