Re: the sound deadening panel. The panel can absorb reflected noises even if the case isn't completely closed off. Yes, it's not going to be as total as if the case were completely closed, but it does help.
Was about to say that... kind of like the difference between screaming in an empty room, and screaming in a room with a couch. It would sound completely different.
Indeed. I review coolers for Tom's Hardware, I've noticed lower noise levels in my Silent Base 802 vs other cases using the same air coolers. It can definitely make an impact on louder air coolers.
@@matthewstout7974 If sound travels in all directions, and it escapes something, then it can bounce off something outside the case, and start traveling in all directions again.
The GPU support backet was that size, because you are able to have your wires run inside the foot aswell and hide them if glass front. It has two functions :)
Yeah, these CC's are really getting ridonkulous with their lame comments. It's easy to be snobbish when you have 100k in parts just laying around. Especially when you see those Unifans He has and wonder why no one has them in stock lol.
@MasterZoentrobe It does support rather many 3,5" bays though. You need to get extra brackets for them but you can mount them in the rectangular holes in the front.
Seriously, I felt exactly the same. Unless some weird new tech comes around too large for this case, you literally have an enclosure that fully future proof for at least 10 more years. I used all my lightwings 140's from my old system in this and it came out looking great.
Thnkyou in advance. I went ahead and got the tower after watching this video. FYI... The sound densing panels make a huge difference. I too was surprised.
I have been using my 801 black for almost 6 years now. It has seen multiple systems. Multiple watercooling configurations and it has been amazing. Now.. this Dark base 901. That would be worth upgrading to. The only problem i really have with my 801 is airflow. It doesnt have a lot of that stuff.. the 901 looks GOOD!
I have same 801, I took grinder to front panel ,first popped the foam off in side cut large rectangle and recycyled a 1970 wire mesh from old speaker grill from box tv. 9x 140 fans and 3x 120 fans, great cooling for Australian weather
I did a build a while ago in the Be Quiet! Silent base 802, it was for my work and that was pretty much the only decent case I could find for the specific use case, (server/work station). You know: neutral, no glass!, good air flow among others. It was great to build in, basically no effort at all, works great.
I like the 5.25" accessible bay. I'd actually love to see the option for up to six 5.25" accessible bays. That would allow for a full ATX board size for use as a home server once I add two cages that adapt three 5.25" bays to four 3.5" hot swap.
I would say just build your own NAS, even much older cooler master designs offer great cooling and hot swap built in functionality. It would work in this case but cost far more to do all the conversions. Hot swap is neat but not really needed for home use, even many large businesses still have all network drives solid mounted requiring tools to fix a raid error/failure.
@@daveboy2000 i got a little drawer i put small things in like sd cards, usb drives. its crazy how much i dont want to part with that silly little drawer in the 5.25 bay. this might be the case to get me to sell my 760t
You should do another video with an actual build in this case, because this is were the trouble for some customers started - according to customer reviews on german dealer websites. I would be especialy intersted in a build wir an inverted motherboard installation, which would be a big selling point for me.
That's slick. It's not just a GPU sag bracket.... it's "modesty deco" for covering the power cables for the GPU. It has a magnetic base so it can be compatible with any GPU. I'm not in the market for a case right now, but I would definitely consider this one if I was! I love the modularity of it. Haven't seen anything like this since the O11D Evo!
I Own a Fractal Define 5 or maybe its a 7 idk its been awhile. It also has a sound deadening front panel with vents on both sides, but not the top/bottom. It is significantly quieter with the panel closed opposed to open (it swings open on this case). Sure those panels don't absorb it all but just like in a vehicle using sound deadening it reduces it down to a less noticeable level. You would be surprised how well it works.
I think the sound dampening is very good to have on the front and side panels because both are big panels that can resonate, especially the front since it's pop in/out. Edit: Ok holy hell it's expensive but I guess if you like the look the modularity is going to give you a case you can build in over and over again for as long as the front I/O stays relevant.
Crap deal tbh. Better if they sold it for ~$150 with the options you choose instead of $300 for a bunch of stuff people don't want. Aim for a $130-180 customized configuration version where you aren't getting so many parts you'll never use. Sound deadening is useful and while most elastomers like those used are only ok-ish, Jay fails to understand resonance and stopping sound from bouncing around and out of the case. That said, if anything, it seems like a mitigation for Be Cool's fans high pitched whine factor (wavelengths where such materials work better). Better to have fans with low frequency white noise like Nidec Typhoons than Be Cool's piercing trash caused by the ribbing.
@@aaronb1138 Yeah the production costs hike up fast when you build something so modular but it's good to have options on the market for people that need something this specialized and don't mind the cost. The fan noise is a good point btw, something this expensive is expected to have pre-installed fans and since installing fans from a different brand isn't really an option they probably mitigated the annoying noise profile with padding.
This makes a good option for a Home NAS build with all those hard drive slots and the 5.25" bay. It's nice to see that they support modern standard designs, and heavy storage RAID and retro optical drive based builds all in one case!
I use my 5.25 as a storage bay for USB sticks ect. BUT the downside is that (unlike the 900) you lose TWO 3.5 drive bays (or 4 SSD mounts) if you want to use that ONE 5.25
I love 5.25 bays. It's something I look for and would rather have 5.25 bays top-to-bottom on a front panel than glass or just big fans. It's not just for optical drives but hot-swap drive bays as well which are available for 2.5, 3.5, U.2, U.3, NVMe, etc, drives. There are various 'front panels' giving extra ports as well as fan controllers and even LCD monitors that all fit 5.25 drive bays. There are also 'cooling modules' for 5.25 bays.
I love Jay testing the noice deadening material pointing towards the camera while having his mic on his shirt.. So..... Ehhhm Never change Jay, we love you for you. :)
All the features and extra brackets included reminds me of what you used to get from manufactures 15yrs ago. The ability to alter the case to fit your specific build is a great thing to have. I love the modularity here. It is not for everyone, but if you want to get creative, it allows the builder to play with options. Great case for a free-builder. Fair price for the features and forecasted lifespan. Good - wireless charging. (convivence) Bad - front open-air I/O (dust/debris)
Dark Base Pro 900 rev 2 user here. While it has the inverted build option, wireless charger and so on, changes from 900 to 901 are very big! Nice to see that they really went ahead and upgraded almost every area of what seemed to be "my last computer case" when I bought it. That's the reason I splurged. I don't personally need any of these changes so I won't upgrade, but it's fun to see a case that can do pretty much everything, except fit into a small space. I use mine to add extra space for random stuff... I mean it makes sense to use it as a small table, with the QI charger and all! Part box being properly strapped in is good, since before (when it was *lighter* too) they used a method that could let it get loose in the mail and bounce around inside the case, if it got rough handled. So, an upgrade in that area too.
I love the detailed manual. It's a huge plus when planning a watercooled build (I assume it's available online so you can plan and order everything without having to wait till you have the physical case instructions)
Thanks for a well detailed unboxing, I'm thinking of buying. I do have the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev 2 which also is fully modular. The beQuiet customer support I'd had dealings with in Germany (I'm in Athens Greece) is excellent, as i needed 2 extra hdd cases and extra hdd custom mounting screws, their respnse time was very fast and efficient with no "beating about the bush" as also was their response to certain queries I had. Thanks once again for this vid.
It is a higher priced case, but the customizability you get is well worth the price. It looks very well thought out so I imagine custom looping or just a standard aio build is going to be a breeze. The hardest part would be deciding how you want to configure it with so many options 😂. Great job Be Quiet!
As to the 5 1/4" bay? Some people still use optical, but the bigger one is that there are a MULTITUDE of adapters for the form factor. IcyDock can turn that one bay into a whole slew of 3.5", 2.5", U.2, and M.2 options!
Coming from the Dark Base 700, this new 901 series and the shadow 800 series are the only cases that come in my mind when upgrading. By far the best design combined with the best practicability! So glad they continued the series. :)
The GPU support: It looks like it can also be used to help hide the cables being plugged in as well. Does it have the depth to take a 4080 with the cables plus the support. The magnets are cool too since it is an easy adjust.
I'm hoping you do a full build in this case for proper testing. Very interested in seeing this case in use. I've been in the market for a damn inverted ATX case so I can run both my game and stream rigs in mirrored cases.
Been using the previous Dark Pro 901 rev2. for the last 2.5 years. This newer version is an improvement on mine and I love the bay for the 5.25" drive too. They are well made but I have found that the old version can be tricky to deal with and the manual wasn't particularly extensive. Well done to BeQuiet for improvements.
Hey Jay, that 5.25" bay is for an optical drive. Yes, some people still use an optical drive or at least want the capability to install one. I have three re-writable DVD drives in my home server because I get called on to make CD copies of musical performances for people, and with three drives I can make a bunch of them pretty quickly. And most people do connect the HD Audio so those 1/8" jacks on the front are at least functional if not optimal. There's no advantage to leaving them unconnected.
When? It's 2023 (almost 2024), let disk drives die already, lol. If you so desperately need an optical drive, just buy an external USB-powered one. It would be a lot neater and take up way less space.
dunno about you but now that my damn phone doesn't have a headphone jack, and my car has no tape drive anyway, I've really been leaning on the old cd player. @@kasper_429
This is going to be my next case :) yes it's expensive, but it's so modular, that you could keep using this case for many future builds. I wish it was cheaper, but compared to some other cases that offer less for more, i think it's alright
If it saves you just one case upgrade as you change hardware it pays for itself I'd say. It's damn expensive but as you say it's going to be good for many builds to come.
I've had my Dark Base Pro 900 for a few years now, I love the case, supports optical drives, and I have it setup inverted. If I was going to replace it or buy a new one today the 901 looks like a good choice. Keeps the optical support, keeps inverted, I like the new front panel. Also like they redid the power supply area vs the 900 setup.
Thanks you for doing Be Quiet one. Nothing beats precision German engineering. And your video are so helpful and interesting to watch and learn. I hope to see you build a beefy set-up in that case.
This case looks really well engineered. It's too bad that the aeshetics just do not speak to me. I still use 5 1/4 inch bay to add more usb ports to the front of the case. I use a lot of USB devices which is also why i tend to get motherboard with more more ports. I know you cna use hubs but if the computer has enough ports why would I use a hub if I don't need to. and the sound deadening matterial and closed panels do make a difference. I use a fractal design r6 and you could hear a difference instantly of how loud the fans were just by opening the front door.
The 'deadening' material can damp resonance that might otherwise be induced in panels by fans and HDD's. As to airborne/general fan and HDD noise (yes, people actually still use the latter, much as that might surprise our host), from my admittedly limited experience with two cases that use it extensively I would say it does noticeably reduce it.
Why do youtubers never put the title of the product they're talking about anywhere in the video title or description? Are you afraid I'm going to click away from the video, or what? This is so annoying.
It's because jaytwocents is the worst tech youtuber and it isn't even close. He has so many vague video titles and absolute time wasters. I remember he talked about an m2 drive issue that concerned me, so I watched it waiting for some big solution he talked about "Uhh just update it" Absolutely waste of time.jaytwoscents you are a bad youtuber
Thanks for this review! - finally a more versatile case, they even included a 5.25" bay option, cool. I like it overall for the great front panel options, controllers, wireless charging etc - definitely a refurb option for a secondary unit I have that will be many times better off.
Depending on the material they used, it doesnt matter if theres mesh next to it, it actually absorbs sound waves. So although it wont negate all the sound, it doesnt do nothing.
I am very interested in this, I'm currently in love with my very modular Core P6, but really like some of the features I'm seeing on this. I do love the removeable motherboard tray, I had a case that had that feature back in the day and it made building/troubleshooting so easy. I'd love to see more cases like this, giving us options out of the door, because at least in my mind that adds a lot of value to the purchase I'm considering.
I have had my 900 case for 6 years now and its still amazing.(also come with the Qi charger built in), I cant think of another case other than the newer 901 that is as modular or sturdy.
I have been using the original Dark Base Pro 900 v1 for something close to 8 years and it has been an amazing case. - the only things that annoyed me about it was the solid blocked front panel and top panel. I ended up cutting a giant hole in the top and front panels and fitting my own mesh to get airflow in my radiators... i eventually switched to the Corsair D7000 last year for my latest watercooling build, and i've kept my old Dark Base Pro 900 in storage. But i am loving to see that they have finally created a new version (the 901) with all of my greviences of the first one resolved and a ton of new innovations to go along with it! BeQuiet has been one of my favourite case brands for a very long time! 😊
I have a Dark Base Pro 900, great case. I got it because i wanted a inverted ATX setup, makes my Aorus 2070S look nice (they have a led on the fanblades) And i put a hot-swap HDD bracket in the 5,1/4 bay.. easy access for error checking drives.
Many people don't use the cd/dvd/br drive anyway, or use external ones. Pc case looks more neat without that any big drives being seen. And it gives more customization on the case, like putting smal figurines or whatever in the case,most specially those who are really spending alot on their pc...
I am planning to get this case right now. few things I like to mention: 1. the previous version of the case (dark base pro 900) already had a QI charger, so it's not the first time they thought about that 🙂 2. the previous version although had a front "door" cover the entire front panel, which actually made it easier (as 901) to swap/clean the front dust filter 3. one thing I am wondering about this case: on the MB tray, you can see the 2 small holes (14:19) under one of the 2.5 SATA mounting point. In the dark base pro 900 there was a built-in FAN Controller on this position. the 901 doesn't. So for the premium line of the bequiet case, this seems to be a step-down for me 😕
That is a darn nice case. The front I/O is actually where it will be accessible. It looks like cable management would be pretty easy. No complaints at all on this one.
6:49 Oh that's easy: Icydock hotswap drive bays, although I don't think they'd fit in the rather small cut-out down there. If you had 3 full width 5 1/4 slots down there you could easily host a 5-bay HDD enclosure for an awesome bulk storage config. Would buy in a heartbeat. :)
@JayzTwoCents Thanks for including the weight in the specs. Some manufacturers don’t provide it and it frequently isn’t covered in reviews. I use a sit stand desk with an under desk tower mount. I have to keep tower dimensions and weight in mind.
Yeah I have the Dark Base 900 and I'm glad to see in the 901 they positioned the PSU all the way to the back of the case. The PSU in the 900 is located several centimeters from the back and connects internally to the rear plug using a short power cable. I never understood the reason for this. Also, Bequiet! are one of the few cases that come with high quality fans already installed. The first thing I replaced, in other cases I've owned, were the fans.
This case has so many well thought out features. Excellent modularity - which you summed this up perfectly in saying "...that allows you to fit the case to your build rather than fit your build to the case." The Front Panel Connectivity, with Fan Control buttons--all pre-wired for an extremely tidy build--is possibly the best I've ever seen. The phone charger on top is the icing on the cake (or case, I guess). However, I disagree with your scepticism about the sound deadening. Sound waves do not travel the same as air. Sound waves bounce off whatever surface they hit, so, with the front side and top having dampening material, it will likely help reduce the noise much more than an all mess exterior. Also, Whilst the price might seem steep at first, You get what you pay for here. This case could outlast whatever parts you put in it. Upgrading or even a complete rebuild would be more of a pleasure than a chore.
Sound deadening usually utilizes absorbent material with reflective angles that create similar amplitude wave reflection, which reduces total detectible noise levels outside the initial area of effect. That's how auditoriums can remain relatively echo free.
Their version 1 Dark Base 900 also had the wireless charger. I've had it for years and it still works. This new one is full of awesome upgrades and innovations from the original. It's a company with really well thought out products, I love their stuff.
Jay that GPU support bracket also hides the three 8 pin PCI cables or the newer 12V HPWR cable. The Qi charger on the 901 was also on the 900 Rev 2. I have a 900 Rev 2 and still use it to this day.
Best way to quiet a case is to run it fanless and relatively open to compensate for airflow. You still need to run fans on cpu and gpu but case fans can be gotten rid of. Both my pcs use standard cases that are open on the side (I put a grill in place of the window), with the mesh/dust filters front and top with no case fans and its a lot quieter and temps are fine.
@5:42 Sound travels in all directions. While not a lie, it's not exactly true, though. You can use a mic on your camera to pick up the sound in front of the lens while not picking up sound coming from the sides and back. If you trap the sound coming out front, there will be much less sound leaving to the sides.
I actually don't mind the way mesh generally looks aesthetically but I do typically still prefer a solid panel more for that. However an aesthetic I really like and would like an return of in some way was the vented slots molded into the enclosure a lot of 90's electronics had.
Nice case and a very detailed and thoughtful review. I like the 5.25" bay as I have many DVD's BR's CD's etc. I am not a fan of glass sides, they are unsafe. I don't understand why the manufacturers are not using acrylic. If you bump the corner of even tempered glass it will likely break making a huge mess that will literally take weeks to completely cleanup (hard to get all those tiny pieces that go every where) and is very unsafe for kids and doggies. After a slight fumble, I shattered the glass on my Corsair 5000D. I used the left over side parts to convert to acrylic, took a little time but not hard; so on the next fumble, it won't break and looks better too.
Recently built my new i5-13600k rig in a Pure Base 600 along with a Dark Rock 4 cooler, and I'm pretty darn happy with it. I was going to have a DVD drive in one of it's two 5.25" bays, but it had died from lack of use in my old rig. I only have the two supplied case fans running on low through the built-in speed control, and was truly gobsmacked how quiet they are. The cooler's fan is also very quiet, with the cpu at default settings it's averaging only 38c browsing the net, playing movies etc, with the on-chip graphics (no add-in graphics card for me, just don't need one for my usage). The only negative points with the case were having to doublecheck every screw as they weren't tightened up fully, I had to replace an unthreaded stand-off, and the captive screws on the drive cages don't thread into the case as well as I'd expect.
While the sound dampening doesn't do much to prevent sounds from propagating to the surroundings, it will however prevent some sounds from resonating with the large surfaces making the case a big sound amplifier to certain frequencies.
6:51 How about an ashtray ? I remember (obviously when I still smoked) having this Thermaltake Ashtray 5,25" thing with a cigarette lighter in my Mozart TX VE1000BWS case (yes, that EXTREMELY HUGE HTPC they released in 2006~ish). I don't smoke anymore, but it would be an awesome nostalgic thing. I'm so planning to get this 901. German kraftmannschaft (or however it's written). Superb stuff.
The general consensus is that 15-30% of area covering is a good starting point to notice a difference in noise level. So even with that mesh, any damping "SHOULD" reduce the sound output level. Also that " GPU support bracket gives a channel to hide the power cables. That's a great addition
I've got it shortly after release because I wanted to do an inverted build and it's lovely to build in and use. Graphics card holder feels like a very useful, well engineered thing when you've got a big RTX card hanging on top of everything else.
I have the silent base 802 and have it set up in the inverted mode to sit on the left side of desk. Absolutely love it but it is a job of converting it over. Great review as always!
Same with DB900. I did it twice and both times I had to pull up their video tutorial. But this one seems easier to invert. MB tray, back panel, side panel on PSU shroud and that's it. plus a lot of it is on the captive thumb-screws which is a huge step-up from DB900.
Re: the sound deadening panel. The panel can absorb reflected noises even if the case isn't completely closed off. Yes, it's not going to be as total as if the case were completely closed, but it does help.
Was about to say that... kind of like the difference between screaming in an empty room, and screaming in a room with a couch. It would sound completely different.
Yep, this. Sound goes in all directions. So if you block one particular direction then the rest of the room has X-1 sound blasting around.
yea, he should not talk about sound anymore, it's insulting lol
Indeed. I review coolers for Tom's Hardware, I've noticed lower noise levels in my Silent Base 802 vs other cases using the same air coolers. It can definitely make an impact on louder air coolers.
@@matthewstout7974 If sound travels in all directions, and it escapes something, then it can bounce off something outside the case, and start traveling in all directions again.
The GPU support backet was that size, because you are able to have your wires run inside the foot aswell and hide them if glass front. It has two functions :)
Came here to write this 😅
Yeah, these CC's are really getting ridonkulous with their lame comments. It's easy to be snobbish when you have 100k in parts just laying around. Especially when you see those Unifans He has and wonder why no one has them in stock lol.
Love the fact that Be Quiet is still offering 5.25" bays in their cases. Having quality, current cases available that support optical drives is great.
For real! It'd be better if it could support a dozen 3.5" drives as well. It'd make a perfect NAS/Media Server case then.
I use the free AIO PC I got when I need an optical drive (ripping CDs/DVDs) 😂
@MasterZoentrobe It does support rather many 3,5" bays though. You need to get extra brackets for them but you can mount them in the rectangular holes in the front.
Yeah, there are so many of us ripping blu-rays for use on NAS’s as well! There are dozens of us!
@@vdevov Practically a gross!
I have this case, and for the first time ever, this actually feels like an endgame case for me. Well worth the money.
Seriously, I felt exactly the same. Unless some weird new tech comes around too large for this case, you literally have an enclosure that fully future proof for at least 10 more years. I used all my lightwings 140's from my old system in this and it came out looking great.
got an 802 on the way, had an 800 previously. i really like bequiet. Quality cases
I've been rocking the Darkbase 900 ver 2 for 4 years now and its been a great case. The right combo of performance, tower server, and mature looks.
Does the Rev 2 has a wireless charger? My Dark Base Pro 900 rev 1 had it
I wanted to get the 900v2 for my latest build. It looks way better than the 901.
Same, but it's very small inside.
@@kevo05s Yes it has, but it's a pretty slow charger, the 901 probably has a faster charger.
@@kevo05s Yeah it does, its not the fastest but it works well enough while you spend your day on the PC.
Thnkyou in advance. I went ahead and got the tower after watching this video. FYI... The sound densing panels make a huge difference. I too was surprised.
I have been using my 801 black for almost 6 years now. It has seen multiple systems. Multiple watercooling configurations and it has been amazing.
Now.. this Dark base 901. That would be worth upgrading to.
The only problem i really have with my 801 is airflow. It doesnt have a lot of that stuff.. the 901 looks GOOD!
The Airflow Front Panel (BGA10) is still floating around for purchase.
I have same 801, I took grinder to front panel ,first popped the foam off in side cut large rectangle and recycyled a 1970 wire mesh from old speaker grill from box tv. 9x 140 fans and 3x 120 fans, great cooling for Australian weather
I did a build a while ago in the Be Quiet! Silent base 802, it was for my work and that was pretty much the only decent case I could find for the specific use case, (server/work station). You know: neutral, no glass!, good air flow among others. It was great to build in, basically no effort at all, works great.
I like the 5.25" accessible bay. I'd actually love to see the option for up to six 5.25" accessible bays. That would allow for a full ATX board size for use as a home server once I add two cages that adapt three 5.25" bays to four 3.5" hot swap.
It's also nice if you still rock an optical drive.
I would say just build your own NAS, even much older cooler master designs offer great cooling and hot swap built in functionality. It would work in this case but cost far more to do all the conversions. Hot swap is neat but not really needed for home use, even many large businesses still have all network drives solid mounted requiring tools to fix a raid error/failure.
@@daveboy2000 i got a little drawer i put small things in like sd cards, usb drives. its crazy how much i dont want to part with that silly little drawer in the 5.25 bay. this might be the case to get me to sell my 760t
You should do another video with an actual build in this case, because this is were the trouble for some customers started - according to customer reviews on german dealer websites. I would be especialy intersted in a build wir an inverted motherboard installation, which would be a big selling point for me.
That's slick. It's not just a GPU sag bracket.... it's "modesty deco" for covering the power cables for the GPU. It has a magnetic base so it can be compatible with any GPU. I'm not in the market for a case right now, but I would definitely consider this one if I was! I love the modularity of it. Haven't seen anything like this since the O11D Evo!
ooooo I want to build in this so bad ... I think that may be my next case when I need to! Would love to see a Jay build in this!
That's actually a beautiful case! Love how it's so customizable.
I Own a Fractal Define 5 or maybe its a 7 idk its been awhile. It also has a sound deadening front panel with vents on both sides, but not the top/bottom. It is significantly quieter with the panel closed opposed to open (it swings open on this case). Sure those panels don't absorb it all but just like in a vehicle using sound deadening it reduces it down to a less noticeable level. You would be surprised how well it works.
I think the sound dampening is very good to have on the front and side panels because both are big panels that can resonate, especially the front since it's pop in/out.
Edit: Ok holy hell it's expensive but I guess if you like the look the modularity is going to give you a case you can build in over and over again for as long as the front I/O stays relevant.
To me it does seem like a great case honestly, all that ease of maintenance is a luxury that we could all use sometimes
@@Ferrari255GTO True, if it doesn't work it doesn't matter how pretty it is, and this definitely looks like you can build almost anything in it.
Crap deal tbh. Better if they sold it for ~$150 with the options you choose instead of $300 for a bunch of stuff people don't want. Aim for a $130-180 customized configuration version where you aren't getting so many parts you'll never use. Sound deadening is useful and while most elastomers like those used are only ok-ish, Jay fails to understand resonance and stopping sound from bouncing around and out of the case. That said, if anything, it seems like a mitigation for Be Cool's fans high pitched whine factor (wavelengths where such materials work better). Better to have fans with low frequency white noise like Nidec Typhoons than Be Cool's piercing trash caused by the ribbing.
@@aaronb1138 Yeah the production costs hike up fast when you build something so modular but it's good to have options on the market for people that need something this specialized and don't mind the cost.
The fan noise is a good point btw, something this expensive is expected to have pre-installed fans and since installing fans from a different brand isn't really an option they probably mitigated the annoying noise profile with padding.
This makes a good option for a Home NAS build with all those hard drive slots and the 5.25" bay. It's nice to see that they support modern standard designs, and heavy storage RAID and retro optical drive based builds all in one case!
My 900 will eventually become my primary home server. It was a very versatile case. This one looks like it’ll come close.
I use my 5.25 as a storage bay for USB sticks ect. BUT the downside is that (unlike the 900) you lose TWO 3.5 drive bays (or 4 SSD mounts) if you want to use that ONE 5.25
@Pilot_Steve I use a hotswap module for 4 ssd/hdd. There are even moduels for up to 8 ssd if you need.
that 5.25 is perfect for M-Disc archival solutions , its a really neat case!
damn, I almost forgot that Discs Drives exists 😅
I love 5.25 bays. It's something I look for and would rather have 5.25 bays top-to-bottom on a front panel than glass or just big fans. It's not just for optical drives but hot-swap drive bays as well which are available for 2.5, 3.5, U.2, U.3, NVMe, etc, drives. There are various 'front panels' giving extra ports as well as fan controllers and even LCD monitors that all fit 5.25 drive bays. There are also 'cooling modules' for 5.25 bays.
I love Jay testing the noice deadening material pointing towards the camera while having his mic on his shirt.. So..... Ehhhm
Never change Jay, we love you for you. :)
All the features and extra brackets included reminds me of what you used to get from manufactures 15yrs ago. The ability to alter the case to fit your specific build is a great thing to have. I love the modularity here. It is not for everyone, but if you want to get creative, it allows the builder to play with options. Great case for a free-builder. Fair price for the features and forecasted lifespan.
Good - wireless charging. (convivence)
Bad - front open-air I/O (dust/debris)
Love big cases. Phil's getting good at the stop motion and it's an excellent use of the technique too.
Great to see a review of the case. Dawid does tech stuff recently used it for a dual EPYC build but didn't go into detail about the case.
I've got the Dark Base Pro 900. It's fantastic!
Dark Base Pro 900 rev 2 user here. While it has the inverted build option, wireless charger and so on, changes from 900 to 901 are very big! Nice to see that they really went ahead and upgraded almost every area of what seemed to be "my last computer case" when I bought it. That's the reason I splurged. I don't personally need any of these changes so I won't upgrade, but it's fun to see a case that can do pretty much everything, except fit into a small space. I use mine to add extra space for random stuff... I mean it makes sense to use it as a small table, with the QI charger and all!
Part box being properly strapped in is good, since before (when it was *lighter* too) they used a method that could let it get loose in the mail and bounce around inside the case, if it got rough handled. So, an upgrade in that area too.
I love the detailed manual. It's a huge plus when planning a watercooled build (I assume it's available online so you can plan and order everything without having to wait till you have the physical case instructions)
A huge plus vor building a reverse ATX case too.. it too me a while but the manual is clear enough that you only have to do things once.
Thanks for a well detailed unboxing, I'm thinking of buying. I do have the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev 2 which also is fully modular.
The beQuiet customer support I'd had dealings with in Germany (I'm in Athens Greece) is excellent, as i needed 2 extra hdd cases and extra hdd custom mounting screws, their respnse time was very fast and efficient with no "beating about the bush" as also was their response to certain queries I had.
Thanks once again for this vid.
It is a higher priced case, but the customizability you get is well worth the price. It looks very well thought out so I imagine custom looping or just a standard aio build is going to be a breeze. The hardest part would be deciding how you want to configure it with so many options 😂. Great job Be Quiet!
As to the 5 1/4" bay? Some people still use optical, but the bigger one is that there are a MULTITUDE of adapters for the form factor. IcyDock can turn that one bay into a whole slew of 3.5", 2.5", U.2, and M.2 options!
functionally - this case looks to be the best forward thinking for cable management that we've seen so far! and lord knows cable management is insane
I did a build in the 900 once and WOW. I was totally blown away by the quality of the case. It also has a QI charger at top.
Coming from the Dark Base 700, this new 901 series and the shadow 800 series are the only cases that come in my mind when upgrading. By far the best design combined with the best practicability! So glad they continued the series. :)
I finally decided on a case to use in my very first build..this is the case for me!
I have the previous version of that case and I absolutely love it! I’d love to see you put a build together inside this one inverted.
The GPU support: It looks like it can also be used to help hide the cables being plugged in as well. Does it have the depth to take a 4080 with the cables plus the support. The magnets are cool too since it is an easy adjust.
Noticed this aswell. Not a bad idea.
I'm hoping you do a full build in this case for proper testing. Very interested in seeing this case in use. I've been in the market for a damn inverted ATX case so I can run both my game and stream rigs in mirrored cases.
I very much appreciate the cable management and layout flexibility of this case. The included fans are awesome too
That's going to be the next case I'm buying! Hands down, no questions asked, no compromise!!!
I am probably a big be quiet fanboy, but look at the new 800fx case!
I wish they would make some horizontal cases like Thermaltake used to...I like horizontally mounting my system.
Been using the previous Dark Pro 901 rev2. for the last 2.5 years. This newer version is an improvement on mine and I love the bay for the 5.25" drive too. They are well made but I have found that the old version can be tricky to deal with and the manual wasn't particularly extensive. Well done to BeQuiet for improvements.
5.25 bay is useful for 4k bluray drive used for ripping. This is a great case probably the best on the market.
we do love a good be quiet! case build! I would love to see more done with them on this channel ngl
Hey Jay, that 5.25" bay is for an optical drive. Yes, some people still use an optical drive or at least want the capability to install one. I have three re-writable DVD drives in my home server because I get called on to make CD copies of musical performances for people, and with three drives I can make a bunch of them pretty quickly. And most people do connect the HD Audio so those 1/8" jacks on the front are at least functional if not optimal. There's no advantage to leaving them unconnected.
I actually really like that they included a 5.25" bay. Freaking sometimes you just gotta use an optical drive
When? It's 2023 (almost 2024), let disk drives die already, lol. If you so desperately need an optical drive, just buy an external USB-powered one. It would be a lot neater and take up way less space.
dunno about you but now that my damn phone doesn't have a headphone jack, and my car has no tape drive anyway, I've really been leaning on the old cd player. @@kasper_429
This case seems really cool. Thanks for the video
This is going to be my next case :) yes it's expensive, but it's so modular, that you could keep using this case for many future builds. I wish it was cheaper, but compared to some other cases that offer less for more, i think it's alright
If it saves you just one case upgrade as you change hardware it pays for itself I'd say. It's damn expensive but as you say it's going to be good for many builds to come.
I've had my Dark Base Pro 900 for a few years now, I love the case, supports optical drives, and I have it setup inverted. If I was going to replace it or buy a new one today the 901 looks like a good choice. Keeps the optical support, keeps inverted, I like the new front panel. Also like they redid the power supply area vs the 900 setup.
was going to buy this case when i see dawid did build with it looks really nice, until i seen the price £250-£300 😂
and i thought when the OG 900 pro came out £180 was bad lol
yeah sadly everthing gets more expensive
Thanks you for doing Be Quiet one. Nothing beats precision German engineering. And your video are so helpful and interesting to watch and learn. I hope to see you build a beefy set-up in that case.
This case looks really well engineered. It's too bad that the aeshetics just do not speak to me. I still use 5 1/4 inch bay to add more usb ports to the front of the case. I use a lot of USB devices which is also why i tend to get motherboard with more more ports. I know you cna use hubs but if the computer has enough ports why would I use a hub if I don't need to. and the sound deadening matterial and closed panels do make a difference. I use a fractal design r6 and you could hear a difference instantly of how loud the fans were just by opening the front door.
I wish Fractal would make the North deep enough to use a side fan with a current GPU. If they did, I would buy it and it would be my perfect case.
The 'deadening' material can damp resonance that might otherwise be induced in panels by fans and HDD's. As to airborne/general fan and HDD noise (yes, people actually still use the latter, much as that might surprise our host), from my admittedly limited experience with two cases that use it extensively I would say it does noticeably reduce it.
Why do youtubers never put the title of the product they're talking about anywhere in the video title or description? Are you afraid I'm going to click away from the video, or what? This is so annoying.
It's because jaytwocents is the worst tech youtuber and it isn't even close. He has so many vague video titles and absolute time wasters. I remember he talked about an m2 drive issue that concerned me, so I watched it waiting for some big solution he talked about
"Uhh just update it"
Absolutely waste of time.jaytwoscents you are a bad youtuber
The unit he is talking about was obvious, not sure why all the tears.
It's nice to see Jay using proper metric units.
Did he call this a budget case? This is almost $400 lmao
No he said this was not a budget case
15:16 That there shielding is to block the noise coming out of the vent of the side panel, that you complained about.
Thanks for this review! - finally a more versatile case, they even included a 5.25" bay option, cool. I like it overall for the great front panel options, controllers, wireless charging etc - definitely a refurb option for a secondary unit I have that will be many times better off.
Depending on the material they used, it doesnt matter if theres mesh next to it, it actually absorbs sound waves. So although it wont negate all the sound, it doesnt do nothing.
I am very interested in this, I'm currently in love with my very modular Core P6, but really like some of the features I'm seeing on this. I do love the removeable motherboard tray, I had a case that had that feature back in the day and it made building/troubleshooting so easy. I'd love to see more cases like this, giving us options out of the door, because at least in my mind that adds a lot of value to the purchase I'm considering.
I have had my 900 case for 6 years now and its still amazing.(also come with the Qi charger built in), I cant think of another case other than the newer 901 that is as modular or sturdy.
I have been using the original Dark Base Pro 900 v1 for something close to 8 years and it has been an amazing case. - the only things that annoyed me about it was the solid blocked front panel and top panel. I ended up cutting a giant hole in the top and front panels and fitting my own mesh to get airflow in my radiators... i eventually switched to the Corsair D7000 last year for my latest watercooling build, and i've kept my old Dark Base Pro 900 in storage. But i am loving to see that they have finally created a new version (the 901) with all of my greviences of the first one resolved and a ton of new innovations to go along with it! BeQuiet has been one of my favourite case brands for a very long time! 😊
I am running a BeQuiet Silent Base case and the thing is fantastic. Tons of acoustic foam make it whisper quiet.
Awesome case & review Jay!
GN should consider measuring the dB's of this case with the side panels switched between solid/mesh
I have a Dark Base Pro 900, great case.
I got it because i wanted a inverted ATX setup, makes my Aorus 2070S look nice (they have a led on the fanblades)
And i put a hot-swap HDD bracket in the 5,1/4 bay.. easy access for error checking drives.
The 5.25" bay is for your cigarette lighter/cupholder accessory.
Many people don't use the cd/dvd/br drive anyway, or use external ones. Pc case looks more neat without that any big drives being seen. And it gives more customization on the case, like putting smal figurines or whatever in the case,most specially those who are really spending alot on their pc...
I am planning to get this case right now. few things I like to mention:
1. the previous version of the case (dark base pro 900) already had a QI charger, so it's not the first time they thought about that 🙂
2. the previous version although had a front "door" cover the entire front panel, which actually made it easier (as 901) to swap/clean the front dust filter
3. one thing I am wondering about this case: on the MB tray, you can see the 2 small holes (14:19) under one of the 2.5 SATA mounting point. In the dark base pro 900 there was a built-in FAN Controller on this position. the 901 doesn't. So for the premium line of the bequiet case, this seems to be a step-down for me 😕
That is a darn nice case. The front I/O is actually where it will be accessible. It looks like cable management would be pretty easy. No complaints at all on this one.
Nice to see a 5.25" bay as my present case has a blue ray drive and also a dedicated multi format memory card reader fitted.
I bought a DarkBase 700 (mid-tower size) several years ago - favorite case I've ever owned!
6:49 Oh that's easy: Icydock hotswap drive bays, although I don't think they'd fit in the rather small cut-out down there. If you had 3 full width 5 1/4 slots down there you could easily host a 5-bay HDD enclosure for an awesome bulk storage config. Would buy in a heartbeat. :)
This case looks amazing. Top of my wish list for building out my studio.
@JayzTwoCents Thanks for including the weight in the specs. Some manufacturers don’t provide it and it frequently isn’t covered in reviews. I use a sit stand desk with an under desk tower mount. I have to keep tower dimensions and weight in mind.
Yeah I have the Dark Base 900 and I'm glad to see in the 901 they positioned the PSU all the way to the back of the case. The PSU in the 900 is located several centimeters from the back and connects internally to the rear plug using a short power cable. I never understood the reason for this. Also, Bequiet! are one of the few cases that come with high quality fans already installed. The first thing I replaced, in other cases I've owned, were the fans.
I am tempted to make a new build just to use this case. This is truly awesome. Be quiet is truly one brand that will not let you down.
i love that they even offer the options for Wireless charging, is utterly extra & i love it
This case has so many well thought out features. Excellent modularity - which you summed this up perfectly in saying "...that allows you to fit the case to your build rather than fit your build to the case." The Front Panel Connectivity, with Fan Control buttons--all pre-wired for an extremely tidy build--is possibly the best I've ever seen. The phone charger on top is the icing on the cake (or case, I guess). However, I disagree with your scepticism about the sound deadening. Sound waves do not travel the same as air. Sound waves bounce off whatever surface they hit, so, with the front side and top having dampening material, it will likely help reduce the noise much more than an all mess exterior.
Also, Whilst the price might seem steep at first, You get what you pay for here. This case could outlast whatever parts you put in it. Upgrading or even a complete rebuild would be more of a pleasure than a chore.
BeQuiet! Cases are always great to look at. Looks really nice and love the random Steve included in the video 🙂
Sound deadening usually utilizes absorbent material with reflective angles that create similar amplitude wave reflection, which reduces total detectible noise levels outside the initial area of effect. That's how auditoriums can remain relatively echo free.
Their version 1 Dark Base 900 also had the wireless charger. I've had it for years and it still works. This new one is full of awesome upgrades and innovations from the original. It's a company with really well thought out products, I love their stuff.
Jay that GPU support bracket also hides the three 8 pin PCI cables or the newer 12V HPWR cable. The Qi charger on the 901 was also on the 900 Rev 2. I have a 900 Rev 2 and still use it to this day.
I do have to say that shot you got of the rgb lighting on the front panel was really good and getting it on the fly is pretty inpressive
Need to see a water cooled build in this
Best way to quiet a case is to run it fanless and relatively open to compensate for airflow. You still need to run fans on cpu and gpu but case fans can be gotten rid of. Both my pcs use standard cases that are open on the side (I put a grill in place of the window), with the mesh/dust filters front and top with no case fans and its a lot quieter and temps are fine.
@5:42 Sound travels in all directions. While not a lie, it's not exactly true, though. You can use a mic on your camera to pick up the sound in front of the lens while not picking up sound coming from the sides and back. If you trap the sound coming out front, there will be much less sound leaving to the sides.
Love the modularity! I think I can fit this in my budget if I don't include a CPU at all.
i love a 5.25" bay. useful for dvd/bluray optical drives and how else do you rip your CDs into eye-toons - well done Be Quiet.
I actually don't mind the way mesh generally looks aesthetically but I do typically still prefer a solid panel more for that.
However an aesthetic I really like and would like an return of in some way was the vented slots molded into the enclosure a lot of 90's electronics had.
Any sound deadner on steel panels do bring down rhe sound and vibration noise. So it's nice that they have applies some on certain panels.
I've the Be Quiet 900 rev 2 and am really happy with it. Good to see this review. Perhaps this case for a next build if I keep my old pc.
Nice case and a very detailed and thoughtful review. I like the 5.25" bay as I have many DVD's BR's CD's etc. I am not a fan of glass sides, they are unsafe. I don't understand why the manufacturers are not using acrylic. If you bump the corner of even tempered glass it will likely break making a huge mess that will literally take weeks to completely cleanup (hard to get all those tiny pieces that go every where) and is very unsafe for kids and doggies. After a slight fumble, I shattered the glass on my Corsair 5000D. I used the left over side parts to convert to acrylic, took a little time but not hard; so on the next fumble, it won't break and looks better too.
Recently built my new i5-13600k rig in a Pure Base 600 along with a Dark Rock 4 cooler, and I'm pretty darn happy with it. I was going to have a DVD drive in one of it's two 5.25" bays, but it had died from lack of use in my old rig.
I only have the two supplied case fans running on low through the built-in speed control, and was truly gobsmacked how quiet they are. The cooler's fan is also very quiet, with the cpu at default settings it's averaging only 38c browsing the net, playing movies etc, with the on-chip graphics (no add-in graphics card for me, just don't need one for my usage).
The only negative points with the case were having to doublecheck every screw as they weren't tightened up fully, I had to replace an unthreaded stand-off, and the captive screws on the drive cages don't thread into the case as well as I'd expect.
this case has really clever solutions to common and annoying problems... i'm starting to love it
While the sound dampening doesn't do much to prevent sounds from propagating to the surroundings, it will however prevent some sounds from resonating with the large surfaces making the case a big sound amplifier to certain frequencies.
6:51 How about an ashtray ? I remember (obviously when I still smoked) having this Thermaltake Ashtray 5,25" thing with a cigarette lighter in my Mozart TX VE1000BWS case (yes, that EXTREMELY HUGE HTPC they released in 2006~ish). I don't smoke anymore, but it would be an awesome nostalgic thing.
I'm so planning to get this 901. German kraftmannschaft (or however it's written). Superb stuff.
Looks like a great case. The pogo idea is excellent. I think it's a little pricey but, a very versatile case for sure.
I bought the BQ DB 900 like 6-7 years ago now, just amazing cabinet.
The general consensus is that 15-30% of area covering is a good starting point to notice a difference in noise level. So even with that mesh, any damping "SHOULD" reduce the sound output level.
Also that " GPU support bracket gives a channel to hide the power cables. That's a great addition
I've got it shortly after release because I wanted to do an inverted build and it's lovely to build in and use. Graphics card holder feels like a very useful, well engineered thing when you've got a big RTX card hanging on top of everything else.
The use of the panel pogo pins is great. That I love and makes me think of getting one for the next build.
I have the silent base 802 and have it set up in the inverted mode to sit on the left side of desk. Absolutely love it but it is a job of converting it over. Great review as always!
Same with DB900. I did it twice and both times I had to pull up their video tutorial. But this one seems easier to invert. MB tray, back panel, side panel on PSU shroud and that's it. plus a lot of it is on the captive thumb-screws which is a huge step-up from DB900.
I have the 900 - I love it. And you're right - it's a big heavy thing. No plonking this this on your desk next to your screen.
Jay, the dampening material is mainly for the high frequencies. That way, any hums from the fan are a lower tone, making it more bearable.