be quiet! Pure Base 500 FX Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The be quiet! Pure Base 500 FX is available at most major retailers from today, with an MSRP of $149.90/€149.90/£146.99. However, throughout August and September, select partners offer these products at special promotional prices that are up to $30/€30 under the suggested retail prices, so keep an eye out for deals, as that’s a big saving. It’s not a cheap case, but considering it’s a premium brand, the extraordinarily high build quality and extra features, it’s not overpriced either, it’s very competitive with other premium offerings.

Overview

be quiet! has taken an already amazing product and made it just a little bit better. I’m glad too, as while I’m not a big RGB fan, I do appreciate having the extra choice. I’m sure my kids would set this thing to a nauseating RGB rainbow strobe fest and leave it there. However, for me, I’d set it all to a warm red or darker purple and leave it set to that. That’s the joy of RGB, just having that extra customisation to really make your build match your preferences. They haven’t gone completely over the top either, as the fans themselves don’t light up, just those rings around the edges, which I think looks much cleaner and smarter overall.

The addition of the front panel vertical lights is a nice touch too, a pretty striking effect overall and when it sync the effects with the fans, it looks pretty fancy. You can pair the header to your motherboard too, so you could even have the effects match the RGB of other hardware, such as your motherboard, RAM, graphics card and more.

Of course, the inclusion of the ARGB controller is matched by its ability to control the fans too. Having synchronised PWM control is awesome, and sticks to be quiets roots as a cooling brand first. Being able to balance noise levels and cooling performance easily is certainly appealing to me. The overall cooling performance on this case is great though, and with a huge mesh front panel, mesh top, and four high-quality Light Wings fans, dealing with the increasing TDP of graphics hardware should be a bit easier here.

The overall case is just lovely though, with noise dampening materials on the back panel, a durable inner frame and modular drive bays and cable routing channels that are all just a thumbscrew away from being dismantled, making the customisation and building process a breeze.

Should I Buy One?

The be quiet! 500 DX is one of the best mid-tower cases on the market today, and be quiet! has simply taken a winning formula and jazzed it up with some very impressive ARGB integration. Which version is right for you is not for me to say, but if you do choose the 500 FX, I really can’t fault it. It’s well made, runs cool and quiet, and it looks utterly fantastic thanks to its updated customisation options. Highly recommended!