INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    One of the drawbacks of having reviewed and/or used hundreds of PC cases is that at some point it's almost as if you're testing the same models again and again. Honestly if I had to point out the how many times, I've been excited to review (or even intrigued by) a PC case I'd only need one hand and so it's always nice when that happens. be quiet! today unveiled their latest Light Base line of PC cases and since it actually looks nothing like their previous ones and with me, I have the top Light Base 900 FX Black model I can't help but to think that it may be time for me to start using both hands to count.

    We are the German premium brand manufacturer of quiet hardware components for gaming, workstations and desktop PCs. Since our foundation in 2001, we are proud to have more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Our goal from the very beginning has been to develop products of the highest quality that are not only quiet, but also extremely powerful. With a wide range of power supplies, PC cases, water and air coolers and fans, we have established ourselves as a leading manufacturer in this field.

    The brand new Light Base 900 line of PC cases features models both with (FX model) and without (DX model) 4 pre-installed Light Wings 140mm PWM fans (1500RPM/56CFM/1.49mmH2O/25.5dBA), is available both in black and white colors and follows the new panoramic design (features tempered glass panels for both the right side and front panels). Thanks to its rotatable design (unlike previous models where just the motherboard tray would rotate this time the entire case rotates) the Light Base 900 can also be used either vertically (normal or inverted) or horizontally, features a dual-chamber design and is among the very first models that feature backside motherboard connector support (cable-free view). Other features include two ARGB and PWM hubs located behind the motherboard tray (support up to 12 fans),  two 1.5m long ARGB LED strips on the outside of the case (top, front and bottom), adjustable preinstalled VGA holder, removable dust filters (top, right and bottom), removable fan/radiator brackets (top and bottom) and vertical GPU installation (riser cable extra). As for interior space the Light Base 900 FX has enough room for up to XL-ATX sized motherboards, 3 radiators (up to 420mm top and bottom and 360mm on the side), one 3.5" and two 2.5" drives (or four 2.5" drives), 495mm long graphics cards, 190mm tall CPU coolers and 225mm long power supply units. So, let's see just how good the very first panoramic PC case by be quiet! really is.

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Light Base 900 FX arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front and the company logo.

 

 

A few words about be quiet! in 3 languages right over two 2D barcodes are printed on the left side.

 

 

Both the product specifications and color are placed on the right side.

 

 

Another product drawing is located at the rear of the box, this time with the Light Base 900 FX placed horizontally.

 

 

The case is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two thick foam spacers.

 

 

Along with the Light Base 900 FX be quiet! has also placed 12 cable ties, piece of soft material with a sticker on one side, 4 small packages with screws and standoffs and the user manual.

 

 

 

THE LIGHT BASE 900 FX EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 15.8Kg Light Base 900 FX measures 484mm in height, 532mm in length and 327mm in width so it's quite big.

 

 

As expected almost the entire right side panel is made of tempered glass.

 

 

Around 70% of the fascia is also made of tempered glass while the rest is made of plastic.

 

 

Here we also find the I/O which includes the ARGB effect button, USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port, two USB-A 3.2 ports, power button, HD audio out (mic & headphones) and the reset button.

 

 

The ARGB LED strip extends on all sides except the rear (front, top and bottom).

 

 

Since the Light Base 900 FX can also be placed horizontally the left side panel is not only perforated but also has 4 small rubber feet on it.

 

 

Most of the top is also perforated and yes, it comes off to reveal both a removable dust filter and the fan/radiator bracket (up to three 140mm fans or an 420mm radiator).

 

 

Taking a look at the rear we see one of the 140mm Light Wings fans, the 8 PCI expansion slots (vertical area right next to them) and the PSU area.

 

 

Since be quiet! has made it that you can change the orientation of the Light Base 900 FX (and the DX) just by turning it over it's normal that the base looks exactly as the top.

 

 

The 4 feet found here can be removed just by rotating them.

 

 

Keep in mind that you can't position the feet anywhere you want at the top and bottom, there are small holes on all 4 corners as seen above.

 

 

This is how the Light Base 900 FX looks inverted and well, kudos to be quiet! for making it so simple (short showcase clip is available both in TikTok and YouTube).

 

 

 

THE LIGHT BASE 900 FX INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty of room inside the Light Base 900 FX for pretty much anything one can throw at it.

 

 

The three Light Wings 140mm fans located on the left side feature inverted blades for improved looks (and interior airflow levels).

 

 

Having a pre-installed adjustable GPU holder is always a welcome feature.

 

 

For people who may want to place fans or a radiator (again, up to 420mm in length) at the base there's a removable bracket that simplifies that.

 

 

4 rubber grommets and another 9 openings on the motherboard tray (most of which for backside connector models) should make cable routing a breeze.

 

 

Removing the left side panel reveals a removable dust filter attached on its interior.

 

 

Taking a look at the second chamber we find a vertical door on which you can mount two 2.5" drives, drive cage with one drive tray on which you can mount either a single 3.5" or two 2.5" drives (you can buy a second drive tray from be quiet!) and the PSU area.

 

 

In order to remove the aluminum drive tray or to install a power supply unit you will need to open the long door as seen above.

 

 

Worth pointing out are the cable holders placed behind the motherboard tray (also aimed towards backside connector motherboard models).

 

 

There are also two ARGB fan hubs, one at the base and one at the top.

 

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

With enough room for up to 225mm long power supply units at the rear chamber you should be able to use every model currently in the market.

 

 

Same goes for the motherboard since a regular ATX sized one is a lot smaller than the XL-ATX model one can fit here.

 

 

There aren't that many 190mm tall CPU air coolers out there but it's always good to have that option.

 

 

Regardless of what radiator you may have if it's up to 420mm in length you can fit it either at the top or bottom of the case.

 

 

By replacing the 140mm fans located on the left side you can even mount an 360mm radiator there, regardless of thickness (this however also depends on your graphics card).

 

 

If you don't use a radiator on the left side or if it's around 57mm thick you can still mount graphics cards up to 495mm in length.

 

NOISE LEVEL TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, we use our own).

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

    One complaint many consumers had over the years about be quiet! was that they had been releasing the same type of PC cases and well, it’s great to see them move to panoramic models (and just in time for both the latest Intel and AMD motherboards and CPUs). The Light Base 900 FX is not only great looking (4 ARGB fans and a 1.5 meter long ARGB strip) and spacious (two 420mm and one 360mm radiators along with 495mm long GPUs, 190mm tall CPU air coolers and 225mm PSUs is certainly not something we see a lot), it’s also probably the only case around right now that you can also use horizontally and invert in a matter of a few seconds (something which I expect will appeal to many people). Build quality is also very good, the 4 pre-installed Light Wings 140mm fans are almost inaudible and the ability to use one of the latest motherboards with backside connectors is certainly welcome. If I had to nitpick, I’d point out that even though the rear drive cage has room for 2 trays be quiet! only includes one so if you have two 3.5” drives you will need to buy a second one from them.

    The Light Base 900 FX was officially launched a few hours ago and even though it’s still not available in the USA (will update once it is) it does currently retail for 247.74Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is actually very good for a high-end be quiet! PC case. At the end of the day what you see in such reviews is what you get and since the Light Base 900 FX is clearly among the best PC cases ever released by be quiet! it clearly deserves the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Tempered Glass Side & Front Panels (Panoramic)
- 1.5 Meter Long ARGB LED Strip (Front/Top/Bottom)
- Vertical, Horizontal & Inversed Placement
- Interior Space For XL ATX Motherboards, 190mm Tall CPU Coolers, 225mm Long PSUs, 495mm Long Graphics Cards & Three Radiators (2x240/280/360/420mm, 1x240/280/360mm)
- Four Pre Installed Light Wings 140mm PWM Fans (1500RPM)
- Two Fan Speed/ARGB Hubs
- Low Noise Levels
- Adjustable GPU Support
- Removable Air Filters (Top/Bottom/Left Side)
- Available In Black & White Colors

CONS

- Single 3.5” Drive Tray