Final words and conclusion
Final words and conclusion
I have to say that the track record for be quiet! PC cases has been exemplary. OK, granted they haven't released many of them either but what they have released to date has been impressive. The Dark Base 900 (Pro) series in that respect will not be any different, these are highly versatile, feature-rich and stylish chassis that offer anything a regular chassis offers, but then some more. The chassis has been through A to Z in the design stages, and that definitely shows in the final build. We can discuss and question the need for all that modability, reversed motherboard trays etc etc, but a chassis anno 2016 needs to have its layout right, its colors right and then offer some extras to beat the competition. And that's exactly what was achieved. See, the layout works well, the design is intricate and done intelligently. The one remark I have is with regard to the PSU being mounted a notch inwards, I just do not get that. Next to that I would have liked to have seen the PSU, or at least the exiting cabling, being covered up with some shielding. Hiding the cables would have looked nicer as right now it's all very visible with that massive glass side panel, and that's where all my concerns for this chassis end really as, yes, I am nitpicking.
Functionality
Cable routing wise at the rear side there are no issues, the chassis has no rubberized grommet holes. Storage wise you can mount 7 HDDs/SSDs, two opticals and then another SSD at the motherboard tray in the rear. So really, if you are going to use all the trays up, then dude... you need a NAS unit! The flexibility of the modular design kicks in here as well, as the trays that you do not need can be removed, including the bay itself. Again, the motherboard tray can be reversed as well, albeit why on earth you would do that with that cool tempered glass panel on the left side..? The three Silent Wings revision 3 140mm fans offer plenty of airflow, and with the convenience of being PWM controlled through the motherboard and / or the included fan control you can go as silent as you want to. The fans are rated at max 1000 RPM. Motherboards up-to XL-ATX can be mounted, you can use the larger graphics cards and liquid cooling wise you are good to go as well. Included as well are mounting plates for an extra fan and even a mount plate for a pump or reservoir, dawg!..
Then if you chip in an extra 50 bucks, you can go pro yo!.. My lame puns aside, the Pro version offers the LED array, four extra fan connectors on the fan hub and that truly lovely Qi wireless charger. Now, for that last one you do need a compatible smart-phone of course but realistically if you have, say, a Galaxy S6 or S7, then the PRO model all of a sudden becomes a must. The finishing touch (Pro model only) it that RGB LED array, controllable with a button and with color options of white, green, yellow, blue, red, orange and off. Few, very few chassis offer this. And though RGB LEDs are thrown into everything and anything these days, for your chassis it is simply a terrific addition. Based on what we tested the included fans are more than powerful enough for what they need to do, they offer enough airflow and overall make the chassis very silent if you keep the controller in the low to normal region. What also helps is the noise dampening materials used throughout the chassis. On the more simple side of things, added benefits are of course the two USB 3.0 ports, the mainboard cutout on the motherboard tray and the overall tool free design.
Aesthetics
I am always a little uncomfortable saying that I like the looks, as looks are based on taste and taste is a subjective thing, ...but yeah, I do like the looks. The all-dark design is terrific, everything is black up-to the connectors, cabling and every little screw. You do get choices though as you can choose black, black-gunmetal silver and a black-orange version. Overall the feel is good, the design with subtle curves is nice, nothing is irritating in terms of big messy logos, no, 'subtlety' is the keyword I am looking for. Complemented by the RGB LED system on the Pro model and that tempered glass you really have something special here. Aesthetics wise things are kept simple, I do like that. But, again, taste is personal. Some will dislike the looks, others will get an eye-gasm.
The dough
The work space inside The Dark Base 900 (PRO) is decent enough of course, but bear in mind the biggest motherboard you can choose will have to conform with the E-ATX form factor as a maximum. The chassis can house ATX, Micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards as well. There's also decent space for routing cables and, well, hiding them of course. With good access to pretty much everything and with eight expansion slots there is plenty of room for two or three graphics cards. The all-black interior, cool looks, the CPU back-plate cutout for easy installation / replacement of CPU-coolers and overall features that belong in the high-end segment all add value. Talking value, the Silent Base 900 will get a 199 Euro MSRP, that's 249 Euro for the PRO model, we do have to agree that it'll be a lot of money for a chassis. Then again, once you are working with the chassis you'll know and understand where the money has been spent, the chassis is sturdy and oozes quality.
Final words
The price level of the Dark Base 900 series will shy away many people, but that doesn't sway away from the fact that we are dealing with something unique and special here. I do feel it is worth the money, if you are in the market for a tower PC. Everything you can think of for a chassis was already thought of by the design team and, for once, they implemented it all (certainly if you opt for the Pro model). You will not run into a problem that cannot be solved as, with the modability, you can create space for whatever you need. You can mount the biggest liquid cooling solutions. Then the RGB LED system, the fan controller, the silent design and the silent fans and then that Qi charger certainly give the Dark Base 900 Pro that finishing touch. My one quirk is the mounting of the PSU and the lack of a cover for the PSU cables and perhaps PSU itself, and honestly that's all I can think of as a negative. You'll have lovely airflow that can be totally silent thanks to the fan controller. You can highlight your expensive PC components with any color of choice with the RGB LED system and, hey now, if 8TB HDDs are your thang... sure do feel free to mount your 56 TB of storage units - with an SSD for the OS of course :)
The lads from be quiet! really hit the nail spot on the head with this chassis... sure, it's not cheap and in fact a tad expensive... but worth the money. If you are about to build an enthusiast class PC then the Dark Base 900 Pro really should be on your shortlist as, quite honestly, it is one of the best cases we have ever tested. Remember, the 'regular' model does not come with that tempered glass side panel, only the Pro does. I think everybody can agree with me, the Dark Base 900 Pro deserves a 'Top Pick' award, well done be quiet!
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