Product Showcase
Product Showcase
As always, we begin with packaging. It's a simple yet informative thing to show as, when you purchase a chassis, you probably do not want any defects or scratches on it. The product is packaged in cardboard, with a very colorful (well, dark) design. That will definitely work in computer stores, very visual, but also very clear. Question: does anyone still buy computer parts in actual computer stores? Oh how the world has changed from retail to etail eh? :)
Once you take the unit out of the cardboard box you'll notice two layers of polystyrene protecting the unit which, on its end, is covered in a cloth bag - black of course.
The Dark Base 900 cannot break free during transportation as it is housed sturdily in there. So there it is, the chassis is heavy and weighs a good 15.5kg and 18kg for the entire package.
Once unpackaged, it definitely houses a couple of pleasant surprises. The looks immediately draw you to the tempered glass side panel. The design is kept simple yet stylish, no bright lights or screaming logos - subtlety is a key factor. That glass is a nice visual element right there, but just one of many extra features. You can choose from a black / orange or black / silver theme as well. The smaller meshes in the corner are there for optimal airflow btw.
When we flip the unit around we can see the side panel and back a little better. The left side panel in the left side panel (I love playing with words) can be removed and improved for extra airflow. The left side panel can be removed with two thumbscrews. The size of the chassis is 243 x 585 x 577mm (WxHxD). Good and proper low RPM fans are already included for the front (2 x Be Quiet! Silent Wings 3 | 140mm rated at 1,000rpm).
On the front side at the top right we see the power-on switch and an HDD activity LED. Connectors wise you'll have plenty of them including USB 3.0 x2, USB 2.0 x2, MIC / Headphones. See that weird little square?
Yep, that would be the Qi wireless charger. It is something you'll see more and more in smart-phones, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S7 series have Qi charging built in, and I can reveal already that once you have experienced wireless charging, you don't ever want to go back to cable charges. The Qi technology is induction based btw, very simple technology but it works terrifically. Your PC needs to be powered on to be able to use the charger of course. As simple as the implementation is, it is terrific that the call was made to include it. It is only included with the more expensive PRO model SKUs though.
