By: Aaron Lai
June 21, 2024
Even after many years of driving, I often feel intimidated when I get into the driver's seat of an SUV. This first happened when I drove my parents' Nissan Rogue to Vancouver. To be honest, the Rogue is not actually much longer or wider than my Chevrolet Cruze, but I was a bit wary at first. Thankfully, this journey was mostly on the Trans-Canada Highway, so I did not have to worry about driving close to other cars. However, the second time, I felt a bit worried driving a larger car was when the dealership lent me a GMC Terrain while my car was in the shop. In retrospect, I think the primary fear starts when I get into the larger vehicle, as it does not feel as close to me compared to a smaller car. This makes the bigger one feel less maneuverable and harder to control. It feels like the difference between surgical and winter gloves, as one offers better control while the other sacrifices this to provide longer lasting warmth. However, the initial intimidation also goes away after I start driving, as I soon forget I am in a sizable car until I have to park. In a similar fashion, today we have the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White. We have seen our share of full-tower cases before, but be quiet!'s options have always seemed a bit more imposing than others. I am quite familiar with this model, as I reviewed the black Dark Base Pro 901 last year. How does this different color variant compare? Will it still be a mammoth of a case? Let us read on to find out!
Our review unit of the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White arrived from their American offices in Walnut, California, USA. Traveling with UPS and their Standard ground service, this box arrived at our APH Networks location in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in terrible shape. There were multiple rips and bruises around the box, including a tear near the handle of the container and an even larger one on the front panel. Whether this damage came from be quiet! in this condition or occurred in transit, it seems like we always get notable lacerations with larger cases like this. Unsurprisingly, the retail container also doubles as the shipping container. The packaging consists of a black and white box made of standard corrugated cardboard with black printing on top. From one side, you can see a front profile with a bit of the left panel showing. At the top, we have the company name and logo, and underneath, there is the product name. Further down, there is a tagline that says, "Outstanding Versatility, Performance, and Silence." The case's specifications can be found on the side of the box.
If you are interested, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website, for your viewing pleasure.
General data
Model: Dark Base Pro 901 White
Color option: White
Motherboard compatibility: E-ATX / XL-ATX / ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ATX
Case size excl. stands (L x W x H), (mm): 604 x 254 x 539
Case size incl. stands (L x W x H), (mm): 604 x 275 x 569
Volume (l): 82.69
PSU form factor: ATX PS/2
Net Weight (kg): 18.0
Expansion slots: 8
Pre-installed fans
Fan at top: -
Fan at front: 2x Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM White
Fan at side: -
Fan at rear: 1x Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM White
Fan at bottom: -
Dimensions (L x W x H), (mm): Front: 140 x 140 x 25 / Rear: 140 x 140 x 25
Fan speed at 100% PWM / 12V (rpm): 1900
Airflow at 100% PWM / 12V (CFM / m3/h): 78.4 / 133.20
Air Pressure at 100% PWM / 12V (mm H2O): 2.36
Noise level at 100% PWM / 12V (dB(A)): 29.3
Voltage range (V DC): 12
Input power (W): 4.8
Input current (A): 0.4
Connector: 4-pin PWM
Lifespan (h / 25°C): 300,000
Fan controller: 5-step fan controller with 2x PWM Hubs
Maximum fan installation
Maximum fans: 11
Top (mm): 3x 140 / 3x 120
Front (mm): 3x 140 / 3x 120
Side (mm): 3x 120
Rear (mm): 1x 140 / 1x 120
Bottom (mm): 1x 140 / 1x 120
PSU shroud: -
Optional radiator installation
Top (mm): 120 / 240 / 360
Front (mm): 120 / 140 / 240 / 280 / 360 / 420
Side (mm): 120 / 240 / 360
Rear (mm): 120 / 140
Bottom (mm): -
PSU compatibility
Maximum dimensions excl. bottom fan (mm): 325
Maximum dimensions incl. bottom fan (mm): 325
Graphics card
HDD cage (in height of graphics card) installed (mm): 350 / 370
HDD cage (in height of graphics card) removed (mm): 495
Maximum PCIe slots with vertical graphics card (pcs.): 8
Drive bay capacity
5.25 bays (pcs.): 1
3.5 slots (scope of delivery): 2
3.5 slots (max.): 7
2.5 slots (scope of delivery): 6
2.5 slots (max.): 16
Cooling
Max. construction height of CPU cooler unit (mm): 190
Airflow channel: -
Lighting
LED illumination: Yes
LEDs (pcs.): 8 + 16
LED type: ARGB - 5V
LEDs synchronizable with controller/motherboard: Yes
I/O Panel
USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type C: 1
USB 3.2 Type A: 4
USB 2.0: -
HD Audio I/O: Mic + Audio
Qi charger / Quick Charging Option (W): 15
Insulation and damping
Top panel insulation mats: ✓
Front panel insulation mats: ✓
Side panel insulation mats: ✓
Anti-vibration decoupled HDD: ✓
Anti-vibration decoupled fan: ✓
Anti-vibration decoupled PSU: ✓
Anti-vibration decoupled motherboard-tray: ✓
Scope of delivery
Screw set (Drives/Motherboard): ✓
Additional standoffs (pcs.): 3 (for E-ATX)
SSD bracket for PSU shroud: -
LED strips (pcs.): 0
Cable ties (pcs.): 12
Screw box: ✓
VGA holder: ✓
VGA holder for inverted layout: ✓
Mesh Front Panel: ✓
ODD Bracket: ✓
Fan / Radiator bracket for multi mounting panel: ✓
Removeable dust filters
Top: -
Front: 1
Side: -
Bottom: 1
Material
Top cover: Aluminium
Front panel: Aluminium
Side panel: Glass
Side panel window: Steel
Stands: Steel
Service
Warranty (Years): 3
International hotline / free of charge: ✓ / DE, FR, US
Out of the box, the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White comes packaged between two Styrofoam brackets and in a gray branded mesh bag. These two measures ensure the case is protected from impacts and surface blemishes during transit. In fact, the foam has broken apart during shipping, leaving lots of small Styrofoam pieces flying around. While this is doing the job at absorbing bumps, I wish manufacturers would use higher quality packing materials on heavier cases. Unfortunately, there was damage on the case itself, including a slightly bent side panel and a loose power supply shroud. I was able to fix some of the damage, but you will see what this looks like later in our review. In addition, be quiet! placed a decently thick foam panel at the bottom for further cushioning of the case. On the side, there is a very large flat cardboard box, which holds more case accessories. An additional box of accessories can be found inside the case.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
