Page 4 - Conclusion
As with all of my installations, I began by installing my power supply in place. The GAMDIAS HELIOS P2-750G, which measures 14cm, fit well within the designated area. The Dark Base Pro 901 White can clearly fit larger power supplies with 325mm of specified clearance. I have not seen a PSU this long, as even the most recent large power supply we looked at, the Seasonic PRIME TX-1300 ATX 3.0, is 21cm, so I think it safe to say clearance should not be an issue here. There is a drive cage in front, but I did not end up removing it as I did not need to. Since the HELIOS P2-750G 750W is not modular, I tucked the excess wires into the basement.
Next, I routed the necessary cables, including the motherboard and CPU ones, to their respective locations. I also directed the front I/O and fan cables to the bottom edge at this point. Finally, I installed the Toshiba OCZ VX500 512GB 2.5" drive. With the many screws for storage, I mounted it onto one of the sleds behind the motherboard. On top of the sled, there is quite a bit of clearance so even 90-degree SATA headers will connect here without needing to bend in an uncomfortable manner. After, I used the captive thumbscrew on the sled and attached it back to the case.
On the other side, I installed my Intel motherboard. With the pre-installed risers in place for a standard ATX size, installation was quick and straightforward. Additionally, I installed the Noctua NH-D12L CPU cooler on top of the processor. In this case, be quiet! recommends a maximum CPU cooler height of 170mm, which is more than sufficient for the 145mm tall NH-D12L. Moreover, there is sufficient clearance to install cooling on the top without interfering with the rest of the build. I also installed an expansion card in the top PCIe slot of the motherboard. While this slot may not be very long, you can install expansion cards like GPUs measuring up to 495mm or 350mm with a drive installed at the end of the card. I did not end up using the GPU support bracket, but it can be used here if you so desire. The support brace attaches magnetically to the case, and it does not generally move around easily.
As for cable management, I tried to use what was provided, which is quite a lot. With the many tie-down points and the large cable valley in the middle, I was able to route the thicker power supply cables without any spacing concerns. While tidying up my cables, I found the metal cable cover a bit annoying to work with. As it is a solid metal piece, it does not have any flexibility. This interfered with my SATA cables and put extra stress on my motherboard power and USB Type-C front header cables. I ended up removing the metal shield and plugging the cables in before re-installing the cover back in place. I really wish be quiet! chose rubber grommets for more flexibility without compromising on the clean interior. On the other hand, the large size of the Dark Base Pro 901 White meant I had lots of space to work with. I finished plugging everything in and closed both side panels before hitting the power button.
After pushing the power button, all of the fans inside spun to life and my system booted up. The addressable lighting on the front and power supply shroud at first did not illuminate, but I quickly realized they had become jostled loose. This again likely occurred during the shipping process. Once plugged in, these lights added a nice bit of color to the rest of the case. According to our standard APH Networks sound scale, where 0 is silence and 10 is loud, I would rate the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White around a 3.0/10 in regular day-to-day operation. This was measured with the mesh filter front installed. With the solid front panel, this dropped to a 2.5/10, which is really impressive. The Dark Base Pro 901 White is clearly capable at being quiet!
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There is no denying the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 is a large case. This latest white variant is a reminder of both its gargantuan size and excellent quality. Thankfully, it shares all of the impressive physical qualities with the original black version while keeping a low noise output. Internally, its capacity provides clearance for larger components like cooling, storage, and more. This means you should not worry about throwing anything and everything in here. The white color is also well integrated inside with matching cables and headers. Customization is also great with the ability to rotate the motherboard tray or provide more internal airflow through the mesh panel insert. Other great features to note include three color-matching 140mm Silent Wings 4 fans, fan speed and lighting controls, and a 15W Qi wireless charger. When you start working in the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White, the experience is also an easy one. This chassis might be large and heavy to move around, but the ample clearance for hardware translates into room for cables too. I appreciated the spacious cable valley and plastic organizer box for all of the screws. In its finished form, the case was more than capable to keep the system silent. With all of these positives, there are still some things to take into consideration. First, the large size of the Dark Base Pro 901 White means you need to make room for it. Secondly, the rigid metal shroud over the cable holes will mean you have to take care when dealing with thicker or less flexible cables. Finally, be quiet! should use more premium materials to package and protect this case, especially given how heavy the enclosure is in the first place. At the time of the review, the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 is available at $300 for either color option, which means you can pick based on your preferences. This might be a premium price to pay, but there is no denying this is a superior option in its capability and flexibility.
be quiet! provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Recommended Award | APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
9/10 means Excellent product with very minor drawbacks that do not affect the overall product.
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 8.2/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 White computer case remains on top for its quantity of features and quality of build.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
