be quiet! is always a name we like to see here at Enos Tech. They have a good reputation and we have seen first hand that they offer quality products that can be trusted. They also offer products across multiple categories which include Cases, Coolers, Fans, and Power Supplies.

be quiet! has been a staple in the industry for many years now and as such, they even attend events like CES and Computex to show off their new and upcoming products. We have seen quite a bit from them recently and do hope they keep up the good work.

The Pure Power 11 FM is now end of life, but still a more than capable PSU should you come across one.

Pure Power 11 FM Specifications

For a full list of specs and details please visit – be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM Product Page.

Closer Look

Starting with the box and we can tell this is a be quiet! product from miles away. We have a nice image of the Pure Power 11 FM in the middle. We can also see the 80 PLUS Gold rating logo that this PSU carries and below the image, we can see that this is the 1000W variant of this power supply.

On the back of the box and we have a bit more info about be quiet! as well as some of the power ratings.

This is a fully modular power supply and all of the cables are flat except for the 24-pin power connector. It also comes with mounting screws and a couple of zip ties to help tidy up your cable management.

The Pure Power 11 has more than enough cables for most builds. They are also long enough to fit in most cases that aren’t overly massive.

As always, we have one side of the PSU that has all the technical information on it. As it is an electrical item and there is a chance of being shocked, this is all necessary especially the do not open warning!

Moving our way around the Pure Power 11 and we have the power cable input which also has an on/off switch.

The other side of the PSU has a nice be quiet! logo. The logo is the same color as the PSU and is just ever so slightly raised to make it more noticeable.

All of the cable inputs are labeled nicely to give you the easiest chance possible of installing this PSU. Also, as you can see all of the connectors are different sized so will only fit where they are designed.

The Pure Power 11 features a silence optimized 120mm fan to make it as quiet as possible while still providing optimal airflow for cooling.

Final Words

While the Pure Power 11 may be at its end of life cycle, there is no denying that there will probably still be a good few out there in the wild. Should you come across one of these, don’t be afraid to pick it up.

Originally, it came with a 5-year warranty which says to me that be quiet! has faith in it. While this is not the longest warranty we have seen on a power supply, it is still more than adequate. Most people will likely change their PSU in this time frame so should be nothing to worry about.

As always, be quiet! has given us another great offering. The flat black modular cables are a nice touch and should blend in with most builds. It’s also nice to see that companies such as be quiet! are not including some zip ties as you can never have too many when it comes to trying to keep your cables as tidy as possible.

At the end of the day, if you do not need the latest and greatest and aren’t worried about ATX 3.0 capabilities, then this is a great power supply for your needs.

We recently took a look at be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 AIO. This time we are spinning another 360mm AIO from be quiet! named Silent Loop 2 360. This series of AIO coolers come under the Premium Category of be quiet! products. APALTEK is OEM of these units and recently they have been under the spotlight due to failing units from other brands. This AIO features three Silent Wings 3 PWM High-Speed fans.

On top of that, this unit has a 6-pole, 3-phase motor using a 3-chamber and noise dampening design. This unit is compatible with Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1200, 1700, and 2011(-3) square ILM sockets. It is compatible with AMD AM4, AM5, sTRX4, and TR4 sockets. TR4 and xTRX4’s mounting hardware are not provided in the box and you would need to buy those separately from be quiet!

Key features of this cooler are:

• Dampened and adjustable pump with 6-pole motor for very silent and immensely high-performance operation
• Powerful 3-chamber pump design significantly reduces turbulences and noise
• Silent Wings 3 PWM high-speed fans for high performance and whisper-quiet operation
• Cold plate with high density stack of fins for the highest cooling characteristics
• ARGB LEDs for lots of illumination options and great visual effects
• Easy-to-access refill port with coolant bottle included, ensuring a long lifespan
• 3-year manufacturer’s warranty

Product:               be quiet! Silent Loop 2 360

Price:                    £164.99 [SCAN UK pricing at the time of this writing] or £135.90 on Amazon UK

be quiet! Silent Loop 2 360 AIO Specifications

Packing Box

The cooler comes in a cardboard box finished in black color. On top, there is a picture of the unit along with its name

Be quiet! has mentioned key features of this unit over here including:

• Refill port
• 6-pole Pump
• Silent Wings 3 Fans
• Fin Stack

We can see an egged carton holding the components. This is a standard layout for shipping AIOs as it prevents damage to the unit during shipping where possible.

Accessories

Let’s see what is provided in the box.

Be quiet! has provided a user guide with instructions about installing this unit on supported sockets.

There are:

• 1x Intel Backplate
• Mounting Brackets for Intel LGA 17xx and 18xx sockets
• Mounting Brackets for Intel LGA 115x and 1200 sockets
• 4x Intel Spacer Nuts A [For Intel LGA 20xx socket]
• 4x Intel Spacer Nuts B [For Other Intel Sockets]
• 4x Mounting Brackets Fastening Screws
• 4x Intel Backplate Screws
• 4x O-Rings

Be quiet! has provided:

• Mounting Bracket
• 4x Backplate Screws
• 4x Spacer Nuts

There is a 100ml coolant bottle provided with this unit. We saw the same approach on the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 unit. This coolant and a provision of a refill port help in service the unit for a more extended period of use. The provided coolant is made of water and Propylene Glycol and supports anti-freezing to -5°C.

There are:

• 12x Screws for Radiator
• 12x Screws for Fans

There is a 3-way PWM splitter cable and a few zip ties as well.

Be quiet! has provided a dedicated A-RGB controller with this cooler. It is SATA powered and has a simple interface for handling. There are three buttons on top. The arrow-labeled buttons change the speed of dynamic lighting effects and cycle through the static colors. M label button changes the lighting mode.

There is a 2-pin port to which the SATA cable is connected.

There is a fixed 3-pin standard 5V RGB connector on the other end of this controller.

Closer Look

Here is be quiet! statement about this cooler, “Silent Loop 2 is a very high-performance and whisper-quiet all-in-one water cooling unit for sophisticated users with overclocked systems. With its powerful and dampened 6-pole pump and Silent Wings 3 PWM high-speed fans it offers superior features that make it very silent and highly effective at the same time. ARGB LEDs provide lots of illumination options for great visual effects and make Silent Loop 2 a highlight in any system.”

This unit has an aluminum material-made radiator having a dimension of 394x120x27mm. This dimension is a bit less in length compared to the Silent Loop 2 FX 360 AIO. Installing 120x25mm fans would give an overall height of this unit to be 53mm or so including the heads of the screws. It has an FPI count of 20 with 12 channels for the coolant flow.

Looking at the far end or block, we can spot a screw covering a port. This is a dedicated refill port integrated into the radiator. Be quiet! has provided a 100ml coolant bottle for this purpose. This would allow the users to service this unit for an extended period of use. Though, there is no mechanism provided for the ease of the users to know when it is time to refill the loop and how much.

Be quiet! has done a good job in fin stacking.

Looking at the tube side of the radiator, we can see a small cover on top of probably another port. I think this is a factory reserve port and should not be tampered with as it may lose the vacuum pressure of the loop. There are black color clamps covering the tube and fittings connections.

Looking at the side of the housing, there is no branding. Side plates are riveted to the main frame.

There is a certain gap between the actual fin stack and the side frame of the housing. There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on the frame.

Be quiet! is using low-permeability rubber tubes. These tubes run to approximately 400mm in length and have a nylon braided mesh sleeve for better looks.

The pump housing is made of ABS material and has a dimension of 94.5x80x54mm where 54mm is a height factor. There is a brush aluminum pump top having be quiet! branding. There is a diffuser under this cover that is exposed on the border area. It is A-RGB backlit. The pump is a 6-pole, 3-phase design having a rated speed of 2800 RPM at 12V.

Be quiet! seems to be confident in their employed pump on this unit. Here is a statement, “Powerful pump with innovative three-chamber design ensures the very high-performance Silent Loop 2 360mm is whisper-quiet at the same time. The second of its three chambers offers enough space for the coolant to spread out and thus reduces turbulences before it leaves the pump unit. In combination with the 6-pole three-phase motor, this results in a smooth and as a consequence silent operation.”

Be quiet! has mentioned, “The massive dampening of the pump absorbs vibrations and as a consequence minimizes the resonances in the pump housing. This leads to significantly reduced noise and is key to the famously whisper-quiet be quiet! operation.”

Looking at the backside of this housing, we can see a 90° connectivity of tubes and fittings. This allows a certain movement range towards the right or left side. There are two flat cables coming out over here.

There is a flat cable powering the pump using a 3-pin connector.

There is a flat cable with a dual connector design. Both connectors are using standard 3-pin, 5V RGB interface where one is a socket and the other is a connector to allow a daisy chain of supported RGB devices.

This block is also using a 2-point mounting that we saw on the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 cooler. There is a spring-loaded screw installed on the mounting bracket.

We can see a copper base on this unit measuring 55x55mm. It is not nickel plated which the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 has. Be quiet! has mentioned that they are using a dense fin stack on the cold plate to ensure maximum heat transfer. On a side note, don’t forget to peel off the protective cover from the base before installation.

This cooler comes with 3x Silent Wings 3 PWM High-Speed fans. These fans have been high-performance fans until replaced by Silent Wings 4 series fans. These are black in color and there are 7 blades in each fan. There are layers on the blades that enhance airflow and reduce air turbulence.

Each mounting corner has a ring design. There is a circular anti-vibration pad on these mounts.

There is a 4-arms assembly on the backside of these fans. One arm has an inset on which the wires are routed. The power rating of the fan is printed on a sticker. The fans are rated for 2200 RPM.

The sleeved cable has a 4-pin PWM connector to power this fan.

The specifications of the fans are:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Installation is the same as we have seen on other be quiet! coolers and we did not observe any particular issue to report here. Please refer to the user guide for more details.

D-RGB Lighting

Since, this unit is using standard 3-pin, 5V connectors for D-RGB lighting, it is compatible with RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. We have tested the lighting on GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G DDR5 motherboards. The D-RGB lighting is working fine with RGB FUSION 2.0 on these motherboards. Here are a few pictures.

Testing

We have used following configurations for testing:

• Intel core i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 4800MHz CAS 40
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Test table is:

A bit of note about the new platforms. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limit right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to going the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

The Silent Loop 2 360 sits between the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 and Cougar Poseidon GT 360 in our thermal testing. There is 1°C difference between both be quiet! coolers.

Noise

Our sound meter shows this unit making a sound output of 52 dB(A) at an ambient of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

We are doing a roundup content of 360mm AIOs for which brands have started shipping their coolers. be quiet! has joined in quite some manner as they sent us two high-end AIOs. We recently tested their Pure Loop 2 FX 360 and this time we have spun Silent Loop 2 360 AIO. APALTEK is the OEM of this unit. This cooler is compatible with Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1200, 1700, and 2011(-3) square ILM sockets. It is compatible with AMD AM4, AM5, sTRX4, and sTR4 sockets. Mounting hardware for sTR4 and sTRX4 sockets is not provided in the box. One would need to buy that kit separately.

This unit features an aluminum radiator having a dimension of 394x120x27mm. 27mm is height of this radiator. Overall height of the assembled unit would stand at 53mm approximately. FPI count of this unit is 20 and it has 12 channels for coolant flow. Like Pure Loop 2 FX 360, this unit also has a refill port integrated into radiator. Be quiet! has provided a 100ml coolant bottle as well to service this unit for an extended period of use. However, our observation stands for this unit as well. There is no visual aid or guidelines on determining when the coolant refill is required and how much to refill. The rubber tubes have nylon braided mesh sleeves for pure aesthetics. The connection of fittings and tubes is also well concealed.

This unit features a powerful pump having a 6-pole, 3-phase motor with 3-chamber design. The pump housing has a dimension of 94.5x80x54mm. 54mm is height of this unit. This 3-chamber design is further enhanced using noise dampening. This pump has a maximum rotational speed of 2800 RPM using a voltage range of 9 to 12V. The pump top has a brushed aluminum plate with a be quiet! branding. It has a diffuser underneath that is exposed on the border area and it is A-RGB backlit. The housing is made of ABS material and finished in black color. This unit has two spring-loaded screws pre-installed. This unit has a copper base measuring 55x55mm and it is not nickel plated unlike Pure Loop 2 FX 360. Be quiet! has mentioned that there is a large size cold plate with a high-density fin stack to provide maximum heat transfer.

This unit comes with three Silent Wings 3 PWM High-Speed fans. These are black fans with no RGB lighting. Each fan has 7x blades with a layered design. The mounting corners have circular anti-vibration pads. Each fan is powered by a 4-pin PWM connector cable. These fans have a dimension of 120x120x25mm. They have a maximum speed of 2100 RPM with a maximum of 73.33 CFM airflow at 3.37mmH₂O static pressure. The noise level is rated at 39.8 dB(A) maximum. These fans are using Fluid Dynamic Bearings with a life span of 300,000 hours at 25°C ambient.

There is a dedicated RGB controller as well with this cooler. It is SATA powered and it uses a standard 3-pin, 5V interface. The RGB connectors on the cables are also in standard format. This controller has a sleek design and it has three buttons to control the lighting effects. Using standard RGB connectors would ensure maximum compatibility with leading motherboard manufacturers’ digital RGB solutions. We have tested the digital RGB lighting on GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5 motherboard using RGB FUSION 2.0 app. The lighting effects were working flawlessly. Installation mechanism is exactly same as is on the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 cooler. Installing this cooler on an Intel LGA1700 socket would require a total of 19 items to install the block on CPU socket. Be quiet! should consider using a 4-point mounting instead of a 2-point mounting in my opinion.

This unit is listed on SCAN UK at £164.99 or £135.90 on Amazon UK. Be quiet! is offering a 3-year warranty on these units. This cooler is relatively giving a bit better performance compared to the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 with a margin of only 1°C. The Cougar Poseidon GT 360 is leading with a 1°C margin. This unit is a bit noisy compared to the Pure Loop 2 FX 360. But it has a good thermal headroom to cover major market segments.

Pros:

• Adequate Thermal Performance
• Brushed Aluminum Pump Top
• Digital RGB Lighting
• Extensive AMD sockets support
• Intel LGA1700 socket support
• A-RGB Controller
• Price

Cons:

• 3-Year Only Warranty
• Two-Point Mounting

We are doing a round-up content of 360mm AIOs and be quiet! has shipped us two 360mm coolers for this content. In this article, we are taking a look at be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360mm liquid cooler. FX’s name indicates that this cooler has RGB lighting effects. This unit has be quiet! second-generation pump design and Light Wings fans. The pump is integrated into the tubes as we saw on Pure Loop 2 240mm AIO. Be quiet! has retained the same design on the block but this time around there is an RGB ring instead of a static white color in the previous generation. Be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is compatible with Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1200, 1700, and 2011(-3) square ILM sockets. This unit is compatible with AMD AM4 and AM5 sockets.

Salient features are:

• Impressively high cooling performance for all consumer CPUs
• 3 Light Wings 120mm PWM high-speed fans offer equally high air pressure and vibrant ARGB illumination
• Doubly decoupled PWM pump for quiet operation and minimal vibration
• ARGB-PWM-Hub enables synchronization of up to 6 ARGB components and PWM fans
• Combination of ARGB illumination, all-black design and aluminum-style for unmistakable and stylish look
• Easy-to-access refill port and included coolant bottle guarantee a long lifespan
• 3-year manufacturer’s warranty

Product:               be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360

Price:                    £144.98 [SCAN UK price at the time of review]
£139.95 At Amazon UK

be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 AIO Cooler Specifications

Packaging and Unboxing

The cooler is shipped inside a black color paperboard packing box. Cooler’s name is printed over here and there is a picture of the unit as well.

Be quiet! has highlighted salient features over here including a doubly decoupled pump, refill port, a faceplate with D-RGB lighting effects, etc.

Accessories

Let’s take a look at what accessories are provided.

They have provided a user guide with instructions on how to install this cooler on the supported sockets.

Be quiet! has provided the following:

• 1x Backplate for Intel
• 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel LGA 17xx and 18xx sockets
• 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel LGA 115x and 1200 sockets
• 4x Intel Spacer Nuts A [For Intel LGA 20xx socket]
• 4x Intel Spacer Nuts B [For Other Intel Sockets]
• 4x Mounting Brackets Fastening Screws
• 4x Intel Backplate Screws
• 4x O-Rings

AMD platform includes:

• 1x set of Mounting Bracket
• 4x Backplate Screws
• 4x Spacer Nuts

Be quiet! has provided the following:

• 12x Radiator Screws
• 12x Fan Screws [Long ones]

There is a 100ml sealed bottle of premixed coolant from be quiet!. This is provided to ensure the longevity and durability of the unit. This coolant composes of water and Propylene Glycol and supports anti-freezing to -5°C.

be quiet! has provided a thermal paste tube and 3x zip ties for cable management.

There is also a 6-port D-RGB and PWM hub included in the box. Keep in mind that this is a hub, not a controller. It allows you to connect up to 6x 4-pin PWM fans and 6x D-RGB elements to it. Since it is SATA powered so the power requirement is taken care of. In turn, you will be able to control the speed of fans and D-RGB lighting effects from a single source. There is a 3M self-adhesive as well to install this hub in the PC Case.

There are 4x screws that can be used to install this hub instead of pasting it.

There are a total of 6x ports on one side. They are grouped in a 4-pin PWM port and a 3-pin D-RGB port. The same configuration is on the opposite side.

There are two ports over here. You can connect pump’s 4-pin PWM cable to one end and the RPM-labeled port will be used to provide tac for all connected fans.

There are three ports over here. The first one has a SATA cable to power the hub. The second one has a cable with a standard D-RGB 3-pin, 5V connector cable, and the last port has a 4-pin PWM fan cable.

The above picture shows all three connectors described above.

Closer Look

Here is what be quiet! is saying about this unit. “Pure Loop 2 FX offers impressive illumination and very high cooling performance. Up to 3 Light Wings PWM high-speed fans with numerous effects make for a high airflow and air pressure. Thanks to the PWM function, the doubly decoupled pump can be equally adjusted for silent and performant operations. Further features like the easy-to-access refill port and the ARGB-PWM-Hub round-up Pure Loop 2 FX and make it the perfect choice for illuminated systems.”

This cooler features an aluminum-made radiator having a dimension of 397x120x27mm. Combined with 120x25mm fans the overall height of this unit would be 53mm including the heads of the screws. The FPI count is 20 and there are 12 channels for coolant flow. Be quiet! has done an excellent job with fin sticking. There is no bend or broken fin.

Looking at the far block or end, we can spot a screw covering a port. This is a refill port and user can use it to add coolant through this port in a long run if the coolant level drops. This makes me wonder how would a user know if a coolant refill is needed!

Looking at the tube side of this radiator, we can spot a serial number sticker over the head. This unit has a pump integrated into the tubes. I think this is to circumvent or bypass the ASETEK patent which by the way is coming to an end in 2024 or 2025. This integration would help to reduce the vibration on the CPU socket. This is a PWM-controlled doubly decoupled pump which is a wise implementation. The speed of this pup is 4000 RPM to 5500 RPM. The damping on the pump housing would reduce the vibration and noise, as per be quiet!

We are showing a 4-pin PWM connector on the pump’s power cable.

Looking at the side of the housing, we can see PURE LOOP 2 FX in white.

There is a certain gap between the side frame and the fin stack. Also, there is no protective plating under the screw mounts to prevent damage to the fins from accidentally over-torquing the screws.

This cooler is using low-permeability rubber tubes. These tubes have nylon braided mesh sleeves. The length of these tubes is 400mm approximately.

be quiet! has retained the same footprint on the block as we saw on the Pure Loop 240 during our last round-up. It is lightweight because the pump is not housed inside. It is made of ABS material and there is a brushed aluminum sandblasted top plate having a be quiet! branding. This housing has a dimension of 94.5x83x42mm. There is an A-RGB backlit ring running on the border of this top plate.

I love the looks on this block.

The tubes are installed at a 90° angle on rotary barbs. This connection is well concealed using clamps. There is a 3-pin cable coming out from here.

We are showing a standard 3-pin, 5V female connector to power and control the A-RGB LEDs.

We have a nickel-plated copper base measuring 54x54mm with a mirror finish. We can also spot a 2-point mounting mechanism which in my opinion should be 4-point for better and even contact between the cooler and the CPU.

This cooler comes with three Light Wings 120mm PWM High-Speed fans with this cooler. We have tested the white edition of these fans recently which can be found here – be quiet! Light Wings White 120mm/140mm review. These fans have 9x black color blades with a layered design for even and enhanced airflow and reducing air turbulence. There is a thick ring surrounding the blades. The very reason it is thick is that it has 18 digital RGB LEDs for lighting effects.

Each mounting corner has a black color anti-vibration pad.

There are two arrow symbols. These are there to provide a visual aid for novice users in identifying the direction of airflow through the fan and the direction in which blades will spin. The frame is designed in such a way that maximum exposure is provided to this ring.

Even there is an A-RGB lighting effect on the backside of these fans. Be quiet! is lighting these fans up for sure from every angle. There is a 4-arms assembly with one arm having an inset on which the wires are routed. The power rating of these fans is also mentioned over here. They are made in China. These fans are using Rifle bearing with a life expectancy of 60,000 hours. These fans are using 4-pole fan motor. There is a flat cable powering the fan using a 4-pin PWM connector and two standard connectors using a 3-pin interface on 5V to power the A-RGB lights.

The specification of the fans is:

Installation

We are not covering the details of installation. Installation is the same as we have seen on other be quiet! coolers and we did not observe any particular issue to report here. Please refer to the user guide for more details.

D-RGB Lighting

Since, this unit is using standard 3-pin, 5V connectors for D-RGB lighting, it is compatible with RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. We have tested the lighting on GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G DDR5 motherboards. The D-RGB lighting is working fine with RGB FUSION 2.0 on these motherboards. Here are a few pictures.

Testing

We have used the following configurations for testing:

• Intel core i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G D5
• Sabrent Rocket 32GB DDR5 Kit @ 4800MHz CAS 40
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC
• Sabrent Rocket Q 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

The test table is:

A bit of note about the new platforms. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact the AM5 SKUs will run into thermal limit right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under given load using particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to go the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base of measuring this unit. Among other reasons is the high thermal density of these new CPUs.

The ambient temperature was in the range of 25°C to 25.5°C. Since the variation in the ambient temperature is within 1°C, we are reporting absolute temperatures in the graph. The testing is done on an open air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, mounting pressure of the cooler etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

Out of all coolers tested on this particular configuration, the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 sits at lowest in 360mm AIO category. This is still a nice performance given the total noise output of this cooler which is much better than the other coolers in the graph.

Noise

Our sound meter shows this unit making a sound output of 49 dB(A) at an ambient of 32 dB(A).

Conclusion

We have tested another 360mm AIO cooler and you can expect to see more such contents followed by a round-up content of these 360mm AIO coolers. The Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is a second-generation of liquid cooler from this manufacturer. This cooler is launched under FX branding and one thing it has is an A-RGB lighting effect all around. Be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is compatible with Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1200, 1700, and 2011(-3) square ILM sockets. On the AMD side, this cooler is compatible with AM4 and AM5 sockets.

This cooler has an aluminum-made radiator with a dimension of 397x120x27mm. The overall height of this unit would stand at 53mm or so including the 120x25mm fans. It has 20 FPI and 12 channels for coolant flow. There is a standard gap of 105mm between two opposing mounting holes on the frame. This unit has a refill port integrated into the radiator and be quiet! has provided a 100ml coolant bottle as well. This would help service this cooler ensuring its longevity and durability. However, there is no visual aid or guidelines for the users in determining the coolant level in the loop effectively telling when to refill.

Be quiet! is using low-evaporation low-permeation rubber tubes on this unit with a nice touch coming from a nylon braided mesh sleeve. The connection of tubes and barbed fittings is concealed. The PWM, doubly decoupled pump is integrated into the tubes which in my opinion is one way to bypass the soon-ending ASETEK patent on pump design. These tubes have a length of 400mm. This pump is powered by a 4-pin PWM connector and speed range is 4000 to 5500 RPM.

This unit has the same block design as is on the first-generation units. However, instead of a static white color, this unit has A-RGB backlighting this time giving a more profound look to the unit. The housing is made of ABS material with a pump top made of sandblasted brushed aluminum material. There is a nickel-plated mirror finish copper base having a dimension of 54x54mm.

Be quiet! has changed the fans on the second generation by using Light Wings 120mm PWM High-Speed fans. These fans feature stunning A-RGB lighting effects showing from the top, sides, and even the backside. They run silently and still produce enough airflow at static pressure to provide decent thermal performance. Each fan is powered by a 4-pin PWM connector whereas the A-RGB LEDs are powered by using standard 3-pin interface, 5V connectors. These fans have a dimension of 120x120x25mm. They have a maximum speed of 2500 RPM with a maximum of 52.3 CFM airflow at 2.60mmH₂O static pressure. The noise level is rated at 34 dB(A) maximum. These fans are using Rifle bearings with a life span of 60,000 hours at 25° ambient.

There is a SATA-powered RGB and PWM hub provided in the box as well. The user can connect up to 6x PWM fans and 6x A-RGB devices/fans using standard 3-pin, 5V connectors to this hub. The user can also connect the pump’s PWM connector to this connector. This hub provides stable power to the connected devices and a single interface control is ensured. Keep in mind that this is a hub, not a controller. You would still need to connect the 4-pin PWM connector cable and A-RGB connects cable coming out of this hub to the active source like on the motherboard or dedicated controller.

The installation mechanism remains the same as we have seen on the other be quiet! coolers. One thing that be quiet! should consider changing is a two-point mounting mechanism which in my opinion should be a four-point. Since we have tested the cooler on Intel LGA 1700 socket, we needed 19 mounting items to install block on the CPU socket. The use of standard RGB connectors ensures maximum compatibility with supported motherboards. We have tested on the GIGABYTE Z690 AERO D5 motherboard using RGB FUSION 2.0 app. The A-RGB lighting was found working flawlessly.

The SCAN UK pricing of be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 at the time of this writing is £144.98. It Can also be found on Amazon UK for £139.95. The price point is good on this cooler. We put the cooler to tame temperature on Intel Core i7 12700k and it worked decently sitting closer to the be quiet!’s second cooler with a 1°C difference but that difference is substantial compared to the other two 360mm AIOs but the price point is high on those units. Be quiet! is offering a warranty on this cooler which is 3 years. Another added advantage of this cooler is subtle A-RGB lighting without breaking the bank. Given its basic features set and adequate thermal performance at a better noise output, we recommend this cooler though it may not handle the extreme overclock at high SKUs.

Pros:

• Decent Thermal Performance
• AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1700 Socket Support
• Vivid A-RGB Lighting
• RGB-PWM Fan Hub
• Brushed Aluminum Pump Top
• Standard RGB and PWM Connectors
• PWM Pump
• Noise Performance
• Price

Cons:

• Low Warranty Period
• Two-Point Mounting
• Non-Magnetic Hub

be quiet! had a nice range of cases and some new and updated PSUs on hand for Computex 2023. It is always a pleasure to see the folks from be quiet! and check out their latest and upcoming products.

Power Supplies

First up we have the Straight Power 12. This is now updated to be ATX 3.0 compatible so features full PCI3 5.0 support as well.

It boasts a single 12V rail and an 80PLUS Platinum Rating.

Oh yeah, it comes backed by a MASSIVE 10-year warranty!

Cases

Dark Base 901

The main case of the show was their new Dark Base 901. This absolute behemoth of a case comes with loads of accessories and even has an inbuilt Qi charger!

From 420mm radiators, to loads of fans and up to 6x SSDs straight out of the box, the Dark Base 901 is a case for those who mean business.

Everything is customizable and you can even change the orientation of your build based on your needs.

If you notice in the image below, on the right we have the more standard version of a PC build and on the left, we have the inverted build done in the Dark Base 901 to show you just what it is capable of.

Riser Cable

be quiet! is also releasing its own riser cable which can be used with the Dark Base 901 as well as some of their other PC cases.

Shadow Base 800

be quiet! are also launching a completely new lineup which they are calling Shadow Base. The Shadow Base 800 can easily fit some of the biggest GPUs and has plenty of room for cooling and almost any hardware you could want in a personal build.

As you can see, they will come in both black and white.

There are multiple cases in the Shadow Base 800 range. A standard version, a version with an RGB strip, and an all-out maximum RGB version!

Dark Base 701

Last up for our coverage is the Dark Base 701. This is the smaller brother to the Dark Base 901 and while it may not offer all of the features, it sure has a lot of them.

This will likely be the case your more everyday users will pick up and use and while it is a bit smaller, it will also be a bit cheaper and still have some impressive features.

As I said, I always love the be quiet! products and they didn’t disappoint at Computex 2023. Many thanks to be quiet! for showing us around and giving us the scoop on their new products.

Please make sure to check for more of our Computex coverage in our EVENT COVERAGE which will be coming in the next couple of days!

Silence and performance optimized

Dark Base Pro 901 features a silence-oriented and performance-optimized solution for the top and the front, thanks to exchangable panels included in the box. A detachable top and front bracket with included fan hub and pogo pin connector allows for a comfortable installation of radiators and fans. Even an inverted layout can be done easily thanks to an intuitive rail system. Dark Base Pro 901 makes good use of be quiet!’s award-winning Silent Wings 4 fans: thanks to their silence-optimized fan blades and funnel shaped fan frame, these fans make no compromises between virtually inaudible operation and high performance. Their extraordinary air pressure significantly increases the cooling performance of Dark Base Pro 901.

Maximum space for individual needs

With its remarkably large dimensions, Dark Base Pro 901 sets no limits on creativity. The front can fit a radiator of up to 420mm and additional fans can be installed throughout the case, even on the side panel. The VGA holder of Dark Base Pro 901 is very versatile and prevents GPU sag even with heavy graphics cards. Two cable bars, one located inside the VGA holder and the other next to the motherboard tray, hide the cables inside the case. Dark Base Pro 901 supports installation of one 5.25″ drive and two HDDs or six SSDs out of the box, with the option to expand this with 5x HDD or 10x SSD. The high-quality, fully-windowed tempered glass side panel offers a perfect view of the components inside your case. And just as important: Dark Base Pro 901 can be deployed without the hassle of additional screws and small parts, creating the optimal case for any build.

Subtle ARGB lighting and modern design touches

Dark Base Pro 901 features ARGB lighting on the front and the PSU shroud to ensure the case remains elegant with subtle illumination. The light and fan settings can be conveniently controlled via touch-sensitive buttons on the I/O panel. A wireless charger for Qi enabled devices and a full 3-year manufacturer’s warranty perfectly rounds up Dark Base Pro 901.

Now available: Riser Cable and HDD Cage 2

Alongside the introduction of Dark Base Pro 901, be quiet! also introduces two accessories that can be used with this and selected other cases in its product portfolio. The Riser Cable is a high-speed data transfer cable for PCIe 4.0 cards, compatible with all be quiet! cases that support vertical installation of the graphics card. It has an elegant all-black design and prevents sagging of the graphics card. Also new is the HDD Cage 2, a tool-free decoupled drive cage that fits one additional HDD or two SSDs in Dark Base Pro 901 and future cases.

Dark Base Pro 901 is available from June 27 at a recommended retail price of €319.90 / $299.90 / £319.99. The Riser Cable and HDD Cage 2 are available on the same day for €59.90 / $54.90 / £59.99 and €9.90 / $9.90 / £9.99 respectively.

be quiet!, the German manufacturer for premium PC components, is expanding its current portfolio of ATX 3.0 compatible power supplies with the Straight Power 12 series. With an impressive 80 PLUS Platinum certification, virtually inaudible cooling, wire-free interior and a massive 12V rail, Straight Power 12 ticks all the right boxes for users looking for a long-lasting companion to power high-end builds with current and next-gen GPUs. Straight Power 12 is available in five wattages: 750W, 850W, 1000W, 1200W and a massive 1500W for the most demanding power users.

World-class quiet and efficiency

Straight Power 12 is a future-proof power supply with 80 PLUS® Platinum certification (up to 94% with a standby drain below 0.1 watts) and ATX 3.0 compatibility. It features up to two 12VHPWR 600W connectors and four PCIe 6+2 connectors to effortlessly support overclocked high-end GPUs. Straight Power 12 is designed to handle maximum power excursions with ease, with a Full Bridge LLC topology for unmatched signal stability. Straight Power 12 features one massive high-performance 12V rail for a care-free user experience and better overclocking support. High-quality, 105°C-certified Japanese capacitors prevent high-frequency electronic noise that can occur during extreme load changes, especially when using modern graphics cards. Straight Power 12 uses a virtually inaudible Silent Wings 135mm fan combined with a funnel-shaped fan opening for high airflow intake to keep the internal components cool.

Wire-free on the inside, modular on the outside

Straight Power 12 has a wire-free design on the DC side; all connections run directly through the PCB. With no cables to obstruct airflow inside the power supply, component temperatures and signal quality are significantly improved, while signal interference from magnetic fields is reduced. It also significantly increases the lifespan of the power supply components. On the outside of the PSU, modular cable management allows for easy installation, as the sleeved cables can be routed and installed separately from the power supply unit. The detachable cables also avoid cable clutter, improving the look and airflow in the PC case.

Full set of protection circuits

As usual, safety plays a significant role in power supplies from be quiet!. Straight Power 12 includes all available protection circuits, including overcurrent protection (OCP), overvoltage protection (OVP), undervoltage protection (UVP), short-circuit protection (SCP), overload protection (OPP), and the often overlooked but no less critical overtemperature protection (OTP). The power supply is topped off with a full 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Straight Power 12 will available in retail from June 27 at recommended retail prices of €159.90 / $189.90 / £149.99 (750W), €179.90 / $209.90 / £174.99 (850W), €219.90 / $259.90 / £215.99 (1000W), €249.90 / $274.90 / £249.99 (1200W), and €349.90 / $379.90 / £349.99 (1500W).

be quite! Launched Light Wings series of fans back in 2021. These fans feature digital RGB LED ring on the frame for lighting effects. These fans deviate from the standard be quiet! fans’ carry. Be quiet! has launched the white edition of these fans this year carrying 4 SKUs:

• 120mm PWM Triple Pack
• 120mm PWM High-Speed Triple Pack
• 140mm PWM Triple Pack
• 140mm PWM High-Speed Triple Pack

We requested be quiet! for two packs of 120mm High-Speed Triple Packs and a single 140mm Triple Pack. Since we are regularly doing test builds and featured builds, these fans would come in handy for such build. The general or common features of these fans include:

• ARGB lighting on front and rear
• Multiple colors and modes for an individual look thanks to 18/20 LEDs for 120mm/140mm fans
• 9 silence-optimized fan blades for high pressure and low noise-generating turbulences (High-Speed version)
• Remarkable performance-to-noise ratio with 31dB(A) (High-Speed version)
• Long life rifle-bearing gives an operating lifetime of 60,000 hours
• 7 silence-optimized fan blades for high airflow and low noise-generating turbulences (PWM only)
• Very quiet operation with max. 23.3dB(A) (PWM only version)
• ARGB hub for synchronization of up to six ARGB components (included)
• ARGB signal can be daisy-chained
• 3-year manufacturer’s warranty

Pricing

Specifications

Dimensions

Closer look

Let’s start with a statement from be quiet! about these fans, “be quiet! adds impressive ARGB lighting exclusively to the Light Wings fan series and expands their fan portfolio with a model that offers more than outstanding performance and low-noise operation. Featuring numerous advantages such as small tip clearance and optimized fan blades, Light Wings fans hit the sweet spot between high performance and quiet operation with impressive illumination effects. The high-speed version provides maximum performance for heat sinks and radiators while its counterpart is the optimal case fan solution. Both are additionally available as a triple pack with a bundled ARGB Hub.”

We are covering the 140mm and 120mm fans in a single content since the basic design is same. The fans are shipped inside a paper box pack. As we can see the 140mm version is 140mm PWM only. It is not a high-speed variant. The 120mm, on the other hand, is PWM High-Speed variant.

Each fan is provided inside a white color container. The cables are concealed on the bulkhead side of the container.

There is a key difference between the PWM and PWM High-Speed variants. The PWM-only fans have 7 blades regardless of the size and they are being marketed as case fans whereas the PWM High-Speed versions have 9 blades regardless of the size and they are being marketed as cooler fans in addition to the case fans. Since the design of both sizes is same, we are covering them in a single content. As can be seen in the above picture, the 120mm is a PWM High-Speed version whereas the 140mm is a PWM-only version. I am digging this design that is giving maximum exposure to the digital RGB lighting ring.

The black version of the PWM High-Speed Light Wings fans is being used on the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360 and 240 as well. The 120mm version has 9 blades whereas the 140mm has 7 blades. These blades have the same geometrical design that we have been seeing on the be quiet! fans. There are grooves over each blade. This design will help in reducing the air drag which will not only help in better airflow across the surface but also reduces the overall noise. The center has a be quiet! branding. The sticker is in gray color which really adds to the looks. The 120mm variant has 18 A-RGB LEDs whereas the 140mm version has 2- A-RGB LEDs. There is a thick diffuser running on the border of the frame encircling the blades.

There is a white color cut-to-size anti-vibration pad on each corner of these fans to reduce the vibrational noise. There is a solid circular casing between mounting holes through which the screw is passed during the installation. This design helps in eliminating the guesswork involve in passing the screw through two mounting holes and trying to make proper contact with a second mounting hole.

The frame of these fans is sturdy and not flexible. Each fan has quite some weight to it. There are arrow indicators on one side of the frame. The arrow pointing towards the mounting corner is indicating the direction of the blades’ spin. The other arrow is indicating the direction of the airflow. There is be quiet! branding on the other side of this frame. The 140mm fan provides a clear view of the exposed diffuser on the sides of the frame. Not only is that but the ring protruded over the actual frame height for vivid illumination.

The backside of the fans shows four arms assembly with one arm widened to provide passage for the wires. There is a latch in the middle of this arm to lock the wires from falling down. The motor hub has a sticker pasted on it showing the power rating of the fans. These fans are made in China. It seems like a manufacturing date is printed at the bottom as well. Looking closely at the border area of the frame, we can see the diffuser lining clearly. The A-RGB lighting effects can also be seen from the rear of these fans making them suitable for pull configuration without compromising much on the aesthetics. These fans are using Rifle bearings with 4-pole motor. Thanks to the rifle bearings, the MTTF of these fans is rated at 60,000 hours at 25°C.

Each fan has a flat cable with a 4-pin PWM connector in white color.

Each fan has an RGB cable with two connectors. These connectors are using a standard 3-pin, 5V interface (male and female) allowing an easy daisy-chaining of RGB elements.

The key feature of these triple packs is the provision of an RGB hub with each pack.

Each hub can be used to connect up to 6x digital RGB devices. Even this controller is white in color. The black edition fans will have black color controller housing. We can see that each port is clearly labeled to serve its purpose.

There are 3x 3-pin, A-RGB ports on one side labeled as LED4, LED5, LED6.

The other side has 3x 3-pin A-RGB ports with clear labels.

The above picture shows a standard 3-pin A-RGB interface on each port.

There are two ports on one end. One is labeled POWER and the other is labeled RGB IN. This hub is SATA powered. Even the SATA connector is white in color. Sorry, could not a clear picture of the connector.

There is an adapter cable provided with the hub. It has a proprietary 3-pin connector that is connected to the RGB hub on the RGB IN port. The other end of this cable has a standard 3-pin, 5V RGB interface (female). The users are required to connect this end to the supported motherboard. Since this is a hub, not a controller, you would still need an RGB connector either on the motherboard or through some controller.

The backside of the hub has a label indicating that this a V2 of the hub.

There is a large size 3M self-adhesive tape provided with the hub. It is pasted on the hub and then the hub is pasted inside the PC Case at some appropriate location.

Alternatively, the users can use screws for the installation of the hub in the PC Case. I did not measure the screw holes distance or gap to know exactly which component size it matches for the installation.

The below table shows the specifications of these fans.

There are 12x self-tapping screws for the fans.

A-RGB Lighting

The Light Wings 120mm and 140mm fans are using standard 3-pin, 5V RGB connectors. They are expected to work with supported motherboards from major manufacturers. The bundled hub only enables to connect up to 6x fans and sits between the fans and the controller. It is not a controller so you would still need a supported motherboard or a standard controller for that matter. We have tested the RGB lighting using ASRock PolyChrome Sync and found the lighting working flawlessly. Here are some pictures:

Thermal Testing

We have used a below-mentioned configuration for this testing:

• Intel i7 13700k
• ASRock Z790 Steel Legend WiFi
• Kingston Fury Renegade DDR5 32GB 6400MHz CAS 32 kit
• DeepCool LT720 White
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC [For Display]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD
• be quiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition converted into an open-frame layout

Here is the settings table for testing:

Before we move on to the results, let me write a few lines on the new platforms from both camps. We have seen AMD AM5 and Intel Alder Lake S CPUs taking more power and this time both sides have aimed at reaching the maximum clocks regardless of thermal limit. In fact, they run into thermal limits right away depending on the cooling solution and the clocks being used. This has made testing of CPU coolers challenging because viewers/readers are not used to a new nomenclature which is what clocks are sustained under a given load using a particular cooler. That is if the cooler is capable of providing enough cooling head to sustain the high frequencies. Traditionally we are used to go the other way around that is which cooler is better in terms of thermal capacity. Despite this, we are using temperatures as a base for measuring this unit. The ambient temperature was 28~29°C. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different hence no two same SKUs are likely to take same voltage to yield same performance at same thermals per se but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, the mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting. We are actually testing the cooler on all Auto and stock settings.

Let’s take a look at the results.

Result

This test was done using Intel’s default settings with power limits imposed. The CPU was drawing roughly 225W power so this is a 220W domain result.

We have tested these fans on DeepCool LT720 White AIO. DeepCool is using FK120 White fans on this AIO. These are non-RGB versions from DeepCool. The specifications comparison of both fans is:

We can the DeepCool FK120 White fans are high-performance edition. This is on paper. How about a real comparison? We can see that DeepCool fans are better thermal performance compared to the be quiet! Light Wings 120mm PWM High-Speed fans.

Noise

We did not measure the noise level due to certain uncontrollable environment noises at present but subjectively speaking, these fans are not that loud.

Conclusion

Be quiet! has released a white edition of Light Wings fans. The white edition fans are available in the following packs:

• 120mm PWM Triple Pack
• 120mm PWM High-Speed Triple Pack
• 140mm PWM Triple Pack
• 140mm PWM High-Speed Triple Pack

The key difference between the PWM-only and PWM High-Speed series is that the PWM-only fans have 7 blades and they are better suited for case ventilation whereas the PWM High-Speed fans have 9 blades and they can be used on coolers. Other than that and specification differences, the basic design element on both versions is same.

We have got a 3 fans pack of 120mm PWM High-Speed and a 3 fans pack of 140mm PWM Light Wings series fans in white color. Be quiet! is also using the black version of Light Wings fans with Pure Loop 2 FX 360 cooler.

Each fan features a diffuser that runs on the frame’s border and encircles the blades’ assembly. Each blade has grooves that help in reducing air drag. The diffuser is protruded from the overall frame. Also, the sides of the frame have insets giving more exposure to this diffuser. This is not all because the backside of these fans also has exposure to this ring making it dual-sided A-RGB lighting effects. These fans have flat white color cables. They are powered by a 4-pin PWM connector and are using Rifle bearing with a 4-pole motor design. The MTTF rating is 60,000 hours at 25°C.

These fans are using standard 5V, 3-pin RGB connectors. Each fan has an RGB cable with male and female-type connectors for daisy-chaining. Be quiet! has also provided an RGB hub in each pack. This hub is SATA powered and allows up to 6x A-RGB fans to be connected to it. This is a hub, not a controller so, you would need an A-RGB controller anyway. Since these fans and adapter cables have a standard RGB connector interface they are supposed to work with the supported motherboards from major manufacturers. In our case, we have tested them on ASRock Z790 Steel Legend motherboard and used POLYCHROME Sync to control the lighting effects. The fans were responding well to the changes in the lighting modes of the app. The RGB hub is non-magnetic and can be installed using self-adhesive tape or 4x screws.

The 120mm PWM High-Speed edition fan is rated for up to 2500 RPM generating an airflow of 52.3 CFM at an air pressure of 2.6 mmH₂O. Its noise level rating is 31 dB(A). The 140mm PWM fan has a speed rating of 1500 RPM generating an airflow of 56 CFM at an air pressure of 1.49 mmH₂O with a noise level rating of 23.2 dB(A). These fans are rated for 12VDC. The 120mm fans pack 18 digital RGB LEDs whereas the 140mm version has 20 digital RGB LEDs.

Both fans have rubber mounting on the edges which is removable. Be quiet! has provided 4x push-pins and 4x washers with each fan making the installation tool-less and convenient. The blades of the fan have grooves that help in reducing the air drag which would also help in reducing the noise from vibration. The circular frame has rubber padding on both sides which also helps in reducing the vibrational noise.

A single pack of 3x 120mm PWM High-Speed fans has an MSRP of € 71.90. A single pack of 3x 140mm PWM fans has an MSRP of € 74.90. be quiet! is offering a 3-year warranty on each pack. I am recovering from a total hip replacement surgery and am still under precautions. I could not take the airflow rating and rotational speed range. I was only able to test the 120mm fans on the already set up test build. Apology for that. These fans are tested on DeepCool LT720 White AIO and pitched against the power FK120 White DeepCool fans. Though Light Wings 120mm fans have a slightly better noise output, there was a difference of 2°C between both fans with FK120s leading the way. Be quiet! Light Wings 120mm/140mm white edition fans have a beautiful aesthetic, brilliant digital RGB lighting, and a decent thermal performance backed by a 3-year warranty. These white edition fans can augment the white theme build with pure aesthetics and come recommended by us.

Thanks to be quiet! for the provision of test units.

The new Dark Power 13 is the updated ATX 3.0 version of the Dark Power 12 which we have previously reviewed. The main difference is the inclusion of the PCIe 5.0 port and compatibility for the new NVIDIA graphics cards. Other than this, it is the absolute beast we all know the Dark Power series to be, updated for ATX 3.0 capabilities.

be quiet! is now also offering their Light Wings fans in white! Alongside the white blades and housing, they also feature ARGB lighting so will fit in great with any upcoming build you may have.

As you can imagine, they also had some custom builds on display to show off their products. Unfortunately, pics don’t do these builds justice and they were absolutely amazing to see!

MOUNTAIN was also on hand at the be quiet! Suite due to Listan recently acquiring MOUNTAIN. While we have yet to review any of their products, and they didn’t seem too bothered about talking with us, we still managed to take a few pics of their products!

They had a couple of bags of their switches on hand to look at and get a feel for.

While they are more known for their keyboards, their recently released MACROPAD and DISPLAYPAD are a welcome addition to their current product lineup and could open the door up for more streamer and gamer-related products in the future.

While we haven’t had a proper testing session on their keyboards, they are renowned as some of the best around at the moment and definitely look the part! Maybe one day we will be able to get our hands on some of their gear so we can share our thoughts with all of you. Both the MOUNTAIN Everest Max and Everest Core have received much praise from other media.

They also had both variants of the Makalu mice on display which look like they could be decent FPS mice.

We would like to thank be quiet! for showing us around their suite and talking with us about their products on display. We look forward to seeing what else they may have in store for us this year! be quiet! have always been a big supporter of us here at Enos Tech and we look forward to bringing you more reviews and coverage in the near future!

Silent Wings is the top-of-the-line series from be quiet! Now, the manufacturer has released the new generation of this famous series named Silent Wings 4. As usual, there are multiple types of fans available in 120mm and 140mm sizes. The most premium is Silent Wings PRO for 120mm and 140mm.

be quiet! has sent us their new fans for testing including Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed. These fans are here for one particular test. More on that later in the content. be quiet! has come up with new design elements and in that, they have strived to bring a balance between their traditional outlook of the fans and performance improvement. The result is impressive-looking and high-performance Silent Wings PRO.

In this content we are taking a look at Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed. Some of their salient features are:

• Optimized fan blades for the highest performance on radiators and heat sinks
• Small tip clearance and a fan frame with funnel-shaped air outlets for extremely high air pressure
• The very silent operation even at maximum speed
• 6-pole fan motor and fluid-dynamic bearing for less vibration and very smooth operations
• Anti-vibration mounting with push pins and screwed installation option
• The super-long lifespan of up to 300,000h
• Elegant look with high-grade fan sticker in an all-black design
• 5-year manufacturer warranty

Product:               be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed

Pricing:                 SCAN UK Pricing £23.99 [At the time of review]

                                MSRP is €24.90

be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed Fans Specifications

be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed Fans Dimension

Packaging and Unboxing

The fan is shipped inside a paperboard packing box in the typical black color theme from be quiet!. The tagline is “No compromise Silence and Performance”.

The salient specifications are listed over here. The fan is listed for up to 78.4 CFM airflow and 2.36mmH₂O air pressure at the 1900 RPM mark.

There are two more boxes inside the main packing box. The top box is labeled as Accessories and it contains the screws and mounting corners. The fan is in the bottom container.

The above picture shows the fan in its box.

A user guide is provided in the box.

The above picture shows the screws and the push pins provided in the accessories box.

be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed Fans Closer Look

Let’s take a look at the fans.

The Silent Wings 4 are available in 120mm and 140mm sizes in different configurations. We are taking a look at the Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed. The user of PWM indicates that DC-based versions are also available. These are all black color fans which are non-RGB. The main focus here is the ultimate performance that a fan can deliver. be quiet! has come up with a new blade design and they have reduced the clearance for the tip of the blades meaning that the gap between the frame and blades is reduced. The tip clearance plays a key role when it comes to sustaining the high pressure while delivering the flow as it reduces the turbulence. The fan has 7 blades with a textured surface in an altered layout. The center of the fan has a large diameter. The branded fan sticker is also in black color. The main frame is circular with detachable mounting corners. Compared to Silent Wings 3, there is another key difference. We have a circular frame on the Silent Wings 4 which was not the case on the predecessor. Also, the funnel shape design was implemented on the inlet of Silent Wings 3 which is now on the outlet of Silent Wings 4.

The above picture shows the close-up of the mounting corner. These fans have detachable mounting corners and be quiet! has provided one more set in the accessories bag which can be put on conveniently subject to the requirement. The pre-installed corners can be used in tandem with the push pins and allow the user to install these fans in the PC case for ventilation with less noise output occurring from the vibration. You would need to change the corners if installing these fans over the radiator.

We almost have a square shape design of these fans though I personally prefer the complete square outlook provided on the PRO versions of the Silent Wings 4.

The above picture shows the other set of mounting corners:

• Radiator corners
• Anti-vibration corners for the case [Pre-Installed]

The above picture shows both types of corners. The toppers are for the PC Case whereas the ones on the bottom are for the radiator. They have anti-vibration pads on both ends. The central portion is also removable.

The above picture shows the fan with all corners removed. There are two plastic clips on each corner that hold the attached corner.

The above picture shows the inner side of the radiator corners. They all have the number 3 mentioned there.

The pre-installed corners have a number 2 mentioned on the inner side.

The above picture shows the fan with radiator corners installed.

The above picture shows the frame of the fan. The fan’s frame is sturdy. There is a be quiet! branding over the sides.

We can spot two carved arrow indicators on the frame. These are there to identify the direction of airflow and the direction in which the blades will spin.

The backside of the fan shows a four-arms assembly with one arm widened to provide passage for the wires. The manufacturing date is also mentioned. The fans are made in China. Each fan draws 0.40A. These fans don’t have a slider button on the backside to control the speed of the fans. This option is only available in the PRO series.

Looking at the arms, we can see that they are designed in an angular manner to facilitate air outflow. This goes to show the length be quiet! has gone to provide good performances from these fans.

Each fan has a 4-pin PWM connector using a well-sleeved cable.

be quiet! is using Fluid Dynamic Bearing in these fans having a life span of 300,000 hours. These bearings reduce the vibration which helps in reducing the overall noise output. On top of that, these fans are using 6-pole, 3-phase motor.

The salient specifications of the fans are:

Testing

The following test configuration is used: –

• Intel i7 12700k
• GIGABYTE Z690 AERO G
• XPG LANCER RGB 32GB @ 6000MHz DDR5
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 VISION OC Rev.2
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD
• bequiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum PSU
• Praxis Wetbench

We have used Alphacool Subzero thermal paste for testing. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis. The fans were connected to the NZXT FAN Controller and were set to run at full speed and 50% PWM duty cycle. The pump was running at full speed as well. Cinebench R23 is sued to stress test the CPU and HWInfo64 are used to monitor the sensors.

The fun part is that these fans were put on the gigantic radiator from Alphacool. It is a NexXxos XT45 Full Copper radiator in 1260mm size. The above picture shows these fans installed on the fan grill.

The above picture shows these fans installed on the radiator.

Test Loop Configuration and setup

We wanted to set up a modular loop that would require minimum handling and easy swapping of components including the radiators since multiple-size fans are to be tested. This was achieved using Quick Disconnect fittings in the following configuration:

• Quick Disconnection between the CPU Water Block and the Pump/Reservoir Combo
• Quick Disconnection between the CPU Water Block and the Radiator
• Quick Disconnection between the Radiator and the Pump/Radiator Combo

CPU Water Block

We have used the premium water block from Alphacool which is Eisblock XPX AURORA PRO Digital RGB – Full Brass. You can check it out in the dedicated content by clicking here.

Reservoir/Pump

We have used the Alphacool EISBECHER D5 AURORA ACETAL/GLASS 250ml reservoir with VPP APEX pump.

Other Components

We have used Alphacool black TPV tubes and 16/10mm compression fittings along with quick disconnect fittings. Additionally, the Alphacool Eiszpfen Temperature Sensor G1/4 IG/IG to AG adapter is used which is a 10KOhm sensor to record the temperature of the coolant. The 2-pin connector was attached to the 2-pin sensor on the motherboard.

The above pictures show the unit ready for testing.

Result

This is one heck of a good performance from the new fans from be quiet! as they have surpassed the famous NF-A14 and even NF-A20 PWM fans from the Noctua. Even at 50% PWM cycle these fans were delivering the performance level of NF-A20 fans running at their full speed.

Noise

The ambient noise level is between 31-32 dBA. The 9x be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed fans were making roughly 49 dBA at full speed and roughly 37 dBA at 50% duty cycle. This is quite impressive as there is only 1 dBA difference between these fans and that of Noctua NF-A14.

be quiet! Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed Fans Conclusion

We have tested the new fans from be quiet! namely Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed. Silent Wings is top of a line cooling fan from the manufacturer and they have released a new generation of fans called Silent Wings 4. There is an elite version called PRO available in 120mm and 140mm which we will be taking a look at in the next content. Then there are 120mm and 140mm versions in non-PRO in different configurations.

be quiet! has sent us 9 fans in 140mm size (Silent Wings 4 140mm PWM High-Speed) for special testing. Recently, Alphacool sent us the monster radiator called NexXxos XT45 Full Copper 1260mm SuperNova. This gigantic radiator has a surface area of 200x200x45mm and can house either 9x 140mm fans or 4x200mm fans and a combination thereof. These fans are particularly sent for this testing.

The new features include an altered blade layout with a narrow gap between the fin tip and the frame which would result in higher air pressure on the edges. Another salient feature is the removable corner mount. These fans come with plastic and rubber corner mounts, each serving a specific purpose mainly vibrational noise. The pre-installed corners are suited for ventilation tasks for which be quiet! has provided push pins. The other set is used to install these fans on the radiator.

These fans are using Fluid Dynamic Bearings having a life span of 300,000 hours and a 6-pole, 3-phase motor which in conjunction, produce less vibration and are heat efficient as well. The SST-SF120 fans also employ the same bearing and same motor. These fans are rated for up to 1900 RPM. The operating voltage range is 5~13.2VDC. This fan draws 4.8W using 0.4A at 12VDC. The airflow rating is 78.3 CFM with a static pressure rating of 2.36mmH₂O at 12VDC. We expect these fans to perform well given these high-end specs.

The be quiet! Silent Wings Pro 140mm PWM High-Speed fans have an MSRP of Euro 24.90. They are listed at SCAN UK Pricing £23.99. be quiet! is offering 5 years warranty on these fans. The thermal performance of these fans on the radiator is excellent as per our testing. They also have a better noise-to-performance ratio. Our charts are indicative of this superb performance as these fans are sitting on top of the Noctua NF-A14 and NF-A20 PWM fans. The Silent Wings 4 140mm High-Speed fans with their classic look, superb build quality, and solid performance punch, have won our Performance Award.

Thanks to be quiet! for the provision of the fans.

We have received Silent Base 802 Window White PC Case from be quiet!. We have tested the case and used it for a featured white build. This case is features rich and offers exceptional space to layout your configuration. On top of that, be quiet! has adopted the Cooler Master approach and provided sound insulated panels on the front, side, and top as well as the airflow designed front and top panel. The PSU shroud is on another level and is configured as per the user requirement including mounting one 120mm fan for further air intake. The case comes with detachable case feet. The removable motherboard tray is one main feature allowing the user to have a more traditional layout or go for an inverted layout without changing the case entirely. Extreme flexibility is there when it comes to Silent Base 802 Window White case. There are so many other features which are listed below.

• Tinted and tempered glass side window allows a superb view
• Exchangeable top cover and front panel for either maximum airflow or silent operation
• Three Pure Wings 2 140mm fans guarantee a perfect airflow
• Extra thick insulation mats for improved noise reduction
• State-of-the-art I/O port with fan controller and USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type C connector for usage of latest hardware
• Fast and secure detachment of the side panels with push pins
• PSU shroud and smart HDD slot covers provide a neat interior
• Decoupled motherboard tray can be relocated for an inverted layout
• The power supply can be easily installed from the back of the case
• Detachable top bracket allows easy fan and radiator installation
• Generous dimensions for radiators up to 420mm
• Full metal body provides stability and a great haptic
• Side panel made of tinted and tempered glass
• Three years manufacturer´s warranty

Official Product Page: Silent Base 802 Window White

Purchase on Amazon UK £184.99
Purchase on Amazon US $202.69

Specifications

Dimensions

Silent Base 802 Closer Look

The chassis is shipped inside a brown color cardboard box. One look and we can tell this case has been handled quite well by the shipping company! Thankfully the case arrived in one piece with only a few scratches around only.

The above picture shows one white color Styrofoam. This is the only Styrofoam that has survived the shipping. There are two case feet tucked inside the foam.

There is one large size accessory box. It has airflow-oriented front and top panels. The case, by default, comes with soundproof panels all around except the glass panel. The top and front panels can be swapped with these airflow design panels.

There is a user guide provided in the case though it does not cover all corners.

be quiet! has provided various screws and Velcro strips.

Let’s start with what be quiet! is saying about their Silent Wing series, “Silent Base series offers a diversity second to none. Cases are dedicated from super silent to maximum airflow alike. With its easy handling and noise prevention methods Silent Base series underlines its claim to be the perfect symbiosis of silent operation, good cooling performance, and excellent usability. Features such as a PSU shroud and diverse cable management possibilities offer a neatly structured interior and underline the user-friendliness of Silent Base cases. With a targeted combination of sound insulation and innovative features, Silent Base is a truly superior case ideal for high-end gaming gear and for quiet systems especially.”

It is time to take a closer look at the chassis and see what it offers in this price range. The case stands at 537mm in Height without feet and 553mm with feet. The depth is 281mm and the length is 539mm. It is made of ABS Plastic, Glass, and Steel (SECC) materials. The case has a net weight of 13.15kg. By these measurements, this case sounds like a full tower but be quiet! has listed it as midi-tower.

Exterior View

Let’s start with an exterior view of the chassis.

Before we start talking about the case, the very first thing which should be done (in my opinion) is to install the case feet.

The above picture shows the two feet which remind me of the CORSAIR 780T design. Both feet have fine-quality pads on both ends. Each end has a holding column and a locking latch.

The above picture shows the feet installed on the case. There is no coverage of how to install the feet in the user guide. They are a bit tricky but nothing too challenging. You should hear proper clicks (4x) when each side of a foot bar secures with the case frame. You may have to use a bit of force but don’t put excessive force on these. We flipped the case to install the feet.

The above picture shows the case base with the feet installed. Both feet sit at an angle protruding from the base giving one elegant outlook to the case.

The front panel is solid without any perforation. This is because be quiet! has adopted soundproofing on the front by default. Don’t worry, they have also taken care of airflow requirements. There is a be quiet! branding on the base. Other than that, there is nothing significant besides a stylish layout.

I love how be quiet! has provided panels removing mechanisms on all sides. The front panel can be slided upward. You can see that in the above picture. The panel is lifted upward. All that is needed now is to pull it and the panel will come off.

The left and right sides of the case frame on the front have mesh intake. These intake areas compensate for the fully blocked front panel. These areas are filtered.

Take a peek at the inside of the front panel. There is a black color sound insulation pad.

This pad has roughly 1mm thickness.

As we have mentioned above that case can be prepped for soundproof or airflow orientations, for which necessary panels have been provided in the box. The above picture shows just that. The default front panel is on the left whereas the mesh panel is on the right.

The above picture shows both panels from the underside. In case you are wondering this mesh panel does not have a dust filter, take a look at the next picture.

There is a black color dust filter placed before the fan bracket.

The handling of the dust filter is convenient as well. There is a latch on the top, press it and pull the filter out. There are 2x Pure Wings 140mm black fans on the front. This black and white combination sounds strange to me as be quiet could have used their white fans.

The user can install up to 3x 120mm or 3x 140mm fans on the front.

The user can install up to 420mm radiator on the front.

We have superb cooling gear provision upfront. Since we have a highly spacious layout, the storage cage in the bottom chamber would not hinder the front fans/radiators’ placement which is a blessing.

There are cutouts at regular intervals on both sides. These are there for the air intake from the mesh side. Also, there are three cutouts facing the side of the fans. These are there to pass the fans’ cables for further routing and connectivity.

Looking at the side panel, we have a light-tinted tempered glass panel. The glass panel has a thickness of 4mm so handle it with care. The panel flushes in with the frame of the case fully. This is a different panel tooling that I have never seen before in my experience. The panel is not magnetic nor is it hinged. The panels can be released using push pins on the rear. The panel would release from the frame but would still remain fixed and the user will have to lift the panel. The glass panel has a dimension of 401x431mm.

The rear side of the case has a different approach in terms of the layout around the standard design. The top area is vented and has more height. We can spot a fan bracket through the vented area. The rest of the area excluding the PSU bay is recessed inside the frame of the case. The main reason for that is the removable motherboard tray. be quiet! needed to reinforce the complete tray and for that, they have almost used 9x screws to safely install the motherboard tray on the main frame. The provision is created on the main frame for these screws.

There is a cutout for the rear IO cover of the motherboard. On its right, there is a vented portion with one 140mm fan pre-installed. The user can install a 140mm or a 120mm fan on the rear. Height adjustment is not possible for either fan size.

In the middle section, we have 7 PCIe slot covers. There are two PCIe slot covers in a vertical layout. All covers are reusable. I wish be quiet! has made this layout bridgeless, as the bridgeless layout gives more compatibility with the majority of the vertical GPU brackets.

The vertical slots have a removable cover that can be loosened to install the card.

At the bottom, we have a provision for a standard ATX PSU. There is a bracket for the PSU bay. The user can remove the cover and install it on the PSU then slide the PSU inside the bay and complete the installation by screwing the cover on the frame. I appreciate this convenient handling of the PSU.

The above picture shows the PSU bracket. There is a sound insulation pad on the bracket for anti-vibration decoupled PSU.

The above picture shows the PSU bay in the bottom chamber. There are anti-vibration pads on which the PSU is rested.

There are two black color push pins up top. Pressing them or either will release the panels accordingly. We can see both panels in a released state.

The above picture shows the top view of the case. We have dual panels here. One panel is solid and has a sound insulation pad. The other panel is slotted for ventilation.

The above picture shows the top view with both panels removed. We have a total perforated area. There is no mounting hole or rail mount system in this area. The mounting is actually done on the bracket which is removable. We will discuss it down the road.

The above picture shows the mesh panel installed on the top. This mesh panel is provided in the accessories to convert the default sound-proof layout into an airflow layout.

The above picture shows both types of top panels.

The connectivity options on the IO panel are:

• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Port
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports
• 2x Audio Jacks
• 1x Power Button
• 1x Reset Button
• 1x LED Indicator
• Fan Switch

The fan switch is a smart design. The integrated 4-step fan controller allows the setting of the speed of up to 6 fans manually or connects all to one PWM signal. The switch allows the user to set the speed on four dials. The user can set all fans on Auto PWM settings or increase the speed incrementally using dials 1, 2, and 3.

Looking at the bottom of the case, there is a full-length dust filter in black color. It can be removed from the front side of the case which makes its handling super convenient.

The above picture shows the underside area after removing the filter. There are rail designs on multiple spots here. The PSU bay area has quite a length. Looking closely, we can see that there is no screw anywhere here. This would mean the drive cage is secured to the frame of the case from the side.

The back side panel is solid.

We spotted strains and scratching on two points on the backside panel.

Interior View

It is about time to take a peek at the inner side of the chassis.

The above picture shows the inner side of the glass panel. The top frame is thicker and heavier. It has a locking/unlocking mechanism. There are two tabs or holders at the base which are rested on the frame of the case to secure the panel.

Let’s take an inside view of the chassis. One can easily tell how spacious this case is when it comes around to building inside. The inner space has a length of 445mm and a height of 363mm. the motherboard tray is installed such as there is a gap on the backside of the tray and its top, leaving plenty of room for the user to flex the muscle and route the cables. The motherboard tray is anti-vibration decoupled which goes to show the extent of be quiet! focus on making this case silent from almost every aspect.

The motherboard tray is made of steel and has a solid build quality. There is no flex as such in the tray. The markings are labeled for ease of identification for the installation of the motherboard. This case supports motherboards of up to E-ATX size. 9x standoffs are pre-installed. The centered standoff acts as a catcher to hold the motherboard in space. We have a large size CPU cut-out area for convenient installation of the coolers.

The top displacement is roughly 60mm which is quite good. This is coming from the 281mm depth of the case and the offset top bracket design. The three main cutouts in the center have rubber grommets. There is no cutout on the top as we have mentioned that the tray is removable hence the upper area is left open.

Take a good look at the right side of the tray. There are ABS-made covers. These are there to cover the mounting of drive cage. The idea is not new and many brands have implemented this in their own design like Phanteks Evolv have this feature. Fractal Design is using a similar feature but with a different implementation in that the drives would still remain hidden behind the cover for a clean build. If you decide to install further storage drives here then this would impact the length support of the graphics card*.

Compatibility and Clearance

The following cooling provision is supported:

• 3x 120mm or 3x 140mm fans on the front [2x 140mm pre-installed]
• 3x 120mm or 3x 140mm fans on the top
• 1x 120mm or 1x 140mm fan on the rear [1x 140mm pre-installed]
• 1x 120mm or 1x140mm fan on the PSU shroud
• Up to 420mm radiator on the front
• Up to 360mm radiator on the top
• Up to 140mm radiator on the rear

CPU Cooler Height: 185mm

Graphics Card Length: 432mm without drive cage, 287mm with the drive cage*

PSU Length: 288mm

The complete bottom chamber area including the PSU bay is covered. There are actually 4x ABS-made covers. They are cut-to-design for this specific requirement. Each one can be separately removed.

The above picture shows the PSU shroud after removing the covers. There are 6 small size cutouts on the sides to pass the cables through. Please note that there is a gap between the cover and the shroud which makes the routing of cables convenient. The far right side shows the mount where the user can install a 1x 120mm or 1x 140mm fan for intake. Given the design and regular airflow, it is recommended to install the PSU with the fan side facing down.

The above picture shows the underside of the PSU shroud covers. They are made of ABS material.

There is a be quiet! branding carved in the side of the PSU shroud.

The above picture shows the backside of the front fan bracket. Take a closer look and you will find anti-vibration decouples on the fan mounts. There are two 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans pre-installed on the front side of the bracket.

There is a gap of roughly 58mm on the front base which is covered by the ABS-made cover. It can be removed to install a 360mm or 420mm radiator up front. We installed a 360mm AIO in push-pull and it was an easy fit on the front. It was done to see if push/pull is possible or not.

There is a black color 140mm Pure Wings 2 fan on the rear which is powered by a 3-pin connector cable. Its rated speed is 1000 RPM and rated at 18.8 dB(A) at 12VDC with 61.4 FM airflow rating and 0.76mmH₂O air pressure rating.

The above picture shows the PCIe slot covers. This is not a bridgeless design. Please note that installing the card vertically in this case will sit the card closer to the side panel which would restrict the fresh air intake for the graphics card.

The above picture shows the top view of the case with the glass panel removed. There is a removable fan bracket up top which is secured by 2x Philips screws.

The above pictures show both sides of the bracket. Its offset side is vented. Clearly, be quiet! was ahead of the game when designing this bracket.

The above picture shows the inside top view of the case with the fan bracket removed. We have ample space up top for the radiator placement.

The above picture illustrates the regular and optional airflow in the case.

It is now time to look at the backside of the case.

The above picture shows the backside of the side panel. There is a roughly 1mm thick sound insulation material on the side panel. This will make contact with the cables making it difficult to put the panel on. So, make sure you are spending a good time in cable management and avoid grouping multiple cables in the center.

The above picture shows the main view of the backside of the case. The front panel cables are grouped and routed in the center. There are 10x screws which are securing the motherboard tray with the frame. Removing those and 3x more on the front side inside of the case will remove the motherboard tray for invert placement if so required. There are 18 cable tie points.

Be quiet! has implemented a fan hub with two rails. Each rail supports up to 3x fans. These are 3-pin fans but the hub is PWM and there is a PWM cable that can be connected to the motherboard header for further control. The hub is SATA powered.

There is a 2.5” drive bracket right next to the hub.

There is one more 2.5” drive bracket right behind the CPU cutout. It can house up to 2x such drives.

The above picture shows the drive cage with one caddy inside. The cage’s frame is secured with the main frame using screws on the side. This is a wise implementation as we can easily remove the cage and its frame without flipping the case. Usually, the drive cages are secured using screws from the underside of the case.

The above picture shows a caddy. It has anti-vibration decoupling mounting to absorb the vibrational noise of the 3.5” disk drives and is toolless as well. It also supports 2.5” drives.

be quiet! has also provided a dual drive caddy in the accessory box.

The above picture shows the PSU bay. The front panel cables are rested in this area. Take note of thicker anti-vibration pads in the area. The PSU is placed over these. Clearly, be quiet! is not leaving any corner unturned when it comes to ensuring the maximum soundproof case.

The above picture shows the bottom chamber after removing the drive cage. We have plenty of area to work with.

We have:

• USB 3.2 Connector
• USB Type C Connector

There is a front panel HD Audio connector.

We have front panel system connectors.

The fan hub is powered by a SATA connector and there is a 4-pin PWM connector as well.

Installation

The following configuration is used:

• Intel i9 10850k
• GIGABYTE Z490 VISION D
• GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3070 VISION OC
• DeepCool LS720 WH
• DeepCool FC120 White ARGB Fans
• XPG Spectrix D60 16GB @ 3600MHz White
• XPG Lite 1TB NVMe SSD
• Sabrent 2TB Rocket 4 Plus NVMe SSD
• Fractal Design ION + 2P 860W PSU

We started with the installation of the motherboard. It was a convenient fitment and we did not encounter any issues.

We have used custom-sleeved extension cables in white color. The 24-pin ATX connector was installed.

The 8-pin EPS connector was installed.

The front panel connectors were routed under the motherboard and connected to the header.

The HD Audio and an A-RGB 3-way split cable were routed under the motherboard and installed for a clean look.

The USB 3.2 and Type-C connectors were installed on the headers.

3x fan PWM connectors were routed behind the motherboard and connected to three PWM headers. This would allow us to group the fans in 3 sets and control each group separately.

The graphics card was installed.

3x FC120 ARGB white fans were installed on the front. A single FC120 ARGB white fan was installed on the rear.

The CPU cooler was installed followed by the PSU. All the connections were established on the backside of the motherboard tray.

We did a minimum cable management to see if the back panel can be put on conveniently. This was not the case as the thick insulation foam was obstructed by the group of cables in the center. You would need to plan ahead for the cable management.

Here are a few pictures of the build.

Thermal Testing

The test configuration is already mentioned above. We have tested the case with the fans on a custom fan curve and the pump on full speed. The graphics card was on factory or Auto settings. The CPU was on [Stock, Auto] settings as well. The AIDA64 Extreme 6.35 was used to stress the CPU (using FPU) and the GPU at a time. The ambient temperature was 35°C. Here are the results:

This case with a sound-proofing layout provides the best silent operation but at the cost of high thermal output whereas the thermals are good with the airflow layout. This is up to the user to decide which configuration or a mix of configurations would suit best. I am using an airflow layout with a custom fan curve and the thermals are good under load with a sound level not too high to tease me.

Conclusion

The be quiet! Silent Base 802 Window White is a mid-tower PC Case that is feature rich solution catering to a multitude of market segments but at a steep price. This case is available in black and white version and we have taken a spin on the white version. The case is so spacious that I consider it in the full tower category but be quiet! has mentioned it to be midi-tower. The dimension of the case is 553x281x539mm (HxDxL) including the case feet. The height without the feet is 537mm. The case is made of ABS Plastic, Glass, and Steel (SECC) materials. The case has a net weight of 13.15kg.

The fan support is as under:

• 3x 120mm or 3x 140mm fans on the front with 2x 140mm fans pre-installed
• 3x 120mm or 3x 140mm fans on the top
• 1x 120mm or 1x 140mm fan on the rear with 1x 140mm fan pre-installed
• 1x 120mm or 1x140mm fan on the PSU shroud

The radiator support is as under:

• 120mm/140mm/240mm/280mm/360mm/420mm radiator on the front
• 120mm/140mm/240mm/280mm/360mm on the top
• 120mm/140mm radiator on the rear

Clearance is:

CPU Cooler Height: 185mm

Graphics Card Length: 432mm without drive cage, 287mm with the drive cage*

PSU Length: 288mm

Storage provision is:

• Up to 7x 3.5” drive bays [3x provided]
• Up to 15x 2.5″ drive bays [7x provided]

Dust Filtration:

• 1x fine mesh filter on the front
• 1x full-length mesh filter on the base
• 1x mesh panel on the top [Optional]

Here are the key highlights of the design:

• Light Tinted 4mm thick Glass Panel
• Push Pins to unlock the side panels
• 3x be quiet! Pure Wings 2 140mm black fans pre-installed
• Swappable Front and Top panels
• The sound-proof layout or airflow layout
• The case can be set up for Storage Server
• 6-fans hub with PWM control
• PSU Shroud with multiple use scenarios
• Tool-less drive cages
• Removable Motherboard Tray for standard or inverted layout
• PSU Bracket
• Top removable fan bracket
• USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2 port on the front panel
• Support for up to 420mm radiator on the front
• Fan hub with the switch using 4 dials

The case can house motherboards up to the E-ATX form factor. There is a top displacement of roughly 60mm leaving enough room to easily install the radiator with the fans on the top without hindering the RAM. There are ABS brackets on the side of the motherboard tray which can be used to install drive bays. However, this would limit the length of the graphics card to 287mm so keep that in mind.

The PCIe slots are not a bridgeless design which in my opinion should have been as this provides more flexibility and compatibility with the majority of the vertical GPU brackets. The front gap is enough to support the radiator with fans up to 58mm in thickness. The PSU shroud has full-length covers that can be removed as per the requirement. There is a certain gap between the vented shroud and the covers for ventilation and cable routing. The user can optionally install a 120mm or a 140mm fan on the shroud for further intake.

The stock fans have a rated speed of up to 1000 RPM and they are using 3-pin connectors. They are connected to the fan hub on board. The speed of the fans can be set to Auto PWM or speed dials of 1, 2, and 3 for slow speed, medium speed, and full speed. A super convenient design. The case has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port and a 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port as well.

The overall build quality is top-notch. The shipping company ruined the packing board. The Styrofoam pads were destroyed but luckily the case made its way safe with a few scratches on the back panel. The paint job though is neat, we can spot the differences which are mainly due to the different materials (steel and plastic). The case feet are not pre-installed and they need to be attached first for which there is no guideline in the user manual.

Our overall build experience is very good and despite using a 360mm on the top, the right side of the case is still left unused. The cable routing is super easy. The only challenge is the cable management so that the 1mm thick sound-insulation material on the back panel is not obstructed by the cables. The thermal testing shows that the CPU and graphics card run hot in the sound-proof layout. The thermals were fine in the airflow layout.

The be quiet! Silent Base 802 Window White is listed at USD 190 at the time of this review. This steep price is justified by the plethora of features, superb build quality, provision of two types of panels (for front and top), audacious design element, magnificent layout, cooling and storage provision, and whatnot. The case is a piece of marvel and yes be quiet! is right in their claim that this case is a perfect symbiosis of silent operation, good cooling performance, and excellent usability. No wonder if this case has won our Must Have award.

We are thankful to be quiet! for the provision of the test unit.