Cougar Mars Gaming Desk Archives

80-PLUS® GOLD CERTIFIED Up to 93% of efficiency, compliant with 80-PLUS® GOLD efficiency requirement ULTRA-QUIET & TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED 140mm FAN 140mm double ball bearing fan deliver optimum air flow with extremely low noise level, the fan speed automatically governed based on the temperature ADVANCED MODULAR CABLE The advanced modular cable management is further improved by utilizing new flat cables that simplify installation as well as reducing air friction in order to maximize airflow. This gives gamers the power they need, and flexibility of easy upgrades they demand COMPATIBLE WITH LATEST PC-TECHNOLOGY Supports the newest specifications of ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards Created for usage with current and next-generation multi-core CPU platforms SUPPORT MULTI-GPU TECHNOLOGY Support PCI Express 2.0 next-generation graphic card with 8(6+2)pin PCI-E connector 105 °C JAPANESE CAPACITORS Highest durable 105°C Japanese capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability, delivering 4 times the lifespan of conventional 85°C rated capacitors. HIGH PERFORMANCE AT 50°C Non-stop high performance and full rated wattage at 50°C/122°F ambient temperature. GX 1050 110-240Vac 50-60Hz 12-6.3A 4A 1050W

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Having an extremely quiet PC doesn’t have to be difficult. It all starts with choosing the right case for the job.  be quiet! has been manufacturing some of the best cases on the market that help keep your computer as quiet as possible.  The pure Base 500 by be quiet! is a budget-friendly ATX case that has the same insulation mats that you see on some of the other quiet cases out on the market.  In addition to providing a great price-performance ratio, the Pure Base 500 is highly customizable and ready to be used with water-cooling loops and support radiators up to 360mm.  To show off your internal components a windowed version of Pure Base 500 could be used that offers a 4mm thick tempered glass panel.

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The be quiet! Pure Base 500 is being shipped in a recycled shipping box which has all the information needed about the case inside. The Pure Base 500 comes in two configurations, with window and without. My sample today is of the Pure Base 500 Window version. The window version of Pure Base 500 features 4 mm tempered glass on the left side of the case.

The case itself is packaged in the plastic bag which is supported by white foam. We see this standard shipping method in most cases we review. This works well as shipping companies throw and damage outer boxes all the time.

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A Closer Look at Pure Base 500

The case itself is based on a steel frame with a steel side panel. The top and front of the case are made from ABS plastic and have a brushed aluminum feel to it. The entire case is painted black and the paint matching between the front bezel and the case itself is spot on. There is a single logo of “be quiet!” on the front of the case. The logo feels metallic to the touch. On the back of the case, we can see a standard ATX layout with the basement mounted power supply. There are seven PCI slots for you to use and the supported motherboards, in this case, is ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ITX.

The right side of the case has a solid steel side panel with captured thumbscrews on the back. And on the left side of the case is the features a 4mm tempered glass window that is held by thumbscrews on the side of the panel. The window comes covered with a plastic sticker to protect it against any blemishes while shipping. The window is large and has an inch of the black inner lip.

The frame of Pure Base 500 is singled riveted at the joints however this doesn’t make this case flimsy. The frame is very strong here and that is always a big plus in my book. The power supply space is in Pure Base 500 is being visually separated by a non-removable shroud which gives the case extreme cleanness and should make it easy to route cables. There are four cable management Velcro ties on the back of the case to help you be organized. Pure Base 500 also has a hidden cable shroud on the right of the motherboard tray for the motherboard power connector and other miscellaneous cables.

The bottom of the Pure Base 500 is equipped with a plastic dust filter that can be easily removed from the back of the case for cleaning. The case stands are made from ABS plastic and have rubber sticky pads glued to them. This case is designed to be on the flat surface and I do have to say once it’s on a flat surface it is difficult to slide/adjust it due to the rubber feet. So you don’t have to worry about this case to slide off your table or tip over. The top of the case offers two convenient ways to provide cooling into the case. One is with the closed magnetic bezel and one without. If you are planning to cool your system with fans and not via water-cooling then you might want to use the magnetic bezel to keep sound to a minimum. For the top-mounted radiators, I would recommend removing the bezel and open up the airways for the exhaust.

The IO control panel is located on the top of the case and provides the following jacks, 2x USB 3.0, Microphone, and Headset jacks along with just a single power button. I am not sure why be quiet! decided to drop the reset button but its nowhere to be found in this case.

The front bezel could be easily removed by pulling it forward away from the case. The bezel itself is made from ABS plastic and has a sound deadening mat glued to it. Another place where you are going to see this type of mat would be on the top removable bezel and the right-side panel. There are two honeycomb based strips on both left and right side of the bezel to provide air intake into the case.

be quiet! as included two 140mm fans. One of the fans is installed in the front of the case is a Pure Wing 2 140mm fan. Pure Wing fans rotate at about 900 RPM and are extremely quiet with about 17 dBA under a full load. The other included Pure Wing fan is installed on the back of the case to push air out of the case.

[section_title title=Hardware Installation and Clearance Compatibility]

Hardware Installation and Clearance Compatibility

The following measurements and assumptions were taken manually and should be treated as supplementary information along with manufacturers’ specifications.

• Internal length: 374mm.
• Internal height: 336mm.
• Internal depth: 194mm (to the glass)

Front-mounted

• Radiators size 120,140,240,280 or 360mm.
• Fan size 3x120mm or 1x140mm.

Rear-mounted

• Radiator size 120mm or 140mm.
• Fan size 120mm or 140mm.

Top-mounted

• Radiator size 120mm or 240mm.
• Fan size 2x120mm or 2x140mm.

Bottom mounted

NA

Power Supply:

• There is a removable plate.
• 255mm Max Clearance for Power Supply installation. (>360mm if you remove the storage cage)

Video Card clearance:

• There is 374mm Max of clearance before reaching the front fan mounting area.

CPU Tower coolers:

• CPU heat-sink height clearance is about 194mm. (from the motherboard tray to the glass).
• Large CPU backplate cutout.

Putting together the system was pretty easy. There is plenty of room to work with and even if you need more room planning to use a reservoir for liquid cooling then space could be adjusted within the case. The 3.5-inch cage on the bottom of the case is a removable one so you can remove that and use that space for the large coolant reservoir. The 2.5-inch cage that is directly above the 3.5-inch case is removable as well. The 2.5-inch case on the back of the motherboard tray can be removed as well if not used.
The installation of the video card was straight forward as well. The case has enough space to accommodate some of the largest cards on the market. The card I am using here is an MSI 2080 Super and as you can clearly see it has no issues with length.

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Final Thoughts

The be quiet! Pure Base 500 is an excellent case for users who want reduced sound from their components.  Pure Base 500 has a stylish and simple design that works.  The installation of components in this Mid-sized ATX case is very straight forward.  The ability to customize internal space for custom water-cooling is a breeze.  The front of the case can easily accommodate a large 360mm radiator.  In my build, I used an AIO CPU cooling loop with a top-mounted 240mm radiator which was installed without issues. Cable management in be quiet! Pure Base 500 is pretty good as well.  The internal cable shrouds could be used to make your case nice and neat by hiding your cables.  The tempered glass window is a great way to show off your internal components and it is pretty easy to remove as it has thumb screws to support it.

The Price of the be quiet! Pure Base 500 Window edition is $119.99 on Amazon and I think the price is a little bit on the high side for this case.  Similar tempered glass cases sell for about $70 USD.  Pure Base 500 has a strong build with good customizable features in addition to sound insulation mats and included fans.  With that said, if the price is no object and you are looking for a simple but yet fully functional Mid-sized case Pure Base 500 might be a good fit for you.

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