Final Thoughts
After spending a lot of time with this case and building inside of it I kept saying “they don’t make them like this anymore” and that is so true. This case really reminds me of older cases where the possibilities and modularity were pretty much endless. It seems, especially in the past few years that most cases are pretty much all the same and don’t offer that much beyond having a basic build. It is really nice to see be quiet! come out with a case like this in 2023.
When it comes to options with this case the first thing that stands out is being able to have a silent build or a high airflow build. The case has sound dampening material on the panels and even the top of the case can be closed off for really quiet operation. But if you wanted more performance you can remove those top panels and swap out the front panel for a mesh panel. Also you have the ability to flip the motherboard tray over and completely change the inside of the case so you could actually have this case sitting on the left side of your desk and still show off your build.
For cooling be quiet! has outfitted the case with three fans by default, but there is plenty of room to add more and this case supports radiators up to 420mm which is really impressive. On the storage side of things the case supports 7 SSDs or 2 hard drives and 2 SSDs out of the box, with the ability to add more if by buying more storage trays. And who can’t forget that you actually get a 5.25-inch drive bay in this case.
There are also little things like the fan hubs that are built into the front and top cooling brackets. Since the brackets are removable you can mount your fans and wire them outside of the case and once you reinstall the bracket they are automatically connected thank to the pogo-style connectors on the case. You get full fan control and RGB control on the case itself and it is one of the better implementations that I’ve seen. You also get that 15W wireless charger on the top of the case. And you can’t forget about the GPU support bracket, the fact you can install a graphics card vertically, and having 5 USB ports on the front of the case.
I think if there is anything not to like about this case it would have to be the price. At $329.99 at our favorite online retailer that is quite a lot to pay for a case these days. We are not saying it is not worth it, because it totally is, just for the average builder this case is a bit overkill. I think if you are choosing this case you definitely have to have a certain build in mind whether it is a workstation build, crazy watercooling build, or something like a storage server. Overall though this has to be one of my favorite cases of 2023 and a case that was a blast to review and build in! Overall ThinkComputers gives the be quiet! Dark Base Pro 901 Case a 9 out of 10 score and our Editor’s Choice Award!
Pros:
– Can fit the largest hardware out there
– True motherboard tray that can be flipped
– Can be put in high performance or silent modes
– Unique fan hubs with pogo-style connectors
– Fan & RGB controls on the case
– Easy installation
– 5 USB ports on the front
– 15W wireless charger built in
Cons:
– Price for the standard builder
