Outside of the be quiet Silent Base 800 (Orange) Computer Case
The “be quiet!” company has a motto of “form follows function.”, this is an indication to us that “be quiet!” makes the engineering come first and then worries about the looks later. For this, I have to say they take this motto seriously. The brushed Aluminum look on the front and the textured surface coating is very pleasing to the eyes but the cases function is extremely evident even in its look a feel. There are subtle cues that tell you that this case was made like this for a specific reason. “The case was made to literally be quiet.
The colored framed inserts that go into the side of the outer vents are molded in color so no paint to scratch off over time. The side air inlets that look like fashion statements on the side panels are made of high quality plastic and go well with the outer looks of the case. The mesh in the front is airy metal but the holes could be bigger and maybe in a honeycombed shape but it works for the case. The skids on the bottom have rubber mountings on every corner to keep the case firm planted and steady if it not lying on marbles otherwise it will stay where you put it even if you man handle it.
The top of the case is made of a thick gauge plastic that has the look and feel of painted aluminum. The only real tell to determine what it’s top and bottom are really made of is to knock on it with your knuckles and listen to the sound it makes, or remove the top or bottom it and examine the inside. It turns out that the bottom and top panels are made of a molded black plastic and are thick gauge and very strong and lightweight.
The plunger type on/off button and plugs are all industry grade or higher and that is important and they are well lit and the extra large power button is incased in a plastic tub so no hard pressing will ever cause this button to fall into the case later from usage fatigue. You would have literally hammer the button to break it but that is not advised or tried in this testing. The action of the button is very tactile and the click of the switch can be felt as well as heard.
Looking at the front face the “be quiet!” Silent Base 800 case, one see’s the simple beauty of this premiere model of a line of cases that I predict will have a real future. The 21.3 inch tall case has a flat face with simplistic German styling that has a brushed metallic look. The side ventilation inlet holes are is the only metal on this front facing and most of the case is relatively light. This is the BG001 model number or very first of three models of the same build. In fact the framed area around the front intake vents and interior rubber parts are the only differences you will find in the three distinct orange, black or silver editions.
The top door can be made to open from either side as desired by simply changing the side hinge to the desired side decided by the owner and the case’s location in relation to the operator. The top door closes naturally and lines up in perfect harmony with the case but does not clasp or lock into place. One simply pulls back on the top of the door and it opens up solid and effortlessly. The door also closes quite strong and silent with rubber bumpers to keep it from banging into place.
There are three doors, two on the outside and one on the inside. The two outside doors are shown here.
The third door is a door and filter system all in one. There are three clasps that hold the front door and the inner door together on the same filter panel. The clasps are shown here.
The third door is opened in these series of pictures that show how to remove the filter inner screen door. The screen is very high quality clothes drier filter material and should last for years of use.
There is really no difference in the side panels as they are both mirror images of each other but they both have that simple sophistication that you would see in most German styled cars. Both panels have a simple intake system for a single 120mm fan. The metal frame of the panel holds the fan in place and the other top inserts are filtered by a metallic like vent and kept quiet by shrouding the fan fully with a slightly thinner gauge version of the insulation that the rest of the panel are coated in. The outer edge of this framed square insert allows intake or exhaust through all four sides of the insert.
The center insert can easily be removed and cleaned by simply using a pinching action to the opposing two clips on each side and simply removing the cover. The 120mm optional case fan is mounted directly to the door with 4 usual standard size fan mount holes and the cover is insulated with the same lightweight rubbery substance that the rest of the panels and front fascia are lined with.
The top cover also has the look of thick molded aluminum similar to the old CM Stacker of old, but is made of the same black high impact plastic material that is lightweight but is actually as strong as it looks. Fact is that I was not sure it was plastic at all until I rapped hard on it with my knuckles to hear the material and removed the top for verification of my guess. It is that sturdy of a cover as it looks and great and the breathing system is made into a few top vents and the entire rear vents are the way that fresh air is inhaled or exhaled out of the case by fans and two 120mm or 140mm fans can be installed or a medium sized 240mm or 280mm coiled radiator for internal CPU cooling with enough room under the lid to allow for a fan be installed on the top for push/pull style set ups.
The bottom is quite simply with a straight hull like bottom except for the front and back of the panel for intake and exhaust and foremost, noise reduction. This cover also looks like a piece of molded aluminum but is made or very lightweight sturdy plastic. The skis or skids on each side of the bottom mount by simply lining them up and inserting them into the bottom panel into the pre molded hole mounts and pressing upward until they will not go any farther. At this point the skids will click into place and tightly stay where they belong until they are pulled out again for removal. The bottom is also molded in a way to accept air fully from the rear part of the cover and vented into the power supply and a 120mm or 140mm case fan or radiator for graphics card use.
The plastic top panel has these areas shown below to allow air to enter or escape depending on your build configuration, but some air from the front of the case can enter into this area from the front color framed vents as well but since everything takes the path of least resistance the lion’s share of the air is vented through the small vents in the back to control noise the best.
The back of the case has a very nice look and the 120mm Pure Wing 2 fan is evident at the top. Notice the orange at each screw point and you see the Rubber “O” ring known as decoupled which in laymen’s terms is more like isolated mounting.
The motherboard I/O shield and the top 120mm fan take the usual area of any case on the market. The fan is non-position able as some newer cases are made but this case is built for being quiet so air coolers are the usual choice in this instance since internal air coolers can be quieter due to less fan movement.
IF you notice the PCI slot covers holes they seem rough and unfinished. While the holes might have been an afterthought in the production process some refinement would be nice for these but there is plenty of exhaust air ventilation here. There is also a Kinston Lock placement right next door to tie down your system from tampering but it’s usually about as useful as the average bicycle lock.
Below is the bottom ventilation entrance or exhaust again depending on your configuration and the power supply can be mounted either fan down or fan up position. In this case I would suggest fan up as internal air can be thrust out the back of the power supply by using the already available power supply fan. Also you can add an extra 140mm fan blowing into the case for further direct air cooling of the Graphics cards.
This bottom pull out type drawer filter covers run all the way to the front part of the hard drive bay tower. This makes for a great filter for both the power supply and an intake fan or a separate video radiator 120mm x 120mm or 140mm x 140mm bottom mounted radiator like a Radeon 295X with built on water cooling.
