be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Review

The Be Quiet! Pure Base 500DX is an ATX mid-tower chassis built for performance systems that improves on its predecessor, the Pure Base 500.

The new 500DX also comes with a striking ARGB lighting system with LEDs on the front and inside, and is controlled by integrated RGB controller. It is also compatible with most motherboards that allows control of RGB lighting of your PC.  Also included with the case are three 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans.

Speaking of the motherboard, the Pure Base 500DX supports ATX, M-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards. In terms of connectivity, it offers 1x 3.1 USB Type-C connectors and 1x USB 3.0 on the front along with a 3.5 mm headphone and mic jack. For storage, the case offers 7x PCIe expansion slots, capacity for up to 5x 2.5″ or 2x 3.5″ drives.

Specifications

Exterior Design

The Pure Base 500DX is a mid-tower case with dimensions of 510 x 285 x 501 mm and a weight of 7.8 Kg and supports ATX, M-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards.

The Pure Base 500DX comes in two colors – black or white, both with a tempered glass window on the left side. Included with the case are 3x 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans. The materials used are mostly steel, tempered glass and ABS plastic.

The 500DX also features an ARGB lighting system, with double RGB strips on the front and an LED strip on the interior next to the tempered glass window. The RGB can be controlled via most motherboard softwares.

In terms of connectivity, the top panel has a 1x 3.1 USB Type-C, 1x USB 3.0, a large, a 3.5 mm headphone and mic jack and a small button to switch between the different RGB lighting effects.

One of the 500DX’s most striking changes is the front panel which has a dual LED strip in the center and small micro-openings on the sides to form a metal mesh design that allows better air flow. Once the front panel is opened, we can find an RGB controller and a large magnetic filter that covers the entire air inlet. The LED lighting system on the front panel does not use any cables, instead it uses a contact system to connect with the circuit when the panel is fixed back.

One of the 500DX’s most striking changes is the front panel which has a dual LED strip in the center and small micro-openings on the sides to form a metal mesh design that allows better air flow. Once the front panel is opened, we can find an RGB controller and a large magnetic filter that covers the entire air inlet. The LED lighting system on the front panel does not use any cables, instead it uses a contact system to connect with the circuit when the panel is fixed back.

On the left the 500DX is a transparent tempered glass window that reveals the entire interior, it is fixed to the tower by four thumb screws. We’d like to have seen a hinge design here similar to other models in this price point. The right side has a solid steel panel with insulated foamto absorb the noise.

The top part of the case also comes with a dust filter that is magnetically attached. The base has 4 plastic legs with rubber strips as well as a removable dust filter that covers the entire lower area and can be removed from the front.

At the back, there is a total of seven PCI bays with a manual screw anchoring system and a plate fixed by two other screws that locks it. At the bottom is a removable frame for easy installation of the PSU. There are also enough Velcro, rails and ties for excellent cable management.

Interior Design

The interior of the Be Quiet! Pure Base 500DX has a modern, dual-chamber design with most of the areas following a mesh design for better airflow. The third RGB lighting system is right at the top on the left side of the chassis, hidden within the metal frame.

The main chamber supports ATX , micro-ATX or mini-ITX motherboards, heatsinks of up to 190 mm in height and graphics of up to 369 mm in length. There is also space for mounting two SSDs on the right next to the front fans and two behind the motherboard.

The second chamber offers better cable management, and helps with hiding the PSU, cables, and drives for a cleaner look. There is enough space to organize the cables and in the lower area there are trays here for mounting 2x 3.5-inch drives and an additional 2.5-inch drive at the base of it. Next to it is the space for an ATX power supply of up to 225-258 mm in length depending on the placement of the drive bay. The PSU in this chassis is placed in from the rear exterior of the case, there is a removable external bracket that can be screwed to the PSU to install it.

The chassis cabling includes a pair of USB headers, a header for audio, SATA connector to power the lighting and power/reset cables, as well as an ARGB connector to control the lighting using the motherboard software.

Overall, the BeQuiet! Pure Base 500DX has a solid build quality and comes all the benefits of its predecessor. It’s very easy for anyone to built a extremely clean PC with this case, with well hidden-cables and hardware thanks to the double chamber design, and the excellent use of space.

Cooling

One of the main advantages of the Pure Base 500DX compared to its predecessor, the Pure Base 500, is the improvements in cooling. Most of the interior, front, top and rear panel features a mesh design for improved airflow and the case itself comes with three of beQuiet’s own 140mm Pure Wings 2 fans designed to achieve low noise levels with a maximum speed of 1000 RPM.

The front area supports a total of 2x 140 mm or 3x 120 mm fans, the upper area supports a total of 2x 140 mm or 2x 120 mm fans and at the rear, there is room for only 1x 120 or 140 mm.

In terms of support for liquid cooling systems, the Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX supports  120 mm or 240 mm radiators in the upper area, 120 or 140 mm radiators in the rear area and 120 mm, 140 mm, 240 mm, 280mm or 360mm radiators in the front.

Hardware & Testing

• Motherboard: ASUS B550-F WiFi
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3800X
• Cooler: Shadow Rock 3
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR4 RAM @ 3000Mhz
• Graphics Card: MSI 5700 XT Gaming X
• Storage: 1TB WD_BLACK SN750
• Power Supply: Cougar GX-F 650W

Acoustics

Thermals

Conclusion

The Be Quiet Pure Base 500DX is a great mid-tower chassis for beginners and enthusiasts alike. It also comes with modern features such as an USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C connector and an integrated ARGB lighting system with its own controller. Together with the three included Pure Wings 2 fans, the case offers great air flow and is insulated for better acoustics.

Overall, the BeQuiet! Pure Base 500DX has a solid build quality and comes with all the benefits of its predecessor. It’s very easy for anyone to build an extremely clean PC with this case, with well hidden-cables and hardware thanks to the double chamber design and the excellent use of space.