Be Quiet Dark Base 701 Case Review: Premium craftsmanship, excellent thermals

German company Be Quiet is well known in the industry for its components that focus on strong thermal performance and low noise levels. The Dark Rock Pro V CPU cooler and Dark Base Pro 901 computer case both impressed me.

Today on the test bench is another computer case, Be Quiet’s Dark Base 701. Like its larger sibling, the Dark Base Pro 901, it supports E-ATX motherboards – but its size is slimmed down in comparison, with a lower price to match. Will the 7-1 make our list of best PC cases? Let’s take a look at the specifications of the PC case straight from Be Quiet, then we’ll go over the features and wrap up our review with thermal and acoustic benchmarks.

Product Specifications

Features of Be Quiet’s Dark Base 701 PC Case

*️⃣ Build Quality

As to be expected from Be Quiet’s team of engineers, and of a product with a premium $229 USD price tag, the build quality is sturdy and solid with no apparent weaknesses.

*️⃣ Side view and customization options

The Dark Base 701 has a lot of customization options. It supports vertical or horizontal GPU mounting. The section to the right of the motherboard can be used in multiple ways. If the covers are removed, you can mount a custom liquid cooling tank or both 3.5- and 2.5-inch storage drives.

If you want the strongest amount of airflow and will be mounting additional fans to the front, the section below these side covers can be removed and replaced with an included venting piece.

*️⃣ Storage support

There are multiple spaces to support the installation of storage drives. On the right side, the mounts highlighted support drives on both sides – two 2.5-inch and two 3.5-inch drives at the same time. Next to the fan hub, another 2.5-inch drive can be mounted. You can also install the included drive bay in the lower chamber to support additional storage.

*️⃣ Sound-dampening back panel

To reduce noise levels, Be Quiet includes a sound-dampening foam panel connected to the rear side cover of the unit.

*️⃣ Radiator and fan support

In the top and front of the Dark Base 701, you can fit up to a 360mm AIO, or three 120mm or 140mm fans. The front cover of the unit has a porous metal grille. A dust filter sits above the radiator support bracket at the front of the case, and another on the bottom of the case helps to keep airborne dirt from getting to your components.

The back supports a 140mm fan, included with the unit. Finally, you can install one additional 140mm or 120mm fan at the bottom of the unit if you’re not using the space for the included drive bay.

*️⃣ Hardware ARGB and PWM fan hub

Pre-installed on the backside of the case is a hardware ARGB and PWM hub, supporting up to eight fan connections and two ARGB lighting connections. This can be very useful for folks who want to add extra fans to their system. This hub also supports on-the-fly adjustment of ARGB on the front cover lighting strips, as well as any other connected devices, controlled via the front IO panel. Alternatively, you can release control of these functions to the motherboard with the click of a button.

*️⃣ IO Panel

The IO Panel at the top is populated by two USB-A ports, one USB-C, and separate audio and microphone jacks. An illuminated power button is featured in the center of the panel, with buttons flanking each side allowing adjustment of ARGB lighting or fan speed settings without the need for software or BIOS settings.

*️⃣ Front view

The front cover of the case has a porous mesh metal grille hiding the fans, with a dust cover behind it. On each side is a diffused ARGB strip.

*️⃣ Rear view

From the top of the rear side, we have an air exhaust showing the pre-installed 140mm fan behind it. Going down, we have the exhaust fan followed by seven PCI-e expansion slots in standard rotation. This case does support vertical GPUs up to 3-slots wide. At the bottom is space for a power supply, as well as a dust filter for the PSU intake.

*️⃣ Back side view and cable management features

The back of the unit features pathways for cable routing and multiple strap points which can be used with the ten included Be Quiet-branded Velcro straps.

*️⃣ Bottom

At the bottom of the case lives a large dust filter and four feet to support the case and facilitate airflow, with rubber to keep the case from sliding around on the floor or your desk.

*️⃣ Pre-installed 140mm Silent Wings 4 fans

A computer case is more than just a box of metal (or plastic) that you install your components in – the included fans have a significant impact on component thermals and noise levels. Included with the case is one 140mm Silent Wings 4 intake fan and two 140mm exhaust fans, pre-installed. The front IO panel has three pre-set fan settings at 1900, 1200, and 600 RPM. In the benchmarks section, we’ll examine how these settings impact noise levels and thermal performance.

What I didn’t like about Be Quiet’s Dark Base 701

❌ Sound cancellation could be better with a few more options

As a whole, Be Quiet’s Dark Base 701 is a solid product that performs well. My only complaint is that its included noise-dampening foam panel would be more effective if Be Quiet included an optional top that sealed the unit, offering sound-dampening panels on both sides. But perhaps the company is worried that inexperienced users might install an AIO at the top of the case while leaving the top sealed and then complain about thermal performance.

Thermal Tests, Test Setup, and testing methodology

These thermal tests are presented to give you more information about the product’s performance, but aren’t intended as the sole judgment of the chassis. The style, price, features, and noise levels of a computer case should also be considered – and each user has different preferences. What I might like in a case, you might not – and vice versa. That’s OK. My goal with these reviews is to give everyone, no matter their preferences, enough information to decide whether or not a product is right for them.

The measurements I’ve benchmarked this case against focus on:

• Maximum cooling performance on the CPU when fans are normalized to a moderately low noise level; the GPU is idle for this test. This primarily shows the efficiency of the fans included with a computer case.
• System fan noise levels
• Maximum cooling and thermal performance in a worst-case-scenario test that fully stresses both the GPU and CPU. We’ll cover the temperature of the motherboard VRMs, CPU, and GPU in separate charts.
• Comparing CPU and GPU temperatures in a workload that is similar in power consumption to Far Cry V. This stresses both the CPU (approximately 150W) and GPU (275W). 

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