Final words and conclusion
Final words and conclusion
Captain's log, stardate July 3rd, 2018. It has been exactly two years ever since the Dark Base 900 (Pro) series was released. The new updated revision 2 brings some appreciated inner tweaks. The PSU cover, being the biggest and most important visual change. Next, to that, the chassis now has been fitted with USB 3.1 Gen2 type A and C connectors and also, the industry seems to prefer 12V based RGB LED strips, which have been upgraded to exactly that. The top and bottom of the side panel window are painted black in the new version to hide screw holes underneath. be quiet! also upgraded the fan controller, which can now support up to eight (3 and 4-pin) PWM fans and also it has micro-switches on the PCB allowing you to place the fans into a silent or performance mode. They once again included three Silent Wings 3, however, these now have a range up to 1,600 RPM. Also a nice difference is the standard removal of HDD trays, instead you can now spot covers, allowing you to simply install more HDDs/SSDs on demand. Small extra note, for those of you that already have a Silent Base Pro 900, you can look out for upgrade kits with the new PSU shroud, HDD slot covers, additional single HDD cages and the new window side panel. Overall on the inside, this offers improvements as well as better component and cable hiding offering clean aesthetics.
Functionality
The fact remains that the revision 2 is the same chassis, yet updated. So in that respect, a lot of stuff remains the same. Cable routing wise we had no big issues albeit a bit more clearance on the backside would have been nice with that fan controller PCB sitting there smack-down in the middle of everything, the chassis has proper rubberized grommet holes. Storage wise you can mount many HDDs/SSDs as well as two the dying dinosaur in 2018, optical storage units. The chassis still offers a lot of with its modular design, trays that you do not need can be removed, if you need more HDDs installed, then you can add these. Also, the motherboard tray can be reversed as well, albeit I never understood that to be a real option with just one tempered glass panel on the left side. The three Silent Wings revision 3 140mm fans offer plenty of airflow, and with the convenience of being PWM controlled through the motherboard and/or the included fan control you can go as silent as you want to. Even at low RPM, they move a fair amount of air. The fans are now rated at max 1600 RPM. Micro ITX up-to up-to XL-ATX can be mounted, everything fits. You can use the large graphics cards and liquid cooling wise you are good to go as well. Included as well are mounting plates for an extra fan and even a mount plate for a pump or reservoir. You get some extra mounting options on the new PSU cover, remove the top side plastic inserts and you can mount stuff like fans, reservoir or even an extra SSD there. This Pro edition offers the LED array, extra PWM based fan connectors on the fan hub and that Qi wireless charger for your compatible smartphone. The RGB LED array is now based on a 12V solution (we 5V) controllable with a button and with color options of white, green, yellow, blue, red, orange and off as well as some animation. Alternatively, you can route the RGB led system through your motherboard, and control it from there to sync up with the rest of your RGB lit components. Once again, the chassis has been padded with acoustic dampening materials used throughout the chassis which we like. New is the USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, which brings connectivity into the year 2018.
Aesthetics
So we talked the about innards already. be quiet! implemented a better-looking HDD mounting slash cover solution, bringing in more space and better looks to that right side of your motherboard. The biggest aesthetic tweak is the new PSU cover, it completely hides your power supply. The unit works well as there is plenty of spacing left for cabling. The installation and removal of the PSU cover, however, is, unfortunately, a bit of an annoying process. Screws on the front side, screws on the backside, it's just not an easy to remove or install the cover whatsoever. That needs to be improved with future chassis for sure. It feels like a quick fix for something that wasn't designed to be that in 2016. Also, the mounting of the PSU itself remains rather annoying as it needs to be mounted towards a hard to reach internal bracket. I wasn't a fan of that in 2016, and certainly, do not understand why this was not addressed for the 2018 model. In the end, though these remain minor quirks in what otherwise is a very good chassis. The dark design overall still works, the external looks, however, feel a bit dated? I mean 99% of the external looks are the same as the 2016 model, aside from the four feet. I would have liked to see at least a bit of change. You do get the same choices though as you can choose black, black-gunmetal silver and a black-orange version.
The Dough
When the Dark Base 900 Pro launched in 2016 it was priced 249 EUR for the Pro model. The price has gone up a tenner and now sits at a retail price of €269 / £259 / $269. For that money you get a lot of chassis and the new extras though, including advanced fan and RGB controller, RGB LED strips and the Qi charger at the top side. You will be able to mount the biggest motherboards up-to XL-ATX form factor as a maximum. The chassis can house ATX, Micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards as well. There's decent space for routing cables but behind the motherboard tray, it could be a notch better. Eight expansion slots allow for two or more graphics cards. Nice dark interior, cool looks, the CPU back-plate cutout for easy installation/replacement of CPU-coolers and overall features that belong in the high-end segment all add value. However, at this 269 USD/EUR price level, the competition is steep alright.
Final words
When the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 arrived for testing, I immediately was thinking, what a weird name for a chassis. Why not call it an Mark II / Mk2 or something. I think be quiet! did this on purpose, as the chassis is not a redesign or something really new. It offers upgrades and tweaks based on the existing model. The primary new features are the power supply cover, the HDD trays relative to hiding them, the upgrade towards USB 3.1 including a Type C connector, the fans allowing higher RPM (1600) and bringing the RGB system towards 12V. There are some other minor subtle tweaks to be found like the fan controller allowing for more fans, as well as it having two micro switches to set the controller in a silent and a performance mode. Overall, these all are welcomed tweaks and they do bring in the chassis into the year 2018 features wise. I'll leave my comment about assembling/disassembling the PSU cover in the middle here, but that needs to be better on future models, it looks much better though. All the tweaks together make the Dark base a better product, honestly though these are are mild tweaks at best. Personally, I am a little saddened that the chassis (exterior) remains 99% the same. I mean it's the same look as in 2016 aside from the feet and some black paint. And while the looks worked out really well in 2016, I am not sure that it's is as popular today? Then again, be quiet! is being fair, by calling is revision 2, breathing new life into this chassis.
So Hilbert, is this chassis worth the money? Two years ago, yes ... right now I am not so sure? So much has changed the past two years with all chassis designs, and yeah the competition is offering very competitive and extraordinary looking products, often at lower prices, hey sorry, but that is the truth. In the end, the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 remains to be a versatile, moddable and agile chassis with proper quality materials used including aluminum. It offers plenty of liquid cooling options, space and you'll very much like its good airflow and sound dampening qualities, it can be totally silent thanks to the fan controller and proper Silent Wings 3 fans. Is all this enough to justify the €269 / £259 / $269 price tag? I have a hard time answering that question myself, really I don't know, but do doubt it a little compared to recently released chassis like the Corsair Carbide 275R, DeepCool New ARK 90, Anidees AI CRYSTAL XL AR, Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic, NZXT H700i and Fractal Design Define R6. All these units hide the PSU and HDDs, which really is the primary change for the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2, I do think the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 is a more diverse product with that lovely Qi charger, but will it be enough? In 2016 it was top notch, in 2018 however it feels a little blander as perhaps we all got used to the looks? It's an excellent feature-rich chassis, but feels a notch dated. That, however, is my subjective opinion and you might just love it of course! It is a very good product otherwise though. We'll hand out a recommended award this round.
- Sign up to receive a notice when we publish a new article
- Or go back to Guru3D's front page
