Joined on 04/23/05
This case is a masterpiece!
Pros: This case is large and very well thought out. - High quality materials - Nice finish on the exterior - Noise dampening insulation on the interior - Quality rubber gromits on some key hardware. - The rubber material is excellent (no cheap stuff, no odors) - Extra brackets, hardware, velcro straps are a nice inclusion! - The first thing I did was disassemble it to the bare skeleton. At each and every step of the process I was impressed with the durability, and rigid design. I'm very mechanically inclined and work with complex things on a daily basis, the way the case disassembles and reassembles is very intuitive. - I plan on water cooling with a custom loop. The amount of room this case has makes options nearly limitless. - Orange and Black. Oh man does it look nice. I'll be honest, it was the color scheme that made me click on be quiet! when I first noticed their company. I really really like orange and black. This thing is going to look sick with clear borosilicate glass tubing and orange coolant. (I'm going to need a window: See below) - Got it on sale!
Cons: Not major at all, but worth mentioning: - Out of the factory, some of the screws are really snug. Not an issue if you are smart about how you apply torque. Worth mentioning, because I'm sure someone will ruin a screw and blame it on the manufacturer. Just grab the right bit and apply slow steady torque and you'll be fine. Don't over-tighten things on re-assembly and you will never have to worry about it again. - Some of the hardware screws were clearly stressed by how snug they were installed. - No case window for re-sale for the non-PRO version... yet
Overall Review: In an email to bequiet, it sounds like a window may be available for resale in the future, making the 900 a great choice over the PRO version. - By the way. be quiet! responds to email very quickly. I was just making a product inquiry, and had a response within 12 hours. Way quicker than I expected from a country half-way around the world. I'm eastern time zone US, I usually have to wait more than 24 hours if I deal with local companies. I'm left feeling confident about future purchases with be quiet! I'll be all for a windowed side-panel when available. Note: I've seen some people mention an issue with the front panel door. I have no idea what their issue is. Mine works and stays shut. It is basically a magnetic latch. The materials are all high quality and sturdy, if I tip the case so the front is angled down, eventually gravity will win and the door will fall open. I suggest placing your PC on a level surface and if that doesn't solve it, adjust the hinges. The door panel can be switched so it opens the other way if you wish. I highly recommend this case for anyone that wants a case that will last for several different builds and wants flexibility with internal components... and doesn't want to hear their machine running!
BSOD
Pros: Was a great drive... until its demise. Used as a cache drive on a z68 MB. Enjoyed fast boot times, and quick load screens on games and apps. Nearly 1 year this thing was flawless.
Cons: Suddenly, Blue Screen of Death. 3-4 times a day. Saw error message pertaining to my accelerated drive. Disabled this component, and the BSOD's stopped. Read a number of other reviews with the same exact issue. Really disappointed. Crucial lost a customer here.
Works for work. Works for light gaming too!
Pros: Wife uses it for work. Lets kids use it for minecraft/scrap mechanic/rocket-league etc. Vega 8 is rather impressive.
Cons: No number pad. Common for this size, but boy we do miss it!
Overall Review: Very good mid tier laptop.
Like a whole new case...
Pros: Goes in easy Perfect for the Dark Base 900 (first version) I love the fan mounts for my new water pump (EKWB)
Cons: The back bracket (left side) seemed a little odd with only one screw hole usable. I realized this is a non issue when installing this into the case. The pivoting of that bracket aids tremendously in starting that back screw.
Overall Review: I wish this was available when I first bought this case. If you are using a DarkBase900, this is a no brainer.
Upgraded from a 24inch
Pros: This was a very cost effective upgrade. Color - Very good Curve - 1500R feels really ideal for this screen size. Anything less would be trivial, anything more would be too much. Performance - This monitor can handle more than my sons lower tier graphics card can throw at it. He games on high settings except for newer titles / medium.
Cons: I think the packaging could be a lot more earth-friendly. This is nit-picky, but its an issue I'd like to see gain more attention. Not taking an egg for this, of course.
Overall Review: This is our first Gigabyte monitor, so far I'm impressed!
Room for improvement, if there were just a tiny bit more room.
Pros: - Cost - Solid construction - Comes with dust screens and tempered glass - LED is a nice touch without being obnoxious - Basement for PSU - Good case for a budget.
Cons: - No room for hard disks AND a PSU if your PSU is large - The back panel was jammed and very difficult to remove. It worked fine after I was able to remove it though. - Had to remove the HDD frames to get the PSU in, the screws were very tight, and a little soft. Be sure you have good selection of screw drivers or you'll strip this out. - Not many options for a water pump mount on top of the basement. *the cramped nature of the basement is not a big deal. using large HDD's is antiquated and ridiculous. There are plenty of SDD mounts behind the MB, plus any MB's these days are usually equipped with an M.2 slot or two. *
Overall Review: The case is sleek and elegant looking. I'm actually very impressed with the final appearance. I'm hooked on white cases now. We water cooled, and a thin frame radiator worked out well. I mounted our small EKWB pump to just two of the bottom holes and used a pass-through nut/bolt/washer to secure. This is sufficient for my purposes, but others would have to pre-drill a hole if they wish to mount all four corners of their pump mounting plate. I HIGHLY recommend you use a modular PSU with this case, but if you DO opt to omit the HDD bays, you can probably manage with conventional PSUs. X99 MB w/Intel i7-6800k 2011-v3 / EKWB Fluid Gaming Aluminum kit. Cool and pretty quiet.
A fine addition to a great product!
BeQuiet makes quality products and does so with style. I've found their customer service to be polite and responsive, though I've only contacted with suggestions not concerns. I will be a long time follower of this brand.
EKWB continues to deliver.
EKWB is my go to source for water cooling. In this case, I was looking for something simple to help introduce my son to water-cooling. The kit was perfect for this. Leak free, runs cool. Very fulfilling project.
Quality and style!
I own a Dark Base 900, and couldn't be happier. I'm pretty convinced with the product quality, and was impressed by quick response from be quiet staff for product inquiries. Their products have a very pleasing aesthetic. Hope they offer a side window for the Dark Base 900, I'll be eager to buy when they do!