When you’re looking for the experts in silent computing, it makes sense you’d look to a name like “be quiet!”. For over 20 years this German-based producer of power supplies, coolers, fans, and PC cases has been refining the technology and engineering needed to make PC hardware quiet without sacrificing performance. While they’re well known in Europe, be quiet! Is a brand that is still new to many North American shoppers. But they’re a brand worth knowing, especially as they continue to update and expand their product line. Here are some key features offered by the German silence masters.
This video and article were produced in cooperation with be quiet!
Coolers and fans
be quiet’s Pure Loop all-in-one water coolers are available in a spectrum of sizes to perfectly fit your build, from 120 up to 360 millimeters – and they are packed with features specifically engineered with quiet operation in mind. One example of this silent engineering is the fact that each Pure Loop cooler features a special “doubly decoupled” pump placed along the liquid transfer lines, not directly touching either the radiator or the CPU cover portion of the cooler – a design which minimizes vibration and noise.
The coolers also feature be quiet’s “Pure Wings 2” fans, each with nine airflow-optimized blades to reduce turbulence, and long-life rifle bearings to ensure your fans will keep running just as well for years. As standalone case fans be quiet advertises the Pure Wings 2 as running at just 19.2 decibels at max speed – while it’s common for some other fans of the same size to register noise levels in the mid 20s all the way up to the high 30s. The Pure Wings 2 models in the the Pure Loop coolers are specialized models that can get up to higher max speeds, so can potentially run a little louder – but as online reviews and video coverage make clear, be quiet’s products are consistently among the lowest-volume options on the market.
Power supplies
Similarly advanced fan technology is a part of be quiet’s line of power supplies, too. The mighty Dark Power Pro 12 seen here uses an even more advanced fan design, be quiet’s Silent Wings model, and is the most efficient PSU be quiet has ever produced. The Dark Power Pro 12 has an aluminum case and is an 80 Plus Titanium–certified, up-to 1500-watt unit – fully capable of powering a multi-GPU content production monster of a system – so frankly it’s going to be overkill for the average PC user. But there are a range of different power supplies available from be quiet, depending on your specific needs, from the compact SFX Power up to the premium Straight Power 11.
The Dark Power Pro 12 operates at an efficiency rating of up to 94.9% and meets Energy Star 7.0 guidelines. The PSU case features a funnel-shaped fan designed for high airflow, which allows for better cooling at lower fan speeds – a key feature for quieter operation overall. The PSU also features full digital control, an overclocking key that allows you to choose between multi-rail operation and high-performance single-rail operation, and premium-quality Japanese capacitors rated for up to 105 degrees Celsius.
Sturdy, reliable, high-performance, and, of course, quiet. What’s not to like?
PC cases
Coolers and power supplies tend to fade into the background of your PC build – but be quiet! also makes cases that can be the star of the show. And while many of their earliest case designs focused on sound insulation to keep as much noise as possible from escaping your PC, newer models like the Pure Base 500DX options seen here provide increased airflow and incorporate more mesh into their designs – while also looking as stylish as ever.
This ATX case comes with three Pure Wings 2 140-millimeter fans pre-installed, is big enough to fit radiators up to 360 millimeters, and has addressable RGB lighting. As components like graphics cards get larger and generate more heat, it’s nice to have wide open, high airflow cases like the 500DX from be quiet – so you can build in a way that delivers high performance and keeps the volume of your system under control.
So, why is quiet operation such a big deal? If you always wear headphones when using your PC, maybe low noise isn’t a big priority for you – and that’s okay. But if you like to use speakers instead of headphones, if you leave your PC running for content production, or if you ever have anyone else in the same room as your system who doesn’t want to endure the sound of a jet engine taking off all day, a PC that runs as silently as possible can be a must-have.
But even if you’re not as obsessed with low-noise parts as a company that calls itself “be quiet!,” there’s still a lot to like about the components they have to offer. Because be quiet! knows that PC builders care about performance first, and if a product runs quietly but doesn’t do its main job well in the process, what’s the point?
For more, check out all of the be quiet! products on Newegg.
