be quiet! Light Base 500 LX Case Review

I have talked about the intake fans quite often in this review and for good reason.  As I mentioned before, most dual chamber cases have vertical intake fans mounted on the motherboard tray but, due to the PSU being behind the motherboard tray there is considerable space between the face of the fan and any fresh air it might consume.  Case makers ignore this, reviewers ignore this and armchair hardware enthusiasts conveniently forget fluid dynamics when it suits their agenda. 

So why is the be quiet Light Base 500 LX different?

The intake fans are at an angle which not only creates an interesting aesthetic but solves one of the primary cooling issues found on dual chamber case designs.  By positioning the fans this way you are drawing air directly from outside the case instead of from another sealed chamber.  This increases airflow, lowers noise and provides a dual sided light show from the included ARGB fans.

These 120mm ARGB fans are reverse flow with a PWM motor and daisy chained together to provide super clean wiring with a single tail for running the fan and another for providing the ARGB signals.  Both are connected to the included fan/rgb hub.

Despite the amazing fan placement there is limited access for installing a radiator in this location, mostly due the fan proximity to many of the current video cards on the market.  According to the be quiet documentation radiator mounting at the front of the case will be limited to 240mm or less due to clearances needed for the radiator end tanks.

Because of this, you’ll want to save your radiators for the top and rear of the case.  Personally, with the reverse flow ARGB fans up front, just enjoy the light show.