A Closer Look - Outside

Looking at the be quiet! Dark Base 700, the first thing you will notice is the excellent material mix. The chassis mostly uses steel and glass and very few plastic elements. Both the front and top are made out of brushed steel.


As with most be quiet! enclosures, the Dark Base 700 features a clean, understated look with straight lines and some angles. In the rear, things are arranged in a traditional fashion with the PSU bay at the bottom of the chassis.


Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that there are several design elements embedded within the enclosure. For example, note the 45° angles on both side panels. The main glass panel comes with a slight tint and black linings that mesh with the design well, and the panel opposite it is completely solid.


In the front, the only thing you will notice at first is the company logo at the bottom. You may pull the solid front cover off, which allows you to slide out the bottom dust filter for easy cleaning.


This is also where things get interesting. be quiet! has jumped on the RGB bandwagon and embedded LEDs into that slim front panel. Instead of traditional wiring, you will find small PCBs on both the case and the panel. There is enough space for three 140 mm fans in the front, and be quiet! supplies you with a retail-quality unit in this part of the chassis out of the box, while a removable dust filter keeps dirt and grime out of your case.


In the rear, the PSU bay comes lined with foam and two sets of mounting holes, so you may choose which way to install your power supply. Above that are seven horizontal and two vertical expansion slots, which means you can place your GPU front and center. Unfortunately, you will have to source the PCIe ribbon yourself as it is not included with the case. In the very top is another 140 mm retail grade fan, this time set to push air out the back of the chassis.


be quiet! has placed two USB 3.0, the usual audio plugs, and a USB Type C Gen2 plug at the very top edge of the Dark Base 700. You will also find the traditional power and reset buttons, an RGB toggle switch, and a 3-stage fan controller here.