A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Pure Base 500 FX looks identical to the DX variant at first sight. be quiet! did not edit any tooling elements since the chassis body was first introduced in 2019. That is not necessarily a negative aspect, but in 2022, having a glass side panel held in place with thumb screws feels somewhat "last decade". In fact, even back in 2020, we suggested that this glass mounting method was already outdated. Just like the DX, the chassis is meant to allow for airflow and also includes RGB elements.


From the front, thanks to the mesh, you can see a bit of what is behind, so those opting to install RGB fans will get to see them from this angle as well. The two LED strips within the chassis are a nice touch. Looking at the rear, the layout is quite traditional with the PSU bay on the very bottom.


The main side is made out of glass, which is in turn secured with four thumb screws as mentioned. The glass itself is framed nicely in black, so it covers the bare frame of the Pure Base 500 FX well. Turning the enclosure around, it is completely solid and held in place by two thumb screws of its own.


You may pry the whole cover off, which is lined with sound dampening material and comes with dust filters on the air vents on the sides. Behind it, you will find three retail-grade Light Wings 120 mm fans. This is one of the first elements where the case differentiates itself from the DX variant. If you are into liquid cooling, the chassis can hold a radiator of up to 360 mm in the front as well.


The two ARGB element are encased in a white cover, which adds to the overall build-quality of the front panel. To power the embedded lighting elements, a clean PCB with pins connects the cover to the front perfectly.


Because of the internal shroud, be quiet! has opted for a frame for you to slide the power supply in through the back of the enclosure. Above that are the seven expansion slots, each protected by a reusable cover that is held in place by a thumb screw. A plate on the side allows you to further secure these with two more thumb screws. In the very top is another 140 mm retail-grade fan of the Light Wings line. This one is set to push air out the back of the Pure Base 500 FX.


In the top, there is a magnetic shroud, which may be removed to reveal mounting holes for two 120 or two 140 mm fans. Alternatively, a radiator of up to 240 mm should fit here as well. The IO now includes a single USB Type-C connector and a USB 3.0 port, so it is clear that be quiet! has simply upgraded one of the two USB 3.0 ports in the original 500 for the Type-C plug. While this is fine, I would have loved a slightly cleaner approach with both USB 3.0 ports still intact alongside the Type-C connector. While be quiet! already made away with the reset button on the original Pure Base 500, you will now find an RGB toggle button on the 500 FX.


On the underside of the chassis is another dust filter that stretches across the entire underside. Thankfully, you may just pull it out through the front for cleaning, making that task super convenient and painless.