A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Pure Base 500DX looks very different in the front with the metal mesh and gentle bends tapering off to the sides. After all, unlike the original Pure Base 500, the chassis is meant to allow for airflow and also includes RGB elements.


From the front, the 500DX is quite the unusual sight when one has become accustomed to the way most be quiet! cases look. It doesn't look bad, just different. 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. This is fine, but a bit outdated by today's standards, with brands managing to find ways to keep any mounting hardware away from the side for an overall cleaner look. The glass itself is framed nicely in black, so it covers the bare frame of the Pure Base 500DX 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 a retail-grade 140 mm fan with the space to install one more of the same size or opt for three 120 mm units instead. If you are into liquid cooling, the Pure Base 500DX can hold a radiator of up to 360 mm here as well. 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. This one is set to push air out the back of the Pure Base 500DX. It is great to see that a mass-market case comes equipped with three 140 mm units out of the box!


Where is the third one you ask? be quiet! installed it in the ceiling, just above the CPU area. You may take off the magnetic shroud 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 as you still utilize the 25-pin plug and a cable—even if it only powers one instead of two ports. 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 500DX.


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.