Test System

Assembly

Installing the motherboard is easily done on the pre-installed spacers. An aligning pin in the center also helps with placing it before screwing it down. As you can see, the three openings on the bottom of the motherboard line up perfectly, so you will be able to route everything nicely.


You may install the SSD hidden away from view by screwing it to the plate above the CPU cooler opening and putting that whole contraption back into place. Alternatively, if you would like to show things off more, you could simply screw the drive into the plate provided to cover the cable-routing hole.


The 3.5" drives also have to be installed outside of the chassis. be quiet! includes special screws that are long enough to go through the rubber-equipped holes. Once filled, simply slide the whole cage back in place and tighten down the two attached thumb screws.


As you cannot remove the metal shroud, the only way to add a PSU is by screwing the frame down onto the PSU and sliding it all in through the back of the Pure Base 500DX, which is quick, simple, and easy. There is plenty of space for long power supplies, so you should not run into any issues when building a high-performance system.


With everything installed, the Pure Base 500DX is beautifully clean on the interior thanks to the unique bracket in the front, which also acts as a cable channel, and we made sure the GPU power cable hugs the GPU well to keep that distraction to a minimum as well. As we know from the original 500, the plastic cover underneath the SSD also really helps in that regard. On the rear, most the cables are held in place by the four Velcro strips, but I did use a few zip ties, which was a breeze because of the large hooks.

Finished Looks

Fully assembled and turned on—with the covers back in place—system noise is just what you would expect from a system filled with such hardware, with the three 140 mm fans nicely quiet during operation. That said, the original 500DX is certainly quieter because of its solid front and top. You will find a white light underneath the power button to let you know the system is powered on should you happen to ignore all the fancy RGB lighting.


The ARGB strip in the front is diffused nicely and thanks to the clear glass panel you can see all your components easily as well. In the rear, everything is where you would expect to see it from a modern chassis like this. You may toggle through various animations and color modes with the built-in controller. Below are the solid color choices it is capable of.