INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   With just a few exceptions spacious mid-towers are not really a "thing" currently so consumers looking for just that in order to mount all the latest hardware components only have full towers to truly rely upon. Space restrictions however are the main reason behind the why full towers (and super towers alike) are nowhere near as popular as mid-towers and so a middle ground is something many people are looking for. And then there's always the issue of excessive noise and/or reduced airflow levels something which most cases out there never seem to get right. This is exactly what be quiet! aims to deliver with their brand new Silent Base 802 series and today with me i have the black variant.

   be quiet! is a premium brand of power supplies, PC cases and cooling solutions for desktop PCs. The products of be quiet! offer legendary quiet operation and first-class performance thanks the passion for quality and precision. Attention to detail is the key to perfection. Which is why our very own experts lead product conception, design and quality control from our headquarters in Germany. be quiet! sticks to its name: More than 15 years’ experience in the field of noise reduction and silence make be quiet! products probably the most silent ones on the market.

    The Silent Base 802 series currently includes two different models (either with SECC steel side panels or with a SECC steel right panel and a tempered glass left panel) which are available both in black and white colors. Both models feature front and top interchangeable covers (for either silent operation or maximum airflow), inverted motherboard tray layout (you can practically invert the interior to face right inside of left), extra thick insulation mats (front, top, bottom, left and right - only right for the TG version), quick release side panels (push-pin), integrated 4-step fan controller with hub, removable air-filters (front/bottom), top USB 3.1 type-c connector, three pre-installed PureWings 2 rifle-bearing 140mm PWM fans (1000RPM), dual chamber design and a detachable top radiator/fan bracket. And what about interior space? Well the new Silent Base 802 can accommodate E-ATX sized motherboards, seven 3.5" and/or fifteen 2.5" drives (two 3.5/2.5" cages and two 2.5" trays included), eight 120/140mm fans and/or two 240/280/360/420mm radiators, 185mm tall CPU coolers, 288mm long power supply units and 432mm long graphics cards (287 with HDD cages). So, as you can all see the Silent Base 802 is not that smaller compared to the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 and so it should more than just cover people who are not interested in an XL-ATX sized case.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like with past models by be quiet! at the front of the plain cardboard box we find a product drawing, product name and the company logo.

 

 

The specifications table is printed on the right side right above the color selection and a sticker with the product serial number and barcode.

 

 

Two 2D barcodes are located on the left side of the box (these should redirect you to the product page).

 

 

At the rear of the box we see an exposed drawing of the Silent Base 802.

 

 

Typically, the tower is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two thick foam spacers.

 

 

Along with the Silent Base 802 inside the box you will also find its two legs, airflow fascia and top cover, drive cage, 6 cable straps, 4 small plastic bags with screws and spacers and the user manual.

 

 

THE SILENT BASE 802 EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In terms of size the Silent Base 802 weighs 12.59kg and measures 553mm in height, 539mm in length and 281mm in width.

 

 

Both side panels of the black version are made out of thick SECC steel.

 

 

As expected, the fascia is made out of ABS plastic and is perforated on the sides.

 

 

You can remove the fascia just by sliding it upwards (also notice the thick insulation on the interior).

 

 

By removing the fascia, you get access to the removable air-filter and the two 140mm PureWings 2 PWM fans.

 

 

Here we see the maximum airflow fascia which is basically an aluminum mesh.

 

 

The I/O is located at the top and has two USB 3.0 ports, microphone and headphone ports, on/off power button/LED, reset button, HDD activity LED, USB 3.1 Type-C port and a 4-speed fan controller.

 

 

The top features two plastic covers which can be removed and replaced with the maximum airflow one.

 

 

Turning the case around we find the push-pin buttons (side panel release), PureWings 2 140mm PWM exhaust fan, 9 PCI expansion slots (2 are vertical) and the same fixed PSU area at the base.

 

 

A long removable air-filter is located at the base of the tower (even though for space saving you may opt not to install the two legs they will improve airflow, at least for the PSU).

 

 

THE SILENT BASE 802 INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both side panels feature very thick insulation on the interior, even thicker compared to that of the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2.

 

 

Interior space looks impressive, for a mid-tower that is.

 

 

Here we see the front area which you can occupy with 240/280/360/420mm long radiators.

 

 

Next to it we see the 5 drive cage mounts which can accommodate up to five 3.5" drives or ten 2.5" drives (only 2 drive cages are bundled with the Silent Base 802).

 

 

The PSU shroud extends from the front and all the way to the rear of the tower (thus effectively keeping all cables out of sight) and has 4 plastic covers on it.

 

 

Removing these allows you to add a single 120/140mm fan over the PSU area and thicker radiators at the front.

 

 

The motherboard tray has three large rubber grommets and a very large hole underneath the CPU area for swapping of backplates.

 

 

All 9 PCI expansion slots are held in place with regular thumbscrews.

 

 

On the other side we see the 5 single drive cage mounting areas, 4-speed fan hub, 2.5" drive tray, dual 2.5" drive tray, pre-mounted dual drive cage and the PSU area.

 

 

Both drive trays are made out of aluminum and are very sturdy.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

As with many recent towers to install the PSU you need to remove the rear bracket, mount it on the PSU and then slide it into the tower.

 

 

You can slide the bundled drive cage into one of the mounting areas from the rear as seen above (secured by 3 thumbscrews).

 

 

The top detachable radiator/fan mount certainly simplifies installation.

 

 

Mounting a full sized ATX motherboard is enough for anyone to see just how much space the Silent Base 802 has.

 

 

If you have tall RAM modules like the ones used here using a very thick (60mm) radiator at the top will not be easy (low-profile fans needed) but if not it's what i'd recommend doing.

 

 

The main issue with the front radiator area is that unless you have but a single 3.5" drive you will need to install the drive cage seen above and that reduces available space to roughly 27mm (above i mounted an 280mm radiator at the front).

 

 

Goes without saying but with room for up to 185mm tall CPU coolers you should be able to use any model.

 

 

Mounting even 432mm long graphics cards is not an issue unless you decide to purchase drive cages and use them for all 5 spots.

 

 

NOISE LEVEL TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, we use our own).

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The brand new Silent Base 802 clearly sits between the Silent Base 801 and the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 models in terms of not only size but features as well so it’s an all-around balanced mid-tower. Of course, since the version I looked at today lacks the TG side panel and is thus aimed towards silent usage/running it’s mostly aimed towards professionals and enthusiasts rather than gamers so looks once again come 2^nd to noise (for this model at least). Interior space is one of the strongest selling points of the Silent Base 802 since inside you can fit up to 15 drives, eight 120/140mm fans and/or three 240/280/360/420mm radiators, 185mm tall CPU air coolers, 432mm long graphics cards and 288mm long power supply units. Just like with the Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2 (luckily mounting the PSU is nothing like the 900) the two 3.5”/2.5” drive cages may not be sufficient for many people (for example i have at least four internal 3.5” drives in each test rig) but luckily you can get more (extra cost). As for the interchangeable front and top parts well, the good news is that they improve airflow levels considerably without much increase in terms of noise.

   The Silent Base 802 was launched officially just minutes ago for with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of USD159.90/159/90Euros. Overall, there’s nothing bad i could find and/or say about the Silent Base 802. Yes, i would like more drive cages bundled than just two but for the majority of consumers out there that would mean increasing cost without actually using them so that’s fine by me and so since it’s one of the largest, highest quality and feature-rich towers in the market currently of course it’s getting the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Modular Design (Inverted Mainboard Installation)
- Noise Dampening Coating (Left/Right/Top/Front)
- Can Hold Up To 15 Drives & Up To 9 Fans And/Or 3 Radiators (Top & Front 240/280/360/420mm)
- Space For 185mm Tall CPU Coolers, 288mm Long PSUs and 432mm Long Graphics Cards
- Interchangeable Top & Front (Silent/Airflow)
- Detachable Top Radiator/Fan Mount
- 4 Speed Fan Controller
- Available In 2 Versions & 2 Colors

CONS

- Current Availability
- Lacks RGB Lighting/Illumination