Be Quiet Light Base 600 LX: Top-notch design, but is it worth it? 🤔✨
The last fish tank cabinet we have on our testing bench is the Be Quiet Light Base 600 LX, a mid-sized chassis that supports three layout configurations. It also features ARGB lighting strips along the sides, support for motherboards with rear connection and includes two ARGB and PWM hardware hubs already installed. 🎨✨
Will the Light Base 600 LX make it onto our list of best PC casesLet's run through the cabinet specs, straight from Be Quiet, and then review the features to finalize our evaluation with thermal and acoustic testing. 🔍💻
Specs
| Motherboard Support | ATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ITX |
| Color | Black or White |
| Guy | Fish tank |
| Cabinet Dimensions | 450mm (L) x 435mm (H) x 305mm (W) (17.7 x 17.1 x 12 inches) |
| 2.5 inch Disk Holder | Two disks supported as configured (maximum four) |
| 3.5 inch Disk Holder | One disk supported as configured (maximum two) |
| PCI-E Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Fan Support | Up to 10 |
| Pre-Installed Fans | 3x 120mm intake fans, 1x 120mm exhaust fan |
| CPU Cooler Opening | 170mm (6.6 inches) |
| Opening for GPU | 400mm (15.75 inches) |
| PSU Length | 200mm (8.2 inches) ATX |
| Radiator Support | 2x 360mm or 3x 240mm radiators |
| Suggested Price | $185 USD |
Features of the Be Quiet Light Base 600 LX Cabinet
▶️ Build Quality
When it comes to a Be Quiet cabinet, there's one thing you can be sure of: the build quality is sturdy and solid, with no apparent weaknesses. 💪
▶️ Side view and customization options
Looking inside the case in its default configuration, the layout looks pretty standard. You may notice that the motherboard tray has more holes than usual, which is to support rear-connected motherboards like the MSI Project Zero. Next to the motherboard tray, next to the fans, there are three slots for cable management.
▶️ Support for radiators and fans
This case can be equipped with up to 10 fans. There's support for one exhaust fan, and up to nine fans from the top, side, or bottom of the unit. However, you can only install 360mm radiators on the top and bottom of the case. While the side intake does support up to three fans, it only accommodates a 240mm radiator.
▶️ Dust filters
There are built-in dust filters on the top, sides, and bottom of the unit. However, cleaning them will be a bit tricky as it requires disassembling the unit; they are not easily removable. 🧹🧼
▶️ Front view
Like other fish tank designs, most of the front of the case is clear glass, but you also have the IO panel in the center, flanked by three ARGB lighting strips. 😎
▶️ IO Panel
Starting from the bottom (or left if configured horizontally), the first button allows a user to quickly change the ARGB settings of any device connected to the pre-installed ARGB/PWM hubs. Next comes an audio input, with two USB-A ports on the sides and the power button between them. You also have a USB-C port and a reset button on the top/right. 🔌
▶️ Rear Side View, ARGB and PWM Hardware Hub for Fans, Storage and Cooling Features cable management
There are no pre-installed Velcro straps included, but there are a few places where you could install them to manage your cables. However, Be Quiet includes plastic cable ties for cable management with the case. 🔧
Cables can be routed behind the center plate, which also supports two 2.5-inch drives. You can also install up to two additional 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives in the drive bay located in the lower left corner (shown in the previous image, removed in the next image). However, Be Quiet only includes one mount by default, so you'll need to purchase another one if you need to use four drives in this system (or two 3.5-inch drives). 🛒
Two hardware hubs are pre-installed on the top and bottom of the case, each supporting up to six PWM fans and six ARGB lighting connections (a total of up to 12 devices). Lighting settings can be adjusted by pressing the bottom button on the IO panel. 💡
Rear View
▶️ Bottom View (Default Setting) and Three Layout Options
At the bottom of the cabinet, you'll find the vents and four removable legs. 🦶
The legs are removable to support one of the coolest features of this cabinet: the ability to customize the cabinet with three different layout configurations, as shown below. 🔧🛠️
▶️ GPU support included
There's also a GPU mount included with this case, which can be used in all three layout configurations. 🖥️
Thermal Testing, Test Setup and Test Methodology
| CPU | Intel i9-14900K | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| CPU Cooler | Akasa Soho H4 Plus | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| Motherboard | Asus Z790-P Prime Wifi | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| GPU | ASRock Steel Legend Radeon RX 7900 GRE | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
Our thermal tests are presented to give you more information about product performance, but they're not meant to be the sole judgment of a chassis. A case's style, price, features, and noise levels should also be considered, and everyone has different preferences. What I like in a case, you might not like, and that's okay. My goal with these reviews is to give everyone, regardless of their preferences, enough information to decide if a product is right for them. 🧐
Today, the case can be configured in multiple configurations. The thermal results presented below were taken from the case's default configuration, as shown in the photo below. Thermal performance may vary if configured in a different orientation. 🔄
The measures I have compared with this cabinet focus on
- Maximum cooling performance on the CPU when the fans are set to a moderately low noise level; the GPU is idle for this test. This primarily shows the efficiency of the fans included with a computer case.
- Noise levels of system fans.
- Maximum thermal and cooling performance in a worst-case scenario test that fully stresses both the GPU and CPU. We'll cover the temperature of the motherboard VRMs, CPU and GPU on separate graphics.
- Comparison of CPU and GPU temperatures in a similar working environment Far Cry VThis stresses both the CPU (approximately 150W) and the GPU (275W).
