be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX Review

At Computex 2023 KitGuru was shown a number of new cases by be quiet! including the Shadow Base 800 FX. This is a new type of case from the manufacturer that combines huge air flow with a large frame that can accommodate a 420mm cooler in the roof or front, and it comes with plenty of RGB. It seems our German friends have developed a sense of fun.

Main features:

• ARGB lighting with ARGB controller for maximum illumination options
• Multiple colours and modes for an individual look
• 4 Light Wings White 140mm PWM fans for high airflow and quiet operation
• Exceptionally high airflow thanks to an open mesh design
• Spacious design offers room for largest components
• PWM and ARGB hub included
• Simple and tool-less HDD and SSD installation
• Tempered glass side window allows a superb view

Specification:

• Motherboard support: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
• Power supply support: ATX.
• Expansion slots: 7.
• Included fans: 3x Light Wings 140mm PWM front intake, 1x Light Wings 140mm PWM rear exhaust.
• Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm front, 3x 120mm/140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 1x 120mm/140mm floor.
• Radiator mounts: 360mm/420mm front, 360mm/420mm roof, 120mm rear.
• 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
• Internal drive bays: Up to 3x 3.5-inch (1 included)/ up to 7x 2.5-inch (3 included).
• Front I/O ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A, HD audio.
• Dimensions: 552mm H x 550mm D x 247mm W

As we show in our video, building a PC inside this large case is simple and we were pleasantly surprised to see how easily the components slipped into place. This was true for a 420mm radiator in either the front or top locations, and there was also plenty of room for cable management. the only fly in that particular ointment is the ARGB/PWM fan hub which is rather large and also located in a central location behind the motherboard tray. While that makes it easy to connect the fans it also means the hub tends to get in the way of proceedings.

Thermal Testing and Performance

Test System:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H170i Elite Capellix
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X670E Aorus Xtreme
• Memory: 32GB Team Group T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Sapphire Nitro+ AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT Pure 16GB
• Power supply: be quiet! Dark Power 12 1000W Platinum
• SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 M.2 NVMe
• OS: Windows 11

Thermal Testing and Performance Overview

We expected the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX would perform well thermally but were mildly astounded to see that increasing fan speed made absolutely no difference to the temperature of either the CPU or GPU. This is new territory for us and be quiet! deserves congratulations on this score.

Closing Thoughts

be quiet! can certainly claim the Shadow Base 800 FX is a new type of case in their extensive product range, however everything we saw in this review was familiar. In other words be quiet! has chosen a set of features that major on air flow and support for huge coolers and proceeded to deliver a new model that serves a particular niche in the market. This is a sensible way to go about the job however it left us wishing for something – anything – that was novel.

Our thoughts about the ‘missing' 3.5-inch HDD caddies are a minor complaint and clearly relate to cost, which isn't an issue we dwelt on in the video as prices have a nasty habit of changing at short notice.

The fact is that the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX offers decent build quality and thoughtful design along with decent value for money. You should certainly consider using this case in your next PC build provided you have a good deal of hardware to accommodate, otherwise it looks rather empty and just a little bit sad.

You can buy the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX White for £204.98 inc VAT from OverclockersUK HERE.

GIVEAWAY: This week we have also teamed up with be quiet! to give away no less than FIVE Shadow Base 800 cases, for more details and to enter, head to this competition page.

Pros:

• Mesh panels and mighty air flow.
• Supports huge 420mm coolers.
• The FX is supplied with 4x 140m Light Wings fans.

Cons:

• This is a huge case that looks empty unless you pack it with hardware.
• The ARGB/fan hub is large and takes up a fair amount of space.
• If you want to fill out the case with storage you may need to buy accessories..
• be quiet! does not offer a 420mm AIO cooler.

KitGuru says: The be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX caters for PC builders who absolutely require a huge CPU cooler.

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