be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX Mid-Tower Chassis Review

TweakTown Rating: 91%

Our Verdict

The be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX is an excellent choice for users who prioritize a quiet, aesthetically pleasing, and well-performing case. While it might not be perfect for extreme cooling setups, its fantastic airflow, sleek design, and low noise make it a great pick for most mid-range to high-end builds.

Pros

• Four included Lightwings LX fans
• PWM/ARGB fan controller
• Excellent cable management with several velcro tiedown points
• Built-in vertical GPU support
• Unified front panel connector

Cons

• Only supports up to a 240mm radiator in the roof
• No internal LEDs like the DX model

Should you buy it?

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Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

A little while ago, we took a look at the Pure Base 501 DX from be quiet! and today we are going to be looking at be quiet!'s LX mode in the Pure Base 500 lineup, which features a slightly reduced RGB presence and a somewhat different fan configuration; however, it's still based on the same tooling as its brethren.

be quiet! has priced the Pure Base 501 LX at $144.90, which is slightly high, but the inclusion of three 120mm Lightwings ARGB fans and a single 140mm Lightwing ARGB fan makes that price more justifiable. So without further ado, let's take a closer look at the Pure Base 501 LX.

Packaging

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Now, taking a look at the exterior packaging that the Pure Base 501 LX ships in is the same as the DX model that we previously reviewed, with an image of the Pure Base 501 LX on the outside.

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The rear of the exterior packaging shows in typical be quiet! fashion, the company's mission statement, and a blown-out image of every little part that comprises the Pure Base 501 LX.

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One side of the exterior packaging displays all the technical data, which includes information on motherboard support, radiator size compatibility, and more.

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Removing the Pure Base 501 LX from its cardboard packaging reveals that both the top and bottom have closed-cell foam. While it may not be the best in terms of overall protection, it does offer some protection against damage. Also, be quiet! has placed the Pure Base 501 LX in a clear plastic bag, again to keep any debris away while in transit.

Outside the be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX ATX Mid-Tower Chassis

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With all the shipping materials out of the way, we can now see the Pure Base 501 LX in better detail. A front mesh front panel ensures excellent front air intake, while also giving the Pure Base 501 LX a sleek, clean look.

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Again, the front mesh panel, which features three PWM Light Wings LX ARGB 120mm fans mounted behind it, has a relatively fine mesh, so a front air intake is optional.

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The rear side panel, which is pretty uneventful, is held in place with two captive thumbscrews.

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The rear of the Pure Base 501 LX features the typical 7-slot ATX layout, supporting either a 120mm or 140mm fan. The PCI slot section can also rotate 90 degrees to support a vertical GPU in conjunction with the included vertical GPU hardware.

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The bottom of the Pure Base 501 LX features the same full-length dust filter as the DX model, which is removable from the front - a convenient feature for dust maintenance. The feet have large rubber dampeners to keep them from sliding around the desk.

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Front I/O support remains unchanged from the DX model, featuring a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a large rectangular power button, a combo 3.5mm mic/headphone jack, an ARGB LED button, and a power reset button.

Inside the be quiet! Pure Base 501 LX ATX Mid-Tower Chassis

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Removing the tempered glass side panel, which is held in place by two captive thumbscrews, gives us a good glimpse of the interior of the Pure Base 501 LX. Using the same tooling as the Pure Base 501 DX, it's expected to have most of the same features.

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One key difference between the Pure Base 501 DX and the Pure Base 501 DX is the inclusion of three 120mm Light Wings LX ARGB fans, which are installed as front air intake. In contrast, the DX comes with a non-RGB 140mm Pure Wings 3 fan pre-installed. For water cooling support, a radiator of up to 280/360mm is also possible for the Pure Base 501 LX.

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The rear fan is pre-populated with a 140mm Light Wings LX ARGB fan.

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With the top fan filter removed, which is held in place by magnets, the Pure Base 501 LX supports up to a 280mm radiator or two 140mm fans.

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Part of the magic that be quiet! puts into every case, on the rear side panel, which helps reduce sounds and hence to "be quiet". You see what I did there? ?

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Taking the rear side panel off, we can see in full view all of the HDD/SSD mounting options, with two 2.5" drives being supported on the bracket going vertically on the left-hand side. In the basement, two additional bays are located near the front, which can be removed to facilitate better airflow at the front intake. Cable tiedown points are also scattered throughout the motherboard tray, providing good cable management. The PSU section features four rubber dampeners and supports a PSU up to 180mm in length with the bottom front fan installed.

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The included fan/ARGB controller that is included with the Pure Base 501 LX is mounted to a 2.5" HDD/SSD mount that can accommodate an additional drive to the right of the controller. This mount can be easily removed via the single captive thumbscrew.

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And finally, we come to the included accessories, which arrived in a simple cardboard box. Lastly, we have the User Manual.

• Zip Tie (6)
• 6#32 Screw (13)
• M3 Screw (12)
• HDD Screw (8)
• Thumb Screw (2)
• Standoff Wrench (1)
• Standoff (1)
• Vertical GPU Bracket (Top) (1)
• PCIe Slot Cover (1)
• Vertical GPU Bracket (bottom) (1)
• Velcro Tie (4)

Installation, Testing, Finished Product, and Final Thoughts

Ryan's Test System Specifications

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For testing, I am using an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU on a B850 AORUS Elite Wi-Fi 7 motherboard from AORUS to test be quiet!'s Pure Base 501 LX ATX mid-tower case. Two sticks of Patriot Viper DDR5-5600M/T RAM were run on its EXPO profile. Zotac's NVIDIA RTX3090 Trinity GPU was run at its stock power limits and clocks via the NVIDIA App utility for the test GPU. The Ryzen 7 7700X CPU is now being cooled by an AMD Wraith Prism heatsink, which has a single 92mm fan in a down-draft configuration for optimal cooling performance.

For the fan configuration, be quiet! has configured the Pure Base 501 LX's fans with three Light Wings LX 120mm fans mounted as the front air intake and 140mm version in the rear location. This type of fan configuration creates a highly positive pressure scenario. Temperatures for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X reached a maximum of 93.9 °C, averaging 88.3 °C, while maintaining a boost clock of around 5.2 GHz. Zotac's NVIDIA RTX 3090 Trinity reached a maximum temperature of 88.7 °C, but only lowered the average temperature to 84.5 °C. Overall, the temperature delta was perfect for the CPU and GPU, thanks to the sufficient cool air provided by the three 120mm front intake fans.

All testing was completed using Aida64 Engineer's System Stability Test version v7.60.7300 for over 2.5 hours at an ambient temperature of 21 °C. Other monitoring software used was HWiNFO64 v8.16-5600, TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.67, and CPU-Z 2.16.0.x64.

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Cable management in the Pure Base 501 LX is identical to that of the DX model, featuring cable tiedown points along the center, as well as at various other points.

To sum up, the Pure Base 501 LX is a solid choice for anyone seeking a compact case with good airflow, although it comes at a higher price point. The lack of support for reverse connector motherboards is a minor oversight, but it's not a deal-breaker. On the plus side, the inclusion of four ARGB fans and an ARGB/fan controller is a significant advantage, offering users numerous customization options. Watercooling support is decent, with space for up to 360/280mm radiators in the front, but the 240mm limit on the roof is a bit of a letdown. Overall, the Pure Base 501 LX offers good value considering its features and limitations.