Case recommendations

IvanDobskey · 22 Mar 2017 at 08:45

I have had a tj09 for about 10 years and fancied something a bit more modern with better cable management. I need 6 hard drive bays and 1 optical. I prefer the more understated look.

I quite like the look of the Bequiet dark base 900. Anyone else got this case?

Only thing that puts me off the dark base 900 is the door on the front. Not keen on doors.

Silverstone don't seem to do anything interesting these days which is a shame as i love the quality of my tj09.

IvanDobskey · 23 Mar 2017 at 18:03

Nobody got the dark base 900?

I guess it's not too popular....

kully1972 · 24 Mar 2017 at 04:31

It's a fantastic case and phenomenally quiet with the be quiet silent wing 3s pre-installed as intakes.
ive installed an additional silent wing 3 on the base just in front of the power supply and my GPU temps are 73 Max with a Max voltage overclock.
i opted for a be quiet 280mm rad in the roof with the motherboard being in the mid position.
Personally I think the case is great value.

IvanDobskey · 24 Mar 2017 at 07:37

kully1972 said:
It's a fantastic case and phenomenally quiet with the be quiet silent wing 3s pre-installed as intakes.
ive installed an additional silent wing 3 on the base just in front of the power supply and my GPU temps are 73 Max with a Max voltage overclock.
i opted for a be quiet 280mm rad in the roof with the motherboard being in the mid position.
Personally I think the case is great value.

Thanks for the review Kully, good to hear from an owner of this case.

Do you have the pro version? Do you think it's worth the extra cash? I'm not really big on windows but i do love the idea of a built in wireless charger.

Maybe it is time to retire my old tj09.

kully1972 · 25 Mar 2017 at 04:40

The tjo9 TBH whilst functionally and build quality is top notch it looks positively dated.
Yes I have the pro version and have vertically mounted some Samsung ssds using velcro for the bling factor.
Ive owned plenty Lian li cases before and even the silverstone black red se flo3 and the be quiet silent base 800 as well which I managed to sell to a friend.
I would advise getting the pro version but also if ure not going to have any radiators then the be quiet silent base 800 windowed edition is probably a better choice as it's smaller and makes more efficient use of space.
A lot of thought has gone into the case as ud imagine from a German design. The airflow and silence is nothing short of amazing.
I can game early mornings now with the wife and kid sleeping behind me with the PC barely making a whisper. Silent wing 3s or noctuas are a must as well as an aftermarket GPU like the msi 1070 gaming x which again is nigh on silent.

IvanDobskey · 25 Mar 2017 at 07:44

Yes, the tj09 is a little dated now having been launched in 2006 i believe. It's certainly a beautifully constructed case though. But i have a few issues with it, cable management is poor (especially round the hard drive cage) and i do get some vibrations.

The dark base 900 caught my eye due to the fact it will take my 6 hard drives and an optical. Not sure if i want a window though, so may go for the non pro.

Thanks for your feedback

kully1972 · 25 Mar 2017 at 09:27

You're most welcome
The money you save in the non pro version you can put towards two top end fans.
the non windowed version will probably be even quieter as the side panels are noise dampened.
Plenty hard drive space. I have a 8tb in a gup Japan enclosure in one of the 5 1/4 bays and a Blu-ray in the other. One ssd behind the mobo and 5 ssds scattered along the Bay area.

IvanDobskey · 25 Mar 2017 at 10:18

I'm torn between them to be honest. The wireless charger on the pro would be very useful. So nice to be able to just drop the s6 on top of my pc when i get in and have it charging.

Watched a few reviews on youtube now and i think I've decided to go for this case. Birthday in early may so this can be a present to myself

One small concern, how do you find the magnetic catch on the door? Does it stay closed?

kully1972 · 25 Mar 2017 at 18:36

You needn't worry about the magnetic door. It stays firmly closed.
My minor gripe is the latches are plastic so you need to be careful when using brute force taking them off, for eg the front panel. I've stressed one of them and know one or two more stresses applied it will break. Hence I leave it on when tweaking. Besides by the time I come to replace the fans in 5 yrs I'll prob be buying the next latest and greatest case.

IvanDobskey · 26 Mar 2017 at 09:38

Good to hear the magnets hold the door firmly closed.

I'll bear in mind the plastic latches, although i doubt i will be doing much dismantling of the case. I'll just chuck my stuff in it and try to get the cable routing as neat as possible.

I'll probably order the pro version next month.

TheBiznes · 26 Mar 2017 at 10:22

I have a TJ09 also in same boat. I have been looking at the Thermaltake Suppressor F51 as my next case non window version as well. Don't need all the fancy lights.

IvanDobskey · 26 Mar 2017 at 11:07

TheBiznes said:
I have a TJ09 also in same boat. I have been looking at the Thermaltake Suppressor F51 as my next case non window version as well. Don't need all the fancy lights.

Yeh looks a decent cheaper alternative.

It's going to be hard saying goodbye to the trusty old tj09.

IvanDobskey · 27 Mar 2017 at 11:49

Well i couldn't resist the lure of the dark base pro 900

Got the all black version on order now

kully1972 · 27 Mar 2017 at 15:08

Congrats. You won't regret it.
So much thought has gone into the design and the sound dampening material makes a huge difference making it one of the quietest and coolest cases on the market.

IvanDobskey · 28 Mar 2017 at 06:33

Looking forward to building in it

Will post some pics when I'm done.

IvanDobskey · 1 Apr 2017 at 20:17

All done and dusted

kully1972 · 1 Apr 2017 at 20:31

Looks pretty clean and sleek. You must be happy!
I see the noctua cooler but your temps may have improved slightly even though the case is perfect for a radiator.
I bet it's damn quiet!

IvanDobskey · 1 Apr 2017 at 20:58

Very pleased with it, can't believe how quiet it is!

I'm considering getting an AIO cooler, maybe a be quiet one.

kully1972 · 2 Apr 2017 at 17:04

I would advise the 280mm or the nzxt x62.
Gaming is an absolute joy as there's no danger of waking my son or wife behind me during my early morning sessions before work!

IvanDobskey · 2 Apr 2017 at 19:50

Justva little worried about pump noise from an AIO. It's so quiet at the moment, i may just leave it alone

Not installed the led strips yet, not sure i will. Not really big on garish lights in a case. The subtle glow of the zotac 1070 through the glass looks enough for me.