German case and cooling company be quiet! (henceforth formatted as Be Quiet) has announced that its “no compromises” Dark Base 701 PC case is scheduled for release on Nov. 14. This E-ATX case, which was originally showcased back at Computex, is designed for gaming PC builders who are looking for maximum airflow and versatility.
As a follow-up to the Be Quiet Dark Base 700, there have been quite a few changes implemented to bring the design up to date. The predecessor was released in the era of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti — an $800 and 250W TDP Nvidia flagship. But in 2023, the best graphics cards are bigger, pricier, and have a much higher peak power consumption.
In order to house today’s choice gaming PC components comfortably, the new Dark Base 701 includes prolific venting with a full-mesh design. To deliver excellent airflow, Be Quiet has pre-installed a trio of its Silent Wings 4 fans (140mm high-speed variants) as standard. These design decisions make the 701 adequate for “the most powerful CPUs and graphics cards,” according to the company.
Users will find plenty of versatility to make the best use of the airflow for a speedy, powerful system. Some airflow highlights of this highly perforated 69.64 liter case include a multitude of mounting options for up to eight system fans and multiple PSU shroud options (vented, fully covered). There are also extensive inner configuration choices which include a system inversion option, and the vertical fitting of GPUs (with optional riser cable) — just like this case’s big brother, Be Quiet's flagship 82.7 liter Dark Base Pro 901.
Be Quiet says the new Dark Base 701 is easy to build into, with well-thought-out accessibility features, cable routing channels, a versatile motherboard tray, and a range of choices for storage mounting. PC DIYers will probably appreciate the max compatibility figures:
- GPUs up to 3 slots and 415mm in length
- CPU coolers up to 185mm in height
- Radiators up to 360mm x2, and one 120mm rad at the rear
- Up to eight 140mm system fans
- Storage capacity up to 5x 3.5-inch and x2 2.5-inch drives
- PSUs up to 260mm long
Though it has ‘Dark’ in its name, the new 701 comes with some RGB lighting frills. There is a PWM fan controller on board (for up to 8 fans), which also functions as an ARGB hub for two components. Be Quiet has included a pair of lighting strips: one down either edge of the front panel. A tempered glass side window helps show off your selected PC build components, and the Dark Base 701’s easy access I/O resides at the top of the front panel and includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, dual USB 3.2 Type-A ports, and HD Audio I/O, as well as the power button.
Be Quiet has only revealed the Euro pricing of the Dark Base 701 at this stage. It is normal for Euro pricing to include VAT (20%), so you can take off about a fifth of the dollar conversion prices shown to get more indicative US pricing levels. The firm says that from Nov. 14 the following will be available for purchase:
- Dark Base 701 for €229.90 ($244)
- Vertical GPU riser cable at €59.90 ($64)
- HDD Cage 2 for €9.90 ($10.50)
If you are interested in a new PC, case we recommend you look at our list of best PC cases. (Of course, the Dark Base 701 isn't there yet — but we'll see if it makes the grade once we get it in for testing.)
