be quiet! is well known for its quality product, especially in the power supply and cases area. The Silent Base series focuses between quiet cooling and flexible use: excellent airflow. From this series, today we will examine the Silent Base 802 that promises high quality and great options at a balanced price. The Silent Based series are the middle category of be quiet!' product line and include three models, the Silent Base 600, 601 and the 802-midi tower. All products come with a Window option and with two colors (black/white) or three (black, white, silver) depending the product line. From price point, the top Silent Based 820 comes around 140 Euro, 601 ~110 Euro and the bottom 600 around ~100 Euro.

As we can imagine all Silent Base 802 series aim for acoustic performance and of course good airflow. For that purpose they include two interchangeable front panels and top covers to maximize either noise insulation or cooling performance according to your taste. The case is available in black or white, with either a tempered glass side window or a sound-insulated steel side panel. For our tests we received the tempered glass side window version.

Switch between quiet operation and high cooling performance
A special feature of Silent Base 802 is its flexibility with regard to the intended field of usage. Silent Base 802 comes factory-fitted with a closed front panel and a two-piece sound-insulated top cover for quiet operation. Each of these can be exchanged for the included mesh versions for maximum airflow and increased cooling performance. This way, either noise insulation or cooling capacity can be maximized, giving users control over what they value most: low temperature or low noise.

The first of two included top covers perfectly round off the design of the Silent Base 802 Window White and ensures a silent operation. For all who strive for extremely powerful cooling and especially with water-cooled systems, the highly air-permeable top cover is the right choice. On other hand, at the front airflow front panel provides maximum performance for sophisticated configurations with highest demands for low temperatures. The standard front panel is the perfect choice for silent systems and regular PC configurations. Both panels are included.

Three pre-installed Pure Wings 2 140mm fans (two at the front, one at the rear) provide an effective factory-default fan configuration that has been tried and tested in numerous internal silence and performance tests. The integrated fan controller supports up to six 3-pin fans and a PWM hub function. This allows users to quickly adjust the cooling capacity, if required. The white version of the case has another special feature: the airflow-oriented mesh lid has a two-tone contrast design.

Spacious interior offers many options
Silent Base 802 offers plenty of space for high-end components such as water cooling or long graphics cards. The positioning of the mainboard tray can be inverted to adjust the airflow and allow a better view into the case when it is placed on the left side of the user. For quick and efficient access to the hardware, the side panels can be removed at the touch of a button. The power supply cover provides a clear layout of the interior and offers space for a double hard drive cage. In addition, there are three mounting locations for SSDs on the back of the mainboard tray. In the default configuration, up to three 3.5-inch or seven 2.5-inch storage devices can be installed. Installation of a power supply unit is considerably simplified by the use of a frame. The dust filters located in the bottom and front of the housing can be easily removed from the front. Radiators with a length of 120, 240 or 360 millimeters (or up to three fans with a diameter of 120 or 140 millimeters) can be installed with little effort on the mounting frame located under the top cover, which can be pulled out to the side. Radiators with a maximum length of 420 millimeters fit into the front when the first panel of the power supply cover is removed.

High-quality sound insulation and support for USB 3.2 Gen. 2
The steel side panels and exchangeable, sound-dampened front each come with ten-millimeter-thick insulation material. The closed top cover is also insulated.

The optional tempered glass window emphasizes the elegant appearance of the case and allows a great view into the interior of the system. In addition, the windowed version features HDD slot covers for unused hard drive bays. The height of the covers can be adjusted in two stages to accommodate different cable diameters. Alternatively, they can be closed completely for an even tidier interior. If the mainboard layout is inverted, the windowed side panel can easily be installed on the other side of the case to enable a clear view of the interior of the system at all times.

To be future-proof, the I/O panel on the front of the case offers a USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type C port for easy connection of peripheral devices with transfer speeds of up to 10 Gigabit per second.

The front and sides are equipped with extra thick dampening mats of up to 10mm, resulting in maximum stability and superb noise dampening capabilities. The decoupled PSU bracket, motherboard tray and HDD cages also minimize vibrations. The full metal body provides stability for the case and improves its haptic. The PSU shroud perfectly covers the cables, PSU and contains a double HDD cage. The cover plates are separately detachable to install a 140mm fan on the top. With the small cover detached a 360mm or 420mm radiator can be installed at the front. Using the PSU bracket the power supply unit can be easily installed from behind.

Some quick specs are listed, full specs are available over be quiet! 820 website