Unboxing and First Impressions
The Light Base 500 LX arrived double-boxed, protected with foam and a plastic bag. Both boxes were in perfect condition. To prevent accidents with the two glass panels, a cardboard spacer is wedged between them. Each panel is also wrapped in plastic film, both inside and out. The shiny be quiet! logo even has a protective plastic cover. The manual comes separately in a plastic bag.
Inside the chassis, in the secondary chamber, you’ll find the bundle box containing:
- 1x Standoff
- 1x Standoff removal tool
- 4x PSU screws
- 9x HDDscrews
- 9x SSD screws
- 9x Motherboard screws
- 5x Zip Ties
- Vertical GPU Adapter
It would be nice to see less plastic in the future, but the absence in the packaging doesn’t necessarily mean none was used during production.
Looking at the chassis, it carries the unmistakable be quiet! design language. The color scheme and finish are classic, and it feels a bit lighter than expected, but still substantial. It also packs several thoughtful features.
Design and Build Quality
The side panel is tempered glass. It slots into a metal rail at the bottom and clips securely at the top. Aligning it can be a little awkward, but once in place, it feels sturdy. To remove it, there’s a small indent at the rear of the chassis.
The front glass panel is mounted similarly but secured with screws at the top. You likely won’t need to remove it when building. The standout feature here is the unique fan-mounting design: a front pillar houses the I/O and buttons, setting this chassis apart from competitors. Dual-chamber designs often invite experimentation, and be quiet! makes good use of that freedom. The fans sit a comfortable distance from the pillar, with unobstructed airflow. Their angled positioning provides improved cooling with reduced turbulence and adds visual flair.
The back panel is primarily perforated, while the front panel is solid to conceal the I/O cabling.
At the rear, the layout follows a traditional dual-chamber structure. The left section houses the PSU cutout and a blank white cover panel, while the right includes the motherboard I/O opening, a fan mount, and seven bridgeless expansion slots. PCIe cards mount externally, with an additional cover panel hiding the screws. be quiet! includes a vertical GPU bracket (PCIe extension sold separately). From this angle, you can also see indents for removing the side and top panels.
The top panel covers the entire case, with only the main chamber area perforated. It’s held in place by clips. Removing it reveals the cooling rails and access to the front fan assembly.
At the bottom, a mesh filter covers the intake. Conveniently, it slides out the front for easy cleaning.
Compatibility and Space Utilization
Inside, the case officially supports up to ATX motherboards, including back-connector boards. At the top, two cable passthroughs lack rubber grommets, while at the bottom, there are additional cutouts beside the inset fan mounts. These inset fans give a cleaner look by routing cables into the secondary chamber. Near the front, you’ll find the intake fans, angled for better airflow.
Cooling and Airflow
be quiet! has always prioritized thermals, and the Light Base 500 LX is no exception. It ships with four fans and a hub to control them. The three front fans use slim, proprietary connectors to fit the tight space of the angled intake assembly, a minor downside. Otherwise, the setup is excellent: three ARGB side intake fans and one rear exhaust fan.
The hub supports six PWM and six ARGB connections. Since the three front fans share a daisy-chained PWM lead, only two PWM headers are occupied, leaving four available. The hub draws power via SATA and connects to the motherboard using a PWM and ARGB header. One of the front buttons can also control the lighting directly.
Storage Options
The storage bracket may look minimal, but it supports up to four drives in total, one 3.5-inch drive (after accounting for the hub) and two 2.5-inch drives. Larger drives mount vertically, smaller ones horizontally. It’s not a storage-focused chassis, but it offers flexibility. The bracket can be repositioned and is secured with a thumbscrew and four standard screws.
