Unique Aquarium! Review of be quiet! Light Base 900 DX Case

The be quiet! Light Base 900 DX has one major advantage – it’s a premium case made by a premium brand. That’s an important distinction compared to cases priced above ten thousand hryvnias from manufacturers for whom such a budget is unfamiliar territory. Be quiet! has long understood what to integrate into its designs to make the price feel justified rather than excessive.

At the same time, the Light Base 900 DX is an unusual model even by be quiet!’s standards. The brand is typically associated with solid, noise-dampened monoliths in uniform colors – matte, austere, and straightforward. This case, however, breaks entirely from that convention. It’s the complete opposite of what you’d expect from the company’s usual design philosophy.

be quiet! Light Base 900 DX video review

Technical specifications

• Compatibility with motherboards: E-ATX / XL-ATX / ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ATX
• Case dimensions: 532 × 327 × 484 mm
• Net weight: 15.3 kg
• PCIe expansion slots: 8
• Processor cooler height: up to 190 mm
• PSU size: up to 225 mm
• Radiator support: 420 + 420 + 360 mm max.
• Video card length: up to 495 mm
• 3.5″ slots: up to 2
• 2.5″ slots: up to 6

Market positioning

Let’s start with the price. The be quiet! Light Base 900 DX costs just over $240, or around €200. The manufacturer also offers the Light Base 900 LX, as well as the smaller Light Base 600 LX and 600 DX. The difference between the 600 and 900 models is fairly noticeable, while the distinction between the DX and LX versions comes down mainly to the inclusion of pre-installed fans – something I’ll cover later.

Format

Next. If I’m not mistaken – and I might be – the be quiet! Light Base 900 and Light Base 600 are among the company’s first ventures into the “aquarium-style” case category. In other words, cases with a panoramic layout featuring at least two glass panels. Airflow is organized from three sides: two symmetrical ones and a third made of mesh.

But if you think that’s where this case’s unique features end – I’m afraid you’re mistaken. Things are just getting interesting. How about the option to rotate the entire case by 90 degrees? Or even 180? That’s right – the roughly 3 cm-tall feet of this chassis can be removed and reattached to the top, bottom, or left off entirely. Rubber spacers are included by default on the rear panel to support whichever orientation you choose.

And this doesn’t compromise airflow in any way, since every non-glass surface of the be quiet! Light Base 900 DX features removable mesh panels with dust filters and radiator mounts.

This is actually one of the few cases I’ve seen that can accommodate two 420 mm radiators for liquid cooling – and possibly the only one where you can add an additional 360 mm radiator on top of that. So, here’s another way to interpret the term “aquarium” – there’s a lot of water inside.

Specifications

You could almost keep fish inside – well, at least digital ones on a fan or pump display. Even with multiple radiators installed, there’s still plenty of room to work with. Interestingly, despite its spacious interior, the case is classified as a Mid Tower, measuring 532 × 327 × 484 mm, and it weighs a solid 16.8 kg.

The case supports a wide range of motherboard formats: E-ATX, XL-ATX, ATX, M-ATX, and Mini-ITX. It’s also fully compatible with reverse-layout standards such as ASUS BTF (Back to Future), MSI Project Zero, and Gigabyte Project Stealth. There’s even a dedicated drive cage for HDDs.

The case supports graphics cards up to approximately 500 mm in length. The maximum power supply length is 225 mm. The maximum height for a tower cooler – what’s the difference? For clarity, if you are planning to use this case, it’s advisable to consider a 420 mm liquid cooling setup rather than a conventional AIO. The maximum cooler height is actually 190 mm. Moving on.

The front panel includes three USB ports, one of which is a 10 Gb Type-C. The case supports vertical GPU installation up to four slots wide, while the total number of PCIe expansion slots is eight. However, true vertical mounting brackets are not included, which is reasonable given that the case itself can be oriented vertically.

Cooling

Now, let’s talk about the fans. Just to clarify, I’m working with the DX version of the case. Be quiet! also provided two additional sets for reference: the Light Wings 140 and Light Wings 140 Reverse. I have already reviewed the first set, while the second appears to be new to me, though I cannot be certain.

Its significance is that it fits well with “aquarium-style” cases like this one, since the airflow direction in the reverse fans has been rotated 180 degrees.

In other words, it functions as an intake rather than an exhaust, while the “front” side with the RGB lighting remains oriented correctly.

Thanks to this, the be quiet! Light Base 900 DX can accommodate six Light Wings 140 fans, three of which can be reverse. This setup allows for highly efficient airflow without compromising the case’s appearance.

Even the Light Base 900 LX doesn’t include this by default. Additionally, this setup still allows for the installation of a 360 mm liquid cooling system.

Backlighting

All of this can be powered by just one of the two hubs, each connected separately via SATA, providing control over both power and lighting. The lighting system in the be quiet! Light Base 900 DX is particularly well-executed.

The LED panels run along the perimeter, and when activated, the lighting pulse appears to travel across the entire length. The diffusion is well-executed, and there are plenty of modes. From any angle, the case looks exactly as described – its visual impact is substantial.

Drawbacks

Now, regarding the drawbacks. Installing the case upside down, rotated 180 degrees from the standard orientation, offers limited practical benefit. While positioning it on its side can improve ventilation and reduce stress on the PCIe slots, questions may arise about the efficiency of liquid cooling in such an orientation.

The be quiet! Light Base 900 DX, it should be noted, can be positioned symmetrically – either upright or inverted. Furthermore, the behavior of gravity-dependent coolers, such as the IceGiant ProSyphon Elite, is uncertain, as they have only one optimal orientation for operation. At a 90-degree angle, they are unlikely to function correctly.

Other issues are related to the feet. First, they do not fully lock into place when the case is resting on a desk, as it’s not possible to rotate the foot completely. To secure them, the case must either be slightly lifted or positioned so that the edge rests on the desk.

Secondly, and more significantly, the feet are made entirely of plastic. One of mine arrived with a stripped mounting point. The set includes exactly four feet, with no spares. Observing the thickness of the plastic used to attach the different parts of the feet, it is clear that the material is quite substantial, but the issue remains.

However, it is still plastic, supporting the weight of a 20 kg gaming setup – not on a single foot, but across all four. Replacing them with metal feet isn’t ideal either, as any issue could result in the foot tearing out its mounting point. Personally, I would recommend either using magnetic mounts, which would fail safely if stressed, or designing deeper attachment points for greater security.

Alternatively, the manufacturer could simply include two sets of feet instead of one. The design is straightforward – the plastic quality is good, and there’s a rubber base – but ultimately, they are inexpensive. Providing two sets would eliminate any potential complaints. Fortunately, it seems that be quiet! is considering this approach, and they may even send additional feet to current owners at a later date, though this is not confirmed.

Conclusions

If the case’s feet hold up, the be quiet! Light Base 900 DX fully justifies its price. The RGB implementation is excellent, versatility is outstanding, and overall usability is impressive. The concept itself is original and well executed. The only real suggestion is to add a few reverse fans – doing so will make your build in the Light Base 900 DX genuinely remarkable. Overall, it comes highly recommended.

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