This tower is a mid-tower type, and is compatible with ATX, M-ATX and Mini-ITX motherboards. Inside we can install ATX power supplies with a maximum of 200 mm in length. And it also has bays to install:
- 5 units of 2.5 inches.
- 2 x 3.5 inch drives.
As for fans, this tower comes with two 140mm Pure Wings 3 units controlled by PWM. And it allows us to install, in total, the following fans:
- Upper part: 2 of 120 mm / 2 of 140 mm.
- Front: 2 x 140 mm / 3 x 120 mm.
- Rear: 1 120mm / 1 140mm.
Likewise, if we are going to install liquid cooling, we can mount the radiators:
- Top: 120mm/240mm.
- Front: 120mm/140mm/240mm/280mm/360mm.
- Rear: 120mm/140mm.
The CPU heatsink must have a maximum height of 185 mm so that the tower can close properly. And, if we install a graphics card, its maximum length is 368 mm.
On the front of the tower we find 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, 2 USB-A 3.2 ports, HD-Audio output, reset button, power button and HDD-LED. Finally, on the back we find a total of 7 PCI bays.
The tower is made of SGCC steel, with some parts in ABS plastic and tempered glass. Its size is 450 mm high, 231 mm wide and 463 mm deep. And its weight is 7.20 Kg.
As for prices, there are different versions of this be quiet! Pure Base 501 depending on the color, front and side:
- Pure Base 501 Black closed front steel side panel €89.90
- Pure Base 501 Airflow Black mesh front steel side panel €94.90
- Pure Base 501 Airflow White mesh front steel side panel €99.90
- Pure Base 501 Airflow Window Black mesh front glass side panel €104.90
- Pure Base 501 Airflow Window White mesh front glass side panel €109.90
Unboxing and external analysis
As is usual in this type of product, the Pure Base 501 tower from be quiet! It comes in a cardboard box, protected inside by two pieces of expanded polystyrene and a plastic bag that surrounds it. On the front part of the box we can see a photo of the tower from the front, while on the back we can see in detail all the components that make it up and everything that can be extracted and disassembled.
We take the tower out of the box and we can now see its design. In our case, the tower is complete white, with a tempered glass side panel that allows us to see the interior at all times. But, if we prefer, we can also buy it with a metallic side, and even with the front without the mesh effect that we see in this model.
Starting with the front, as we can see, it has a mesh effect, which allows air to pass through, perfect for both introducing cold air from the outside and expelling hot air from inside the tower, depending on the assembly.
At the top of the front we find the power and reset buttons, the typical HDD LED, two USB type A ports, a USB type C port, and a mini-jack audio output.
And, at the bottom, the manufacturer’s logo in aluminum.
At the back of the tower we will see the hole for the rear panel of the motherboard, the bays for the PCI-E components, the hole for the power supply, and also a 120mm fan, which is included and mounted as standard. so that it expels the air from the inside to the outside.
The left side of the tower is made of tempered glass. This will allow us to see the interior of the tower at all times, which will interest us if we have components with LED lights. Plus, it can be easily removed with a couple of thumbscrews to access the interior if needed.
On the other side of the tower it is metallic and opaque, as is usually the case.
Finally, at the bottom we find a new dust filter, and 4 legs with rubber inserts on which the entire weight of the computer will be held.
Internal analysis
The first thing we can remove is the tempered glass side. To do this, we just have to loosen the two screws that hold it in place at the back and we will be able to access the interior of the tower.
We can also remove the dust filter from the top by simply moving it.
The front is also removable. What we must do to remove it is grab from the bottom of it, and pull hard so that it comes out.
It is not attached to anything, so we will not have wiring or connection problems. And, when removing it, we can see the hole to place more fans or a radiator.
Finally we will remove the right side of the tower. As with the left one, to remove it we only have to loosen the two screws on the back. And, by removing it, we can access the wiring.
Tower wiring is the basic wiring of any tower, and is limited to the connection panel. We can find the power and reset button connector for the motherboard, the HD-AUDIO cable, a USB 3.0 and USB-C.
We also find a box with the screws for mounting, ties to hold the cables, and several pieces that will help us, for example, to mount the graphics card vertically if we want (and if we buy the riser separately).
Finally, we are going to see in detail the fan that comes on the front, we will see why later.
We already have the entire tower open. And we can start with the assembly.
PC assembly
The first thing we mounted on the tower was the power supply. This goes in without problems, and is anchored with its respective screws to the back. In addition, it rests on rubber feet, so the fountain is very stable.
First of all, we have moved the fan from the front of the tower to the top of it. The reason is very simple: we are going to install 360 mm liquid cooling, and it must be placed in the front.
And we have also removed two elements from the tower. On the one hand, the cable cover on the front, and on the other hand the hard drive bay, since both hindered us from installing the liquid cooling.
And, immediately afterwards, we proceeded to install the radiator. This one fits quite tight, since it is a tower of a tight size. But it’s not going to give us any problems. In addition, we have mounted it with the tubes facing down, since, in this way, in addition to being more tidy, we prevent bubbles from entering through the tubes towards the pump.
And, to finish, we assemble the motherboard. We simply have to place it and anchor the screws. Of course, we must also take into account that the fan that we have placed on the upper part may bother us when placing the motherboard, and when connecting the CPU power cables. If it bothers us, just disassemble it, connect everything, and then put it back together.
The entire PC is now assembled. Now we just have to finish the wiring. We take each of the cables to its connector, and leave everything in order so that the PC works well. In the back we have enough space to place the cables and make the assembly as clean as possible.
The liquid cooling that we have set up from be quiet! It comes with a fan and RGB hub, so we have taken advantage of it to also connect the tower fans via PWM (although they do not have ARGB).
We now have our computer ready.
We close the rear cover (which has closed without problems, despite the thick cables we have and the fan concentrator). And, as we can see, the assembly of the front part has also been very clean.
We show you some of the details that we have told you about. For example, how the liquid cooling radiator looks.
And the fans that complicate access to the CPU power cables.
We put the lid with the tempered glass, and our computer is ready to work.
Conclusion, is it worth it?
In a market where towers are exceeding 150 euros, and even 200 euros, finding a quality product, for a price that ranges between 90 and 100 euros, is complicated. But be still! he has achieved it.
We are looking at a simple tower, without frills, without RGB, focused on offering the user a very high quality chassis in which to mount their computer. Despite being a simple tower, it is quiet! It will not cause any problems when installing any component. It is prepared for liquid cooling up to 360 mm, allows the graphics card to be installed vertically, and even has bays to install 2.5-inch hard drives and SSDs, and 3.5-inch drives.
We can find a model without a tempered glass window, and with the front closed, for about 90 euros. For 5 euros more, we have an equal model, but with a grille on the front to improve ventilation. And even, finally, the model that we have analyzed, with grille and tempered glass, for 105 euros. In white or black, to choose from.
We did not find the assembly complicated, although we did notice the small size, making some tasks complicated, such as, for example, inserting the large radiator, or connecting the CPU power cables. Otherwise, once the components are assembled, we can be sure that we will have a tower that will last for years and years. And, if we change in the future, it will be because we have already had enough.
For all these reasons, we have decided to give this tower be quiet! Pure Base 501 our gold award, along with our quality/price award.