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Benchmarks and Conclusion
For this first test, I removed power limits from the Intel i9-14900K CPU and ran Cinebench R23 while also running Furmark 2 on the Radeon RX 7900 GRE GPU. This causes total system power consumption to reach around 600W.
This should be considered a “maximum performance” or “worst-case” scenario.
During this test, where both the GPU and CPU are pumping heat into the case, the CPU consumed an average of 242 Watts. While there aren’t many results here, based on my tests of other cases I expect Be Quiet’s results to be similar to most other cases on the market, though I’ll need to complete more comparison tests to say for sure. This is a worst-case scenario; most users shouldn’t worry too much about these results.
GPU thermals were also good, measuring 60 degrees Celsius. This is on par withAPNX V1-W, and 5 degrees C ahead of MSI’s Maestro 700L PZ case.
For this next test, I’ve simulated a “heavy gaming” workload by running a 150W workload on Intel’s i9-14900K and a full load on ASRock’s Steel Legen Radeon RX 7900 GRE. This first graph will cover the temperature of the CPU in this situation.
Be Quiet’s case does alright here, only 2 degrees behind the impressive APNX V1-W – and 7 degrees cooler than MSI’s Maestro 700L PZ.
The chart shown here is also done while simulating a “heavy gaming” workload by running a 150W workload on Intel’s i9-14900K and a full load on ASRock’s Steel Legen Radeon RX 7900 GRE. This shows the results of the GPU’s temperature.
Truth be told, this is probably the only temperature chart most users should care about - and Be Quiet’s case does well, allowing the GPU to run quietly due to the lower temperature.
CPU-only stress test – CPU power consumption
This last set of charts will cover results while running a stress test on the CPU only. We’ll look at both the CPU’s power consumption in this scenario, since the cooler is not strong enough to keep the CPU from reaching its peak temperature.
With 259W cooled by the CPU Cooler, Be Quiet’s Light Base 900 DX was 5W behind APNX V1 and 8W ahead of MSI’s Maestro 700L PZ. Again, please remember these tests are designed to determine which case has the best thermal efficiency. The difference in real-world performance here will be minimal.
Conclusion
I liked Be Quiet’s Light Base 900. It has a strong build quality and nice aesthetic design paired with the somewhat unique feature of having three different layout options. Thermal performance seems to be middle of the road, which is to say while it might not be the best, it will be good enough for 97% of users looking to build a PC for gaming or mixed usage. As always, Be Quiet’s quality engineering helps deliver a product that feels solid and long-lasting – and won’t be easily dinged or damaged.
MORE:Best Mini-ITX Cases
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Albert Thomas is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering CPU cooling reviews.
