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be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow vs Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against PC cases at a similar price

The be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow scores 6.8/10 overall, ahead of the Phanteks XT Pro Ultra at 6.7/10.

The be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow leads on build and ease of building and noise.

The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra leads on space and compatibility and value.

They score the same on airflow and cooling.

The biggest difference is noise, where the be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow scores 7/10 to the Phanteks XT Pro Ultra's 4/10.

be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow

6.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The Pure Base 501 Airflow is for builders who want a quiet, mesh-fronted ATX case with sound build quality. It suits mainstream desktops, workstations and homelab boxes that need a few drives and good front-to-back airflow. It is less suited to buyers who need long-GPU clearance confirmed or tall air coolers.

Typically about £118.49 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

6.7/10verdict: good, not the best

The Phanteks XT Pro Ultra is a mid-tower for builders who want a mesh-fronted case with fans already fitted. It suits people planning a large graphics card, a tall air cooler or a 360 mm radiator. It is less suited to anyone who puts quiet running or a rigid side panel first.

Typically about £76.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightbe quiet! Pure Base 501 AirflowPhanteks XT Pro Ultra
Airflow and cooling30%7/107/10
Build and ease of building20%7/106/10
Space and compatibility20%6/108/10
Noise15%7/104/10
Value15%7/108/10
Overall6.8/106.7/10

Specifications

Specbe quiet! Pure Base 501 AirflowPhanteks XT Pro Ultra
Case type (mid tower, Micro-ATX, small form factor…)ATX mid-tower-sized case, 450 x 231 x 449 mm excluding stands, 39.2 L volume, 6.8 kg net weightMid-Tower
Motherboard sizes supported (E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX)ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ITXE-ATX (up to 280 mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX; rear-connect boards supported for MSI Project Zero, ASUS BTF and Gigabyte Project Stealth
Maximum graphics card length (mm)not listed415 mm; GPU width 184 mm
Maximum CPU cooler height (mm)178 mm maximum CPU cooler height184 mm
Power supply type supported (ATX or SFX) and maximum PSU length (mm)ATX PS/2 form factor, maximum PSU dimension 180 mm (length not specified)Maximum PSU length 270 mm; bottom mount
Radiator support (e.g. 360mm top, 280mm front)Front 120/140/240/280/360 mm; Top 120/240 mm; Rear 120/140 mmTop: max 360 mm; Front: max 240 mm; Rear: 120 mm
Fans included and fan mountsTwo Pure Wings 3 140 mm PWM fans included (front and rear); maximum six (top 2x140 or 2x120; front 2x140 or 3x120; rear 1x140 or 1x120)Four M25-140 D-RGB fans included; top 3x 120 mm or 2x 140 mm; front 3x 120 mm or 3x 140 mm; midplate 3x 120 mm; rear 1x 120 mm or 140 mm
Drive bays (3.5 and 2.5 inch)3.5-inch: 2; 2.5-inch: 5; no 5.25-inch bays5x 2.5-inch plus 1x 3.5-inch HDD, or 3x 2.5-inch SSD plus 2x 3.5-inch

Strengths and weaknesses

be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow

  • + Quiet operation praised by reviewers
  • + Rigid chassis and solid build quality
  • + Mesh front with 360 mm radiator support
  • − 178 mm CPU cooler height limit
  • − No 5.25-inch bays
  • − One review found CPU cooling unimpressive

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need a confirmed maximum GPU length before purchasing.
  • Builders who want 5.25-inch bays for optical or bay-mounted devices.
  • Anyone planning a tall air cooler above 178 mm.
Read the full be quiet! Pure Base 501 Airflow review ›

Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

  • + Four D-RGB fans included
  • + Roomy: 415 mm GPU, 184 mm cooler, E-ATX
  • + Owners praise cable routing and value
  • − Owners report noisy stock fans
  • − Side panel flex reported by owners
  • − Only two 3.5-inch bays at most

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who put quiet running first and don't want to deal with stock fan noise.
  • Anyone building a storage-heavy system with several 3.5-inch hard drives.
  • Buyers who want a rigid side panel.
Read the full Phanteks XT Pro Ultra review ›

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