Question Be Quiet! 500DX or Cooler Master H500 ARGB? I can't decide!

[Bobsy]

I'm ready to assemble my new build, but I am still missing the case because I can't decide what to get. I like the Meshify 2 but it's seems unnecessarily expensive. After looking at almost everything on the market, the last two contenders are the BeQuiet! 500DX and the Cooler Master H500 ARGB. I have an B550 ATX motherboard, 5600X CPU (no overclocking), NH-U12S air cooler (for now), 2x HDD, 2x SSD, 1x M.2 to put in it. Prices for both are about the same where I live (Canada).
I see small cons with each - if you have the case and can comment on them, I would appreciate it.
Perceived cons with 500DX:
- Only one USB Type A connector out front
- Annoying "SSD Bar" system for running connectors to the back - seems hard to route the 24-pin cable through there
Perceived cons with HD500:
- I worry that these big fans will be noisy and that upgrading them to PWM will cost me more than the case itself. Included fans not as good as Pure Wings 2 in other case.
- Power button "click" feels cheap

 

[JoHN050375]

What silence do you want to achieve. It seems to me that it can be difficult without covering the front part. The front panel should be a cover and the air inlets on the front panel can be located on the side. Take a look at such a construction. I am not talking about the appearance, but rather about the design of the front cover, if silence is the most important thing for you.

 

[Bobsy]

Good question JoHN. I want to achieve silence when idle/light productivity and don't really care about noise under load. My current computer is whisper-quiet when idle - all PWM fans controlled by the motherboard.
I'm starting to think that I'm aiming too low in the product stack. Perhaps the new Silent Base 802 is for me, or Meshify 2, or Enthoo Pro M SE (I wouldn't mind keeping my blu-ray drive just in case)...

 

[JoHN050375]

I have analyzed your suggestions. If you are not looking for complete silence while idle, you may well consider the enclosures you have shown. If, on the other hand, you are a complete fan of silence and it is your first priority, both at rest and during work, consider: Fractal Design C or Corsair 275Q. Both have a full front panel, making the AIO fans vertically on the front inaudible. However, it seems that what you should do first are the settings in the BIOS. From them you should start with the temperature of the devices. The whole process is quite complex. I myself spent a lot of time getting to know my case with the elements placed (AIO + CPU + GPU). It allowed me to understand how it actually works and how the components of my equipment behave. It must be admitted, however, that each PWM change causes different actions. All air movement in the housing is distributed differently. Finally, all elements work differently, both at rest and under load. The bottom line is that of course you have to do tests, read manufacturers' information, but you have to experiment yourself in your own lab to get to the bottom of it. Everyone has their own specific conditions.

 

[Bobsy]

Thanks @JoHN050375. I must have watched Steve from Gamers' Nexus too much because I can't imagine using a case without airflow anymore. He's addressing my love for silent computing with the claim that an open case will be quieter than a closed one because the fans won't have to work so hard to cool the CPU/GPU down. I like your proposal about experimenting, that's a great idea. I'll probably end up picking up the 500DX if I can find it, and this case has been thoroughly tested by Hardware Canucks so the best fan config is a known quantity. I'll just also purchase a 90-degree 24-pin adapter to deal with badly design cable routing and that will do it.

 

[UsandThem]

He's addressing my love for silent computing with the claim that an open case will be quieter than a closed one because the fans won't have to work so hard to cool the CPU/GPU down.

I find most cases with completely open tops noisy (and that's the majority of cases on the market anymore). I like how Be Quiet handled the top cooling needs on my Dark Base 900 case I use in my home office.

My case before that was the Fractal Design R5, and when I tried leaving the top open, I didn't like the sound coming from it, so I put the top panels back on it.

 

[Bobsy]

Yeah, I'd love it if the 500DX had the option of a closed top.