The Shadow Base 800 FX is great. It's a generous size without taking up too much space. It's colourful and covered in LEDs without being tacky. It comes with four reliable 140 mm fans for quieter operation and heaps of airflow. Most of all, it's just easy to build into. For that reason alone, I'm sold.
I tested this PC case the only way I know how: building a gaming PC inside it and measuring how well it runs. For this build (full build log here), I opted for an ASRock Z890 Steel Legend WiFi loaded with an Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. To keep the processor cool, a Be Quiet! Dark Rock 5 air cooler. On the graphics front, one last hurrah for AMD's outgoing RX 7900 XT. All of these went together without issue inside the Shadow Base 800 FX. Like, zero issues.
There are a few ways that the Shadow Base 800 FX makes life easy for budding builders. First off, the motherboard tray is set back to leave ample space for a top-mounted radiator—you can fit up to a 420 mm radiator, or three 140 mm fans, in the top of the Shadow Base. That leaves plenty of room in the front of the case for another 420 mm radiator, or again three 140 mm fans, though any fans can be tucked neatly out of the way behind the front mesh.
Speaking of fans, you needn't worry about buying many more for this case. It comes with four 140 mm Be Quiet! Light Wings fans—three in the front, one as an exhaust in the back. They are supremely quiet in operation. That's a combination of both their size and construction—larger fans mean you can run slower RPMs while maintaining good airflow, and Be Quiet! claims a low-noise fan blade design with a lower-noise rifle bearing.
Form factor: Mid-tower
Dimensions: 550 x 247 x 522 mm
Motherboard compatibility: E-ATX, ATX, M-ATX, Mini-ITX
Front panel: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type C), 2x USB 3.2 (Type-A), 3.5 mm mic jack, 3.5 mm headphone jack, LED control button
Included fans: 4x Light Wings PWM 140 mm (1x exhaust, 3x intake)
Fan support: Front: 3x 140 / 120 mm | Top: 3x 140 / 120 mm |