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be quiet! Shadow Base 800 vs Montech Air 1000 Premium: Comparison
be quiet! Shadow Base 800 vs Montech Air 1000 Premium: the included fans difference
On included fans the spread is 25%, be quiet! Shadow Base 800 3 against Montech Air 1000 Premium 4, so Montech Air 1000 Premium takes it. There is a split on case volume as well, 62.74 L on the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 versus 54 L on the Montech Air 1000 Premium. There is a split on colour as well, Black on the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 versus Black, White on the Montech Air 1000 Premium.
be quiet! Shadow Base 800 vs Montech Air 1000 Premium: which one fits your build
Buy the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 for home-office or bedroom builds needing low noise and 360mm AIO builds that also want dampening, though it is not the pick for RGB showcase builds wanting a glass front and extreme airflow builds prioritizing max CFM over silence. The Montech Air 1000 Premium is the one to take for dual radiator builds on a mid-range budget and high-airflow gaming PCs with big GPUs, though it is the wrong buy for small desks with limited space and silent or sound-dampened build goals. Our rating of the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 (8.5/10): the best quiet-focused case in be quiet!'s lineup for anyone who also wants serious radiator support, without paying flagship Dark Base Pro pricing. Our rating of the Montech Air 1000 Premium (8.5/10): excellent value for a four-fan, dual-360mm-radiator case; one of the best budget-to-midrange picks for a serious air-cooled or AIO build.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 and Montech Air 1000 Premium differ on gpu clearance?
Yes. GPU Clearance reads 430 mm on the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 versus 400 mm on the Montech Air 1000 Premium.
Is the Motherboard Support the same on the be quiet! Shadow Base 800 and Montech Air 1000 Premium?
It is. Both are listed at E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Motherboard Support
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
Case Type
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- Mid-Tower
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- Mid-Tower
Panel Type
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- Tempered glass window side panel, open mesh front and top
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- Full mesh front panel, tempered glass side
GPU Clearance
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- 430 mmBest
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- 400 mm-7%
CPU Cooler Clearance
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- 180 mmBest
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- 176 mm-2%
Included Fans
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- 3-25%
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- 4Best
Radiator Support
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- Front 420mm, top 420mm, rear 120mm
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- Front 360mm, Top 360mm
Case Volume
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- 62.74 L
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- 54 L
Front USB-C
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- Yes
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- Yes
Colour
- be quiet! Shadow Base 800
- Black
- Montech Air 1000 Premium
- Black, White
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Shadow Base 800 if you want the higher GPU clearance (430 mm vs 400 mm) and the higher CPU cooler clearance (180 mm vs 176 mm).
Choose Montech Air 1000 Premium if you want the higher included fans (4 vs 3).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Shadow Base 800 | Montech Air 1000 Premium |
|---|---|---|
| be quiet! Store | View on be quiet! Store | |
| Montech | View on Montech |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
be quiet! Shadow Base 800
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
The best quiet-focused case in be quiet!'s lineup for anyone who also wants serious radiator support, without paying flagship Dark Base Pro pricing.
Montech Air 1000 Premium
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
Excellent value for a four-fan, dual-360mm-radiator case; one of the best budget-to-midrange picks for a serious air-cooled or AIO build.