be quiet! Dark Rock 3 CPU Cooler Review

Rating: 8.5.

We have already seen the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 stamp its authority on the high-end air cooler market. Now the company is aiming for another fight with its single tower Dark Rock 3 CPU cooler. Can a balance between cooling performance and noise make the Dark Rock 3 a worthy contender?

Using a thick aluminium fin array, the be quiet! Dark Rock 3 receives airflow from a single 135mm, 1400rpm SilentWings PWM fan. Six 6mm U-shaped heatpipes draw heat away from nickel-plated copper base to provide a cooling capacity of up to 190W.

Sporting an understated dark theme, with its black aluminium top cover, aesthetics are an area where be quiet! has always scored positively with buyers. Low-noise performance is also where be quiet! has excelled in the past.

Can revision 3 of the Dark Rock prove that be quiet! knows how to master the single tower CPU cooler market?

Specifications:

• CPU Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 775, 1150, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011 & AMD 754, 939, 940, AM2(+), AM3 (+), FM1, FM2 (+).
• Heatsink Dimensions (L x W x H): 97x137x160 mm.
  
• Heatsink Material: Aluminium fins.
• Base Material: Copper.
• Fan Speed (135mm): up to 1400 rpm.
• Fan Air Flow (135mm): up to 67.8 CFM.
• Fan Air Pressure (135mm): up to 2.1 mm H2O.
• Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM.
• Warranty: 3 years.

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