In the quest for higher performance and higher overclocks, processors keep heating up our cases, and hardware manufacturers are always looking for new methods to keeping their products cool. And, with motherboard partners helping enthusiasts overclock so easily today, companies like be quiet! have their work seriously cut out for them. Their previous Dark Rock Pro and Pro 2 CPU coolers were very good contenders given their excellent quality. But like the reigning Noctua NH-D14 (and its successor, the NH-D15), their size can be intimidating for both installation and cost. The only evolutionary course of action is to focus completely on engineering better solutions, within the same or smaller spaces.
The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 sheds a couple inches, adds some new curves, and reveals a hidden, polished, sexy side that increases TDP dissipation up to 250 Watts. Is this new cooler just a pretty face or does it really have some dark magic? Our many hours of testing with one of Intel’s 6-core processors shall reveal that answer!
Features and Specifications
We originally saw this cooler at CES 2014, and it appears not much has changed since that initial reveal. Let’s take this opportunity to recap some of the more notable features of the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3.
- Improved PWM Silent Wing fans for better air flow
- New double-tower layout sheds wait and optimizes surface cooling
- Includes fan clips for optional additional 120mm fan
- Seven high-performance heat pipes with copper lining and aluminum caps carry heat to the optimal location on the cooling fins, maximizing heat conductance
- 250W TDP cooling capacity
- New heat pipe design enhances cooling capability
- Compatibility with all current Intel® and AMD™ sockets/processors
- Dark nickel-plated heat sink and heat pipes
- Brushed aluminum top cover with high-grade diamond cut finish
- 3-year warranty
Updated SilentWing fans and heat sink stand offs result in virtually inaudible operation.
- Includes two SilentWings® PWM fans (front-120mm, inner-135mm) featuring copper core fluid dynamic bearing and balanced impeller provide optimal air flow
- Inner 135mm SilentWings® PWM fan features nine optimized fan blades and an innovative 6-pole motor for smoother operation and less vibration
- Rubber fan rails eliminate fan vibration
- Fan noise limited to 26.1dB(A) at 100% PWM function
Overall, we see more of a refinement than an overall redesign of the original, and retains much of what made the original cooler such a premium product. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 will also carry a high end price of around $99.99 USD at places like NCIX and NewEgg.
What’s in the Box?
The Dark Rock Pro 3 bundle includes every screw, bolt, spacer, and nut needed to secure the heat sink properly. The back plate is just over 1/8 thick with insulated padding which keeps things from grounding and helps eliminate vibrations sent through the mounting screws. There are two small fan clips for mounting an optional 120mm fan. Since mixing fans isn’t recommended due to varying air pressure and RPM speed, users will want to order one of the SilentWing 2 fans.
The manual is pretty detailed as well as thorough to assist installation. The direction images are a bit small and it wouldn’t hurt to if they were increased in size for future prints.
Designed for Efficiency
There are three major upgrades that the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 offers over the Dark Rock Pro 2. First, the top diamond cut cap now sports two contoured edges, with the center being slightly taller than the sides. It’s quite possible that it helps to isolate air flow down the center better. Second, the heat pipes change position and are shaped to catch more cool air passing through. The SilentWings 2 fans drive the air through the cooler.
The final third change is the improvement to the contact surface, as it is much larger. The nickle plated base sports a mirror polished finish which increases surface contact area. For many manufacturers, this is often skipped, probably to keep costs down. However, for the very best heat transfer possible, every CPU cooler should have a very smooth base at the minimum. Polishing not only looks great but also provides the best cooling.
As for any additional fan updates like the “dotted” or “textured” fans over the previous versions, I can’t see anything different. The fans look identical. If they were different, it would probably not create better air flow. In fact, it might only increase fan noise. Thus, it’s great to see simple grooved fan blades that have worked so well for be quiet! continue on in the new cooler.
Test System Setup
I used a couple of Intel hex core (6-core 12-thread) processors (Core i7-980X and Core i7-4960X) and an NZXT Sentry II to help monitor ambient system temps. It can be a little tricky recreating the same environment and the extra tools come in handy to make that possible. The test was completed in an open chassis environment so as to be able to monitor the temps and fan noise easily. Keep in mind that a good quality enclosure will block about 10dB(A) noise.
Cooler we tested against included the…
And of course, we pitted the new cooler against its older brother, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2.
In terms of enclosures, some channel air flow like a wind tunnel which can shave off a couple extra decibels and degrees. For example, the Dark Rock Pro 3 and Dark Power Pro 10 pair very well with the NZXT H440 enclosure making the wind tunnel ideal for controlling motherboard, CPU, and GPU temps. But more on the case performance in an upcoming review.
Setup and Installation Notes
All the components were accounted for in the box, and nothing was missing. All parts were in fantastic condition upon arrival. A little patience is needed though, during installation as the images in the installation pamphlet are a bit small as noted earlier.
The steps start with attaching the mounting brackets to the heat sink base first, then attaching the black plate to the board, and finally, very patiently, using the small wrench to tighten the four nuts that secure the heat sink. Tightening the bolts with the wrench requires some dexterity and attention.
Make sure the cooler sits flat. Re-seat the CPU if you are unsure. Installation may be easier removing the motherboard which of course depends on the size of of your computer case. I recommend removing your motherboard and installing the cooler in smaller cases, and plugging in the fan headers before you put that board back in the case, or you’ll be taking it out again to do that.
Overall, the process was completed in about 20 minutes. We found no major issues with installation.
Now let’s get on with the performance testing!
Thermal Performance – be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
The Dark Rock Pro 3 was tested on a top 10 all time great Core i7-980X processor and GIGABYTE G1 Killer Assassin motherboard. A reference NVIDIA GTX 650 Ti was used to eliminate the possibility of the GPU impacting the CPU cooling. Idle, load, and overclock temperatures were recorded.
These temps are quite nice all around. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 did a great job of matching the NZXT HAVIK 140 in most respects but it also cooled a bit better test after test. Keep in mind, that I had to use Arctic Silver 5 on all the coolers since I’ve long since run out of some of the bundled pastes. If you use the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 bundled DC1 paste, you’ll more than likely assist the Pro 3 in shaving off another degree or two.
So how about Ivy Bridge-E? I had the same question bouncing around in the old brain bucket.
A Core i7-4960X paired with an ASUS X79 Sabertooth motherboard was added to the mix. The same idle, load, and overclocked tests were performed. Half way through the testing with coolers compatible with the LGA 2011 socket, I noticed all the temps were about 6 C hotter during regular tests and 11 C hotter overclocked. This is due to the Haswell processor having a smaller die surface and contact surface for transferring heat. Either way, the Dark Rock Pro 3 can easily manage Ivy Bridge-E.
Noise Levels – be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3
I didn’t find the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 any louder than the rest. On the average, it seemed just a tad bit quieter than my retired NZXT. HAVIK 140 and slightly louder than its predecessor, the Dark Rock Pro 2. Original tower coolers like the VenomousX and FrioOCK (including the new OCK series) all tend to require maximum fan pressure to stay superbly cool. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 does a quiet job, taking nothing away from the cooling magic happening in the pipes and the overall design.
Final Thoughts
Today, a new cooling champion has risen within the test lab (at least until we take on the Noctua NH-D15 so keep checking back for that review). The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 isn’t small by any means but it’s also not as big as its predecessor, the Dark Rock Pro 2, or the Noctua NH-D14. The contoured top design is quite nice and every detail has been given proper attention all around. Exceptional quality materials have been used to fabricate the cooler from the metals to the fans. The cooler is surprisingly quiet as well. In fact, when you factor in the 9-10dB noise that is blocked by a decent computer enclosure, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 is a very quiet high performance cooler.
Pricing has been a mixed result during hunting. It has been listed from $80 up to $99 US/CA at our go to store, NCIX. But even at those prices, it sells out pretty quickly. And speaking of pricing, be quiet! has never been shy about their pricing, as it always seems to be on the premium end of the spectrum. This is where be quiet! is comfortable, as they are happy to see everyone else compete for the lower end price points.
In the end, I can’t really find anything to complain about with be quiet!’s latest high end cooler. This black nickle beauty offers everything you’d expect and more. The only issue you may run into is finding it in stock. It’s definitely an Editors’ Choice for the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3.
Pros
- Exceptional quality and design
- Top of the range performance
- SilentWing 4-pin PWM fans provide excellent control
Cons
- Limited availability and upper echelon price
Overall Rating: 9.5 /10.0
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