Be Quiet Dark Rock Advanced

Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced

Manufacturer: Be Quiet
UK Price (as reviewed): £40.78 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): Not Available

The Dark Rock Advanced is one of two brand new coolers from PSU and fan manufacturer, Be Quiet!. Despite having six 6mm heatpipes, the Dark Rock Advanced is surprisingly compact – it’s only a little larger than most of the three-heatpipe coolers on test and it should fit in all but the smallest of cases. Strapped to the fins of the cooler is a single PWM-controlled SilentWings PWM 120mm fan.


The heatpipes don’t come into direct contact with the CPU heatspreader but instead pass through a contact plate. The ends are capped and the top of the heatsink has a plate of brushed black aluminium, which makes the Dark Rock Advanced look smart. It’s also really well built, with supports for each of the fins in the heatsink array along with rubber fan mount clips that not only hold the fan in place firmly but are also easy to install.

Like the Thermaltake Frio and Thermaltake Jing, the Dark Rock Advanced uses screws that secure from the rear of the motherboard through a backplate and into the cooler, which means that it’s easier to install it with the motherboard removed from the case. There’s no manual fan control, as like most of the coolers on test, the Dark Rock Advanced relies on automatic PWM control to adjust the fan speed.


Specifications

• Compatibility Intel: LGA775, LGA1156, LGA1366. AMD: Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3
  
• Weight 1,100g
  
• Size (mm) 122 x 97 x 166 (W x D x H)
  
• Fan 1x 120mm, PWM control, 750 -1,500rpm
  
• Stated Noise 6.6dBA - 18.8dBA