Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: Ballistix Tactical Tracer 16GB DDR4 @ 2666MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial MX500
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.25.5400
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTestV2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
The Dark Rock Slim offers great clearance for memory, thanks to the size of the heatsink, the fan does not interfere with any of the RAM slots. In addition, the fan clips and the shape of the cooling fins, allow for the fan to be moved upwards and thus, gain more space if needed.
The PCIe expansion slot clearance is very good, with the lower area of the CPU socket easily accessible.
Final thoughts
The Be Quiet! Dark Rock Slim offers a good performance while being silent at the same time. The cooler shares its design with other air coolers from Be Quiet! including the high-end Dark Rock Pro 4 model. The cooler is available for approximately 52 USD or EUR.
The performance of the Dark Rock Slim is good especially when considering the reduced thickness of the heatsink and the number of heatpipes used. While the cooler prevented an Intel i9 9900K overclocked to 5GHz from thermal throttling, it is not recommended for high TDP CPUs.
The build quality is very good, all surfaces are evenly covered by the black ceramic coating and the aluminum fins are smooth with no sharp edges.
The Dark Rock Slim is silent, the used 120mm Silent Wings fan peaked at 33 decibels, while spinning at its maximum speed of 1500RPM. There are also no unwanted noises, such as bearing ticking or the vibration passed through the system.
The mounting system is the same found with the rest of the Dark Rock air cooler series, and has been improved with each revision. The installation process is easy, and most of the components are made out of thick metal.
In conclusion, the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Slim is a good choice for a gaming system, thanks to the good build quality and good clearance around the CPU socket. The performance is very good when considering the overall dimensions of the cooler, and the included fan has a low noise output.
