Visual inspection
The Dark Rock TF has a classic top flow heatsink design, with a smaller heatsink placed above the baseplate, and the main heatsink holding the included fans. Like all Dark Rock series CPU coolers, the Dark Rock TF has a matte black coating applied on all components apart from the baseplate surface. The main change since 2016 is that the cooler has an improved mounting system.
The dimensions of the heatsink are: (L)162.6mm x (W)140mm x (D)108.8mm.
The heatsink has an asymmetrical twin tower design. The towers used are not the same size, as the main “tower” holds both 135mm fans while the lower tower is placed above the baseplate of the cooler.
The cooling fins are made from aluminum while the heatpipes are made from nickel-plated copper. There are a total of 126 aluminum made cooling fins used, 62 on the upper heatsink and 64 on the bottom smaller heatsink.
The total weight of the cooler with both fans installed is 810g.
The Dark Rock TF uses a total of six heatpipes, each with an outer diameter of 6mm and made out of copper. While most air CPU coolers have their heatpipes arranged into a U shape, for better heat dissipation, it is not the case here. The heatpipes used on the Dark Rock TF are arranged in a G shape, this is done to accommodate the two included fans and to keep a lower than average height for the cooler.
The endings of the heatpipes are covered by metallic caps, which have a matte surface and a polished edge. This is a good thing to have, as most of the time, the endings of the heatpipes are not symmetrical.
The upper heatsink tower features two sets of rubber strips applied on the top and inferior sides of the heatsink. These strips act like a base for the two fans to sit on. The usage of rubber strips is done to dampen any vibration caused by the movement of the fan, and also to prevent any scratches on the heatsink.
The base of the cooler is made from the same type of nickel-plated copper as the heatpipes. The only part of the baseplate which isn’t covered by the matte black coating is the surface which makes contact with the CPU. The surface of the baseplate is smooth, with no marks left from the manufacturing process.
The top and inferior sides of the heatsink are covered by a solid metal plate, which has a linear brush texture etched on its surface. These plates are attached to the heatsink with the help of four hexagonal screws.
The Dark Rock TF uses two 135mm fans for the active cooling. These fans are the Silent Wings 3 models, their exact model number is: BQ SIW3-13525-MF-PWM.
The fans have a maximum speed of 1400RPM and an estimated minimum speed of 300RPM. In addition, these fans use a 6-POLE FAN MOTOR with a Fluid Dynamic Bearing system.
The cable of the fans is all black and it is covered by high quality sleeving, the connector used for power is a standard 4 Pin.
