A Closer Look

be quiet!'s Dark Rock 3 has a seriously stylish appearance. Granted, it is nothing new in that it is a traditional tower cooler, but its looks definitely set it apart from the competition.


The fifty-one wave-contour, nickel-plated aluminum fins handle the bulk of the cooling, with the six Ø6 mm heatpipes transferring heat away from the base.


The heatpipes are arranged in a U-shape and pass through the base; however, they do not make direct contact with the CPU. The twelve heatpipe covers are made of aluminum, which really shows the attention to detail be quiet! lavishes upon their products. The heatpipes also proceed through the heatsink, alternating between a position on the inside and the outside. A readily visible, secondary heatsink has also been places on the base itself.


The cooler's base has a perfect mirror finish, which I am very happy to see. Again, it is these small details that show off the impeccable build quality be quiet! is known for.


The fan be quiet! provides measures in at 135 mm x 135 mm x 25 mm and belongs to the SilentWings family. The fan's model number is BQ SIW3-13525-Mf-PWM. It makes use of a unique airflow-optimized fan-blade design that reduces noise and turbulence and boosts airflow to 67.8 CFM. It also features a six-pole fan motor to operate smoothly and makes use of PWM.