Noise Levels & Fan Speeds

Testing Procedure

Fan noise testing is done at 25%, 50%, and 100% fan speed, with a Pyle PSPL25 sound pressure level meter recording the dBA level at a distance of 30 cm. The fan(s) RPM results are taken at the same 25%, 50%, and 100% settings. The selected speeds are handled by MSI's Command Center software, and a Lamptron FC6 fan controller is also used as a secondary method of confirming RPM and dBA readings. This ensures that proper results can still be obtained if MSI's Command Center cannot control the fan(s). To give users the noise profile of the tested CPU cooler, testing is done using fan speed percentages instead of various load levels.

Noise Levels

Proving to live up to the be quiet! moniker, the Dark Rock Pro 2 only produced 42 dBA at 100% fan speed, surprisingly hitting the same decibel reading as Noctua's NH-U12S using a single fan, which shows how good it really is. It's 4 dBA quieter than the Phanteks PH-TC14PE but trades blows with it in all the other tests.

Fan Speeds

Overall RPM and dBA readings show that while the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 needs higher RPM fans to beat the Phanteks PH-TC14PE, its noise levels are lower, which really hits home how great of a match the fans be quiet! provided are.