Installation

Installing the Shadow Rock 3 is fairly easy. Start by preparing the backplate—slide the backplate bolts into place and use the rubber o-rings to secure them. With that done, position the backplate on the motherboard and secure it with the screw pillars.


Now secure the mounting arms to the screw pillars and apply the thermal paste before attaching the cooler to the motherboard. Depending on your case or orientation, this will be the tricky part as the crossbar or mounting bar may move around a bit. However, once in place, use the two screws to secure it, alternating between them for more even pressure.


It is now time to attach the fan with the included fan clips and plug it into the CPU fan header on the motherboard. With the lack of ARGB lighting, there is no extra wiring to deal with.

Overall, the installation was relatively easy, and I would rate it an 8 on a scale of 1 (hardest) to 10 (easiest). The cooler's larger size makes it a tiny bit more involved compared to, say, the Dark Rock Slim I reviewed from them previously, and the hardware itself isn't quite as nice as what is being used by their competitors in regards to ease of use, either. However, it is by no means terrible, and with a bit of patience, everything goes together quickly enough.