A Closer Look

While on the surface the Shadow Rock Slim 2 may seem like another generic tower cooler, be quiet! has a few interesting design elements that are rather different, although not immediately noticeable. First and foremost, the 53 aluminium fins are not flat. Instead, they have a slight curvature with the fins lifting away from the base where the heat pipes enter the fin stack on both sides. It gives the fins a slight wave pattern that is not noticeable unless looking closely at the heatsink. With the cooler installed, it is not something you would notice, but it does create more surface area, which is always a good thing when it comes to heat dissipation.


Considering the Shadow Rock branding, I envisioned a darker color scheme more in line with what be quiet! delivers with the Dark Rock series, so it is a surprise when I pulled the cooler out and ended up looking at a bright aluminium heatsink. While I have no issues with that, plating the heat pipes would improve the cooler's visual appeal, although it would do nothing regarding performance, which is what matters the most.


The top plate is brushed aluminium with heat-pipe caps to give the cooler a premium feel, and the only source of contrast to the be quiet! logo located dead center. The heat pipes are arranged in a square pattern as they enter the fin-stack, with all four making direct contact with the CPU. In terms of finish, it could certainly be better as it has some marks and a tiny bit of oxidation.


be quiet! includes a BQ SIW3-13525-MR-PWM 135 mm fan with the cooler, which has no listed CFM values and a maximum RPM of 1400.