Installation

To install the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 on Socket AM4, you will need to remove the plastic retention brackets. To do so, unscrew the two screws securing one each in place. Next, keep the AMD backplate on the board and position the plastic spacers over the mounting holes. Once done, place the screw through the mounting arm, slide it through the plastic spacer, and secure it to the backplate. It's now time to apply either the included thermal paste or any other paste you may prefer.


With all the brackets in place, you can position the crossbar on the heatsink base to then, using the two screws, secure the cooler to the mounting brackets. I would have preferred a captive crossbar and screws, but this step isn't as troublesome as the previous ones. Regardless, with the heatsink secure, it is time to attach the fan and plug it into the CPU fan header. With that taken care of, the CPU cooler is good to go.

The Intel mounting process is straightforward, easier than the AMD procedure, but at the very least, it is not even remotely close to the old-school nut and spanner solution. Thankfully, those days are long forgotten by most, but I still remember those dark times vividly. Still, I have to point out that trying to hold a backplate, spacers, mounting brackets, and screws all at the same time is less than ideal. I would like to see an improved mounting system that is less fiddly. However, with AMD likely moving to an LGA style socket, this issue will probably resolve itself in the coming years. That said, it hasn't changed yet and now be quiet!, like many brands, has the same problem. Intel mainstream sockets are much easier to work with when setting up the mounting hardware than their AMD counterparts.