Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 CPU Cooler Review

The Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 is one of the most attractive coolers we have ever seen and for many this will be a big reason for them buying it. Be Quiet! have designed an absolute masterpiece and the combination of matte black and dark nickel plating is just wonderful. Acoustic performance is brilliant too, the use of the Silent Wings PWM fans means that noise output is always really low. Only when you cross the maximum temperature threshold for the PWM controls on your system will you start to notice the fans, but even at 100% the fans would be all but inaudible in a case because the noise is mainly from the “moving air” not from the bearings or mechanical movement of the fan.

Performance wise, the Dark Rock Pro 2 is up there with the best coolers on the market but results will vary depending on thermal pastes, CPU settings, fan speeds and the type of processor architecture you are using. Currently priced at £61 the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 is premium CPU cooler by anyone’s standards. Even though you can get solutions that perform similarly for a lower price, you’ll never be able to match the quality, aesthetics and acoustics that the Dark Rock Pro 2 offers.

The Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 is a combination of impressive acoustics, brilliant aesthetics and high performance cooling. It’s a premium heatsink with premium fans from a premium brand. Admittedly the price is quite high, but this will fall over time like the last generation did, even at current prices you won’t be disappointed in your investment.

Products as unique as the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 don’t come around everyday and for the enthusiast this really is the ultimate all-round CPU cooler if you don’t want to use water cooling. It may not give the absolute best temperatures, but the overall package is the best. For that reason we’d like to give the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 the eTeknix Editor’s Choice award for being such a brilliant all-rounder.