be quiet! Dark Rock Slim CPU Cooler Review

How Much Does it Cost?

Retailing for a price of around £39.99, in our opinion the be quiet! Dark Rock Slim represents some excellent value. In terms of price point, it’s at that nice comfort zone when you start getting out of the air coolers (often best avoided) and into the value-for-money range. Even in that regard, however, this cooler performs well beyond that remit.

Overview

In terms of design and aesthetics, yes the Dark Rock Slim may not be emblazoned with branding or RGB lighting. It does, however, carry a clearly professional look that is solidly translated into some exceptionally impressive performance figures.

It’s a relatively simply design, but one make up of exceptionally well designed components and be quiet! clearly has to get a lot of credit for putting together an exceptionally well-made air cooler.O

Should I Buy One?

If you’re looking for an exceptionally strong and quiet cooling solution for your PC on a budget, then the be quiet! Dark Rock Slim is certainly one to consider. Perhaps most surprisingly, it’s not a brand I would usually associate with the word ‘budget’ but for just £39.99 this really does represent some excellent value.

It’s not perfect and the mounting system (while better) is still a little fiddly. It is, however, a model that does well to exorcise a lot of the ghosts of the Dark Rock range for me.

The bottom line is, however, that for under £50, if you were to ask me what coolers you should consider, I would certainly name this as one of them. I can’t think of a better recommendation than that!

Pros

• Exceptionally well designed in every aspect
• Much improved installation system
• Exceptional performance in both temperatures and acoustics
• A genuinely viable option for moderate overclocking.
• Strong aesthetics.

Cons

• None

Neutral

• The installation is a little bit fiddly and the manual could be better.