In this review we will get to know the Dark Rock Pro 5 heatsink by be quiet!, a concentrate of power and silence
One of the most important problems for every gamer and for anyone who has to deal with heavy loads on their processor is precisely that of temperatures. CPUs, in fact, during their processes tend to reach really high temperatures. For this reason we need a good heatsink, to prevent these small processing centers from melting, compromising the entire internal structure of the PC.
be quiet!, a renowned German manufacturer of PC components, knows this very well and always offers us excellent solutions that are able to offer important performance, but with an eye always attentive to noise. In this review we’ll see the heatsink Dark Rock Pro 5the latest arrival in the house be quiet! along with the brand new Dark Rock Elite.
Data sheet
- Dimensions: 145 x 136 x 168 mm
- Weight: 1,29 kg
- TDP: 270 W
- Compatible sockets:
- Intel: 1700 / 1200 / 1150 / 1151 / 1155
- AMD: AM5/AM4
- Operating mode: Quiet / Performance
- Noise level:
- Quiet mode dB (50/75/100%): 8.9 / 16.3 / 23.3
- Performance Mode dB (50/75/100%): 15.1 / 25.9 / 32.3
- Fans: 1 Silent Wing 135 x 135 x 25 mm / 1 Silent Wing 4 120 x 120 x 25 mm
- Full speed (rpm) Quiet-Performance: Silent Wing 1.300-1.700 / Silent Wing 4 1.500-2.000
- Duration: 300.000 ore
- Warranty: 3 years
- Prezzo: 99,90 €
Design e packaging| Review Dark Rock Pro 5 di be quiet!
The heatsink will arrive in the company’s typical packaging, well protected from accidental impacts thanks to the expanded polyethylene protections. We will find a useful use in the package giravite a croce, suitable for comfortably fixing the Pro 5, nestled right in one of the protections. Then they are placed in a small box mounting set for Intel and AMD processors, the thermal paste to be applied at the time of installation and the related forms.
From the very first glance we notice a huge difference with its predecessor. The overall design is much more linear, especially in the upper part which will be visible from the glass of our case. Furthermore, the central fan is one with the upper frame which it will be fixed to the main body using the appropriate hooks. This choice, in addition to making the assembly of the fan itself easier, will allow us to install the heatsink without too much effort.
In this respect the engineers did an impeccable job, simplifying everything for the benefit of users. The upper part then, where we will find the company logo, has a magnetic mechanism which will keep it firmly to the central body. The front fan It is equipped with the traditional fixing mechanism which will allow us to lift it to make room for the bulkier RAM banks where necessary.
Tests in gaming and beyond | Dark Rock Pro 5 review by be quiet!
Let’s now start the main part of this review, that is, the one relating to heatsink performance in both gaming and non-gaming environments. Before continuing, however, it is right to specify some small details relating to the hardware components of the test machine and the test conditions.
We carried out the various tests using the Performance mode and the thermal paste supplied with the heatsink, to one ambient temperature of 24°C. Obviously we carried out the tests several times to ensure that the data examined were not distorted by any particular conditions. We then took the various average and maximum parameters and made the relative averages (rounded to whole figures), although the values in the various tests were different by 1-2°C.
We would also like to point out that the maximum peaks were only momentary and we did not have continuous growth of the heat curve up to that value. The CPU in question used in this test is a AMD Ryzen 9 3900Xa processor not exactly easy to manage in terms of temperatures mainly due to the 12 cores which tend to heat up excessively. Precisely for this reason the temperature tended to increase momentarily up to those values, but the action of the dissipator mitigated the effectbringing temperatures back to average values.
Daily use test and Cinebench R23 | Dark Rock Pro 5 review by be quiet!
The first tests carried out concerned the non-use temperatures (idle), those related to daily use regarding navigation, watching videos, films, TV series and so on and the Test carried out with Cinebench R23. As for the idle test, we started the PC and waited 15 minutes before measuring the temperatures to prevent various loads and update installations from compromising the measurements.
While 40° isn’t exactly the best, we understand very well that managing a CPU like this is more demanding than one with fewer cores. However, the management with Cinebench R23 was truly optimal for usespecially considering that those values they are comparable to those of some liquid coolers. Below we report the average and maximum values of the various tests.
Test in gaming | Review Dark Rock Pro 5 di be quiet!
The gaming tests have instead been carried out launching games at maximum graphics quality although with FHD resolution. The sessions were about half an hour each and we decided to test various types of video games to get a complete picture from every point of view. The Pro 5 proved to be truly solid from this point of view, with average values that fluctuate by 5°C among the various titles. The situation is very different on the maximum peaks, with values that vary by up to 10°C.
Conclusions
We have now reached the end of this review regarding the Dark Rock Pro 5 by be quiet! and the time has come to take stock. This heatsink is the natural evolution of the Pro 4taking from the latter the already optimal performance and the concept of silence that the company has now made one of its key principles.
However, the differences with the previous model stop there. The Pro 5, in fact, features a cleaner and tidier design which makes it elegant despite its massive size. In fact, the dimensions do not make it suitable for all homes. The removable central fan mounted on the upper frame, which will then be fixed using the appropriate interlocking clips, will allow us to install the heatsink more easilyinserting the latter at the end and making the workspace less cluttered. The front fan attachment system is not exactly the bestand makes installation less immediate, especially if we don’t have enough space for RAM.
We will still be able to use our Pro 5 in just a few minutes. From a performance point of view, This cooler pleasantly surprised us. During the daily gaming and testing phases, the average temperatures were not that high, keeping them around 60°C or even below with fairly high usage loads. The only exception is Cinebench R23 which, during use, recorded a average temperature of 71°C with a maximum peak of 81°C. Overall, though, the heatsink he did his job excellentlyguaranteeing performance on a par with some liquid models and with a almost imperceptible noise.
For this review regarding the Dark Rock Pro 5 by bequiet! that’s all now. We remind you that this powerful heatsink is on sale at the recommended price of €99.90. To ensure you don’t miss future reviews regarding the hardware universe, continue to follow techgameworld.com!
Like some liquid systems
Points in favor
- Good performance
- Silent
- Easy installation
Points against
- Not suitable for all homes
- Front fan attachment