It was inevitable that be quiet! would produce a successor to the Dark Rock 4 and here we are with the aptly named Dark Rock 5. This is the third of three new CPU air coolers from the brand, joining the be quiet! Dark Rock Elite, and Dark Rock Pro 5. The be quiet! Dark Rock 5 is the most affordable CPU cooler of the three and will not be as good as its siblings for cooling the latest AMD and Intel processors. That said, with a recommended TDP limit of 200 W, there's still plenty of headroom for resource-intensive apps and games with modern chips.
With an easy installation process, a sleek all-black design, and excellent thermal performance, you won't have trouble cooling an AMD or Intel CPU with the be quiet! Dark Rock 5, so long as you steer clear of the most power-hungry AMD Ryzen 9 and Intel Core i9 series chips. The be quiet! Dark Rock 5 improves upon the already brilliant Dark Rock 4, creating one of the best-value CPU coolers without the use of liquid.
About this review: be quiet! supplied XDA with a sample for this review but had no input to its contents.
be quiet! Dark Rock 5
You won't be disappointed with the be quiet! Dark Rock 5. It's an impressive CPU cooler at a reasonable price.
- Easy to install
- Excellent performance
- Sleek black design
- Will struggle with overclocking or flagship chips
- Not the cheapest CPU cooler
Price, specs, and availability
Supporting modern AMD and Intel sockets, including AM5 and LGA 1700, the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 is designed for mid-range systems and gaming builds. Consider it a stopgap between the Pure Rock and Dark Pro coolers with a similar heatsink as the Dark Rock Pro 5 and Dark Rock Elite, but with just one Silent Wings fan. The Dark Rock 5 has a maximum power limit of 210 W, opening the door to creating a compact system with more powerful CPUs though it won't perform as well as AIO liquid kits.
The be quiet! Dark Rock 5 costs $70, which isn't too bad for a mid-range cooler with a premium Silent Wings 4 fan. I expect to see this CPU cooler drop in price when available, however, as the Dark Rock Pro 5 costs just $80, down from $90.
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Specifications |
be quiet! Dark Rock 5 |
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Sockets |
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TDP |
210 W |
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Noise |
~29.8 dBA |
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Fan speed |
~2,100 RPM |
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Dimensions |
101 x 136 x 161 mm |
Design and features
be quiet!'s usual packaging affair is present with an all-black box and a simple design, detailing the cooler's specifications on the side. The cooler is packaged inside the box with ample protection and while the fan is separate from the heatsink, you'll find no issue putting everything together. Measuring 101 x 136 x 161 mm, it's not the most compact cooler on the market, but for the performance on offer, be quiet! has made good use of the larger aluminum heatsink with six heat pipes.
Like the Dark Rock Pro 5 and Dark Rock Elite, there's good memory clearance, even if you use modules with larger heat spreaders. A single 120 mm Silent Wings 4 fan is included with the Dark Rock 4 to force air through the large heatsink. It can hit speeds of 2,100 RPM with a maximum rated sound level of 29.8 dBA, making it a powerful fan without causing too much noise to emit out of the case. Although we've dropped a fan from the other two Dark Rock coolers, you should have good airflow for VRMs and other components with enough case fans.
No RGB lighting can be found on the Dark Rock 5, which makes it a great pick for a sleeper PC build.
be quiet! includes metal fan clips for installing a second 120 mm fan though I'd only recommend doing so if you already have a spare at hand. Like the Dark Rock Pro 5, no RGB lighting can be found on the Dark Rock 5, which makes it a great pick for a sleeper PC build. RGB fans could be added to the heatsink to add some color. The nickel-plated base plate is compatible with a liquid metal thermal compound, so you can push this cooler hard with more heat, though you can quickly saturate the single fan and heatsink.
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Cooling performance
A single 120 mm Silent Wings 4 blower is controlled through PWM and can be managed using the motherboard BIOS or supported software. I recommend using the motherboard if possible. Unlike the Dark Rock Pro 5 and Dark Rock Elite, there's no switch for performance or silent mode. Running the Silent Wings 4 fan with a smooth fan curve will keep temps down without causing too much noise. I measured just 31 dBA so you won't notice much additional sound on top of any installed case fans.
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X installed on a Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX Ice motherboard was used to test this CPU cooler. 32 GB of DDR5 RAM with large heatsinks were used to check for clearance. The 7950X has a TDP rating of 175W, though it's possible to produce much more heat through stock settings. The Dark Rock Pro 5 handled the CPU well. Temperatures were in line with expectations of an air cooler, falling short of what's possible with a liquid AIO. Cinebench, which often pushes the CPU to its limit (outside of stress testing), saw a maximum recording of 89C.
Playing a few CPU-0intensive games such as X4: Foundations saw temperatures around 63C, which is excellent for the 7950X.
General usage and gaming see lower sustained loads, which is where the Dark Rock 5 makes more sense. I typically recommend liquid cooling for video editing and other scenarios where the CPU is at high loads for longer periods. For gaming and other usages, air coolers such as this can perform well and even generate less noise. Playing a few CPU-0intensive games such as X4: Foundations saw temperatures around 63C, which is excellent for the 7950X.
Should you buy the be quiet! Dark Rock 5?
You should buy the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 if:
- You want a budget-friendly CPU cooler that's not too large.
- You won't be overclocking your processor.
- You won't be using a flagship AMD or Intel prosumer CPU.
You shouldn't buy the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 if:
- You plan to overclock the CPU.
- You want the lowest temperatures possible.
The be quiet! Dark Rock 5 is almost identical to the Dark Rock Pro 5 but only includes one fan. This is reflected in the lower TDP rating of 210 W versus 270 W and shows the limitations of the single-fan Dark Rock 5 when used with more powerful processors. An Intel Core i9-14900K will work with this cooler, though you will notice higher temperatures compared to AIO liquid cooling, so it's better suited to an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 9 chip.
For just $70, you can't go wrong with the Dark Rock 5. It's more than good enough for most PC builds.
For just $70, you can't go wrong with the Dark Rock 5. It's more than good enough for most PC builds, which is great for keeping temperatures and noise down since the fan can stay at lower speeds. It's considerably cheaper than AIO liquid coolers, yet makes more sense if you don't frequently hold the CPU at maximum load for longer periods. I highly recommend considering the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 for your next PC build.
be quiet! Dark Rock 5
The be quiet! Dark Rock 5 is the more affordable of the three new CPU coolers from the German brand. It's powerful, easy to install, and runs like a dream even with more power-hungry AMD and Intel processors.