BeQuiet! Shadow Rock 3 – In the name of silence

Shadow Rock 3 was introduced this year as the new top model among the mid-range coolers from BeQuiet!. This German manufacturer, as the name suggests, focuses on the production of components with very quiet operation. The Shadow Rock 3 cooler boasts of very quiet specifications even at a high TDP value of 190 W. However, marketing slogans will never replace real tests which is why we’re bringing you a review of this cooler today.

Key properties of the cooler

Shadow Rock 3 is a cooler with a slightly different approach to heat transfer than most of its competitors. Instead of a dense set of thin aluminum fins, its heatsink is constructed around a smaller number of thicker fins. These fins have larger gaps between them, so that the whole set does not put so much resistance to airflow. Theoretically, this concept allows the use of lower fan rpm that should lead to a lower noise level. In the photo below, a detail of the Dark Rock 4 heatsink is photographed on the left and Shadow Rock 3 is shown on the right. The density of fins in Dark Rock 4 is almost double, but its heatsink is one-fifth shorter. TDP values are similar for both coolers. The Dark Rock 4 boasts of up to a 200 W rating, while the Shadow Rock 3 offers 10 W less. So we’ll see how the coolers are going to be doing in a direct comparison.

Visually, the Shadow Rock 3 is an A-grade success. Except for the fan and a part of the top cover, the entire cooler is colorless. So it will be no problem to match it with any rig. However, don’t expect any RGB features here. BeQuiet! Shadow Wings 2 fans are known mainly for their quiet operation.

The whole set of fins is joined together by five copper heatpipes with a diameter of 6 millimeters. The surface of these heatpipes is nickel-plated except for a part at the base. The heatsink uses the principle of HDT (heatpipes direct touch), i.e. direct contact with the processor’s heat spreader.

   

Due to an asymmetrical shape of the heatsink, you won’t have any interference with high RAM modules. This is because the fan does not interfere with the space of the DIMM slots on common motherboards. However, if you are using a HEDT platform with DIMM slots on both sides of the processor socket, then you must respect the 40 mm height limit for RAM modules to the left of the socket.

   

The cooler is very easy to install. The package also includes a traditional bequiet! screwdriver with a magnetic tip which, after the assembly, will remain as a useful tool for the assembly of the rest of the PC.

   

The cooler package includes mounting kits for installation on all modern processor sockets except the AMD TR4/sTRX4. In addition to the screwdriver mentioned above, you will also find a second set of clamps there for push-pull configurations with two fans. However, the benefits of a push-pull configuration for coolers with a single set of fins are usually at a level of statistical error, I personally do not recommend such a solution, the result is usually only in a higher noise level without a real reduction in temperature.

Heatsink and fan parameters

As mentioned above, the Shadow Rock 3 offers an asymmetrical design. Therefore, it does not conflict with DIMM slots for RAM. However, the mounting of a possible second fan on the back of the passive may be limited by the height of the heatsink VRM or the height of the motherboard I/O shield. The dimensions of the cooler do not deviate from the normal diameter for this class in any way and the weight is surprisingly low which is probably due to the low density of the fins.

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The provided Shadow Wings 2 fan is in a high-speed version and with PWM speed control. The standard Shadow Wings 2 model has a maximum speed of 1100 RPM, but the included fan offers up to 1600 RPM. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not provide additional information on their website, so airflow or static pressure values are not available.

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