In order to test the cpu cooler we used an open air testbed with the following configuration:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• Thermal compound: bequiet! DC1
• Case: bequiet! Silent Base 802
• Motherboard: Asus X570 E-Gaming with 3801 BIOS
• Memory: 2x16GB G.skill Trident Z RGB CL14
• PSU: be quiet! Straight Power 11 650Watt
• HDD: Crucial MX500 SSD
• VGA: Asus 1060 6GB Dual
• Operating system: Windows 10 x64 with all the e latest updates installed
• Software: AIDA64/HWInfo Latest build
• RPM speed controllable via SmartFan BIOS
• Ambient room temperature ~ 25 Celsius
• Noise/Temperature measurements: Precision Gold N09AQ Envirometer Meter

Testing was simple. We fired up both AIDA64 and HWInfo software and via the AIDA64 System Stability software we stretched up the system for many hours and we measured down the reported temperatures from the motherboard sensors at full load. The case fans were left at auto for the motherboard to control their speed/noise levels. We measured fan noise 1m from the case.

All fans were auto managed from Asus Χpert Fan 4 software that handled their rotation speeds and therefore performance. It’s possible to get better performance gains if you manually tune the fan rotation speeds according to your taste and acoustic noise levels.

As was expected the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4, gave very good performance gains VS the AMD stock fan. After running the AIDA64 stability software for over three (3) hours we got several reported numbers either for temperatures, noise and CPU frequency.

The best results came after installing an extra 120mm fan at the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 (be quiet! Silent Wings 3) that resulted minus 2 celcious to the already good result of the stock be quiet! Dark Pro 4. The noise levels are in fact better than what the AMD stock fan produces, since the AMD stock fan is so small it rises up fan speed to transfer heat. The average CPU temperature as 66 celcious with the 3-fan setup, while with the stock 2 fans, we measured 68 celcious average temperature. Note that this result comes after stretching the system for over 3 hours of continue CPU load. Real life results would be much better.

- Conclusion

The be quiet! Dark Rock (& Pro) 4 CPU air coolers were manufactured for high performance processors with near-silent operation and performance features, but also introduced innovative and optimized functions that ultimately produce the best processor cooling at extremely low noise levels. The Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU cooler supports (TDP) to 250 watts, which means it can cool down even the most demanding currently sold processors. It has support for almost all Intel (1150 / 1151 / 1155 / 1156 / 1200 / 1366 / 2011(-3) Square ILM / 2066) /AMD (AM2(+) / AM3(+) / AM4 / FM1 / FM2(+)) sockets and users should check the be quiet! compatibility website to check if this CPU cooler is compatible with their motherboard.

In our case, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 was 100% compatible with the Asus X570 E-gaming in the installation process, which isn’t so hard, and in fact we didn't had to remove the motherboard from the case to install this CPU cooler. The included long screwdriver makes the installation process a breeze and the included printed manual explains all the needed steps to get everything going. Of course thermal paste is included but for our tests we used the be be quiet! DC1 which is another top product from be quiet! The retail box includes two fans (120mm + 135mm), which are powered via a Y-split included adapter. Since its carefully designed, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 didn’t messed up with our installed G.skill Trident Z RGB CL14 memory modules, however keep in mind that very high memory module heat spreaders may cause some problems.

The performance was very good and compared with the AMD stock fan, we got almost 15 lower celcious and higher overall CPU operation speed +255MHz, with the three-fan setup. Overall the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is a solid product with very good operation and carefully designed fans to reduce noise levels to the minimum possible. The complete retail package also satisfies the retail price of ~72 Euro, compared with other competitive products that have almost double the price.

The Good:

+ Complete retail package. includes thermal paste and long screwdriver to get everything going
+ Great external design and aesthetics
+ Supports up to 250watt TDP processors
+ Stock package includes 2 fans
+ Supports an additional 120mm fan for best possible performance
+ Supports almost all Intel / AMD sockets
+ Very good performance compared with AMD stock cooler
+ Very good noise level when all fans either operate at full or low speeds
+ Very good retail price for its performance

Neutral:

• Big cooler, users need to check their motherboard if supported over be quiet! official website
• Users must read the manual before begging installation process

The bad

- We didn't notice any cooling effect for the installed memory sticks compared with the AMD stock fan
- Only (?) 3 years warranty