be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 Review

The Dark Rock Pro 5 is the latest in be quiet!’s lineup of high-performance air coolers, building on the already impressive legacy of the Dark Rock Pro 4. Renowned for its sleek design, premium build quality, and whisper-quiet operation , the Dark Rock Pro 5 carries these strengths forward while introducing several notable improvements to enhance both cooling performance and user-friendliness.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the Dark Rock Pro 5, examining its performance against some of the best air coolers currently on the market. We’ll assess how well it handles thermal loads, noise levels, and ease of installation, putting it to the test to see if it lives up to the high standards set by its predecessors.

Unboxing

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Starting with the packaging, be quiet! stays true to its familiar and reliable design, which has remained largely unchanged over the years. The packaging is minimalist yet practical, emphasizing the brand’s premium appeal. On the back, you’ll find an overview of the cooler’s standout features, including its impressive 250W TDP cooling capacity and virtually silent operation—key attributes that have defined be quiet!’s reputation for years.

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The Dark Rock Pro 5 maintains a visually impressive yet understated design, featuring a dual-tower structure with two substantial aluminum fin arrays. The matte black finish not only provides a sleek, modern aesthetic but also enhances heat dissipation. The cooler is equipped with seven 6mm copper heat pipes that efficiently conduct heat from the CPU to the dense fin stacks, making it an excellent option for powerful processors that generate substantial heat.

A standout feature of the Dark Rock Pro 5 is its Silent Wings fans—a 135mm front fan and a 120mm fan positioned between the dual-tower heatsinks. These fans utilize fluid dynamic bearings, ensuring a quiet and smooth operation, even during heavy loads. This ultra-quiet performance is central to the cooler’s design philosophy, and combined with the fluid dynamic bearing system, it contributes to a near-silent cooling experience. Aesthetically, the cooler is sleek and refined, with a top cover that discreetly hides the heat pipe ends, offering a polished, high-end appearance that blends seamlessly into premium builds.

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One area where the Dark Rock Pro 5 makes significant strides is in installation, surprisingly straightforward despite its massive size. be quiet! has introduced a more user-friendly mounting system compared to the Dark Rock Pro 4, simplifying the process for both novice and experienced builders. One key improvement is the removable heatsink cover, which grants better access to the mounting screws, reducing the difficulty typically associated with large air coolers.

However, the cooler’s substantial size—163mm in height and weighing around 1.1kg—can still pose compatibility issues, especially in smaller cases or with taller RAM modules. Careful consideration of case dimensions is essential for users considering this cooler.

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While the outer Silent Wings fan can be easily detached for maintenance or replacement, the middle fan is custom-built specifically for the Dark Rock Pro 5. This unique design poses potential challenges for future replacements, as it may be harder to source a direct replacement if needed. However, be quiet! has a reputation for producing long-lasting, durable coolers.

Despite the proprietary nature of the middle fan, the overall durability and high build quality of be quiet! coolers suggest that maintenance concerns are minimal for most users over the long term. In our own experience, some be quiet! coolers have been running smoothly in systems since 2014, underscoring their longevity and reliability.

Test System Setup

We conducted tests comparing it against some of the top air coolers available today: the Noctua NH-D15, NH-U12A, and the NH-U12A chromax.black to see how the Dark Rock Pro 5 fares against them. Each of these coolers is renowned for its exceptional cooling performance and quiet operation, making them ideal benchmarks for evaluating the capabilities of the Dark Rock Pro 5.

Our test system, outlined in the table below, provides a consistent and controlled environment for comparing thermal performance under both idle and full load conditions. By analyzing key metrics such as CPU temperature and noise levels across different workloads, we were able to get a clear picture of how the Dark Rock Pro 5 stacks up against these leading competitors.

CPU	Intel Core i9-11900K
Motherboard	ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Apex
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z Royal 16GB @3600MHz
Graphics Card	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Founders Edition
Power Supply	Cooler Master M2000 Platinum
Primary Storage	Kingston KC3000 2TB
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-U12A / Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black / Noctua NH-D15
Chassis	Cooler Master MasterFrame 700
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro 64bit

*Testing was conducted in an environment with an ambient temperature of 28°C.

Before we move into the numbers, here’s something to take note of. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 offers two distinct operational modes: Quiet Fashion and Performance Fashion. In Quiet Mode, the cooler emphasizes low noise levels, making it ideal for quiet environments by operating at lower RPMs and achieving sound levels around 24-25 dB(A). Conversely, Performance Mode increases fan speeds to optimize cooling efficiency during demanding tasks, resulting in noise levels that can reach approximately 30-35 dB(A). This dual-mode functionality allows users to select between a tranquil computing experience and enhanced thermal performance according to their needs.

While Quiet Mode is beneficial for maintaining a low-noise setup, we recommend using Performance Mode whenever possible. The noise level in this mode is minimal—often perceived as nearly inaudible—while effectively reducing overall load temperatures. Thus, users can enjoy both efficient cooling and a serene working environment without compromising on performance.

We initiated our testing with the Intel Core i9-11900K, utilizing Cinebench R23 and Realbench for a series of stress tests. During these tests, the CPU occasionally peaked at 5.3GHz but typically settled around 4.6GHz while drawing 180W of power.

Throughout our evaluations, we found that the Dark Rock Pro 5, alongside its competitors, managed thermal performance quite effectively. Peak load temperatures for the CPU consistently reached between 77°C and 78°C across all coolers tested. This uniformity indicates that each cooler can effectively handle the thermal output of the Intel Core i9-11900K under these demanding conditions. Notably, the Dark Rock Pro 5 demonstrated performance comparable to that of the NH-D15 in performance mode, reinforcing its reputation as a top-tier air cooler.

We continued our testing with the newer Intel Core i9-13900K, but faced a significant challenge: all the coolers in our test struggled to manage the CPU’s thermal output at stock settings, leading to thermal throttling within seconds of initiating the stress tests. To address this, we adjusted the CPU’s PL1 and PL2 values ​​to 120W and 170W, respectively. This adjustment helped prevent thermal throttling under load, although it did result in a minor performance decrease of around 3-5%. We consider this trade-off acceptable to maintain cooler operating temperatures.

While the system remained stable throughout the tests, the i9-13900K still ran hot, even with the reduced PL1 and PL2 settings. Therefore, unless you’re planning to lower these settings, we advise against pairing the i9-13900K with an air cooler.

Final Verdict

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 is a premium air cooler that excels in thermal performance while maintaining impressively quiet operation. With its refined design and straightforward installation process, it builds on the strengths of the Dark Rock Pro 4. Although its substantial size may pose compatibility challenges, particularly with motherboards featuring large VRM heatsinks or covers, the cooler’s overall cooling efficiency and acoustic advantages significantly outweigh this minor concern.

For those seeking a high-performance air cooler that offers both superior noise control and exceptional build quality, the Dark Rock Pro 5 stands out as one of the top contenders on the market. It is particularly well-suited for power users, gamers, and content creators who require reliable performance without the distraction of fan noise.

With a price tag of RM 499, the Dark Rock Pro 5 is a significant investment for sure. While it is more expensive than standard air coolers and even the Dark Rock Pro 4 at launch (RM409), the combination of its cooling efficiency, near-silent operation, and high-quality construction makes it a compelling choice for air cooling enthusiasts. Overall, it offers excellent value for anyone serious about optimizing their system’s performance while maintaining a quiet environment.