be quiet! has shared more info about its upcoming CPU cooler, the Dark Rock Slim. Hailing from the Dark Rock 4 line, be quiet! describes the cooler as “exceptionally high cooling performance of 180W TDP and virtually inaudible operation" for premium builds lacking physical space. The Dark Rock Slim will be available on May 14 with a retail price of $59.90 / £54.99.
The slim tower’s compact design ensures no memory slots are blocked when using the included 120mm fan. The heat sink itself is of the tower type, sporting a slim design that leaves the airspace above the memory modules free. In fact, with the fan installed, the total width doesn’t cover the memory banks in the first place.
Installation is said to be simplified because of its top mount design, meaning you do not need to access the back of the chassis/motherboard to install. CPU socket compatibility includes both AMD (AM2(+), AM3(+), AM4, FM1, FM2(+)) and Intel (LGA 115x, 1366, 2011-3, 2066).
The Dark Rock Slim’s quiet operation is due in part to the included Silent Wings 3 120mm PWM fan. The SW3 fan is spec'd out to run as low as 11dbA at its slowest speed and 26.3dbA at 100% fan speed using its seven fan blades pushing air through the heat sink. The fan features a six pole motor for reducing vibration and a fluid dynamic bearing for durability. For additional cooling performance, another 120mm fan can be mounted on the other side of the cooler (additional clips are included).
The Dark Rock Slim uses four 6mm heat pipes, which make their way throughout the wave-contoured fin array dissipating heat throughout. The fins have small dots on the surface to increase air circulation and the cooling area. The surface of the fins uses a special black coating with ceramic particles. These features add up to a 180W cooling capacity, which should handle most mainstream CPUs.
On top of the cooler is a brushed aluminum top cover with a diamond cut finish along with caps to cover its heat pipe ends. The all-black, stealth-like color allows the cooler to look pretty slick by itself and also able to blend in well with any build theme.
