be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 Review: Threadripping in Stealth Mode

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Tom's Hardware Verdict

With stealthy good looks, very quiet operation and straightforward installation, the Threadripper-specific Dark Rock Pro impresses. But if you want lower temps and can tolerate a slightly higher noise level, there are better, cheaper options.

Pros

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    Extremely quiet running

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    Sleek, stealthy design

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    Relatively good cooling compared to similar products

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    Simple installation and mounting

Cons

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    No RGB lighting options

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    Premium air cooler price (average for Threadripper-focused products)

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Features and Cooler Specifications

With a mounting system capable of sitting atop the massive IHS of the TR4 socket processors, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 provides Threadripper system builders a sleek and silent option for cooling up to 32 Ryzen cores. While it doesn’t turn out the lowest Threadripper temperatures we’ve seen, it does showcase the be quiet! company’s namesake by showing some of the lowest decibel readings of large AMD TR4 coolers we have tested to date, while remaining competitively priced ($90 / £69), without excessive (and costly) lighting effects.

Considering that the Dark Rock Pro TR4 is specifically designed for AMD’s Threadripper CPUs, it’s expected that packaged contents would be focused around mounting and installation, specifically for the XL CPU socket, which is absolutely confirmed from the contents of the minimal accessory kit. be quiet! has included a syringe of thermal compound and mounting bracket hardware that utilizes the existing X399 threaded base mounts. The kit is further accompanied by a 2-way PWM splitter for the included 120mm and 135mm cooling fans, an extra set of fan brackets (in the event you wish to mount three fans in push/boost/pull setup) and a slick, magnetic screwdriver to ensure you don’t have to go fishing for the right tool when you’re trying to get your rig up and running.

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Height6.37 inches / 161.8mm
Width5.35 inches / 136mm
Depth5.74 inches / 145.7mm
Base Height1.5 inches / 38.1mm
Assy. Offset0.0 inches (centered)/(1.1" w/fans) (27.94mm)
Cooling Fans1x 120 x 25mm1x 135 x 25mm
Connectors2x 4-pin PWM
Weight42.1 ounces / 1,193g
Intel SocketsN/A
AMD SocketsTR4
Warranty3 years
Price (MSRP)$90 / £69

be quiet! ships a pair of its Silent Wings PWM fans, a 120mm for the front push position, and a 135mm center-mounted fan, with the Dark Rock Pro TR4. Each fan rests across a rubberized vertical mount adhered to the cooling fin tower stack to silence vibrations for the sake of maximizing acoustic efficiency. Considering that be quiet! promotes their trademark dark, stealth theme rather than colorful RGB lighting, it comes as no surprise that neither the Silent Wings fans nor the cooler itself are equipped with RGB/LED decorations.

The Dark Rock Pro TR4 brings some serious aesthetic attitude (for a CPU cooler) with its aggressive fin design, black motif and brushed-aluminum top plate. Each of the seven (yes, seven) copper heatpipes pair nicely with both the cooler tower above and the integrated base below, which also houses a heatsink fin structure for additional passive thermal dispersion.

The large, rectangular base of the Dark Rock Pro TR4 covers the entirety of the Threadripper CPU’s massive CPU IHS face and is milled mirror-smooth. The heatpipes are not direct-contact and the milled base plate encloses the heatpipes within the integrated mounting base.

The included slim screwdriver comes in very handy when mounting the Dark Rock Pro TR4 over your choice of Threadripper CPU. Two of the small caps on the either side of the brushed-aluminum top plate provide access to torque down the mounting screws. Once secured, the caps simply thread back on to match rest of the stealthy décor.

Once fully mounted and with fans installed, the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 provides an imposing stance atop any X399 motherboard. Overall base height shouldn’t be much of a problem, but taller memory DIMMs (over 38.1mm)  might have some clearance issues closest to the heatsink cooling towers. Considering the Dark Rock Pro TR4 is a dedicated Threadripper cooler, installation is incredibly simple as long as you remember the threaded top-plate caps for screwdriver access, as outlined in the installation manual. And be sure to stowe the screwdriver somewhere you won’t lose it, in the event that you want to upgrade your CPU in the future.

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Garrett Carver
Garrett Carver
CPU Cooling Reviewer

Garrett Carver is a contributor for Tom’s Hardware, primarily covering thermal compound comparisons and CPU cooling reviews; both air and liquid, including multiple variations of each.

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • logainofhades
    A cooler so good, you have to really reach, to find a con. Lack of RGB really isn't a con, though. We have enough of that, available.
    Reply
  • mdd1963
    The Noctua results seemed much more interesting, as long as you have room for it in the case...

    Hard to imagine intentionally paying extra for 15C higher temps...
    Reply
  • SFNY
    rubix_1011 said:
    Threadripper joins the Dark side: The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 is a quiet, impressive contender in the Threadripper cooling arms race.

    be quiet! Dark Rock Pro TR4 Review: Threadripping in Stealth Mode: Read more
    I read the article and said that the person who judged BeQuiet Cooler was an unethical and very stupid evaluator. Because he said, "lack of RGB was con".? The RGB was just sales patch method for kids. It has zero feature for the system. I assume this evaluator should go for a drug test to ensure if he may have a positive result and bring him to the exit door quickly.
    Reply
  • rubix_1011
    Interesting rant you have here. And of course the product reviewer must be stupid and unethical, how dare he.

    Lucky for you, I am the reviewer, so we can discuss if you wish.

    Your statement of disagreement is is quite curious and in actuality, far more derogatory and inflammatory than my overall evaluation of 'lack of RGB'. I fail to see how this is an 'unethical' statement - it is not inflammatory to people, children, wildlife, banking systems or sovereign nations, so I question your use of the term 'unethical'. Providing insight to the lack of a common feature also does not make my review 'unethical', although I can understand your uncontrollable rage as there will always be some consumers who believe that RGB should be included with all hardware and simply turned off, if chosen. Some people outright do not like RGB, which, if the lack of the choice to turn off RGB is really the only downside, but still wholly available to utilize it if chosen...seems a moot point since it was only going to be disabled in the first place.

    Since you appear to dislike RGB, it would sound like we actually have the same of the view on this product, but yet, here we are debating the same side of the same coin?

    The RGB was just sales patch ('pitch', there, all better) method for kids. It has zero feature for the system. (?? grammar, incomplete thought?)
    It would seem to me that anything which provides optional aesthetics for a system build lends its own value and customization as a user or build sees fit. Thank you for providing your opinion. This is good - we have now both provided our own, see how this works? Everyone can have their own idea without it infringing upon everyone else; this is called 'freedom'.

    I assume this evaluator should go for a drug test to ensure if he may have a positive result and bring him to the exit door quickly.
    I would be more than happy to submit to a drug screening - please provide the payment to a healthcare system 50 miles within my home city and I will be glad to do so. I am curious, though, which drugs do you believe I must be under the influence of? I'm just concerned that I might have consumed something I was completely unaware of, unless Advil and coffee are now prohibited substances, in which case, I am most certainly headed for the big house.
    Reply