Tom's Hardware Verdict
Shifting focus from the upper stratosphere of high-end air cooling, be quiet! delivers the Pure Rock 2 as a down-to-Earth, performance-value gem for the budget-conscious masses that's also very quiet.
Pros
- +
Budget price
- +
Silent operation
- +
Attractive design
Cons
- -
Thermal performance trails off at low fan speeds
Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Long revered for its ability to turn out quality cooling products, be quiet! is launching its newest budget-friendly heatpipe cooler today, the Pure Rock 2. Available in silver ($40/£34) and black ($44/£39), the newest member of the be quiet! arsenal makes use of a single 120mm Pure Wings 2 to move air over this very clean-looking midsize tower cooler.
Specifications
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Row 0 - Cell 2 |
| Height | 6.25" / 158.8mm | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| Width | 4.75" / 120.1mm | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| Depth | 2.5" / 63.5mm (3.5" / 88.9mm w/ fan) | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Base Height | 1.50" / 38.1mm | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| Assy. Offset | 0.75" / 19.1mm (centered, w/fan) | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| Cooling Fans | (1) 120 x 25mm | Row 6 - Cell 2 |
| Connectors | (1) 4-pin PWM | Row 7 - Cell 2 |
| Weight | 20.8 oz / 590g | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| Intel Sockets | 115x, 2011x*, 2066 (*square ILM mounts only) | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
| AMD Sockets | AM3(+), AM4 | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| Warranty | 3 years | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| Web Price | $40 | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
Features
The be quiet! Pure Rock 2 hardware list looks rather familiar by providing mounting brackets, backplate and mounting studs supporting Intel and AMD CPUs alike, although mostly focusing on common desktop socket models for each camp. A single fan is included, although an additional pair of wire spring mounting clamps are provided should you wish to add a second fan for a dual-fan, push/pull airflow configuration.
be quiet! covers the Pure Rock 2 with a 3 year warranty.
The base of the Pure Rock 2 features a set of four direct-contact copper heatpipes joined with an aluminum mounting base block. The base shows markings of being milled after final construction and comes blanketed with a generous patch of pre-applied thermal compound. The base block features addition milling of thermal dissipation fins on either side of a cutout central channel, which accepts the torsion retention bar tensioning the cooler to the mounting brackets when installing the cooler.
Milling across the base of the Pure Rock 2 shows incredible uniformity, without convex areas or excessive concavity. A steel straightedge laid across the base of the cooler does not show any visible irregularities across the lateral face of the cooler’s mounting face, which is milled flush with the direct-contact heatpipes.
Uniformity across the base of a cooler means the CPU IHS has the ability to maintain consistent contact with the device designed to dissipate thermal loads. The thermal paste spread of our Arctic MX-4 shows even dispersal and an effective contact patch without excessive pooling or dry spots.
The set of four copper heatpipes extend up the length of the Pure Rock 2 and are capped with a set of polished aluminum caps in a standard, U-shaped design. The cooling fin stack provides a wide airflow channel, with minimal restriction to allow the Pure Wings 2 fan adequate breathing during operation. The sides of the cooling fin stack are left open (rather than closed) to promote lateral venting of airflow through the heatsink rather than maintaining ducted flow through the cooler.
The 120mm Pure Wings 2 fan is managed by a 4pin PWM header and is rated up to 1500 RPM with a life expectancy of 80,000 hours. The fan and cooler are both devoid of dampening materials at the fan mounting points. But as we will see later, this is not an issue.
Installation of the Pure Rock 2 is a straightforward process, requiring minimal effort. The alignment of the central torsion bar to the mounting brackets is engineered in a manner which allows the cooler to sit in the correct orientation and allow the system builder to tension the screws rather easily. Balancing a see-saw has its place on children’s playgrounds, but never when attempting to secure a CPU cooler.
The 120mm Pure Wings 2 fan clips over the side of the Pure Rock 2 cooling fins using dedicated cutouts in the fin stack to lock the spring tabs into place.
