Shadow Rock LP Be Quiet Review

 

 

be quiet! has expanded its range of premium CPU cooling solutions with the launch of the Shadow Rock LP. Premium in terms of design and presentation, but take note that the price is still the same as its range fetches PHP2,000 at retail. Take a look at this Shadow Rock LP Be Quiet Review. According to the manufacturer: “If you are seeking the best possible mix of premium cooling performance for restricted space situations, remarkably quiet operations, eye-catching design, and a highly attractive price in the compact CPU cooler segment, seek no further.”

Build Quality

Aimed specifically at HTPC or Home Theatre PC or SFF which stands for Small Form Factor systems, the Shadow Rock LP or for Low Profile, features a shallow aluminum heat sink. The build quality is good with its four 6mm-thick copper heat pipes navigating between the fin stacks and a smooth CNC-machined copper contact plate. Thermal paste is pre-applied to help simplify the initial installation, and we like the fact that be quiet! has added aluminum caps to the ends of the heat pipes to tidy up appearance.

Nickel-coated heat pipe have further streamlined the overall aesthetic, but I think it would have done better at the expense of cooling performance. Though the Shadow Rock LP isn’t as stylish as some of be quiet!’s larger coolers, it’s still a clean-looking unit. For the mounting brackets, the latest Intel and AMD sockets are all included. Although the single Pure Wings 2 fan doesn’t provide any additional thermal paste as part of the bundle. The cooler is good for a single install, but you’ll need t   o source your own thermal compound for any re-installs further down the line.

The 120mm PWM Pure Wings 2 fan is not an above-the-line model. It sits below the Silent Wings and Shadow Wings in terms of pecking order. However it’s still a good quality unit and a cut above many generic solutions. Measuring 25mm-thick, the fan increases the cooler’s overall height to 75mm and is outfitted with nine “silence-optimized” fan blades capable of operating at speeds of up to 1,500rpm. Put the fan and heat sink together and be quiet! Will estimate that there’s enough cooling capacity to support CPUs with a TDP of up to 130W

Installation

So far, we’re liking what we’ve seen. So is the Shadow Rock LP any easier to work with? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean to say installation is a breeze. On an Intel LGA 1150 socket, you begin by fixing the back plate to the mounting brackets using four O-rings, four screws and four nuts. The assembly feels secure once in situ, and can then be used to attach the heat sink – this process involves passing a mounting bridge over the contact plate and using two fastening screws to fix the heat sink to the mounting brackets. The screws aren’t part of the mounting bridge (boo!), so they had a tendency to fall out, making the whole process a bit puzzling.

Overall, it’s an excellent product at a reasonable price, your thoughts?

Article: Shadow Rock LP Be Quiet Review

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Shadow Rock LP Be Quiet Review