Review: be quiet! Shadow Rock 3

by Parm Mann on 2 June 2020, 14:01

Conclusion

...won't break the bank and offers good build quality, five nickel-plated heatpipes and an asymmetric fin-stack...

be quiet!'s Shadow Rock 3 is a solid choice when configuring a modern PC to run as discretely as possible.

Available for £45, the cooler won't break the bank and offers good build quality, five nickel-plated heatpipes and an asymmetric fin-stack that's sized to avoid any potential interference and steer well clear of memory slots.

A comprehensive bundle helps simplify an already-easy installation mechanism - a supplied screwdriver and spare thermal paste ensure everything you need is included in the box - and the Shadow Wings 2 120mm PWM fan can keep noise levels down to imperceptible levels. The caveat to that, however, is that while the cooler is satisfyingly quiet, performance isn't quite as exceptional as advertised, particularly on an overclocked many-core CPU.

Bottom line: looking for a no-nonsense cooler that's affordable, capable and quiet? Shadow Rock 3 fits the bill.

The Good		The Bad
Very quiet at stock frequencies Steers clear of memory No lights, no software Straightforward installation		Middling overclocking performance

be quiet! Shadow Rock 3

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The be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 CPU cooler is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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I've stated this before. This should be compared to other air coolers in a similar price bracket to get a proper comparison of value and performance, not AIO's or others at twice the price.

I agree to a large part, but also remember that when a dirt cheap thing perform really well, nobody complain about seeing it VS more expensive parts it then beat or match.
But yeah, the chart should have a bias towards similar priced coolers of the same kind, and beside that maybe old favorites one could assume this might replace.

mers
I've stated this before. This should be compared to other air coolers in a similar price bracket to get a proper comparison of value and performance, not AIO's or others at twice the price.

I think part of the problem is all the coolers in the chart are the ones that have been tested on the new Hexus testing rig, so as to keep things fair between them.

Terbinator
I think part of the problem is all the coolers in the chart are the ones that have been tested on the new Hexus testing rig, so as to keep things fair between them.

I agree that all the coolers need to be tested on the same rig.

Whit I would really like to see tested though are the AMD and Intel stock coolers. I know the 3950X doesn't come with a stock cooler but most people will be buying fewer-cored CPUs that do have a boxed cooler and for me at least, the difference between stock cooler & aftermarket cooler is more important. I'm saving up for a new system right now and I don't know if I can get away with stock or if setting aside £75-£100+ for an aftermarket cooler is worthwhile.

Euphonium
Terbinator
I think part of the problem is all the coolers in the chart are the ones that have been tested on the new Hexus testing rig, so as to keep things fair between them.

I agree that all the coolers need to be tested on the same rig.

Whit I would really like to see tested though are the AMD and Intel stock coolers. I know the 3950X doesn't come with a stock cooler but most people will be buying fewer-cored CPUs that do have a boxed cooler and for me at least, the difference between stock cooler & aftermarket cooler is more important. I'm saving up for a new system right now and I don't know if I can get away with stock or if setting aside £75-£100+ for an aftermarket cooler is worthwhile.

I bought a ryzen 3600, and the box cooler is eminently usable. Hottest i've gotten is 65c whilst intense gaming. (according to HWinfo} It's pretty quiet too. I hear the latest box coolers from Intel are just as good, according to reviews.
Mind you…I've got 5 case fans too. Two 140mm Arctic for intake and 3 120mm Lian Li for exhaust.
Depending on what software you plan to run - Then you're mileage may vary.
Don't worry…The stock coolers are decent.

Review: be quiet! Shadow Rock 3

Conclusion

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