The Shadow Rock Slim 2 by be quiet! is a fairly compact and affordable tower cooler designed to cool even solutions such as Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7. Read about my impressions of the model in this review.
The box of Shadow Rock Slim 2
The product comes in a rather compact (considering the features and dimensions of the cooler) cardboard box. Polystyrene seals are provided inside, which means that the product is reliably protected during transportation/storage.
The packaging design is made in the corporate style – a black canvas (as we saw in the description of the box for Be Quiet! Pure Rock LP cooler), against which white, orange, and other colored inserts are beautifully combined. In addition to them, there is a detailed illustration of the model and other interesting “gizmos”. However, we will dwell on them in detail in the next section of the review.
Information from the box walls
There is a detailed illustration of the product on the front wall. It will allow you to get acquainted with the appearance of this model in some detail (though not to the smallest detail). In addition, there is the name of the cooler, a bright manufacturer’s logo plus notes indicating some features of the model.
There are two more illustrations of the Shadow Rock Slim 2. Their value is that they also serve as a kind of “hints” on how to attach the bracket that holds the fan to the radiator. Under the illustrations, you can find reference information for the model, as well as markings for other interesting things.
On the side wall on the right you can find a detailed list of characteristics and information about the country of manufacture.
Finally, on the opposite wall is a product passport in several languages.
Shadow Rock Slim 2 scope of delivery
The product is delivered unassembled in a box, with a separate heatsink and fan. There are also four wired fan mounts – two are compatible with the “standard” solution, and two more are oriented to install a standard 120mm fan. In addition to the above, there is also a user manual plus the necessary mounting accessories – separately for Intel, separately for ADM – no confusion. The package also includes a syringe with thermal paste.
Specifications of the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2
- TDP (watts) – 160;
- Dimensions without mounting: 52x130x161 mm;
- Total weight – 690 grams;
- Compatible with Intel sockets – 1700 / 1200 / 2066 / 1150 / 1151 / 1155 / 2011(-3) Square ILM;
- Compatible with AMD sockets – AM5 / AM4;
- Noise level (dB(A)) @ 50/75/100% (rpm) – 11.5 / 18.7 / 23.7;
Radiator
- Dimensions – 74x137x161 mm;
- Plate material – aluminum;
- Surface treatment – Brushed;
- Base material – aluminum/copper;
- Surface of the contact plate – Heat pipe direct touch;
- Number of heat pipes, diameter (mm) – four 6-mm, direct contact with the processor;
Fan
- Dimensions – 135x135x22 mm;
- Fan speed @ 100% PWM – 1400 rpm;
- Airflow at 100% PWM / 12V (CFM / m3 / h) – 86.3 / 146.6;
- Air pressure at 100% PWM / 12V (mm H2O) – 2.30;
- Bearing technology – Rifle;
- Motor technology 4-pole fan motor;
- Rated DC voltage – 12 W;
- Current at rated voltage – 0.11 A;
- Power consumption – 1.3 W;
- 4-pin PWM connector;
- Cable length – 22 cm;
- Operating time – 80,000 hours / 25°C.
Shadow Rock Slim 2 case materials
Here, as they say, all the answers are on the surface. As for the radiator, we have a classic, but at the same time successful combination of copper, aluminum and a little bit of iron. The iron screws here are easy to see, they are used to fix the clamping plate on top. The base that holds the cooler to the CPU is a combination of aluminum and copper.
In turn, the fan of Shadow Rock Slim 2 is plastic; the impeller is easily noticeable, with ribbing. The bearing inside is made using Rifle technology. Based on the power connector, it is easy to conclude that the user of Rock Slim 2 can adjust the speed of the “turntable” independently. The cable length is 22 centimeters. The cable is copper with high-quality polymer insulation.
Quality of assembly
Unfortunately, we didn’t have a 120 in our office to test the second pair of metal mounts. But I checked how it is implemented on the “regular” 135 mm. No questions asked – once again I personally confirmed for myself the viability of another classic.
The design of the radiator consists of more than 50 aluminum plates mounted on four U-shaped copper tubes. We’ll dwell on the peculiarities of the latter later, but here we just want to summarize the quality of the design. To put it briefly and without convention, everything is cool. No, really – both the materials of the radiator and the quality of fitting the parts to a single structure – everything is made with a clear understanding of their work.
As for the fan, here is a short list of features on the rear panel. There is not much data on the bearing, but almost three months of testing is enough to make at least preliminary impressions – the solution is reliable. The official 3-year warranty also indirectly indicates this.
It is probably worth adding for the presence of a rather thin rubber layer on the round inside of the case, which, pleasantly, takes over any vibrations from the fan operation. Well, it looks good and you will like the efficiency as well.
About the design of Shadow Rock Slim 2
The thickness of the radiator suggests that the Slim appendix in the name of the model was added for this decision of the manufacturer.
Another interesting solution is the fins on the base. The fact is that the narrow design of the radiator reduces the heat transfer surface area. That’s why the company decided to neutralize this effect by using an unusual approach to the density of the fins.
The 6mm heat pipes used here are designed to come into direct contact with the processor.
Test configuration
Shadow Rock Slim 2 was tested in a closed PC. The configuration is as follows:
- Intel Core i5-10600K processor, 4.5 GHz; ASRock Z490 PG Velocita motherboard;
- RAM – Goodram IRDM X 2×8 GB;
- HDD – Western Digital Blue 1TB;
- video card – MSI GeForce GTX 960;
- Deepcool DQ750ST power supply.
The software platform is Windows 10 Home.
Installation features
The base of the cooler is protected by a rather thick film – the user should remove it before installation.
The heat pipes are arranged in two rows on each side. The design of the radiator is symmetrical about the base. By the way, the base here is not only the aforementioned aluminum platform, but also these pipes, because they are brought out at the same level as the aluminum panel at the bottom.
By itself, the imprint of the thermal interface on the LGA1200 socket looks like all four tubes are in contact with the processor. From the point of view of heat dissipation, this solution looks surprisingly good.
By the way, although the package includes a tube with the required amount of thermal paste, the manufacturer advises to pay attention to the proprietary DC2. The arguments are as follows:
- Very high thermal conductivity of 7.5 W/mK;
- Wide application range from -20°C to +120°C;
- A 3 gram capacity is enough for an average of 9 applications.
Testing and results
Given its design features, Shadow Rock Slim 2 is able to provide excellent cooling performance. At the maximum speed in our rating, the model is located between SilentiumPC Fera 5 and Noctua NH-U12S redux. At 1000 rpm, their capabilities are equal in performance.
As for the figures, they are 64 degrees at 1000 rpm and 60 degrees at the maximum. By the way, as it turned out, the fan, at least in our case, makes the difference, because according to the test results, Shadow Rock 3 White with a 120 mm fan “lost” to our 135-tec.
Expert opinion
As for noise, at 1000 rpm it can be heard only in a very quiet room. At maximum speed the noise becomes more noticeable, but I personally would not call it critical.
To summarize, even a few years after its announcement, this model is still a worthwhile solution, as it offers good cooling capabilities for both mid-range and high-end platforms.
Сost of the be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 is 2380 UAH (64 USD).
