CONCLUSION

   I've had the pleasure of testing the entire Dark Rock line through the years and i can't recall a single CPU Cooler of that line that failed to deliver what was advertised so that along speaks volumes about be quiet! as a company. Of course nowadays the competition is quite fierce since almost every single manufacturer out there (new and old) makes coolers based on large and even dual heatsinks but aside performance be quiet! products have two aces up their sleeves most others don't, low noise levels and excellent build quality. That being said the Dark Rock 3 may not be as good as its massive brother the Dark Rock Pro 3 but on one hand it's not really that far behind while on the other it takes up less space and is less audible.

   As we speak the be quiet! Dark Rock 3 CPU Cooler retails for USD74.90 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 67Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price that puts it roughly USD20/20Euros beneath its larger brother the Dark Rock Pro 3 model. Normally that would be a problem since the Dark Rock Pro 3 model features an extra 120mm fan and is larger (thus the extra price is well justified) but since it's not really that much better in terms of performance i see very little reason for the majority of consumers to choose that over the Dark Rock 3. Overall be quiet! has once again released a high quality performance cooler that's almost inaudible even under heavy load and those are more than enough for it to get our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Size
- Very Good Cooling Efficiency
- Ability to Add An 2nd Fan
- Noise Levels

CONS

- None