Final Thoughts
Dark Rock Slim 180W TDP certainly has the right ingredients to keep up with demanding CPUs. In my case, I used Dark Rock Slim with the Intel i7 8700k processor and compared it to the latest Enermax AIO. What I saw from the performance of this CPU cooler is that it does a damn good job keeping the CPU cool at stock speeds and held its own against the water cooler. Sure temperatures are a bit higher on the air cooler vs the water cooler, but this is to be expected. Its silent operation kept my entire system as quiet as possible. This is one of Dark Rock Slims strongest features. Water cooling loops and All in One units still need to be chilled as the radiators get pretty warm so high static air pressure fans are being used. These static pressure fans generate a good amount of air flow but in many cases, resulting higher noise levels. One of the reasons why Dark Rock Slim is so quiet is because of the unique blade design of Silent Wings 3.
When working with overclocked CPU you should expect higher temperatures and in my case, it’s what exactly I got. CPU and FPU temperatures were slightly higher and compared to All in One cooler but still not terrible.
Price vs Value relationship of Dark Rock Slim is fair but for an air cooler is a bit on the high side. Currently, Dark Rock Slim 180W TDP retails for $ 59.90 USD. Similar coolers like Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo cost about half of that but if you are looking for the quietest operation possible from your CPU cooler then this is the cooler you should consider.
My overall experience with be Quiet! Dark Rock Slim 180W TDP was fantastic. From the unpacking to installation and operation everything was a breeze. I highly recommend this cooler for that “special/quiet” built. Based on the style and performance of this cooler it’s a must-have!
