Build Your Own PC: be quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU Cooler

This article is sponsored by be quiet! This is part 2 in our new PC Building series. 

For most PC builders, the first time you buy the wrong cooling system is the last time you buy the wrong cooling system. Alongside a computer’s power supply, the cooling system is a PC component that can be easily overlooked. This is a mistake.

You can buy the best video card, the fastest processor, and all the RAM your motherboard can support, but without the right cooling system, you might as well set all your money on fire because that’s what will happen to your components. Luckily, Den of Geek consulted with the PC experts at be quiet! to find the right air cooler to keep our PC running at peak performance without burning out. 

The right cooling system starts with the right CPU cooler, which is why we’re building our official Den of Geek gaming rig with the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 air cooler, which boasts a cooling capacity of up to 200W TDP bolstered by airflow-optimized cooling fins designed to enhance circulation. This cooler also features six high-performance copper heat pipes. 

Read More: PC Building Guide – Picking the Right Case

You can place this cooler on top of your CPU and simply never worry about it again. Trust us, when you’re buying a PC cooling system, what you’re really buying is peace of mind.

The Dark Rock 4 gives you that with a surprising amount of style on the side. Its sleek black design works with most cases and complementary parts, while its diamond cut finish offers a subtle but stylish final touch.

Read More: 25 Best PC Games to Play in 2019

Remarkably, the act of placing this cooler on top of your CPU is far easier than other models would have you believe it is. You can thank the model’s brilliant from-above installation options for that convenience. The ability to install a cooler by simply placing it atop your CPU and fitting it may not sound like a big deal until you try to do it any other way.

For anyone who wants a little additional cooling power from their Dark Rock 4, you’ll be happy to know that it’s also possible to (surprisingly easily) install an additional 120mm fan to the device.

Of course, this being a Be Quiet! product, the Dark Rock 4 is virtually silent when running at full capacity, emitting only 21.4dB(A) of noise. That means you’ll barely ever hear it running — if ever at all. 

Check out a video breakdown of the Dark Rock 4 and an installation guide below:

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Your first time buying the wrong cooler for your PC is something of a rite of passage for amateur PC builders. It’s the moment you realize that the most important parts of your build aren’t always the ones related to pure performance. Sometimes, they’re the parts that are working at their best when you don’t notice they’re working at all. 

The Dark Rock 4 embodies that idea. It’s a powerful, sleek, quiet, and affordable way to ensure that you’re never going to have to worry about whether or not your rig is running too hot. 

To read the complete PC Building series, click the links below:

Part 1: The Case

Part 2: CPU Cooler

Part 3: Power Supply

Part 4: Motherboard

Part 5: CPU

Part 6: Memory

Part 7: Storage

Part 8: Graphics

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.