be quiet Dark Rock 6 and Dark Rock 6 Pro CPU cooler Review
Thermal Testing – Cinebench R24
OC3D CPU Cooler Stress Test
We want to push CPU coolers to their limit, and that requires a workload that will place maximum load on our i5-14600K CPU. Why didn’t we choose an i7 or an i9? The simple answer is that we want to test various CPU Cooler options. If we put the hottest CPU we could in our system, only the best of the best CPU coolers would even pass our testing procedures. Since not everyone uses such a power-hungry CPU, we decided to tone the wattage and thermal loads down by using an i5-14600K. Even so, this CPU consumes a lot of power and generates a lot of heat under all-core workloads. Note that our CPU is operated with a fixed voltage to deliver higher levels of thermal consistency between CPU coolers.
For testing, we have used Cinebench R24. This is an all-core workload that places heavy strain on all available CPU cores. This load pushes CPU thermals higher than any other and does so consistently. We use Cinebench R24 for 30 minutes to see how hot our CPU gets over that time. If CPU temperatures rise to 100 degrees Celsius or over, that CPU cooler has failed our testing. This is part of the reason why there are more coolers on our higher fan RPM cooler charts. Some coolers will pass our thermal testing at higher fan RPMs but fail at lower fan RPMs.
1,000 RPM fan test
This is a demanding test. A hot-running CPU from a notoriously hot product generation running maxed out with fans running at low RPMs. Most air coolers fail this test, so it’s not surprising that the Dark Rock 6 (non-Pro) fails it too. You need a beefy air cooler to keep a CPU like this under 100 degrees on all cores under such a high load with low fan speeds.
As for the Dark Rock 6 Pro, it passes this test with ease. It even beats some MSI’s Masterliquid 360 ION CPU liquid cooler. That’s no small feat for an air cooler. Even with its fan speeds minimised, this cooler can perform. That’s great news for people who want a quiet system.
1,500 RPM fan test
With higher fan speeds, the Dark Rock 6 passes our Cinebench test. With the Dark Rock 6 Pro, we can see be quiet’s newer model surpasses last-generation’s Dark Rock Elite by more than two degrees. That’s a big deal. Remember, the Dark Rock Elite launched for £99.99. The Dark Rock 6 Pro costs £79.99.
Max RPM fan test
At maximum RPMs, we see a continuation of the same trend. The Dark Rock 6 Pro is the best-performing air-based CPU cooler on our charts. Great performance for a £79.99 air cooler.
