If you’re looking for a quiet and compact cooling solution for your Intel or AMD processor, desktop accessory manufacturer Be Quiet has introduced the Pure Rock Slim fan-based processor cooler meant for PC cases with very little extra space. It features an “asymmetrical and compact” form factor so you can get great CPU cooling in those tight Mini-ITX cases.
The company’s new CPU cooler features a base with three 6mm copper heat pipes packing aluminum caps that extend up into a tower of aluminum cooling fins. These pipes are what carry the 120W of heat away from the processor and into the fins, which in turn disperses the heat. On one side of this tower is a seven-blade 92mm fan with a high-quality sleeve bearing to cool off those heated fins.
According to the company, this fan provides the best balance between silent operation and cooling performance. The fan blades themselves are “airflow-optimized” so that turbulence is reduced, which in turn reduces the noise level. Even when the fan is running at 100 percent, the company says that the fan only produces around 25.4dB(A) of noise, keeping your compact rig somewhat quiet … at least in the CPU department.
The specifications show that the new Pure Rock Slim measures 81.8 by 97 by 124.8 millimeters, making it roughly 5 inches tall from the bottom of the base to the top of the tower. There are actually 33 fins stuffed into the tower, and the CPU contact surface is CNC-machined, meaning the base was created by machine tools accurately controlled by computers.
The specifications also show that the fan has a rotation per minute rate of up to 2,000, a 4-pole fan motor, and a lifespan on 80,000 hours. The power cable has a 4-pin PWM connector and extends 220mm. Additionally, the thermal grease is already applied out-of-the-box, and the cooler package comes with a backplate mounting set for Intel and AMD processors.
That said, here’s a list of compatible processor sockets:
Intel: 150 / 1151 / 1155 / 1156
AMD: AM2 (+) / AM3 (+) / FM1 / FM2 (+)
Be Quiet points out that when customers install the Pure Rock Slim cooler into their compact configuration, they should have enough room to fill up their RAM memory banks with standard-sized memory sticks sporting their own heatsinks. The cooler also doesn’t get in the way of the motherboard’s voltage regulator module (VRM) heatsink, as the fin tower is raised up from the base with lots of space in-between thanks to the sturdy support provided by the three copper heatpipes.
The new Pure Rock Slim from Be Quiet costs a mere $25, and can be purchased online from Amazon, Newegg, NCIX US, and Performance PCs.
