Review: be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2

Conclusion

Shadow Rock Slim 2 ticks a lot of the right boxes for a modern, no-nonsense build. Priced to compete against the rival Noctua at £44, be quiet!'s compact cooler delivers comparable performance and lower noise, albeit with a shorter three-year warranty.

Proving that most users don't need to push the boat out with complex liquid cooling, be quiet!'s traditional heatsink is able to keep a range-topping Ryzen 9 5950X suitably cool under full load, with the 135mm fan emitting little more than a subtle hum.

Installation is a doddle with ample clearance for memory, there's only a single cable to contend with, and though some users may wish it came in black, the silver brushed-alumnium finish blends well with our test setup. We would like to see be quiet! sell a 135mm second-fan upgrade kit for those wanting to adopt a dual-fan setup, but that's about it for our list of gripes.

Bottom line: remember when CPU coolers were simple but effective? be quiet!'s Shadow Rock Slim 2 is a return to those good ol' days.

be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2

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The be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 CPU cooler is available to order from Scan Computers.

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