Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i9 9900K @ 5GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming X
– RAM: GOODRAM IRDM PRO 16GB DDR4 @ 3600MHz
– GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
– SSD: Crucial MX500
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: Seasonic Snow Silent 750W Platinum
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Noctua NT-H2
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 6.30.5500
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz and overclocked to 5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.261 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – FPU Benchmark & Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
Idle
Full Load – IntelBurnTestV2
Full Load – AIDA64 CPU, FPU & Cache
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 2 db.
The Shadow Rock LP if mounted with the heatpipes pointing upwards, will only interfere with the first RAM slot of the motherboard. In addition, the total space between the RAM slot and the underside of the heatsink is approximately 31mm.
The graphics card clearance is good, with approximately 52mm of space between the heatsink and the graphics card. There is plenty of space left below the CPU cooler to access the top M.2 socket which is often found below the CPU socket.
Final thoughts
The be quiet! Shadow Rock LP is a good and silent top flow CPU cooler. The main advantage of this cooler is the reduced dimensions, with a height of just 75.4mm, it will be compatible with many SFF type cases available.
The cooler is available for around 45 USD or EUR, and for that price, the Shadow Rock LP offers plenty. The cooling performance is good for the most part, however overclocking a high TDP CPU such as the 9900K is not recommended. The best performance using this CPU cooler will be achieved by using a medium TDP CPU and little overclocking.
The design of the Shadow Rock LP is simple with no coatings applied on the surface of the heatsink. There is a good contrast between the matte black finish of the fan and the silver aluminum color of the heatsink.
The installation process is very easy, and all components that are used to mount the cooler are made from solid metal. This mounting system is even better than the one used on cooler such as the be quiet! Dark Rock TF.
In terms of clearance, the cooler will only interfere with the first RAM slot of the motherboard, if the heatsink is installed with the heatpipes facing up. The space left for the RAM modules is approximately 31mm. The graphics card clearance is good, with approximately 52mm of space left open between the heatsink and the graphics card.
In conclusion, the be quiet! Shadow Rock LP is a good top flow CPU cooler that will deliver a good performance if overclocking is kept to a minimum. The included fan is very silent and the build quality is very good.
The only inconvenient with the Shadow Rock LP is the same as with the Shadow Rock TF 2: the price. At 45 USD or EUR, there are cheaper coolers that outperform the Shadow Rock LP, although credit where credit is due, most of those coolers are neither this silent or this small.
