Has anyone used the be quiet! Dark Rock 5, or another similar single-tower air cooler, with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D? I recently replaced my AIO with a Dark Rock 5 for a Ryzen 7 9700X and prefer air cooling. I'm considering using the same cooler for a 9800X3D and want to know whether it can keep temperatures under control. To clarify, I mean the regular Dark Rock 5, which is a single-tower cooler—not the dual-tower Dark Rock Pro 5.
3 Answers
A capable modern air cooler should handle the 9800X3D without trouble, although the regular Dark Rock 5 is a single-tower design. It may be enough at stock settings, but larger dual-tower models generally provide more thermal headroom. The Dark Rock 5 is also fairly expensive compared with options such as the Thermalright Phantom Spirit, which performs very well for less money.
A smaller dual-tower cooler can also work well. With a reasonable undervolt, one user reported peak load temperatures in the low 70s, so tuning the chip can make a noticeable difference if you want to keep fan noise and temperatures down.
Most good 120 mm dual-tower coolers have no issue with the 9800X3D. For example, a Phantom Spirit 120 Evo can keep the processor below roughly 80°C during a full load while staying quiet. A single-tower Dark Rock 5 should be usable, but expect less cooling margin than with a strong dual-tower cooler.
The Dark Rock 5 may not be the best value, but its appearance and matching build aesthetic can still make the extra cost worthwhile.