I have to admit something; I hate top down air coolers. I can’t put my finger on what it is about them I so dislike. Perhaps it’s simply that they don’t tend to perform very well. Or maybe it’s just their strong dissymmetry that rubs me the wrong way. Whatever it is, something inside tells me to take a tower cooler over them any day. And so it is with great fear and trepidation that I present another air cooling product from German manufacturers, be quiet!, the Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1. Please follow along as I attempt to prove my instincts wrong., or right, as we find out how this cooler performs.
Special thanks to be quiet! for providing the Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1 CPU Cooler to review.
Features
Extremely quiet operation due to noise optimized be quiet! fan
The decoupled 135mm Shadow Wings PWM fan ensures a perfect mix of cooling power and noise production. The waveshaped contour on the cooling fins minimises noise and optimises the air flow.
Very high cooling efficiency
Four 8mm heatpipes transport the heat along the shortest path to the optimal point within the cooling fins. The TopFlow Cooler-Layout enables ideal cooling not only for the CPU but also for surrounding components.
Space-saving mounting
Perfect for use in desktop housing thanks to the low height of the cooler.
High-quality materials
Complete nickel-plated cooling element. Stable backplate for a shock-proof sit, even when the computer is being transported.
Service
Three years manufacturer‘s warranty and toll-free hotline.
Packaging
The Shadow Rock TOPFLOW SR1 (referred to as the SR1 from here on) comes in the standard be quiet! color pallet box which is dark, very dark and accented with orange, grey and white. Most of the front of this tall and narrow box is covered with a photo of the cooler itself. Below that can be found a truncated version of the complete list of features. And on the side is a greyish strip indicating that this cooler is from their “premium” line of products. Finally there is a small logo in the upper left hand corner indicating that the cooler is equipped with one of be quiet!’s Silent Wings fans.
The rear of the box has a technical drawing of the cooler, minus all measurements. Below that is a complete listing of technical features for both the cooler and the fan alike. You will also find a listing of socket compatibility here, which is complete for both Intel and AMD. Of course for a full list of specifications be sure to check out the product page.
For a full unboxing and overview of the Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1 be sure to check out our video below.