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ARCTIC Freezer A35 vs be quiet! Shadow Rock 3: Comparison
ARCTIC Freezer A35 vs be quiet! Shadow Rock 3: the height difference
There is no decisive spec gap here. Height splits them by a margin most buyers will never feel, ARCTIC Freezer A35 158.5 mm against be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 163 mm. Heatpipe count is not the same on both, 4 on the ARCTIC Freezer A35 versus 5 on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3.
Which should you buy, ARCTIC Freezer A35 or be quiet! Shadow Rock 3?
The ARCTIC Freezer A35 is the one to take for genuinely tight-budget AMD AM4/AM5 builds and mainstream Ryzen CPUs at stock clocks, though it is not the pick for Intel builds, since it doesn't cover current Intel sockets and Higher-TDP or overclocked CPUs. It is the wrong buy for anyone who can stretch their budget slightly for a dual-tower cooler with more headroom. Buy the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 for buyers who prioritize a silent-running PC over maximizing thermal ceiling and mainstream, non-overclocked builds where 190W of headroom is sufficient. It is equally the pick for builders who prefer a single large 120mm fan over dual smaller fans for acoustics. It is not the one for overclocked or high-TDP builds, where the ceiling runs out before flagship dual-tower options. Our rating of the ARCTIC Freezer A35 (7/10): A perfectly serviceable AMD-focused budget cooler, best suited to genuinely tight-budget builds rather than anyone with even a little more to spend. Our rating of the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 (8.1/10): the strongest cooler in be quiet!'s Shadow Rock series, and a genuinely quiet single-tower option for buyers who put acoustics ahead of maximum thermal headroom.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ARCTIC Freezer A35 and be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 differ on cooler type?
Yes. Cooler Type reads Air Tower on the ARCTIC Freezer A35 versus Air, Single-Tower on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3.
Is the Tower Type the same on the ARCTIC Freezer A35 and be quiet! Shadow Rock 3?
It is. Both are listed at Single-Tower, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- ARCTIC
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- be quiet!
Cooler Type
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- Air Tower
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Air, Single-Tower
Series
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
Tower Type
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- Single-Tower
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Single-Tower
Model Number
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- ACFRE00112A
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- BK004
Height
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- 158.5 mmBest
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 163 mm-3%
Socket Compatibility
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- AMD AM4/AM5
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Intel LGA1700/1200/2066/1151/1150/1155/2011(-3), AMD AM5/AM4
Fan Count
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- 1
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 1
RGB Lighting
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- No
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- No
Heatpipe Count
- ARCTIC Freezer A35
- 4
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 5
Which one should you pick?
Choose ARCTIC Freezer A35 if you want the lower height (158.5 mm vs 163 mm) and the higher fan count (1 vs 1).
Choose be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ARCTIC Freezer A35 | be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
ARCTIC Freezer A35
7 / 10 Expert Rating
A perfectly serviceable AMD-focused budget cooler, best suited to genuinely tight-budget builds rather than anyone with even a little more to spend.
be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
The strongest cooler in be quiet!'s Shadow Rock series, and a genuinely quiet single-tower option for buyers who put acoustics ahead of maximum thermal headroom.