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be quiet! Dark Rock 4 vs Scythe Ninja 5: Comparison
be quiet! Dark Rock 4 and Scythe Ninja 5 separate most on fan count: be quiet! Dark Rock 4 at 1, Scythe Ninja 5 at 2, 50% in favour of Scythe Ninja 5. Max Speed splits them by another 43%, this time favouring be quiet! Dark Rock 4. They match on 5 other specifications, including cooler type, rgb lighting and heatpipe count.
Specs
| Specification |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | be quiet! | Scythe |
| Cooler Type | Air Tower | Air Tower |
| Series | be quiet! Dark Rock 4 | Scythe Ninja 5 |
| Tower Type | Single-Tower | Dual-Tower |
| Model Number | BK021 | SCNJ-5100 |
| Height | 160 mm | 182 mm-14% |
| Socket Compatibility | AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1700/1200/115X/2066/2011-3 | AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011 |
| Tower Layout | Single-Tower | Dual-Tower |
| Fan Count | 1-50% | 2 |
| TDP Rating | 200 W-13% | 230 |
| Noise Level | 21.4 dBA+6.9 dBA | 14.5 |
| RGB Lighting | No | No |
| Cooler Width | 136 mm | 137 mm |
| Cooler Weight | 920 g | 1200 g |
| Heatpipe Count | 6 | 6 |
| Fan Size | 135 mm | 120 mm |
| Max Speed | 1400 RPM | 800 RPM-43% |
| Bearing Type | Fluid Dynamic | Fluid Dynamic |
| PWM Control | Yes | Yes |
| Source URL | https://www.bequiet.com/en/cpucooler/1376 | https://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/cpu-cooler/ninja-5-rev-b.html |
Verdict
be quiet! Dark Rock 4
7.9 / 10 Expert Rating
A dependable, genuinely quiet single-tower cooler that's been slightly outclassed by be quiet!'s own newer Dark Rock 5, but still a solid mid-tier pick on sale.
Scythe Ninja 5
8 / 10 Expert Rating
A quietly capable dual-tower cooler that continues Scythe's long tradition of acoustics-first value engineering.