Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
be quiet! Dark Rock 5 vs Thermalright Silver Soul 135: Comparison
What is the difference between be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135?
Height is where these two genuinely part company, be quiet! Dark Rock 5 161 mm against Thermalright Silver Soul 135 135 mm, a 19% lead for Thermalright Silver Soul 135. be quiet! Dark Rock 5 also leads on max speed, 2100 RPM on the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 versus 1850 RPM on the Thermalright Silver Soul 135.
Who each one is for
Take the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 for buyers who want be quiet!'s quiet-focused engineering without paying flagship Pro 6 pricing. It also earns its place with mainstream and lightly overclocked builds needing up to 250W of TDP headroom. It is the wrong buy for heavily overclocked or workstation builds needing the Dark Rock Pro 6's 300W ceiling, covered elsewhere on this site. The Thermalright Silver Soul 135 is the one to take for enthusiasts wanting flagship-adjacent cooling on a budget and single-fan-clearance cases, though it is not the pick for buyers wanting premium brand warranty support and RGB-themed builds. Our rating of the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 (8.3/10): A well-judged mid-tier dual-tower cooler that keeps be quiet!'s acoustic focus at a friendlier price than the Pro 6. Our rating of the Thermalright Silver Soul 135 (8.1/10): near-flagship single-tower cooling at a fraction of the premium-brand price.
What be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135 have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: cooler type, tower type, tower layout, fan count and heatpipe count are identical here. They match on 3 further specifications as well.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135 differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 29.8 dBA on the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 versus 29.6 dBA on the Thermalright Silver Soul 135.
Is the Fan Size the same on the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135?
It is. Both are listed at 120 mm, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- be quiet!
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Thermalright
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Air Tower
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
Tower Type
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Single-Tower
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Single-Tower
Model Number
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- BK035
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Silver Soul 135
Height
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 161 mm-19%
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 135 mmBest
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Single-Tower
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Single-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 1
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 1
Noise Level
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 29.8 dBA
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 29.6 dBABest
Heatpipe Count
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 6
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 6
Fan Size
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 120 mm
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 120 mm
Max Speed
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 2100 RPMBest
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 1850 RPM-12%
Bearing Type
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Fluid Dynamic
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Fluid Dynamic
PWM Control
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- Yes
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Yes
Fans
- be quiet! Dark Rock 5
- 1x Silent Wings 4 120mm PWM
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 1x TL-D12 PRO-G 120mm PWM
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Dark Rock 5 if you want the higher fan count (1 vs 1) and the higher max speed (2100 RPM vs 1850 RPM).
Choose Thermalright Silver Soul 135 if you want the lower height (135 mm vs 161 mm) and the lower noise level (29.6 dBA vs 29.8 dBA).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Dark Rock 5 | Thermalright Silver Soul 135 |
|---|---|---|
| Newegg | View on Newegg | |
| Best Buy | View on Best Buy |
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
be quiet! Dark Rock 5
8.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A well-judged mid-tier dual-tower cooler that keeps be quiet!'s acoustic focus at a friendlier price than the Pro 6.
Thermalright Silver Soul 135
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
Near-flagship single-tower cooling at a fraction of the premium-brand price.