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be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 vs Noctua NH-D12L: Comparison
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 vs Noctua NH-D12L: the height difference
On height the spread is 17%, be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 169 mm against Noctua NH-D12L 145 mm, so Noctua NH-D12L takes it. Fan count runs the same way, 2 on the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 versus 1 on the Noctua NH-D12L, another win for be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6. Noctua NH-D12L also leads on warranty, 3 years on the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 versus 6 years on the Noctua NH-D12L.
Who each one is for
Take the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 for buyers who want near-silent idle operation with flagship-tier cooling capacity when needed. The semi-passive mode is a genuinely distinctive feature for this exact use case. It is equally the pick for heavily overclocked or workstation builds needing up to 300W of cooling headroom. This sits at the top of be quiet!'s lineup for exactly this scenario. It is the wrong buy for buyers on a moderate budget. The DeepCool AK620 or Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex, both covered elsewhere on this site, cover most mainstream cooling needs at a fraction of this cooler's price. Buy the Noctua NH-D12L for builds with tall heatsink-covered RAM modules and Quiet-focused mid-range and upper-mid-range CPUs, though it is the wrong buy for extreme overclocks needing maximum dual-fan airflow and buyers wanting RGB aesthetics. Our rating of the Noctua NH-D12L (8.3/10): an excellent no-compromise pick when tall RAM rules out a standard dual-fan tower.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 and Noctua NH-D12L differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 32.4 dBA on the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 versus 22.6 dBA on the Noctua NH-D12L.
Is the Cooler Type the same on the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 and Noctua NH-D12L?
It is. Both are listed at Air Tower, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- be quiet!
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Noctua
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- Air Tower
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Noctua NH-D12L
Tower Type
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- Dual-Tower
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Dual-Tower (Asymmetric)
Model Number
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- BK048
- Noctua NH-D12L
- NH-D12L
Height
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 169 mm-17%
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 145 mmBest
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- AMD AM4/AM5, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X
- Noctua NH-D12L
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1954/1851/1700/1200/115X
Tower Layout
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- Dual-Tower
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Dual-Tower
Fan Count
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 2Best
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 1-50%
Noise Level
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 32.4 dBA
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 22.6 dBABest
RGB Lighting
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- No
- Noctua NH-D12L
- No
Cooler Width
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 140 mm
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 125 mm
Cooler Weight
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 1340 g
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 890 gBest
Heatpipe Count
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 7
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 5
Max Speed
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 2000 RPM
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 2000 RPM
PWM Control
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- Yes
- Noctua NH-D12L
- Yes
Warranty
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 3 years-50%
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 6 yearsBest
Fans
- be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6
- 1x 135mm + 1x 120mm Silent Wings PWM
- Noctua NH-D12L
- 1x NF-A12x25r PWM 120mm
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 if you want the higher fan count (2 vs 1) and the higher max speed (2000 RPM vs 2000 RPM).
Choose Noctua NH-D12L if you want the lower height (145 mm vs 169 mm), the lower noise level (22.6 dBA vs 32.4 dBA) and the higher warranty (6 years vs 3 years).
Price comparison
| Retailer | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 | Noctua NH-D12L |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
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
Noctua NH-D12L
8.3 / 10 Expert Rating
An excellent no-compromise pick when tall RAM rules out a standard dual-fan tower.