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be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 vs Thermalright Silver Soul 135: Comparison
be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 vs Thermalright Silver Soul 135 height compared
On height the spread is 21%, be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 163 mm against Thermalright Silver Soul 135 135 mm, so Thermalright Silver Soul 135 takes it. They differ on socket compatibility too, Intel LGA1700/1200/2066/1151/1150/1155/2011 , AMD AM5/AM4 on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 versus AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011 on the Thermalright Silver Soul 135. They differ on heatpipe count too, 5 on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 versus 6 on the Thermalright Silver Soul 135.
Who each one is for
The be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 suits buyers who prioritize a silent-running PC over maximizing thermal ceiling and mainstream, non-overclocked builds where 190W of headroom is sufficient. It also earns its place with 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. Buy the Thermalright Silver Soul 135 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! 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. Our rating of the Thermalright Silver Soul 135 (8.1/10): near-flagship single-tower cooling at a fraction of the premium-brand price.
Frequently asked questions
Do the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135 differ on noise level?
Yes. Noise Level reads 24.4 dBA on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 versus 29.6 dBA on the Thermalright Silver Soul 135.
Is the Tower Type the same on the be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 and Thermalright Silver Soul 135?
It is. Both are listed at Single-Tower, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- be quiet!
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Thermalright
Cooler Type
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Air, Single-Tower
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Air Tower
Series
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
Tower Type
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Single-Tower
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Single-Tower
Model Number
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- BK004
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- Silver Soul 135
Height
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 163 mm-21%
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 135 mmBest
Socket Compatibility
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- Intel LGA1700/1200/2066/1151/1150/1155/2011(-3), AMD AM5/AM4
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- AMD AM5/AM4, Intel LGA1851/1700/1200/115X/2066/2011
Fan Count
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 1
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 1
Noise Level
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 24.4 dBABest
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 29.6 dBA
Heatpipe Count
- be quiet! Shadow Rock 3
- 5
- Thermalright Silver Soul 135
- 6
Which one should you pick?
Choose be quiet! Shadow Rock 3 if you want the higher fan count (1 vs 1) and the lower noise level (24.4 dBA vs 29.6 dBA).
Choose Thermalright Silver Soul 135 if you want the lower height (135 mm vs 163 mm).
Verdict
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.
Thermalright Silver Soul 135
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
Near-flagship single-tower cooling at a fraction of the premium-brand price.