be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler Review

TweakTown Rating: 94%

Our Verdict

The Pure Rock Pro 3 series from be quiet! hit on all cylinders. It is stylish, effective, silent, and affordable. This unassuming mainstream solution is up for whatever you throw at it.

Pros

• Cost
• Thermal performance
• Sleeper aesthetic
• Pre-applied thermal paste
• Easy installation

Cons

• It isn't free

Should you buy it?

AvoidConsiderShortlistBuy

Buy at Amazon for $63.84 USD

Buy at Newegg for $62.89 USD

Buy at Amazon for $64.90 CAD

Buy at Newegg for $109.98 CAD

Buy at Amazon for £44.90

Buy at PC Case Gear for $75 AUD

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

As many manufacturers tend to do, they take an existing product and upgrade and update it to adapt to changes in the market since its original release. We can recall when we looked at Pure Rock before the Pro moniker was added. In its day, it was fine, but the exposed materials and its four heat pipe layout have fallen downwards in the list of things to look for with today's infernos they call CPUs. After that was Pure Rock 2, essentially the same idea, but this time, we got an offset layout to clear RAM, and the fans were swapped from Silent Wings to Pure Wings fans.

A quick look at the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler

We may have missed a product or two in the middle, but the evolution of the Pure Rock CPU cooler from what we initially saw is massive, pun intended. Part of what makes the Pure Rock Pro the Pro version is that it uses a dual-tower configuration rather than the older single-tower designs. Many other things have changed as well. Mainly the hardware, where things have been simplified and made more universal, so customers do not have to guess which parts to use. Along with other updates and tiny changes, we have a bit of a different review for you today. Rather than just a single cooler, be quiet! sent us the entire lineup, one in natural attire, one murdered-out, and another with ARGB in the fans.

While we have the Pure Rock Pro 3, the Pure Rock Pro 3 Black, and the Pure Rock Pro 3 LX, we will focus mainly on the middle child, the Pure Rock Pro Black, for this review. However, we made sure to get some glamour shots of the other variants, and we tested all three solutions to look for anything odd between them. No matter what your visual preferences are, be quiet! has furnished us with a trio of strong performers that do not make your ears ask for mercy and will not break the bank to obtain massive air coolers for your CPU.

The chart above was compiled from information obtained on the product pages for the three Pure Rock Pro 3 versions we have for you today. All the towers come with a 250W TDP attached, and while coloration can be natural or black, they are all 139mm deep, 124mm wide, and 155mm tall. The Pure Rock Pro 3 and the Pure Rock Pro 3 Black weigh 1070 grams, but the LX is slightly heavier.

All of them support Intel sockets from LGA115x to 1851 and support AM4 and AM5 sockets as well. All use aluminum for the fins and copper for the six 6mm diameter heat pipes and the CNC machined bases. The vanilla and Black models use Pure Wings 3 fans that are 120mm in size. These fans will top out at 2000 RPM, giving out 59.6 CFM of airflow with 2.41 mmH2O of pressure. Lastly, we see mentions of the 4-pin PWM power method, the use of a rifle bearing, and 80,000 hours of life expectancy.

We also noted changes between the models and added that both the Black and LX models use electrophoresis to apply the black coating to parts after the tower is assembled. Back to the changes. With the LX model, the weight increases to 1080 grams due to the swapping of fans. Light Wings LX 120 PWM fans are used in this model to deliver the ARGB everyone is about these days. Along with the fan model change, we now get 61.8 CFM and 2.51 mmH2O of pressure, but the lifespan is lowered to 60,000 hours.

All three Pure Rock Pro 3 versions are backed with a three-year warranty, but we still have the cost to discuss. Many of you will be happy to hear that you can pick up the Pure Rock Pro 3 for just $54.90. Should you want to upgrade to the all-black example, you will need to cough up an extra $5 to reach the $59.99 price point, but visually, it is so worth that extra cash. Last is the Pure Rock Pro 3 LX with its black appeal and display or ARGB lighting; dig just a bit deeper, and you can have it for just $64.90. As it sits, be quiet! has dropped the mic after showing what we see here, as both by specifications on paper and with the lower costs associated with this trio, you will be hard-pressed not to give them serious consideration for your next build.

Best Deals: be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler

	Today	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$63.84 USD	$63.84 USD	-	Buy
	$62.89 USD	$62.89 USD	-	Buy
	$64.90 CAD	$138.47 CAD	-	Buy
	$109.98 CAD	$109.98 CAD	-	Buy
	£44.90	£44.90	-	Buy
	$63.84 USD	$63.84 USD	-	Buy
	$75 AUD	$75 AUD	-	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 5/15/2025 at 6:39 am CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Packaging

34

The Pure Rock Pro 3 Black is getting attention in this review, and the front of its packaging is typical of what we see from be quiet!. At the top is the company name with a splash of orange; in the center is a look at the CPU cooler, while the bottom displays the Pure Rock Pro 3 Black naming.

34

The others are packaged similarly, with most things being identical. On the left is the all-natural version of the Pure Rock Pro 3, and on the right is the LX option with its black towers and ARGB fans.

34

While we can easily see that this cooler was developed in Germany, the text at the bottom offers a mission statement while explaining who be quiet! is.

34

The back of the boxes explains that the pipes are the heart of a cooler and that the Pure Wings 3 fans perfectly match the Pure Rock Pro 3.

34

On the remaining side of the box, we find a QR code to take you to the product page for the specific cooler, which is then followed by specifications. As addressed earlier, this image does not stand for all three models, some changes in the charts happen between versions.

34

Inside the thick outer cardboard, we find the tower nearly encased in dense foam. All sides get protection while exposing part of the tower and the intake fan. Hardware and literature ride on top of the tower, and in all three examples, we found no damage - just a clean product ready to be used.

be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 Black CPU Cooler

34

The Pure Wings 3 120mm PWM fan does a terrific job covering the intake of the tower. The tower behind the fan is only 120mm wide, but the fan clips add a bit of width, giving the tower its 124mm width. Under the fan, we can see the pipes and the base is resting on a plastic support cup, protecting the pre-applied paste.

34

From the side we can see both fifty-fin towers, that accept the pipes, tightly bent on the left of the base, and much more gently on the right. We also left the foam to hold the second fan, one, because we did not open the hardware for fan clips, but two, it shows how far be quiet! goes to ensure their products arrive in top-notch condition.

34

Whether we are looking at the intake, the exhaust, or the surfaces in the middle, all of them look like this. At first glance, you may think these fins are flat across the width, but a closer look shows the ripples near the edges to support the fans, and the central portion is dropped and slightly curved to allow more space for the fans.

34

The sides of the tower also sport that ripple effect, with the waves leading to the central part, where the fan clips lock into the tower. We noticed that while the finds keep even spacing when left alone, the fan clips can shift them, and without using captured sides, spacing may need to be adjusted here or there.

34

The top of the Pure Rock Pro 3 is simple yet not. The plastic covers are textured black plastic, which, in dim lighting, blends into the background. However, with a little more lighting, you can see the "be quiet!" logos and the curved drop-off and body lines.

34

Between the towers, you will find a steel crossbar mounted to the base of the cooler. Each end has a spring-loaded screw, which is what mounts the CPU cooler to the hardware we find in the packaging.

34

The electrophoresis coating used lays a smooth layer of black on all the parts, although there is the slightest orange peel on both the fins and the pipes. Speaking of the pipes, they have the fins pressed onto them and make smooth and gentle bends at the back of the tower from the base to the fins.

34

We removed the plastic cap protecting the cooler's base to expose the pre-applied paste. It is a thin and even coating applied across much of the mating surface, free of dirt and debris, ready to go onto any CPU as-is.

34

We stripped the paste off since we used another paste for all the coolers. Exposing the nickel plate copper and its circular machine marks. As bases typically are, this one is convex, helping to increase mounting pressure.

Accessories and Documentation

34

We lined up Intel hardware first. On the left are brackets with CPU socket arrows ensuring correct orientation. The backplate is in the middle, with the O-rings and studs that lock into it and the knurled nuts that lock the brackets to the studs.

34

The AMD hardware is so much simpler. Using the motherboard backplate, you need to remove the top bits and replace them with these screws and brackets. Pro Tip: Use the "0" offset holes; the "8" offset is for their AIO.

34

For some reason, the spacers for both camps were sent floating freely in the bag, not with either AMD or Intel goodies. However, they are included and marked as to which end goes up. We also see the second pair of wire fan mounting clips to secure the second fan onto the tower.

34

We see the pair of Pure Wings 3 fans that come with the Black and vanilla models. They use daisy-chain power leads for their 4-pin PWM connectors. These nine-bladed fans, with their black-on-black aesthetic, are said to run near 2000 RPM but will run much slower with PWM control.

34

The manual and the warranty insert deliver all the information you need, and one thing to ignore. While everything you see in the manual is correct, AM5 users need to ignore the part about the 8mm offset use. It is in there for an AIO, which matters, but with the Pure Rock Pro 3 coolers, it hurts thermal performance, turning a six-pipe cooler into a four-pipe dual-tower cooler.

Installation and Finished Product

34

Hardware assembly is simple. We removed the plastic bits and screws from the top of our STRIX X870E-E socket and grabbed the parts shown in the manual. We placed the spacers on the motherboard, dropped the brackets in place, ensuring the arrows are pointed at the CPU, and used the provided screws to lock it all to the motherboard. Note that we took this image following the instructions and used the 8mm holes, which we or you shouldn't, and it is easy to see why.

34

We then applied Frost X45 thermal paste and while alternating screws, we locked the spring-loaded screws down to the brackets, turning until we ran out of threads. We can see that be quiet! conceded some room for RAM, but the fan will cover some of it from your view.

34

With the fans attached to the tower, and we moved back a bit, we love the way the Pure Rock Pro 3 blends into the build. Nothing too flashy, just a big cooler that plays well with the other components in our build.

34

While the intake fan does need to rest atop the Viper RAM, it did not extend the overall height of the tower doing so. If you have taller RAM and a thin chassis, this could be something you want to consider.

34

We also wanted to take the time to show off the other versions of the Pure Rock Pro 3, and here we have the base mode Pure Rock Pro 3. On a technical level, we get the same fans and the same tower, just that parts are left nickel-plated, and the hardware is also natural to match the tower.

34

The Pure Rock Pro 3 LX is a Pure Rock Pro 3 Black with ARGB fans. Everything else is identical. This review also includes a video showing this model's illumination.

Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results

Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

Thermal Results

34

Following the steps explained in our methodology article, we allowed the 9900X to boot up and idle down before taking its temperature. While the overall grouping is still tight, the Pure Rock Pro 3 Black allowed for the lowest temperature at 43°C, but the vanilla and LX models were slightly warmer at 44.1°C.

34

The view of average CPU package temperatures with PWM fan control shows us what we might expect to see while gaming. Compared to the best CPU cooler from the previous test system, be quiet! is within four to five degrees of it, with a more mainstream offering. In a range of 72.1°C to 72.8°C, all the Pure Rock Pro 3 solutions are decent and gets the job done.

34

Keeping track of maximum package temperatures is a way to see if a cooler stands out from the rest, as the boost algorithm wants to keep pushing. For now, the RZ620 is the standout in the chart, while be quiet! landed with Endorfy at 75 to 76°C.

CPU Speed

34

Dealing with boost means the cooler the CPU is, the faster it can go. Looking at the average speeds, be quiet! lands within a good range of speed between the RZ620 and the Fortis 5. Even though thermals may not be as good in our thermal chart, we can see that boost didn't mind and kept things faster for certain coolers.

VRM Thermal Results

34

While keeping track of VRM thermals for years has yet to make it into a chart, we decided it is time to show what we find, and it may help users see a broader picture. In our chart, the Fortis 5 is the coolest, but the results from the various Pure Rock Pro 3 models align with the other dual-towers and fan positioning on them.

Fan Speed and Noise Levels

34

With PWM controlling the fans, we rarely see the fans' maximum speed in this chart, but from what we gather so far, the Pure Rock Pro 3 coolers use the fastest fan speeds to deliver what we saw above. The 1280 to 1311 RPM range seems right, and things are nowhere near noisy, either.

34

With fans at their top PWM speed, we grab the meters and get to work on finding where these coolers land audibly. In this case, we see the vanilla Pure Rock Pro 3 at 35 dB, whereas the LX and Black delivered 36 dB. Neither value is audible inside a close chassis, and even in our half-open layout, we had to get within a foot of the cooler to hear it by ear.

Final Thoughts

As you have seen, be quiet! delivered with the Pure Rock Pro 3 Series. What we have are options of three models to fit whatever your heart or build requires, all with similar performance across the board. Whether you are old school and love that exposed metal appeal, they got you. If you want a murdered-out version that disappears into the backdrop like Homer into a bush, the Black model does exactly that. For those with all the flashy lighting, be quiet! make sure to deliver for those users with the LX, and what a peach it is when combined with the motherboard software.

In the box, you get a beefy, pro-grade feeling component with no damage due to the thoughtfulness of the packaging. Simplifying the hardware makes installation a breeze, no matter which camp you support, you should be up and running with a few minutes of effort. While we do wish we could see both sticks of RAM, that being the only gripe, we can let it pass. Mainly because we did not have to raise the front fan to make it work, leaving the overall height of the tower at spec level. If we dug deep, we would rather have had longer tails on the fan leads, as connectivity inside a chassis can get tricky with limited room to fumble with them.

Other than that, you get solid performance with average thermal performance and very little noise delivered to the user. Even the cost is a huge smile factor when looking at these coolers, as the worst it will hit your wallet is around $70, which comes with the ARGB and full black dinner jacket appeal.

With a three-year warranty to back you and either sixty or eighty thousand hours of life for the fans, you could see up to nine years or so of use before the fans give up the ghost. With the Pure Rock Pro 3 costing $54.90, the Black at $59.90, and the LX at $64.90, you just need to select your style and enjoy. The price is right, and the performance is there to keep out 9900X under control. As the company name suggests, they do it with near silence to the user. When you sit back and consider everything, the Pure Rock Pro 3 Series from be quiet! is a tough trio to pass over.