Compare: Hyper 212 Halo Black vs Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

Design and Aesthetics:

Hyper 212 Halo Black

This cooler boasts a sleek, all-black RGB design that adds a stylish touch to any setup. Its compact size ensures it doesn't overpower the overall look and is ideal for builds where space is limited. Additionally, the cooler offers a sleek top that hides the coolers 4 heat-pipes. Moreover, it includes a sleek top cover that conceals its four heat pipes, contributing to a cleaner and more streamlined appearance.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

This cooler features a sleek black design that stands out. The signature Be-Quiet fan adds a unique touch, breaking away from the cooler's boxy appearance. Additionally, the top of the cooler boasts a clean design, contributing to a polished and refined look for your setup.

Install Notes:

Hyper 212 Halo Black

The CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Halo features a distinctive installation design that is somewhat more complex than the standard design found in modern coolers. Initially, the mounting brackets are attached to the cooler, which is then secured to the motherboard at four points. While the process is straightforward, ensuring an equal connection at all four points can sometimes be challenging when handling the cooler.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

The Dark Rock Pro 5 marks a notable advancement over its predecessors, featuring a mounting system that aligns with those of most mainstream coolers. This iteration enhances the design by securing the mounting bracket directly to the cooler, a change from the prior generation. Fan installation sees improvements too; the front fan comes pre-attached, ensuring perfect alignment, while the middle fan is designed to slide in from the top, secured by the top mount instead of side brackets. These enhancements significantly improve the cooler's setup and performance compared to the previous generation. Additionally, given the option to change the power speed on the top of the cooler, the middle fan has a 5 pin connector to facilitate this functionality, which forces you to use their connection rather than direct control through the motherboard.

Cooling Performance:

Hyper 212 Halo Black

The Hyper 212 Halo Black is small but works better than many other coolers. But, if you have a very strong computer or want to make it run faster than usual, this cooler might not keep it cool enough.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

There are two modes to this cooler, the performance mode and the quiet mode. The cooler selected covers the quiet mode of the cooler. Overall, this cooler provides better cooling than the average cooler tested. However, this cooler get's puts to its limits when placed under high loads. With that in mind, if you're looking to place this cooler on a CPU that produces a lot of heat, you may want to consider other options. Check out our temperature graphs to see how the cooler performance on your respective CPU.

Noise Performance:

Hyper 212 Halo Black

The Hyper 212 Halo Black is quieter than many other coolers tested and provides better cooling for the amount of noise it makes. However, this efficiency comes with the trade-off of achieving only moderate cooling performance.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

This cooler maintains a quiet profile relative to the average coolers tested and won't start to make noticeable noise until around 70% fan speed. This offers a significant benefit compared to most coolers if you're looking for a quiet setup.

Summary:

Hyper 212 Halo Black

The CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Halo features a unique, slightly complex installation and a sleek, all-black RGB design that suits any compact setup well. Although straightforward to install, ensuring even connection at all motherboard points can be tricky. Its design cleverly hides the heat pipes for a clean appearance. While it outperforms many coolers in terms of noise-to-cooling ratio, it's best for standard use rather than high-powered CPUs or extensive overclocking, due to its moderate cooling performance.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)

The Dark Rock Pro 5 represents a significant upgrade with its user-friendly mounting system and improved fan installation, ensuring better alignment and performance. It features a sleek design, enhanced by a signature quiet fan, and offers the ability to adjust power speed directly on the unit. This cooler excels in quiet mode, providing superior cooling under average loads but may reach its limits with high-heat CPUs. Its noise levels remain low up to 70% fan speed, making it ideal for those prioritizing a quiet setup.