Compare: Assassin IV vs Dark Rock Pro 5 (Performance)

Design and Aesthetics:

Assassin IV

This cooler boasts a clean and modern design that sets it apart from other air CPU coolers available today. The entire cooler is tightly put together, which can make it a bit tricky to figure out how to take it apart into its different parts. The middle fan is hidden seamlessly without any visible gaps around it. It comes in an all-black design with DeepCool's signature textured radiator, adding a stylish and modern touch to any setup.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Performance)

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:

Assassin IV

Installing the Assassin IV is made easier with its smooth setup process. However, because it's small and designed with a lot of details, getting it installed correctly might be a bit tricky if you don't follow the instructions they give you. This cooler uses a bracket that's almost the same as premium coolers and attaches to the motherboard in a way that's like the AK620 model. Figuring out how to put the cooler onto the brackets might be a bit puzzling because its design is so seamless and neat. The top metal mesh that covers the fan sticks on with a magnet, so you can easily access and remove the middle fan during installation. Then, you can attach the cooler to a two-point system and put the middle fan back in place. However, this cooler doesn't put it's fan in the front like most other coolers, so the exposed fan faces the rear. One neat thing is that the fans are already connected, so you only need one plug to turn on both fans and the cooler's LED DeepCool logo. There are additional brackets to potentially add a third fan to the front of the cooler.

Dark Rock Pro 5 (Performance)

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.