Hardware Sales: Massive CPU Cooler, Smaller CPU Cooler, & Budget X99 Board

Having just upgraded to an EVGA Classified board for our X99 test bench, we've been shopping around for X99 platforms over the last week. The Classified board isn't a cheap option at $350 to $400, but there are budget-friendly X99 boards for users who don't require heavy multi-GPU configurations and OC features. We found an ASRock X99 board and two Be Quiet! products on sale this weekend.

Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3 CPU Cooler ($75): We reviewed Be Quiet's Dark Rock Pro 3 CPU cooler previously, showing that it was one of the best units we've tested on the bench. The Dark Rock Pro 3 trailed only liquid coolers, but performed with profound silence and cooling abilities. Note that the unit is massive and does best when installed horizontally to reduce strain on the motherboard.

Be Quiet! Pure Rock CPU Cooler ($30): Priced more reasonably, the Be Quiet! Pure Rock cooler is of a smaller, less strain-inducing class. The Pure Rock is competitive with the Hyper 212 and uses a similar design, but implements a better fan.

ASRock X99 Extreme 4 ($151): After $30 MIR, ASRock's X99 board becomes one of the most affordable on the market. It lacks almost all of the same high-end features found on competing boards, but doesn't cost a fortune. If you're trying to build a “budget” X99 configuration, this is a worthy consideration.

- Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke.