The fan is a low profile 135mm fan, optimized for silent operation; Be Quiet warrants 24.4dB(A) at 100% fan speed which is nearly inaudible in a normal living room, delivering the best balance between cooling performance and quietness its smooth operation is thanks to the nine airflow-optimized fan blades and durable rifle-bearing technology.

The total amount of components is also kept to a strict minimum to ease the installation process. The Shadow Rock TF2 is compatible with all Intel sockets and nearly all AMD sockets besides the Threadripper TR4.

Installation as mentioned is pretty straightforward, but can be best executed before installing the motherboard in the case; we tested this Be Quiet cooler on the Intel Z97 platform.

First we need to install the two Intel brackets. Afterwards add the bolt-down nuts in their appropriate position for the chosen socket; better make sure these are properly aligned in the foreseen cut-out. If not you will end up with a cooler being installed at an angle, thus not making perfect contact with the CPU heatspreader.

On the rear, install the Intel backplate and insert the screws and the plastic retaining clips. Afterwards carefully position the cooler and screw down gently. For LGA2011-3 and other HDET platforms, there is no need for the backplate, just use the included standoff screws.

No rocket science involved just take your time and if possible perform the installation out of the case.

For AMD, change the two brackets to the AMD one, with holes provided for AM3 & lower sockets. Be Quiet added Ryzen support via the AM4 holes; replacing the original AMD backplate is required for the Shadow Rock TF2. Similar to Intel installation insert the AMD screws, spacer and plastic clip.