To keep your existing RAM when replacing a tower cooler with a top-flow design, check two separate spaces: the height below the case panel and the room beneath any cooler overhang. Pure Rock LP is the smallest of these four assemblies at 92 × 92 × 45 mm. Shadow Rock LP needs 75.4 mm of height but permits only 31.7 mm RAM beneath its front overhang. Shadow Rock TF 2 and Dark Rock TF 2 stand 112 and 134 mm tall, respectively, with higher, orientation-dependent memory clearance. A lower cooler can therefore create a new RAM conflict.
Start with the RAM you intend to retain, the motherboard socket and the case in its actual assembled configuration. The useful purchase is one complete cooler that satisfies all three, including its supplied fans and mounting hardware. These four are alternative assemblies; you do not need parts from every model to build a solution.
Pure Rock LP: Start with the Small Square Footprint
Pure Rock LP, model BK034, puts a 92 × 92 × 15 mm fan above a compact black heatsink. Its complete 92 × 92 × 45 mm envelope makes it the first height candidate here for a particularly shallow enclosure. The manufacturer's side view shows how little the fan rises above the fin stack; it does not show a raised canopy with a large open area beneath it.
Choose it for investigation when there is insufficient room for the other three assemblies, or when their wider footprints collide with components beside the socket. Its small footprint is useful because the first question becomes whether that square fits around your actual CPU position, memory sockets and motherboard heatsinks. It is not a promise that every board leaves that square unobstructed.
There is no numeric RAM-clearance allowance for Pure Rock LP in the manufacturer's 2021 RAM guide: the model is absent from that document. Do not transfer the unrestricted-memory description of Pure Rock Slim 2 to this different product. For tall RAM, obtain the board-specific cooler check or a matching physical layout before counting the memory as retained. A 45 mm total cooler height does not, by itself, tell you which adjacent DIMM heatspreaders can sit alongside it.
Also check installation access before treating this as a simple in-case swap. The manufacturer's datasheet describes installation from the rear side. Confirm that the case provides the access required by the correct socket instructions, or plan to remove the motherboard. Budgeting for that access is more useful than discovering it after the old cooler is off.
Shadow Rock LP: a Low Canopy with a Tight RAM Limit
Shadow Rock LP, BK002, spreads its fin stack and 120 × 120 × 25 mm fan over a 134 × 122 mm footprint. The side view reveals the offset relationship between the contact base, curved heatpipes and overhanging fins. That arrangement matters more to retaining RAM than the appealing “LP” name.
Use 75.4 mm as the complete stock height. The manufacturer's datasheet explicitly labels 134 × 122 × 75.4 mm as dimensions including the fan. Its product-page tables also contain 50 and 75 mm heights under different headings; neither is a reason to buy it for a 50 mm cavity or round the assembly down when clearance is close. Do not add the 25 mm fan thickness to the already assembled 75.4 mm figure either.
The RAM guide gives 31.7 mm at the front. Compare that with the exact installed memory model's complete height, including its heatspreader and any lighting cap. “Low profile” on a RAM listing is not a measurement. A module taller than the published allowance cannot be counted as retained under that overhang simply because the cooler itself fits below the case panel.
Do not solve that conflict on paper by leaving a slot empty or assuming the cooler can rotate into any position. First establish which slots your motherboard requires for the intended memory population, then check the permitted cooler orientations and nearby obstructions. An offset design is a reason to inspect the layout, not evidence that an alternative orientation will clear every module. If the overlap remains unresolved, keep this cooler off the purchase list while considering the other complete assemblies.
Shadow Rock TF 2: More Room Under a Larger Overhang
Shadow Rock TF 2, BK003, uses a 135 × 135 × 22 mm fan and a taller support structure below its wide fin stack. The complete assembly measures 137 × 165 × 112 mm. Its greater height can accommodate taller memory beneath the overhang, but the 165 mm span also makes motherboard and enclosure obstacles more important.
The manufacturer's RAM guide specifies 48.5 mm at the front and up to 48.5 mm at the rear, depending on orientation. Rear clearance therefore depends on the mounting direction. A picture of the cooler facing one direction cannot establish the same clearance after it is turned on a different motherboard. Map the manufacturer's front and rear to the selected mounting orientation rather than equating them automatically with the front and back panels of your case.
This makes Shadow Rock TF 2 a plausible geometry candidate for memory too tall for Shadow Rock LP when the case can accept the taller assembly. Check the overhang over every occupied slot, the heatpipe bends beside the socket, motherboard heatsinks and the nearest expansion-card area. A fit check should also leave a workable route to the CPU fan header and access to the fasteners needed for installation.
Socket support can eliminate it before those measurements matter. The current product list includes AM4, but does not list AM5, LGA1700 or LGA1851. Do not borrow approval from Shadow Rock LP or another cooler with “Shadow Rock” in its name. For one of those unlisted platforms, obtain explicit manufacturer confirmation and the correct hardware before purchasing BK003 for the build.
Dark Rock TF 2: Allow for the Complete Two-Fan Assembly
Dark Rock TF 2, BK031, has two horizontal heatsinks and two 135 mm fans. The side view shows the upper fan and the second fan between the heatsinks, along with the heatpipes extending around the support structure. This is a substantially different physical package from a small square cooler sitting close to the CPU.
Plan for 163 × 140 × 134 mm with the stock fans. The manufacturer's fan-included datasheet establishes that envelope. A 107 mm height also appears in the product-page table, but it is not the complete stock two-fan height used here. The manufacturer permits a single-fan assembly; that statement alone does not establish a verified alternative total height, RAM allowance and thermal result for your proposed build.
The RAM guide gives 49 mm at the front and up to 49 mm at the rear, depending on orientation. That is only 0.5 mm more than the published Shadow Rock TF 2 allowance. It does not turn Dark Rock TF 2 into an unrestricted-RAM design, and a nominal difference that small is a poor substitute for checking the exact memory, cooler orientation and board layout.
Consider it when the case can accommodate the complete assembly and its documented memory space matches what you already own. Keep both fans and their intended mounting parts in the initial purchase plan. Removing a fan to rescue a failed height check changes that plan and requires its own confirmed configuration; it should not happen invisibly in the comparison.
Compare the Whole Envelope, Then the Covered RAM
The dimensions below include the supplied fan or fans and follow the manufacturer's length × width × height order. Use the corresponding orientation when checking a motherboard layout. The product views illustrate individual shapes; their different framing is not a common-scale size comparison.
| Complete cooler | Fan-included envelope | RAM condition to retain existing modules |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Rock LP, BK034 | 92 × 92 × 45 mm | No numeric allowance established here; verify the small footprint against the exact board and RAM |
| Shadow Rock LP, BK002 | 134 × 122 × 75.4 mm | Front allowance 31.7 mm; verify actual overlap and permitted orientation |
| Shadow Rock TF 2, BK003 | 137 × 165 × 112 mm | Front 48.5 mm; rear up to 48.5 mm depending on orientation |
| Dark Rock TF 2, BK031 | 163 × 140 × 134 mm | Front 49 mm; rear up to 49 mm depending on orientation |
The RAM allowances come from be quiet!'s model-specific RAM guide. They describe clearance under the relevant cooler structure, not a promise that the same board clears every other part of the assembly.
Use your case's CPU-cooler limit for its intended configuration, including any relevant side bracket, drive carrier or other obstruction. A broad cooler may reach an obstacle away from the CPU even when its tallest point passes the nominal height limit. Likewise, fitting below the lid does not establish suitable intake space or cooling performance for the CPU's workload.
For example, suppose a case allows 65 mm and you want to retain 44 mm RAM. Only Pure Rock LP passes the height screen among these four. That narrows the next investigation to its board and memory fit; it does not certify the RAM clearance or prove that the cooler meets the CPU's cooling needs.
In a hypothetical 120 mm case with the same RAM, Shadow Rock LP fails the published front memory allowance and Dark Rock TF 2 fails the stock height screen. Shadow Rock TF 2 passes those two numerical screens, provided its actual orientation offers the required clearance. On an AM4 board it can remain a candidate; an AM5 board introduces the separate socket-support gap described above. Pure Rock LP still needs its own layout confirmation.
Check the Socket and the Hardware in the Actual Box
Use the exact model number and current platform listing together. Old manufacturer datasheets remain useful for the explicitly stated complete dimensions, but their historical socket lists do not prove which mounting kit is supplied in a box sold today.
| Platform | Pure Rock LP | Shadow Rock LP | Shadow Rock TF 2 | Dark Rock TF 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM4 | Listed | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| AM5 | Listed | Listed | Not listed; confirm before buying | Listed |
| Intel LGA1700 | Listed | Listed | Not listed; confirm before buying | Listed |
| Intel LGA1851 | Not listed; confirm before buying | Not listed; confirm before buying | Not listed; confirm before buying | Listed |
| Intel LGA1200 / 1150 / 1151 / 1155 | Listed | Listed | Listed within the 115x / 1200 entries | Listed |
These entries follow the four current product specifications checked for this comparison. “Not listed” leaves a purchase unresolved; it does not establish that a future approved kit can never exist. Conversely, a listed socket still requires the correct mounting components for that model and platform.
For an older, used or open-box cooler, compare the supplied brackets, spacers, fasteners and any required backplate with the correct installation manual. Establish which original motherboard parts the instructions retain. A bag marked “Intel” or “AMD” is insufficient proof, and hardware from the removed cooler is not automatically reusable. Have the complete mounting solution before dismantling a working system.
Include Fans, Paste and Header Access in the Purchase
The stock fan arrangement is part of the fit decision. Replacing a slim fan, raising one or adding hardware can change the envelope you just checked. Begin with the complete supplied configuration and treat any alteration as a new physical check.
| Cooler | Supplied fan arrangement | Published lead length | Thermal grease and connection planning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Rock LP | One 92 × 92 × 15 mm PWM fan | 260 mm | Paste applied; route its four-pin PWM lead to the appropriate header |
| Shadow Rock LP | One 120 × 120 × 25 mm PWM fan | 220 mm | Paste applied; no Y-cable listed |
| Shadow Rock TF 2 | One 135 × 135 × 22 mm PWM fan | 200 mm | Paste applied; check the shorter route beneath the overhang |
| Dark Rock TF 2 | Two 135 mm PWM fans, 25 and 22 mm thick | 220 mm | Paste included; accessories list a Y-cable for the fan connection |
These are the model-specific published arrangements, not a recommendation to replace the supplied fans. Dark Rock TF 2's accessory list explicitly includes the Y-cable even though another fan-table row displays a dash. Check that it is present in the actual package. None of the four current accessory lists promises a screwdriver.
Check the cable route, not just the straight-line distance to the header. Keep the lead clear of fan blades and avoid trapping it beneath the cooler or case hardware. If an extension is genuinely necessary, count it separately rather than assuming one is included. Use the motherboard's instructions for the appropriate header and connection limits.
Fresh factory-applied paste can serve the first installation when intact. A previously mounted cooler needs an appropriate fresh application after cleaning; a used listing cannot promise usable paste just because the original specification says “Applied.” Dark Rock TF 2's included grease likewise needs to be present and usable. Arrange the correct tool and consumables with the mounting kit so the selected assembly is ready to install.
Decide What to Keep Before Ordering
Retain the existing RAM when its complete height fits the covered region in the permitted orientation, or when the selected cooler is confirmed to leave those modules clear. Retain the case when the full stock assembly clears its actual configuration. Retain the motherboard when the exact cooler has a supported socket and complete matching mounting hardware.
For example, with a hypothetical 140 mm case allowance and 48 mm RAM, both TF 2 assemblies pass the basic published height and front-memory screens. That gives you two layouts to investigate, not a performance winner. Their different footprints, rear clearance, socket support and supplied kit determine which can remain on the list. The manufacturers' TDP labels do not replace a CPU-specific cooling assessment.
If covered RAM exceeds 49 mm, neither TF 2 allowance establishes a fit under that overhang. Keep the RAM requirement and seek a confirmed arrangement that leaves it clear; do not remove its heatspreaders, omit required modules or guess that a fan adjustment will solve the conflict. Order one complete cooler only after the height, footprint, memory, socket and kit checks agree.
