Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White
280 AIO
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5
Air tower
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White lands at 90 and be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 at 91. That puts be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 ahead by 1 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White if…
- ✓Multi-socket bracket support
- ✓Quiet fans at idle
- ✓Strong TDP rating
Pick be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 if…
- ✓Multi-socket bracket support
- ✓Quiet fans at idle
- ✓Strong TDP rating
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testThermals
TieCompared on the thermals sub-score
Effectively tied — neither pulls a 2-point weighted lead.
Install
TieCompared on the install sub-score
Effectively tied — neither pulls a 2-point weighted lead.
Noise
TieCompared on the noise sub-score
Effectively tied — neither pulls a 2-point weighted lead.
Value for money
TieSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Effectively tied — similar score-per-dollar at MSRP.
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 280 AIO | Air tower |
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White
- +Multi-socket bracket support
- +Quiet fans at idle
- +Strong TDP rating
- −Height may conflict with RAM heatspreaders
- −AIO pump noise varies
- −Installation requires motherboard-off
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5
- +Multi-socket bracket support
- +Quiet fans at idle
- +Strong TDP rating
- −Height may conflict with RAM heatspreaders
- −AIO pump noise varies
- −Installation requires motherboard-off
FAQ: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White vs be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5
Which is better, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5? +
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 scores 91 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 1. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White worth the price? +
At $99, Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in thermals.
Is be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 worth the price? +
At $109, be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 delivers a Specdex score of 91 — strongest in thermals.
Does Arctic Liquid Freezer III 280 · White or be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.