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Let’s start by looking at Precision Boost Overdrive test results. With 90C the maximum target temperature for PBO, we are looking at how the cooler achieves the balance between lower temperature operation and higher PBO clock speeds. Higher clocks with lower temperatures are better. But one cooler may run at slightly higher temperatures than another, albeit with higher clock speeds, so look out for that.
In essence, this test is showing us how far the cooler can be pushed while keeping a sensible 90C maximum. Or whether there is more room for pushing clocks and power delivery beyond the PBO limits while still sticking to a 90C target.
Firstly, it is critical to note that small differences in the displayed delta temperatures are not important for our PBO testing as the clock speed and cooling power achieved are more important metrics.
be quiet!'s Dark Rock TF 2 makes a tough start in our PBO test with the Ryzen 9 5950X. The temperature hits its 90C limit, as expected. However, the Ryzen 9 5950X operating frequency of around 4.1GHz when cooled by the Dark Rock TF 2 is notable lower than from alternative 135mm-class tower style CPU coolers.
In fact, the 185W CPU package power cooled result is well below the level we saw from the significantly cheaper be quiet! Shadow Rock Slim 2 which we liked a lot.
PBO testing highlights some real challenges for the down-draft style Dark Rock TF 2 CPU cooler in our test environment. Our manual overclocking testing will deliver further insight.
If you are interested, stock test results for the Dark Rock TF 2 had the cooler running around 36 degrees above ambient – which is a little worse than from the Zalman and Shadow Rock Slim 2 135mm tower-style coolers. This was 128W of package power cooled and resulted in an all-core load frequency of around 3.82GHz, which was also slightly lower than the alternative 135mm tower-style units.
