Air vs AIO: Which Style is Right for You? One quick way to tell whether or not a specific air cooler will fit inside of a specific case, is to check the height on the CPU cooler in question and the CPU cooler clearance allowed on the case in question (both can be found on each product’s spec sheet.). How we reviewed each cooler. We’ve chosen our pick for the best air CPU cooler, the best AIO cooler, the best all-around value option, and the best budget cooler. It does not use a heat plate to collect the heat from the CPU into its heat pipes. The coolers are ranked by performance alone. Nowadays, most CPU coolers come with different brackets that make it compatible with most modern CPU sockets. Entry-level liquid CPU coolers typically cost between $50 and $100.The models in this range are basic but competent. Because the previous handling of the heatspreaders, be it the cooler bottoms or the handling of the right thermal paste, is certainly worth reconsidering in some details. Any aftermarket CPU cooler will be much better at cooling your CPU than the stock cooler. Ever wonder what you should look for when buying your next air cooler? On TechGuided.com and the. While air coolers do typically last a long time, most companies don’t back their products with that long of a warranty. Best Budget Cooler for CPU Picks 1. The Intel Core i9-10900K is the best CPU for gaming at the moment. Once the CPU starts heating while running a demanding game, the radiator fans crank up their speed according to the CPU temperature, which you can monitor using the Corsair Link software. It can make a big difference in temperatures, noise and performance -- particularly if you're overclocking. This transforms the 4 individual pipes, into one continuous plate-like layer that sucks away the heat more efficiently than the simple pipe designs found on other manufacturers. This model features a near silent 120 double-blade fan design that does an adequate job of keeping everything cool, even when playing games on an overclocked CPU. Even at high speeds, the fan generates only 36 dB-A of sound. The table below represents our top choices for the best CPU coolers across various use cases and price points. Virtually inaudible Silent Wings 135mm … So, if you’re working with a tighter space, the Corsair H55 (or any of the other more compact AIO coolers) should serve you well. And, it will cost more than them, too. Those performance figures are mainly due to the 160 W TDP cooling capacity of this unit. Best Memory Choosing the right cooler for your best CPU is an important decision in any PC build or upgrade. The prominent features of the cooler like the fine quality material, reliable working stamina, affordable price, and beautiful design have ranked the Cooler master Hyper 212 in the list of the best CPU coolers of 2020. From these 4 heat pipes, the heat gets evenly distributed into the heat sink with the help of another 4 U-shaped heat pipes. Instead, it uses a special ultra-thin vapor chamber, similar to the ones used in high-end aftermarket graphics cards for cooling. So, CPU coolers serve the role of removing heat from your processor so that your processor can keep functioning properly. Air CPU coolers draw heat away from your processor with the help of a large heatsink and a fan (or two). In this post we examine five of the best-selling CPU coolers: 2 liquid coolers and 3 fan coolers. The best AIO cooler is one that should make the perfect combination with some of the best gaming CPUs. And, if you have an EVGA graphics card with RGB lights, you can actually sync the two items together. Air vs AIO: Which Style is Right for You? The Corsair H55 is a no-frills, simple to use, and highly compact liquid cooling system that will fit into the budget of any casual gamer or cash-strapped PC builder who wants to get the power of liquid cooling, but does not want to spend a fortune on it. Dimensions: 158.8 x 132.4 x 58.2mm | Base Height: 37.88mm | Weight: 43.87oz (1247g) | Fans: (2) 120 x 25mm RGB | Socket Support: AMD FM2(+), FM1, AM2(+), AM3(+), AM4, Intel 7115x, 1366, 2011x, 2066 | Warranty: 5 years. The pump block can be mounted on any modern Intel or AMD processor socket and comes with a mounting kit that includes an easy to follow mounting guide. So, before you drop ~$150 on a 360mm AIO cooler, you need to make sure that the case you’ve chosen can accommodate a 360mm radiator. The coolers didn’t originally come with support for AM4 motherboards right out of the box, but I can confirm that they do now come with AM4 brackets. But air CPU heatsinks are much bigger and bulkier and don’t quite offer that clean look that closed-loop liquid coolers do. That’s 36 dB-A for 2000 RPM if it runs at the minimum of 600 rpm the noise level decreases to just 9 dB-A. Unlike the 280mm EVGA CLC cooler listed above, which has been priced as low as ~$100, the Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB edition comes in at a littler over ~$130. We classify our coolers according to the following categories: It ships ready to fit and includes a pair of 120mm fans. The fans measure 140 mm each, and are mounted next to each other so you’ll need a 280 mm fan mount on your case to support one of these coolers. The Pure Rock 2 represents the same passion around thermal design, silent operation and manufacturing / build quality that has made be quiet! Explore Hydro X Series. Our CPU compatibility list helps you to choose the cooler model that is best suited for a given CPU and your individual requirements as far as turbo and overclocking headroom are concerned. With all the high end tasks that we do on a laptop it becomes very important for us to have a CPU cooler on our laptop. Best Budget Air Cooler Alternative: Arctic Freezer 34 Esports Duo Case compatibility and cooler height: Different PC cases offer different amounts of clearance for CPU coolers. Massive surface area for maximum performance. Best Liquid CPU Cooler. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. If money isn't that much of an object and quiet operation and low temperatures are important to you, you may want to consider a custom cooling loop. The other thing to consider is how much you have to spend. These fans come with automatic speed control and don’t rev up until your CPU needs the extra speed, thus keeping system noise to a minimum unless you are gaming, in which case these fans unleash their full potential and spin at 1500 rpm to send 140 cubic feet of air flying out per minute. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a CPU cooler, you’ll probably be limited to a budget-friendly air cooler. The first thing you will notice about this closed loop CPU cooler is its large size. Make sure that you are only using trustworthy and credible websites and sources. I am focusing more on air cooler instead of liquid because liquid coolers are best left for high-end devices. Don’t you hate it when they don’t care about you? On YouTube, I build PCs, review laptops, components, and peripherals, and hold giveaways. EVGA CLC 280mm AIO RGB LED CPU Liquid Cooler – Fantastic RGB Components at Your Service. Noctua NH-D15. So, if you are looking for something that can keep your system cool, give you good temperatures, and won’t cost you as much as a closed-loop system, and you don’t mind having a bulky air cooler take up a ton of space on the inside of your computer case (for aesthetic purposes), then an air cooler will be your best bet. The be Quiet! If you want to read our full review on the coolers, please go here. RAM temps also typically benefit. The Water 3.0 also comes in a 280mm version, but, if you have an extreme budget the 360mm version will take your cooling to the next level. Best Quiet CPU Cooler for building a Silent PC for Work and Gaming. Keep up with the rising temperatures of increasingly faster CPUs with a quiet, efficient liquid cooler or powerful air cooler from CORSAIR. The design of the ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports is also worth noting as not all air coolers are as nice-looking as this bad boy is. Learn More. So, with that being said, the list below goes over six of the best closed-loop liquid coolers currently on the market. The company’s pedigree, deeply rooted in performance and quality, are alone enough to draw the gaze of the enthusiasts. Information like that should be listed in a review like this. These high-performance CPU Air Coolers can be compared to a good AIO Liquid CPU Cooler … So here is my list of the best quiet CPU coolers you can buy ranked 1 through 3! be Quiet! Best CPU Air Coolers Windows Central 2021. And, for some of the more high-end air coolers out there, they are even able to perform on par with the top closed-loop liquid coolers on the market. 8. ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 120. This list will help you find the right liquid cooler for your needs. 1. The dimension of the entire cooling unit is just 120 x 79.7 x 158.5 mm, meaning that it is compact enough to fit on most motherboards and cases. Here are the best CPU cooler solutions (air and liquid/AIO) for a range of systems, from small form-factor builds to overclocked big-rigs. And, the Riing RGB version comes with Thermaltake’s Riing RGB fans. I feel better having direct airflow on the VRM, which tower-style coolers don't provide. Safe selection and shopping. The manufacturer says the Captain 120EX has a steampunk appearance, and the reactor-style pump housing is a feature that’s completely unique to this model. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is among the best CPU water cooler because it is very affordable, durable, and efficient. Best Threadripper Cooler Alternative: Arctic Freezer 50TR. Best Silent Cooler. However, CPU coolers really aren’t that expensive (especially if you go with an air CPU cooler) and they can give you better cooling and help put the finishing touches on a nice-looking build. The 140 mm SP140L fans are designed to deliver more static air pressure and featureless turbulence and noise. The ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports is our choice for the best value air CPU cooler currently on the market. It is great at doing two things- dissipating heat silently, and maintaining a low profile. Unlike bulky high-end air coolers that take up a ton of space, single fan closed loop coolers are much more compact making them perfect options for anyone that is using a mini-ITX case to build a mini gaming PC in. Triple Radiator Liquid Coolers. Best Motherboards This heat is carried to the aluminum heat sink and is then sent outside by the 120 mm PWM fan. Unlike some products that look good aesthetically but lack in performance, the All-in-One CPU cooler from Deepcool not only does the job, but it looks mighty fine doing it. If you’re looking for a high-end RGB-enabled 360mm AIO cooler, then you might want to consider the NZXT Kraken X73. I look forward to your response. Read:  be quiet! Related: The best CPUs for gaming, tested. 9. However, CPU coolers really aren’t that expensive (especially if you go with an air CPU cooler) and they can give you better cooling and help put the finishing touches on a nice-looking build. Setting up and installing the cooler is incredibly simple as it will easily fit on any AMD socket, and accepts all Intel sockets released after 2011, including the LGA 2011. Overall, this is probably the best CPU cooler under $50 currently on the market. Maximum airflow is a whopping 82.9 CFM, and yet it draws just 2.64 W of power. Where are you shopping / located? Air coolers also tend to cost less than AIOs, though that line is blurring as well. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU cooler is just perfect to provide the best cooling potential, to your high-power processor with its versatile aspects. LGA 2011, FX 8000, FX 9000- this beast can deal with all of them, and the Intel CPU’s don’t even get close to 60°C under load. So, if you’re going to buy a bulky air cooler, it would be a good idea to choose some lower-profile memory to ensure that no conflicts exist. Thank you, And, while the H55 won’t give you quite as good of thermals as some of the higher-end air coolers, it will be able to get pretty close. The fans are mounted on loop dynamic bearings and are self-lubricating with built-in anti-clog systems to increase operational life up to 160,000 hours- 4 times the life of a conventional air-based CPU cooler. The heatsink itself is all black and the fans are also all-black, but come with either white, yellow, green, or red accents. I have the Liquid Freezer 240 and I was able to find the stats that it is able to dissipate 300 Watts TDP. Searching for the Best CPU cooler for i7 9700k then we made a list of the Best CPU cooler for i7 9700k that you can get for your pc build. for less noise than the others). Dimensions: 171.5 x 139.7 x 133.4mm | Base Height: 38.1mm | Weight: 42.7oz (1210g) | Fans: (2) 140 x 25mm | Socket Support: 115x, 1366, 2011x, 2066; FM2(+), FM1, AM2(+), AM3(+), AM4 | Warranty: 5 years. The cool plate comes with a layer of thermal paste applied onto it and is built from extremely heat conductive alloy to transfer heat from your CPU to the pipes as efficiently as possible. In terms of cooling performance, the 280mm option does offer the best thermals. In fact, if you are planning on pushing your CPU to the extreme and you want something that will show off the aesthetics of the inside of your case, then a liquid cooler is probably more in line with your wants and needs. The ARGB offers three fully-lit RGB fans. For more on how these can perform (and how good they look), check out our Mirror Maze build feature. That's quite the oversite there Tom's Hardware. CPU coolers can get a bit expensive at the higher end of the product spectrum, and you wouldn’t want to spend $300 on your cooling system when you only need $50 worth of cooling power; or vice versa. On Amazon. Larger liquid cooling radiators won’t fit in every case either. It is capable of providing surprisingly low temperatures for its humble price, making it a superb budget choice. It features a unique patented PATS (Physical Antioxidant Thermal Spraying) heat plate that acts like a virtual vapor chamber, and efficiently transfers all the heat from the CPU to the five 8-mm heat pipes. Best Budget Liquid CPU Cooler. And all of this happens while keeping the sound levels under 24.6 dB-A. Best CPU Air Cooler 2020. The radiator is a C-tower type and holds two fans in a push-pull configuration for maximum efficiency. For most, the stock cooler that comes with the processor (although, some processors do not come with a stock cooler) is decent enough for casual use. 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