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Best CPU coolers in 2024

Find the best CPU cooler for your needs to lower CPU temps and reduce noise, with air and liquid options from Noctua, Corsair, NZXT, and more.

Best CPU cooler

When it comes to choosing the best CPU cooler, there’s a diverse range of options that cater to both casual users and PC gaming enthusiasts. For most home users, the key criteria of a good CPU cooler are that it should keep your CPU cool while remaining quiet, though some users may want all-out cooling performance over noise suppression or need a super low-profile cooler to fit in a tiny PC. Whatever your needs, we’ve got a CPU cooler for you.

The world of gaming PC CPU coolers may seem daunting, but fear not! We’ve assembled a list of the best CPU coolers from reliable brands like Noctua, Cooler Master, Be quiet!, MSI, and NZXT. We’ve crafted a dedicated guide just for the best AIO cooler options, and if you’re wondering how to overclock your CPU, we can help with that too.

When picking a CPU cooler, ask yourself what your budget is, what space your case has, whether you care about making a fancy-looking interior to your case, and how much you care about noise. In general, quality air coolers are the best bet for most systems, as they can be quite cheap while being quiet. However, they can be big, bulky, and difficult to install. Instead, for a cleaner-looking build and an easier installation, all-in-one (AIO) water coolers are your best bet, but they can be a touch noisier and more costly too.

Why you can trust our advice ✔ At PCGamesN, our experts spend hours testing hardware and reviewing games and VPNs. We share honest, unbiased opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.

Noctua NH-D15

Best air cooler

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Noctua NH-D15 specifications:
Size 16.5 x 15 x 13.5cm
Weight 1.3kg
Number of fans 2
Noise level 19.2dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Rivals water cooling
  • Quiet
  • Two 140mm fans
Reasons to avoid
  • Restricts memory setups
  • Might be too big for some setups

The Noctua NH-D15 is a huge air cooler consisting of two 140mm fans and two heatsinks with compatibility for both AMD and Intel sockets. Despite its drab brown and beige color scheme, it’s the best air cooler in the business, with whisper-quiet operation and temperatures almost identical to some custom water cooling solutions under full loads.

The two main caveats with this cooler are that it’s expensive for an air cooler – though still a lot cheaper than top-tier AIO liquid coolers – and, again, it’s huge! Make sure to check the CPU cooler height clearance of your case, your memory height, and be aware that it won’t make for a clean, airy, RGB-filled interior to your PC – it’ll fill the thing with beige and brown.

Nonetheless, if you’ve got the room and you’re a fan of beige, this is a really top-quality piece of hardware that stands on the shoulders of countless previous generations of Noctua coolers. Its cable splitter helps you to avoid clutter, and it’s really simple to install and set up. Even on high-end Intel CPUs, it can handle extended multi-threaded workloads so it more than deserves its spot on the top of this list.

Read our full Noctua NH-D15 review.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White

Best CPU cooler for most

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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White specifications:
Size 12.4 x 7.3 x 15.4cm
Weight 839g
Number of fans 1
Noise level 27dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Simple to install
  • Stylish RGB lights
  • Compact
Reasons to avoid
  • Not strong enough for high-end CPUs
  • RGB inflates the price

Sure, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White might struggle if you’ve got a really powerful, high-end CPU that you need it for, but for the majority of readers we reckon that this is the perfect choice. It’s really easy to get it installed and is compatible with all current AMD and Intel systems, plus a broad selection of older models.

You’ll often find that it reaches 2,000rpm during gaming sessions, but the good news is that it manages to stay pretty quiet, even when it’s pushed to its limits. Meanwhile, its single 4-pin PWM cable will power the lighting and the fan at the same time, so you don’t need to worry about factoring additional cables in if you like a bit of RGB. However, if you don’t enjoy RGB lighting, then you may be disappointed that its inclusion on this cooler does hike up the cost (though there are cheaper, RGB-less alternatives available).

Anyway, all things considered, if you’re after a cooler that’s small, cheap, quiet, and gets the job done on all but the most powerful CPU cooler, this is the one for you.

Read our full Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White review.

ARCTIC Freezer 7 X

Best budget air cooler

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ARCTIC Freezer 7 X specifications:
Size 11.1 x 7.4 x 13.3cm
Weight 425g
Number of fans 1 x 92mm PWM fan
Stated noise 0.3 Sone
Reasons to buy
  • Outstanding value for money
  • Easy to install
  • Quiet operation
Reasons to avoid
  • Not ideal for overclocking
  • No tube of thermal paste
  • Gets hot on high-end CPUs

If you don’t have a huge amount of money to spend, then the ARCTIC Freezer 7 X is a great CPU cooler for a very affordable price. It might only cost $22.99, but we found it can handle a surprising amount of CPU heat.

If you’re just looking for a basic CPU cooler for a Core i5 or Ryzen 5 system, or you’re looking to replace your stock cooler with a model that’s quieter and more powerful, then the Freezer 7 X is the one for you.

Veterans of PC hardware might recall this cooler’s name from the olden days, when the ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro was a classic, all-purpose cooler, and the Freezer 7 X is similarly impressive. It’s remarkably quiet, even when its fan is spinning at its full speed of 2,000rpm, and it even managed to handle our overclocked eight-core Ryzen 7 test CPU in our tests.

This isn’t a cooler for a 16-core monster, and you’ll get more power by spending more money, but this budget buy is ideal for a CPU with a 65W TDP. With the Freezer 7 X, you can say goodbye to your noisy stock cooler, and build a quiet PC,  all for just $22.99.

Read our full ARCTIC Freezer 7 X review.

Corsair iCue H60x RGB Elite

Best RGB CPU cooler

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Corsair iCue H60x RGB Elite specifications:
Size 22.86 x 18.67 x 13.1cm
Weight 1.3KG
Number of fans 1
Noise level 28dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Stylish RGB lights
  • Easy to install, modular mounting bracket
  • Quiet performance
Reasons to avoid
  • No physical manual
  • There are more powerful options out there

Do you have a beautifully synchronized RGB lighting setup in your gaming space? If so, you’ll no doubt want to obtain a CPU cooler that fits in among it all. If that’s your top priority, then we recommend the Corsair iCue H60x RGB Elite. It’s reasonably, flashy, and it will do the job.

Admittedly, there are more powerful fans out there, but this one is by no means bad. What helps make it an especially convenient choice is the fact that it has a modular mounting bracket, making it easy for you to fit it into any setup. Annoyingly though, you will need your smartphone handy so you can scan the QR code and access the manual online, as it doesn’t come with any instructions. Bad news if you’ve got connection troubles at the time.

That’s about all we can say against it though. It’s a mid-tier CPU cooler that does a great job with AMD and Intel processors and is pretty quiet while it does it too. The RGB lights make for a lovely cherry on the cake for anyone who appreciates them.

Noctua NH-L9 series

Best low-profile CPU cooler

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Noctua NH-L9 series specifications:
Size 11.4 x 9.2 x 2.3cm
Weight 465g
Fans 1 x 92mm Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM
Stated noise level 14.8dBA-57.5dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Tight, compact design
  • Usually quiet operation
  • Great cooling power for the size
Reasons to avoid
  • Quite expensive
  • Limited to specific CPU sockets
  • Not suitable for overclocking

First, we need to explain why we haven’t chosen a specific model here, like with the other listings. That’s because there are several versions of the NH-L9. The NH-L9i will fit Intel sockets and the NH-L9a will fit AMD sockets, but both models have the same fundamental heatsink and fan design.

We tested the NH-L9a model and were really impressed by the cooling power of this mini heatsink and fan setup. It had no trouble keeping a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 7900 in check, which is a great achievement for a low-profile cooler.

It comes with a single 92mm Noctua fan, which usually runs quietly, although it can make a fair bit of noise if you stress test your CPU to the limit on all cores. A low-noise adapter is also included to spin the fan at a lower speed, and in our tests, this still gave the cooler enough power to enable our Ryzen 9 7900 to boost to its full boost speed.

Its main limitation is that it’s not suitable for overclocking, or for running a top-end CPU, such as a Ryzen 9 7950X, at full load. For that, you’re going to need a more powerful cooler, but this is still an absolutely fantastic choice for most people looking to build a powerful mini gaming PC.

Read our full Noctua NH-L9 review.

Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync

Best 420mm choice

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Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync specifications:
Size 456 x 150 x 52mm
Supported AMD sockets AM5, AM4, AM3, AM2
Supported Intel sockets LGA1700, LGA115x, LGA1200, LGA2011, LGA2066
Number of fans 3 x 140mm
Stated noise 35dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Surprisingly affordable
  • Superb cooling
  • Gorgeous RGB lighting
Reasons to avoid
  • Lack of Threadripper support
  • Enormous size
  • Has too many cables

Just showing that you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get top-tier CPU cooling, the mammoth Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync offers loads of cooling power for just $119.99.

It even looks good, with the RGB lighting on the fans and pump unit adding a touch of color to your build. the latter even has an infinity mirror effect that looks quite fancy when it’s all lit up.

The elephant in the room (or mammoth in the case?), however, is that this cooler is enormous. It has three 140mm fans on its radiator, adding up to a colossal width of 456mm – you’ll need to properly measure up your case to make sure you have room for it.

The result is worth it if you have a high-end CPU, though. Even when running at full load, our Core i7 13700K test chip only hit 76°C, while it’s around 5°C hotter on most coolers we’ve tested.

A wide range of CPU sockets are supported as well, going all the way back to AMD’s Socket AM2, and forward to Intel’s LGA1700 and AMD’s latest Socket AM5 chips. If you want superb CPU cooling for a low price, and you have a big case, this is the AIO cooler for you.

Read our full Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync review.

NZXT Kraken 240mm

Best AIO cooler

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NZXT Kraken 240mm specifications:
Size 12.3 x 27.5 x 3cm
Weight 1.3kg
Number of fans 2 x 240mm
Noise level 30.6dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Great thermal performance
  • Affordable
  • Near silent fans
Reasons to avoid
  • LCD display could be brighter
  • No RGB lighting

If you’re taking a serious look at overclocking your CPU then an AIO water cooler is one of the best options. This 240mm liquid cooler from NZXT is our pick. The virtually silent fans on the radiator have fluid-dynamic bearings, giving them a longer lifespan and quieter operation than any other fan technology. Naturally, there’s RGB lighting on the pump cover so people know you’re not running any old stock solution.

With this, you’ll see idle and load temps in another league to air coolers. If you are overclocking, make sure you’re picking up one of the best gaming motherboards to match, and make sure you pick up the best PC case that has space for that 240mm radiator.

In terms of aesthetics, it may not have any RGB lighting, but then, you’d be hard-pressed to find a cheaper option offering that kind of feature. If RGB is essential to you, read on to our next listing…

Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360L

Best RGB AIO cooler

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Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360L specifications:
Size 44 x 23.6 x 14.71cm
Weight 2.38kg
Number of fans 3
Noise level 27.2dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Colorful RGB
  • Choice of size
  • Affordable
Reasons to avoid
  • Cable management can be awkward
  • Mounting may be difficult

There’s no reason you can’t be serious about your cooling and want to add a splash of color to your gaming PC in the process – after all, the best gaming keyboards and best gaming headsets all have RGB nowadays, so why shouldn’t your CPU cooler match?

Cooler Master’s MasterLiquid series does this beautifully with its bright CPU block, and it comes in a handful of different sizes to make your next CPU upgrade a bit easier. The MasterLiquid ML360R has plenty of surface area and three 120mm fans to dissipate heat across its large radiator, but if you don’t have space for that in your case, then the MasterLiquid ML240R with dual 120mm fans might be more your pace.

While everything it does is top-notch, you might face some difficulty with the initial setup. It comes with loads of cables which can be difficult to smoothly integrate into your setup, and if you want to mount it, you’re going to have a bit of trouble because of its size. These things aside, it looks and performs admirably.

NZXT Kraken 120 RGB

Best 120mm AIO cooler

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NZXT Kraken 120 RGB specifications:
Size 12 x 12 x 2.6cm
Weight 880g
Number of fans 1
Noise level 33dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Compact
  • Wide range of compatibility
  • Quiet fans
Reasons to avoid
  • Noisy
  • Slightly more expensive

It’s true that the bigger the radiator, the better the job an AIO cooler can do, but sometimes you just don’t have the space for one. This doesn’t mean you should sacrifice the chilling effects a liquid cooler offers, however, as there are smaller options to choose from that might be easier to shimmy into your case.

The NZXT Kraken 12o is the little brother to our favorite AIO cooler and comes with many of the same perks. It keeps things quiet, goes easy on your wallet, and keeps your CPU at the right temperature for gaming, and on top of all that, it looks absolutely fantastic too, with its RGB lighting options.

The two main drawbacks of this model are the fact that it is slightly more expensive than some of the other options, and it can reach some pretty high noise levels. Both are relatively minor complaints in the grand scheme of things and if you’re after a 120mm AIO cooler, then this is going to be your best option.

NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB

Best LCD AIO cooler

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NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB specifications:
Size 121 x 52 x 394mm
Supported AMD sockets Socket AM5, AM4, TRX/4
Supported Intel sockets LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x
Number of fans 3
Stated noise 34dBA
Reasons to buy
  • Gorgeous looks
  • Fantastic cooling
  • Quiet operation
Reasons to avoid
  • Very expensive
  • Too many cables

Having an LCD on your AIO cooler’s pump block may not make your CPU run any cooler, but neither does RGB lighting, and the screen on the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB looks gorgeously sharp and vibrant. You can customize what’s shown on the display with NZXT’s CAM software too, courtesy of a USB 2 header that connects to your motherboard.

Of course, this mammoth cooler is also great at its job. Not only did it achieve the best temperature result we’ve ever seen on our Intel LGA1700 test rig, and it also had no trouble keeping our AMD Ryzen 9 7900X in check.

What’s more, this cooler runs really quietly, thanks to its three 120mm fans having enough capacity to cool a high-end CPU without spinning at full speed. It also has one of the quietest pumps we’ve ever tested, and the RGB lighting on the fans looks great as well.

The only downsides are firstly the sheer numbers of cables with which you have to contend, and secondly the price. If you want the best AIO cooler that money can buy, though, then this is the one for you, and you can often find it discounted in online deals as well.

Read our full NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB review.

How to choose the best CPU cooler

When choosing which CPU cooler is right for you, keep the following points in mind.

  • Pricing:  Low-tier coolers might cost around $50 (£40), while high-end options are as high as $250 (£200). Keep this range in mind as you buy – anything less than that is likely to be an inferior product, and anything more than it is likely to be overkill for personal use.
  • Noise level: We’ve noted the dBA of each cooler on this list, which gives you an idea of how noisy each one is. As a point of reference, a standard PC has a dBA somewhere between 30 and 50 when operating normally. Your cooler is not likely to be noisier than your PC itself, but keep in mind that it will be making the whole setup louder, and if you’re sensitive to sound, the lower the better.
  • AIO options: AIO coolers use a water-cooling system to keep your PC from overheating, while other coolers use air. If you’re in the process of overclocking your gaming PC, then an AIO cooler is going to be essential as air coolers can’t keep things cool to quite the same extent.
  • RGB: RGB lighting will make or break a set-up depending on your tastes. If you despise RGB lights, keep in mind that they’re not exactly optional on some CPU coolers, and if you adore them, make sure you avoid the coolers that don’t have any

With CPU coolers in particular, it’s important to test when pushing your device to its limits, as well as when using it for everyday purposes. Maybe it’s really loud, but only during understandable circumstances where you’re getting the most out of your PC that you can. If it’s still that loud when doing relatively sedentary tasks, this is going to make it a less appealing option. Meanwhile, you’ll need to check measurements and compare them against what your gaming desk can manage, and what space you have. If you’ve got any other questions, check out the FAQs below:

Best CPU cooler: Intel stock cooler mounted on motherboard

FAQs

Do I need a CPU cooler?

Most Intel and AMD CPUs come with a cooler (known as the ‘stock’ cooler), and they’re not necessarily that bad. If you’re planning on using your gaming PC for no-thrills gaming or non-intensive tasks, you can probably just go ahead and use the fan that came with your processor. Of course, if you want to squeeze every drop of performance from your gaming PC, whether through overclocking or just playing games at 4K, you’ll want to opt for a cooler that can bring temperatures down as low as they go.

Do I need a liquid cooler?

AIO coolers, on the other hand, do wonders for those who plan to overclock their chip. Even if you don’t want to tinker with your gaming PC but can afford the price hike, they offer much more headroom, chipping degrees from your peak temperatures.

The main question on everyone’s mind is whether it’s worth the risk of putting liquid in the innards of your system, but leaks the size of which could damage your components are much rarer than you’d think. Besides, you’ll always be backed with great aftercare and warranties if you encounter any hiccups.

Do CPU coolers come with mounting brackets?

Your CPU cooler should come with a selection of mounting brackets, but processor designs and shapes are continually evolving. If your cooler of choice was released before the new Intel Alder Lake series, you might find it doesn’t come with a suitable LGA 1700 bracket. Thankfully, you can pick up a new bracket fairly easily, and newer cooling options should be an issue.

Are stock CPU coolers good enough?

Long gone are the days of the included coolers sounding like a jet taking off once you boot up a game. The latest stock coolers from Intel and AMD are more than adequate if you’re not looking to overclock, or you’re trying to build the best cheap gaming PC.

Can a CPU cooler be too heavy?

You’re not likely to find one that’s so heavy that you can’t use it for your setup. You might have one that’s too big for small form factor PCs, but its weight won’t be the issue. Having said that, the heavier the cooler, the more it might vibrate and therefore increase its risk of wear and tear.