Best CPU Coolers of 2021
Those of us who have been building PC’s for years have all experienced the disappointment of opening the box for a new part only to realize you are missing some critical and unsaid component. Without the right connector or finishing piece, an SSD is just a paperweight, a CPU can’t be attached. In today’s market, it’s actually pretty common to forget to purchase a cooler for your processor! As the CPU has improved, some of the most common or mainstream CPU lines have ditched stock coolers and relied on the PC builder to bring his own cooling solution from home. This, despite costing a little more money, is ultimately a positive step for the market because stock coolers don’t always do justice to our cooling needs. In this guide we’ll discuss the best cooling solutions for CPU’s for every budget and even dive into liquid cooling (Pun intended). If you are more interested in the tech than picking up a cooler immediately, skip on down to our tech guide where we help you understand all there is to know about coolers.
Does my CPU really need a cooler?
Yes. In a manner of seconds, not minutes, seconds, your processor will be torched without great cooling. The amount of heat generated is IMMENSE and proper cooling not only saves your gear from being this summers hot BBQ dish, it lengthens the lifespan tremendously for parts that you hope last at least 4-5 years.
Why do I need a better CPU Cooler?
You might not! We aren’t here to lie to you and sell gear, we’re here to be a positive voice in the PC Gaming world. A CPU Cooler is incredibly important but a new one isn’t for everybody. That being said, a select audience will find themselves absolutely needing better cooling. We said you need a great cooler and that is true, because the heat produced is immense. The good news is that stock coolers are pretty good. I also said they don’t do justice to our cooling needs. That’s because a stock cooler may struggle once you put a new GPU in or in the case of modern CPU’s, it overclocks out of the box. Stock cooling is good enough for those of us on a budget but it also is a pretty simple point of failure for a system if the game you load up really pounds the processor.
If you don’t plan to overclock your PC at all, and are running at generally acceptable temperatures, a stock cooler is most likely going to work great. Where this gets dodgy involves a lot of factors. For instance, living in a tropical climate with no air conditioning will tax your computer more than a temperate climate that doesn’t need to be heated. Putting in a better GPU with bad cooling may affect it. Poor case design or a lack of fans could affect temperatures. There are too many factors let alone the reality that a lot of enthusiasts just want fancy lights and cooling is more of an added boon. We’ll cover checking the temperature and more in our tech guide to see if you are in need of an upgrade!
How we picked our coolers
Cooling is complicated. It requires the right case size, coolers don’t fit easily between certain socket types, they block the motherboard sometimes making a small change like that of switching RAM a total headache. We selected our favorite solutions for different CPU socket types as well as some liquid cooling. I feel old saying Air Cooler because it was just assumed for a long time that is cooling but our Intel and AMD picks are just that.
OUR FAV BUDGET INTEL COOLER – COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 EVO
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler w/ 4 Continuous Direct Contact Heatpipes, 120mm PWM Fan, Aluminum Fins, Intel LGA1151,...
- Well-balanced cooling performance provides fin optimizations with perfect balance between high and low speed operations
- Wide-range PWM fan with unique wave-shaped blade design for excellent airflow
- Dimensions (L x W x H): 120 x 80 x 159 mm / 4.7 x 3.1 x 6.3 inch ; Heat Sink Dimensions (L x W x H): 116 x 51 x 159 mm / 4.6 x 2.0 x 6.3 inch; Fan Dimensions (L x W x H): 120 x 120 x 25 mm / 4.7 x 4.7 x 1 inch
Free shipping
- Fits roughly any Intel Socket type
- Great cooling and sharp look
- Can add an additional fan
- Cheap as chips
- After about 10 builds, noticing that it can get a bit dicey with Intel Overclocking on new CPUs. Temps are fine but noise is a bit wild.
Our Take
Not gonna lie. I’ve built four different Intel computers this last year for work projects and every time, I’ve just popped a Cooler Master Hyper 212 of some sort onto the CPU and let it soar. I love this cooler, it’s my go-to. They come in a variety of shapes and formats, installation is a breeze, and it even has room for an additional fan if you really want some power. Cooler Master makes awesome products and even has other cooling solutions in addition to thermal paste, cases, and more. So, while I’m admittedly a fanboy, I did run into a problem with my last two builds. Intel CPU’s (I was using i7-9700k’s) have come with some fancy smart overclocking software. Upon booting up my CPU’s and doing video editing, I found that there was some pretty strong buzzing and whirring when using Media Editing programs. And while the heat level was fine, the amount of strain on the fan did make me nervous. I don’t like to overclock my machines anyways as I tend to put them through the wringer so inevitably after four months I decided to disable the OC in the BIOS. So with a problem that big, why is it my number one Intel pick? Because it’s cheap, reliable, and only faces issues when you push your equipment further and further. If I was to overclock, I’d just splurge on liquid cooling. Thus making this the best fit for my Intel niche. With an upgrade kit, you can technically use this with AMD but there are just a ton of coolers AMD already has that work so why add in additional purchases and more work?
back to menu ↑OUR FAV MID-RANGE INTEL COOLER – COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 X
Cooler Master RR-212X-20PM-A1 Hyper 212X CPU Cooler with Dual Fan (2) x 120 mm
- 600 - 2,000 RPM (PWM) +/- 10%
- Same as above, but better!
- Fits roughly any Intel Socket Type
- Great cooling and sharp look
- Can add additional fan
- Cheap as chips
- A bit big so check your case size!
Our Take
Remember that minor issue with heating and fan noise? While it’s annoying, Cooler Master didn’t want to stick with it being annoying. They developed the Cooler Master Hyper 212 X which is an incredible value for a mid-range budget cooler. It may cost a little more but for those running an LGA 2066 CPU that experiences heatstroke, this is a great option. It’s a bit stronger and newer and will probably do the job you need short of converting to liquid cooling. For any gamer who isn’t diving deep and trying to squeeze more frames out of an RTX 2080 Ti, this will probably be an amazing buy and cover the bases you need. If you have an i5 though, don’t worry, just get the EVO. This is a big cooler so it’s important to really pay attention to how it fits in the mobo. Nothing is worse than blocking RAM, your case not closing, or any other of the many problems that arise from a poor fitting cooler. I’ve had some that cover my RAM while my current Mobo doesn’t have that problem. It’s important to check!
back to menu ↑OUR FAV AMD COOLER – NOCTURA NH D15
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler with 2X NF-A15 PWM 140mm Fans (Brown)
- State-of-the-art dual-tower design with 6 heatpipes and 2 fans provides class-leading cooling performance for overclocking or near-silent systems
- Successor of the classic NH-D14; more than 250 awards and recommendations from leading international hardware websites and magazines
Free shipping
- Really powerful air cooler
- Fits on Intel products well
- Fantastic 6-year warranty
- The price fluctuates a lot
Features
Unique Dual Tower design (Fan and Heatsink alternated)
Our Take
One of the best coolers in recent years has came from Austria, a small company named Noctua has made a fast and powerful cooler. I’d love to rave for hours about this but as a consumer, you should be aware that it is a fan. And reviewing a fan, as fun as it is, doesn’t usually involve a deep dive into features. The reason the Noctua NH-D15 is a great choice is both price and compatibility. AMD has changed the socket type several times over the last decade and it can be frustrating to buy a cooler and then need to purchase an upgrade kit. Since 2019, Noctua NH-D15 come with AM4 appropriate parts and they even go above and beyond. If you need the additional kit, they’ll add that to you at no cost. That’s customer service! This badboy has a pedigree of 250 awards and the design is pretty nifty with a fan in between the heatsinks for even better cooling coverage. It’s not the cheapest but its probably the best cooling you’ll get with an air cooler and I’ll concede it allows for some light overclocking. Be warned that it has gone for $150 while being carried at other sites for $90! The fluctuation in price is huge so make sure to do your research. Finally, the warranty is for 6 years. 6 YEARS! That means you can pretty much bank on this lasting as long as you’ll be using your CPU.
3. The Best Budget Liquid Cooling Solution – Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240L RGB V2
back to menu ↑BUDGET LIQUID COOLER – COOLER MASTER MASTERLIQUID ML240L RGB V2
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid ML240L RGB V2, Close-Loop AIO CPU Liquid Cooler, 240 Radiator, Dual SickleFlow 120mm, RGB Lighting, 3rd Gen Dual...
- 3rd Generation Dual Chamber Pump for overall cooling efficiency and performance
- New SickleFlow Refreshed exterior design for improved lighting and fan blades for a quiet airflow performance
- RGB Lighting Signature cooling performance with an RGB design for all of the users wanting lighting effects that are fully customizable
Free shipping
- Can use on almost any CPU Socket Type
- Pretty affordable for liquid cooling
- The wireless RGB controller and splitter is pretty nifty
- Plastic design is prone to failure if not installed carefully
Features
240mm Radiator with dual fans
Rocking RGB options
Pretty stellar design and look
Huge compatibility list
Our Take
Liquid cooling is freaking cool! And Cooler Master, the old liege, has some awesome coolers for all budget levels. I really like the design as it is simple and easy on the wallet without going into scary territory. In general, having a legitimate Cooling company behind your liquid cooling solution is 100% recommended. I love this liquid cooling solution. It’s affordable, powerful, and will do the trick. Be forewarned that the biggest complaint is that the plastic mounting is a bit difficult to use and easy to break if you aren’t careful. Those that manage to install it correctly though have an incredible time and get amazing cooling for cheap. Additionally, it has a sick remote meaning RGB control on the fly! Going with some cheap no-name option well… I have to preface this with the reality that liquid isn’t something you want spraying inside your desktop computer. As obvious as that seems, words like budget and liquid cooling generally don’t go hand in hand. Yet here we are. Generally, you should expect to be just shy of $100 to get liquid cooling in your rig. Absolutely do not go find something on Wish or Alibaba. That’s a recipe for your new desktop simulating Atlantis.
back to menu ↑BEST LIQUID COOLER FOR THE ENTHUSIAST – CORSAIR HYDRO SERIES H100i RGB PLATINUM
Corsair H100i RGB PLATINUM AIO Liquid CPU Cooler,240mm,Dual ML120 PRO RGB PWM Fans,Intel 115x/2066,AMD AM4/TR4
- Two 120 millimeter ML PRO Series RGB magnetic levitation PWM fans deliver a blast of color and improved airflow for extreme CPU cooling performance. Air flow - 75 CFM. Noise level - 37.0 decibels
- 16 Individually controlled RGB LEDs light up the pump head to produce stunning, customizable lighting effects to match your build
- Affordable and really effective at what it does
- Probably the Defacto standard of easy to install liquid cooling
- Really great RGB control
- Buying the cheaper models can reportedly result in early failure (Very subjective)
Features
Dual 120mm Fans (240mm radiator)
RGB enabled with iCUE
Tons of compatible socket types
Our Take
Corsair is becoming one of the best-known producers of liquid cooling systems (At least for those who aren’t custom designing one) and has found itself cutting out a nice place in the market. The H100i is more than one cooler, it is a series, so we’ve selected the one that we believe offers the best balance of cooling and features without pumping up the price. If you want the best RGB and more cooling, you can increase the fan-size and throw some money into it. Realistically this will do the trick for most situations though. Any Tech Reviewer worth his salt these days seems to love the H100i for a variety of factors, least not being the epic light show you can display with the RGB options. The H100i is an affordable yet powerful water cooling system that ensures you get cool temps and can pump your PC to new levels of gaming perfection. Overclocking is tough, it takes a really good understanding to not brick your whole system. Cooling like the H100i allows you that wiggle room to do this without running your machine into the great beyond. We wrote brave enthusiasts because raving fans of Corsair love the H100i series but many have said they have poor customer service and some have stated that this failed as a cooling system. This seems tied to specific models though, especially the cheapest ones. Make sure you do your due diligence and confirm it’s got a good record! There aren’t a ton of negative reviews of the higher end versions but the v2 AIO for instance doesn’t rank super high (Most reviews are several years old at this point).
TECHNICAL GUIDE
How to pick a good cooling solution
First, you need to understand that the minimum solutions are risky (Bad cooling) but a moderate solution is usually cheap and effective. If you cheap out and get some $10 Chinese cooler off of Amazon, you may be buying a new processor soon. If you spend $30-$50 on an air cooler though and have a decent case setup, you should be fine. The worst-case scenario for that level of cooling failing is usually a long warning, some beeping, and auto-shutdown. Your CPU is safe and you don’t need to get a new rig.
What affects the temperature of my desktop?
Your desktop is affected by an array of things, from the number of fans to the speed and position of fans to the games you play, to the external environment. The most important thing is to make sure you are hitting some minimums.
1. Your CPU should idle at an acceptable temperature with a good cooler
2. Your CPU, when pushed to the extreme in a modern AAA title, should never exceed 80 degrees celsius. If it is hotter than that, you risk a broken gaming rig.
3. If you have a great cooler and still have heat issues, check the case fans or airflow.
4. If you have a good case and good cooler and bad temps, although it is an absolute pain, replace the thermal paste. This happens occasionally when the paste gets really old.
What happens if the temperatures surge?
Most computers have a good failsafe system. The computer will turn off, you might hear beeping noises. If you are having an issue with your computer and think it is heat related, there are tons of heat checking programs. CPU-Z and Core Temp are great options but since they are powerful free software, make sure you avoid installing bloatware during setup. They’re never going to install bad programs but you might get a new browser or some Candy Crush if you aren’t paying attention.
In general, your computer will be fine if it initially starts overheating. Modern design will just shut it down and you can find a solution. If you ignore this though and coast at high temps though or raise them dramatically fast (No cooling solution, no thermal paste). You could burn out your CPU or start to cause deterioration. Also overclocking to much will destroy parts in mere seconds.
What are cooling solutions made of?
Heatsinks
These large pieces of metal soak up a ton of heat and can actually look pretty stylish. They’re attached to the outside of every cooler and can be quite massive. A good heatsink will pull heat away and dissipate it.
Fans
Every CPU cooler needs something similar to a fan or an aggressive device pulling heat away. If you just put a heatsink on, it wouldn’t work, you need the flow of air. A good cooler will have one or maybe two fans that connect to the motherboard in CPU Fan power slot. The more you add, the more you need to have a case that can handle the increase in room. The Fans come in different sizes and speeds. Generally bigger and faster is better but it’s also noisier. If you don’t want to sound like you are launching a helicopter every time you boot up, this is important to consider.
Thermal Paste
Thermal Paste is this special material that you apply to the outside of your CPU upon installation. A couple of things to note are that thermal paste brands are not all equal, a cheap solution might not work well, but it shouldn’t be pricey. You just want to use a solid brand. Secondly, a little goes a long way. Nothing is scarier than putting thermal paste on your CPU, seating the cooler, and then scrambling for a paper towel to wipe it away. Ashamedly I’ve done this multiple times in my lust for excellent cooling. It’s ok to eliminate the excess but if it drips off the CPU or onto the sides of the mobo it could cause problems.
Finally, make sure your thermal paste is not designed to conduct electricity. This would be a huge problem as that when applied sloppily can cause electrical current to course through parts unknown on the mobo. That results in a nice black char mark, and a broken CPU, Mobo, and maybe even PSU.
Liquid Cooling
Liquid cooling is not as simple as plugging it in and leaving it although some solutions are far simpler these days. You may need to maintain fluid and replace your fluids occasionally. Always make sure there is absolutely no condensation build-up, and make sure to proof your build as much as possible. Liquid cooling most commonly is a radiator, fluid, and some fans but more extreme versions have liquid nitrogen or special fluids. Even crazier solutions submerge the entire machine in tech safe cooling fluid that has to be replaced regularly. You are most likely at the radiator, fan, liquid level so don’t overthink it.
Consider size!
Make sure to build with a solution and case that doesn’t make using the desktop difficult. For instance, if it covers up your RAM, be careful, as switching it might be difficult. Make sure your case is big enough. A simple google search can find the answer usually. Nothing is worse than a case that won’t close or RAM you can’t reach because your cooler is too big and they’re hard to remove as well-meaning that reseating your heatsink/cooler is an absolute pain.
Thanks for joining us at World’s Best Gaming
We love bringing an honest, relatable, and hopefully easy to grasp voice into the PC market. Buying a cooling solution is a pretty simple task when it comes down to it. While there is a lot to consider, most solutions will be just fine. If you’ve seen an item you like, consider clicking a link and purchasing your dream cooler. It helps us keep making great content and we also are committed to not being cheap sell-outs. We’d put any of these cooling solutions in our own machines. As always, keep returning for more gaming content from WBG and check out our other articles if you want to dive deep into all things PC.
