INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
What’s cooler than being cool That’s right, keeping your PC components ice cold
And, here at TechRadar, we love building and overclocking the best gaming PCs we can get our hands on – and we know that the best CPU
coolers will help you squeeze every drop of performance out of even the best processors
Even if you don’t ever find yourself staying up late at night, obsessing over your BIOS settings, buying one of the best CPU coolers is
still a great idea, as the lower CPU temperatures they allow will mean you PC will run faster and last longer.The best CPU coolers come in
every shape and size, and what’s best for your PC will largely depend on what you need
Don’t get caught up on your budget either – there are plenty of air cooling solutions out there that will perform admirably without
And, if your budget permits you can still pick up a high-end liquid cooling solution that will make even the best processor think its in
Regardless of what you’re looking for, we here at TechRadar will help you find it with this list of the best CPU coolers you can buy in
2018 – each one tested and ranked right here.But, enough with the introductions, let’s dive into what you’re all here for – the best
Regardless of your budget, no matter what kind of cooler you’re looking for, no matter the aesthetics, we’re confident you’ll be
satisfied with our choices here
So, whether you’re in the market for an elaborate, complicated beast like NZXT’s Kraken X62, or you want something a little more subdued
and inconspicuous like the Noctua NH D15, you’ll find something here. Noctua NH-D15Type: Fan and heatsink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775
– LGA 2066; AMD AM2 – AM3+, FM1 – FM2+ | Rotation frequency: Up to 1500 RPM | Noise volume: 19.20dbA – 24.60dbA | Dimensions (W x D
x H): 160 x 150 x 135mm | Weight: 2.91 pounds (1.32kg)Whisper quietSix-year manufacturer’s warrantyToo big for some PC buildsThe Noctua
NH-D15 tops our list for one simple, yet compelling reason: it may not be a liquid cooler, but it can perform just as well as – if not
better than – some all-in-one coolers
Now, you might not be overly familiar with Noctua’s name, they’re relatively small in the CPU cooler game, but their entire business is
centered around designing coolers, so you know that when you buy one of their products, you’re getting a product by people who really know
Not only will you get stellar cooling performance from this thing, but you’ll also get extremely diminished fan noise as well
When you combine all of that with their six-year warranty, you have a recipe for one of the best CPU coolers you can imagine. Cooler Master
Hyper 212 EVOType: Fan and heatsink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – 2066; AMD AM2 – AM3+, FM1 – FM3+ | Rotation frequency: Up to
2,000 RPM | Noise volume: 9dBA – 36dBA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 120 x 120 x 25mm | Weight: 1.26 pounds (0.57kg)Balanced cooling
performanceHeat pipes ideal for conductionAM4 bracket sold separatelyA constant reminder of the age-old saying ‘if it ain’t broke,
don’t fix it’, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is a mainstay in pretty much any budget build, as its one of the most affordable CPU
coolers you can buy today
Although it only features four heatpipes and an aluminum fin structure, this renowned CPU cooler has proven itself time and again to be as
efficient as any liquid cooling system
These air coolers are designed to make heat dissipation a breeze, whether you’re playing Destiny 2 at max settings or reading TechRadar in
a web browser. This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing
Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Noctua NH-D15 Noctua NH-L9Best low-profile CPU coolerType: Fan and heatsink |
Compatibility: Intel LGA 1156/1155/1151; AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/FM1/FM2 | Rotation frequency: Up to 2500 RPM | Noise volume: 14.8dbA – 23.6dbA |
Dimensions (W x D x H): 206 x 184 x 37mm | Weight: 1.03 pounds (0.47kg)Ultra compactSix-year manufacturer’s warrantyOnly 92mm fanThis CPU
cooler is among one of the smallest we’ve ever used for our own Mini ATX builds
It come from an Austrian company as our best CPU cooler that specializes entirely in PC coolers and fans, which means no compromises are
made in the way of quality assurance despite its low-profile form-factor.NZXT Kraken X62Type: Liquid cooling system | Compatibility: Intel
2011 – 2066; AMD AM2 – AM4, FM1 – FM2+ | Rotation frequency: Up to 1,800 | Noise volume: 21dBA – 38dBA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 315
x 143 x 30mm | Weight: 3.2 pounds (1.45kg)Dead silent and high performingRGB lighting is gorgeousPrice range out of bounds for someKnown
best for its cases, such as those produced in collaboration with Asus and Razer, you may be surprised to learn that NZXT’s CPU coolers are
every bit as impressive as the hardware which encloses them
The Kraken X62 is no exception, being one of the few 280mm all-in-one liquid coolers to feature RGB lighting
Given that the radiator comes pre-attached and the thermal paste pre-applied, the NZXT Kraken x62 is awfully easy to set up too
The packed-in CAM software, which lets you tweak settings on the fly, is merely icing on the cake.Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R RGBThe
best compact liquid coolerType: Liquid cooling system | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – LGA 2066; AMD AM2 – AM4, FM1 – FM2+ | Rotation
frequency: Up to 2000 RPM | Noise volume: 6dbA – 30dbA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 83.6 x 71.8 x 52.7mm Luminous RGB lighting Premium
build A little expensive 2018 is the year of RGB everything, and Cooler Master is jumping on this trend with the MasterLiquid ML 120R
What’s more, it integrates some of the first addressable LEDs (meaning you can control it through the motherboard and other software) seen
This all-in-one liquid cooling solution isn’t just about the looks, as it features an oxidation-free pump and an efficient radiator
This means that not only will this cooler last a long time, but it will keep your CPU ice-cold the entire time – without taking up too
much space in your PC. Arctic Liquid Freezer 120Best budget liquid-coolerType: Liquid cooling system | Compatibility: Intel LGA 2011 –
2066; AMD AM2 – AM3+, FM1 – FM2 | Rotation frequency: Up to 1350 RPM | Noise volume: 22.5dBA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 120 x 120 x 25mm
| Weight: 2.65 pounds (1.2kg)Strong performanceInexpensiveSomewhat noiseyFew featuresFor less than 70 big ones in both US dollars and
British sterling, the Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 is a deal you can’t pass up if you’re on the prowl for a liquid cooler that won’t
While it lacks the bells and whistles of pricier, more extravagant liquid coolers, like the NZXT Kraken, the Arctic Liquid cooler is enough
to get you by, not to mention it’s still a massive step up from the classic fan and heatsink pairing
So, while you can’t expect RGB lighting or software – or even hardware-based fan control, the 120mm variant of the Arctic Liquid Freezer
will keep your system refrigerated at a (mostly) quiet volume. This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing
Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF Corsair Hydro Series H5 SFBest low-profile CPU
liquid-coolerType: Liquid cooling system | Compatibility: Intel LGA 115x; AMD FM2 – FM2+ | Rotation frequency: Up to 1,800 RPM | Noise
volume: 36dBA – 42dBA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 167 x 57 x 84mm | Weight: 2 pounds (0.91kg)Guaranteed leak-free tubingCompact, all-in-one
form factorBlower style coolerEven if you have a budget that allows for some of the more serious liquid cooling solutions, even some of the
sweetest PC cases don’t permit the sheer mass of a bulkier, dual-fan or even a single 120mm radiator
That’s where the Hydro Series H5 SF proves building small doesn doesn’t mean you have to give up on liquid cooling
NZXT Kraken X62NoFan CR-95CType: Passively cooled heatsink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – 1156; AMD AM2 – AM3+; FM1 | Noise volume:
0dBA | Dimensions (W x H x D): 180 x 148 x 180mm | Weight: 1.6 pounds (0.73kg)You won’t hear a peepWorks well with low-power
CPUsExorbitantly massive95W TDP limitationUnless you’re already neck deep in the rabbit hole that is silent PC assembly, you’ve probably
never heard of NoFan, a South Korean component company that specializes in helping enthusiasts reach that 0dBA silent sweet spot
In doing so, of course, you can count on severely limiting yourself in terms of power, with its CR-95C fanless solution being limited in
compatibility to processors whose TDP fall below 95W
Still, the NoFan CR-95C is worth a shot for those sporting low-power rigs that prioritize tranquility over raw horsepower. This Product
is only available in the US at the time of this writing
UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Noctua NH-L9 nFxg7deCRPDQpWy45dFYAP.jpg#
