How should you keep your CPU cool? Should you stick with a traditional air cooler that uses a heatsink and fans, or opt for an all-in-one liquid cooler with a pump and radiator? Radiators take longer to heat up thanks to the additional mass of the water circulating through them, but once they do, they're also harder to cool back down. For shorter gaming sessions with breaks in between, liquid coolers can work well, but for prolonged workloads, air coolers often provide better value and reliability.
The more powerful your CPU, the more cooling you'll need, no surprise there. But bigger doesn't always mean more expensive anymore. In fact, some of today's most capable coolers are surprisingly affordable. If you run a high-power desktop system and move your PC around frequently, you might feel safer with a radiator that bolts securely to your case with eight or twelve screws, rather than a heavy block of metal hanging directly off your motherboard.
Liquid cooling also makes sense if you're using a slim case that can't accommodate a large air cooler. However, pumps are much harder to replace than fans if they fail, and while rare, the possibility of leaks inside your system can be unnerving. Air coolers avoid those risks and are often easier to maintain.
Whichever route you take, this guide will walk you through many great options at every size and price point.
Best Air Coolers
ID-Cooling Frozn A620 Pro SE + Many Alternatives
The ID-Cooling A620 Pro SE matches the performance of the Thermalright Peerless Assassin series that shook the market years ago – for even less money. In all but the most demanding scenarios, it will perform just as well as the best CPU coolers on the market, while remaining just as quiet, for less than half the price.
Starting at just $30, this cooler features six copper heat pipes, two 120mm fans that fit most cases, and a split-tower design that minimizes airflow loss. You can find marginally better coolers, such as the Thermalright Phantom Spirit ($36) that uses seven heat pipes, but the Frozn A620 Pro SE is so good that it's hard to justify paying more unless you need extra benefits like improved RAM clearance.
The only reason not to choose the ID-Cooling A620 Pro SE is if you have tall RAM modules. If your RAM is taller than 40mm, you'll need to move or remove the front fan. At more than 60mm tall, installation becomes impossible. In that case, the Scythe Fuma 3 ($50) is a better choice. It offers similar performance with complete RAM clearance, thanks to its asymmetrical design.
Good, more compact alternatives
If you're not using any of the most power-hungry CPUs, you can also go with a more compact and lightweight cooler that won't hide half of your motherboard. There are several good options including the Thermalright Burst Assassin 120 EVO ($28), ID-Cooling Frozn A410 DK ($35) and Arctic Freezer 36 ($38).
Budget coolers that are much better than stock
AMD has discontinued the Wraith Spire, once a respectable out-of-the-box cooler for mid-range CPUs. Intel's stock coolers, as well as AMD's Wraith Stealth included with low-TDP processors, are meant to be replaced if you want to get the most out of your CPU.
If you want to improve upon what your stock CPU cooler offers for as little money as possible, here are three options: the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 ($15) ID-Cooling SE-214-XT ($18), and Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE ($18).
Threadripper Cooling
At first glance, AMD's Threadripper CPUs may seem harder to cool because of their extra cores. However, their larger surface area actually compensates – provided the cooler is designed to take advantage of it.
That's why Noctua can manage with a compact single-tower cooler and two 140mm fans in the NH-U14S TR5-SP6. If you prefer liquid cooling, SilverStone offers the XE360-TR5, which includes a 360mm radiator and three 120mm fans, priced at $388.
Best Low-Profile Cooler
Thermalright AXP120-X67
The market is full of low-profile CPU coolers because they're inexpensive to produce and can fit into almost any case. The problem is that most of them perform no better than stock coolers – if at all. If you've bought a mid-range CPU and need this form factor, here are your best options.
For top gaming performance in a compact package, the best choice is the Thermalright AXP120-X67. Standing just 67mm tall, it features six heat pipes and a slim 120mm fan. It also provides full RAM clearance and comes in several color options, starting at $30 for the gray version.
If you need an even shorter cooler and your CPU is efficient enough, you still have several good options. One of the shortest coolers with a 120mm fan is the ID-Cooling IS-55 ($40), offering five heat pipes in a body only 57mm tall.
For something smaller still, the Thermalright AXP90-X36 ($20) is just 36mm tall, with four heat pipes and a 92mm fan. Another noteworthy option is the upHere H45K6 ($30), which stands 45mm tall and packs six heat pipes with a 90mm fan.
Best All-In-One Liquid Cooler
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 280
Radiators marketed as "360mm" may sound superior to "280mm," but this naming convention only accounts for the combined length of the fans while ignoring their width. At the same speed, two 140mm fans provide nearly the same cooling as three 120mm fans, while producing less noise, being easier to maintain, and still fitting into cases with 5.25" bays.
At $80, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 280 is difficult to beat in this category. Its two 140mm fans operate between 400 and 2,500 RPM, and the pump is cooled by a dedicated 60mm fan that also helps regulate motherboard VRM temperatures.
An ARGB version is available for $88, while a larger "420mm" variant with three fans costs $98 ($108 with ARGB). With a six-year warranty, this is the complete package.
Where nothing else fits: Enermax Liqmax V4 120mm
If you're working with a Mini-ITX case where space and airflow around the CPU are severely limited, a 120mm radiator may be your only sensible choice. Such a radiator isn't going to cool as well as ones that are twice or more its size, but it can still be a worthy improvement upon a stock cooler.
This is a niche category, and new models are rarely reviewed, but based on the series' reputation, the Enermax Liqmax V4 120 is likely your best choice at $60.
Its dual-chamber pump ensures that hot water moving toward the radiator doesn't mix with the cooled water being pulled away. Unlike most radiators of this size, its fan features a variable speed range of 500 – 1,800 RPM. The cooler offers four years of warranty, and the magnetically attached display can help you know if the pump fails.