Best CPU Coolers for PC in 2023

Modern CPUs often require powerful and sustained cooling to maximize their overclocked performance. Here are some of our best picks!

Aftermarket CPU coolers are now more of a necessity than a novelty and AMD's 7000 series and Intel's 12th and 13th generation have upped the ante significantly as their unlocked processors tend to push thermal boundaries. This essentially means that one needs to be picky while looking for value when it comes to a good liquid cooling or an air cooling option for the CPU which not only gets the aesthetics and performance you desire, but also delivers both in the price bracket you desire.

With Intel's 13th generation pushing TDP requirements in excess of 300 watts and AMD not lagging too far behind thanks to its own implementation of a hard 95-degree limit that aims to maximize the benefits of a cooling solution, finding a good cooling solution for your CPU might be beneficial in terms of both raw performance and increasing the longevity of your PC hardware.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler is all about maximizing your CPU's cooling, doing so with as little noise as possible. Using the bundled dual Noctua NF-A15 PWM fans and low-noise adapters, the NH-D15 is a capable air-based CPU cooler that has a no-frills, all-business approach to its job of cooling some of the beefiest CPUs available in the market assisted by the bundled high-end NT-H1 thermal paste.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler is the best-in-class contender for CPU air coolers, and as the successor to the NH-D14, it has huge shoes to fill but it does so easily. Coming in the standard Noctua brown color (It does sell in a different black theme for those of us wanting to get something matching their builds), it decimates most of the tests one can throw at it, delivering stellar cooling performance thanks to its 6 heat pipe tower structure with 2 powerful and silent Noctua NF-A15 fans in tow.

It comes with both, the excellent Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste and low-noise adapters. It also discards any attempts to push RGB or ARGB support that is quite popular with most people getting a gaming PC or in some cases, even workstations. Do note that if you go for this cooler, check its size specifications. It is larger than it looks in the pictures and some mid-tower cases that take liberties with the amount of space they offer might find this to be a very tight fit. That is if it fits at all; if it does, however, your system now houses arguably the best overall air cooler in the market right now.

The ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 ARGB CPU Cooler is an excellent liquid cooler that comes with Noctua fans in the non-ARGB version looks great with Asus's own ROG AF 12S ARGB fans too. With the Asetek 7th Gen pump coupled with a copper base and a tri-fan radiator, the Ryujin II 360 ARGB is designed to take on the fastest consumer-grade AMD and Intel chips you can throw at it while keeping them remarkably cool.

The ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 ARGB CPU Cooler is an AIO-based CPU cooler that looks, feels, and performs the part of a premium cooling solution. While it abandons the more silent Noctua fans from its last iteration in a bid to offer ARGB ASUS-themed fans this round, the Ryujin II's ARGB variant is no slouch when it comes to delivering on performance. It can keep some of the beefiest processors available to date easily well under their optimal temperature limits.

Running a fully maxed-out 13900K in the 70–80 degrees range is no mean feat and the Ryujin II does more than deliver on this front with our test unit. It was paired however with Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut Extreme and the Thermal Grizzly 12th generation contact frame. The 3.5' LCD screen is impressive and quite customizable using the bundled Armory Crate software.

All in all, the ASUS ROG Ryujin II 360 ARGB CPU Cooler is a beefy, but stylish AIO, that delivers on the performance end while using top-notch hardware backed by a comprehensive 6-year warranty. The price might be an issue for some, but we feel it earns its place as both, our best overall cooler and the best AIO cooler simultaneously.

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 120 gives PC builders the experience of liquid cooling at a budget price. This water cooling system features a low-profile dual-chamber pump design and a low-vibration pump for near-silent performance. The substantial FEP tubing reduces evaporation and keeps liquid flowing at the highest rates possible. The 120 mm air balance fan ensures that the system runs quietly and fits in most PC cases.

Even though the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 120 is not the newest AIO available, it does do one thing a lot of its newer competitors cannot. Fit in about pretty much any case, and be incredibly affordable. For just about $70, you can pick up this AIO cooler and make your next small form factor build a breeze. That being said, if you are looking to overclock your CPU, this might not be the right cooler for you. Although, with how thermal-hungry modern CPUs are, overclocking might not have been in the cards for your small form factor build anyway.

This cooler is pretty much universal with any CPU socket, regardless if you are an AMD or Intel user. The thermal performance of the Lite 120 is also excellent, especially when considering the price point. Except for some of the top-of-the-line CPUs, you can expect to see some great cooling performance from this little AIO. Plus, the included 120mm fan is nice and quiet.

The Noctua NH-L9i is the ideal air CPU cooler for HTPC or small form factor PC builds. The NH-L9i stands at a height of only 37mm and yet its 2500 RPM fan outputs enough airflow to cool LGA115x and AMD 4 series processors. The NH-L9i is an excellent choice for Mini ITX motherboards, designed not to block other components even with limited space to work with.

When it comes to air cooling solutions, it is hard to go wrong with a Noctua cooler, like our best overall choice, the NH-D15. But when you are building in a smaller case, the NH-D15 can be a bit of a problem. That is where the NH-L9i comes in. This little CPU cooler measures in at an incredibly small 95 mmx95 mmx37 mm, making it super easy to fit in any case and still get excellent cooling performance. If you are not a fan of the ubiquitous brown-on-tan color scheme that Noctua has, this cooler also comes in an all-black variant as well.

Regardless of your build, the NH-L9i should fit in easily regardless of RAM size or if your GPU is a quad-slot monster. Although if you are building a small form factor PC, chances are you are not using one of the GPUs anyway. Unlike most CPU coolers, Noctua makes installing coolers such a simple process. There is no finicky bracket, just 4 screws which makes it incredibly easy. Just make sure you use a diagonal screw pattern so you place even pressure onto the cooler and CPU.

The ID-COOLING FROSTFLOW X 240 Snow CPU Cooler is an excellent budget cooler that offers a somewhat longer tubing than most competing brands' 360 mm coolers while offering decent cooling and acceptable LED lighting that can help you build an excellent system without punching your wallet repeatedly.

The ID-COOLING FROSTFLOW X 240 Snow CPU Cooler is an interesting pick on our part, and it was made with much consideration at our end. It does offer a slew of features: wide compatibility, a dual fan radiator, LED lighting, and acceptable performance while looking much more premium than the sub $50 price it commands currently. That being said, it can handle most, if not all the CPUs that are available currently with ease, though it may falter somewhat with Intel's top-end Core i7/i9 offerings that can push TDPs of 250-300W, requiring better cooling than most when overclocked or boosting beyond rated frequencies.

Interestingly, the ID-COOLING FROSTFLOW X 240 Snow CPU Cooler also supports AMD's Threadripper platform and while untested by us or our partners on this processor line, it is a nice option to have. While there are some quality control qualms across some platforms, it doesn't change the fact that the Frostflow 240 cooler is a capable performer, and if you are miffed about the white LEDs being the only option available to you on a liquid cooler, it is built to spec, and you can pick up any cheap pair of ARGB 120 mm fans to make it look and perform like a more expensive cooler whether you desire more color options, more airflow or simply quieter operation.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White CPU Air Cooler is a budget CPU air cooler that considerably ups the ante on stock coolers while delivering solid air-cooled CPU performance potential in a small, inexpensive package that works well for most CPU's thermal needs.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White CPU Air Cooler is one of the latest versions from the Hyper 212 CPU cooler lineup from Cooler Master. The Taiwan-based PC cooling and power supply specialists have always delivered with the Hyper 212 lineup that serves as a stellar and inexpensive alternative for most stock coolers and also provides some headroom for unlocked mid-range processors to achieve high clocks with a no-nonsense approach to a CPU cooler that just works.

The Halo White edition of the same promises the same performance but invests significantly in the aesthetics aspect of the cooler as it faces increasingly competitive coolers that also attempt to go for the no-nonsense approach to CPU cooling and sometimes even exceed the Hyper 212 in terms of performance. The Hyper 212 does edge its competition in some key factors however; It benefits from being relatively low-profile, coming with a compact form factor while looking better than the competition with a polished white design in tow.

The fact that it has a low noise profile when operating at full capacity means that it can be used in both office and gaming setups easily. While it is not the cooler you want to pair with the latest Intel Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processors, it does do a better job than any of the stock coolers available across both current-gen lineups while providing acceptable performance across the board for all but the highest end processors in either product line.

Unlike some PC components, there is actually a fairly straightforward process for picking a CPU cooler. Ultimately it comes down to a couple of factors.

First, what kind of processor are you using? Make sure you are looking at coolers that are compatible with your processor. Secondly, are you looking for an air cooler or a water-cooling solution? This one comes down to more of a personal preference but also what your thermal needs are. Finally, what aesthetic do you want for your overall PC build? If you want to be proud to show off your PC build, as you should be, a CPU cooler that doesn't fit the theme can really ruin the look. These questions will also be listed below for easier reference while searching.

This is a question that will not have a single option. AIOs are perceived as generally superior overall but good CPU air coolers can do a similar, if not a better job at times. The real question is whether your casing can move the heat being pulled away by the CPU air cooler out. That means that a good CPU air cooler might also need help from the case to keep the ambient temperature inside the case lower to work optimally. AIO coolers do not generally have that restriction since they are mounted at the exhaust or intake points of a casing.

Because RGB is purely aesthetic and adding or removing it from a CPU cooler does not benefit or degrade performance one way or another. Performance PC parts by companies such as Noctua and BeQuiet! Focus on maximizing their cooling effectiveness with any aesthetic gains being a secondary factor for their coolers. As a result, the approach they go for when it comes to their coolers is less-is-more, and it does work - Asus's earlier version of the Ryujin II sported Noctua fans, backed by popular consumer demand.

As a hobbyist system builder that made it a professional engagement, Rahim tends to know more about computers than the average Joe. It comes at a price: He won't let you get away without getting the best value-for-money PC components out there.

Marc Storch is a tech writer currently based in Denver, Colorado. His experience includes extensive work training senior citizens in the ever-changing world of technology. He is passionate about making tech accessible to all and being excellent to each other. Outside of writing about tech and video games, Marc has a background in video editing and broadcasting. When not writing or playing games with his friends (He is currently on a break from Breath Of The Wild due to a misunderstanding over mushroom-to-diamond exchange rates), Marc enjoys being a camera operator and broadcast tech for an indie wrestling league and traveling with his partner all over the world. Marc feels it is vitally important for readers to note that all his work is carefully proofread by his black cat Rue who has very strong opinions and will only accept payments in the form of cheese.