Best CPU Coolers in 2021

After a lot of research we have our picks for the Best Liquid Cooling System For Gaming PC. This will ensure your processor running cool with air or liquid even after playing high end games for hours.

Best CPU coolers can prevent fatal issues caused by CPU overheating.If you want your gaming PC to perform tasks, especially if you have to play cyberpunk 2077 or video editing for hours and hours , it needs to be operating at a safe temperature.That’s why, it is must to have best CPU coolers in your rig. One of the plus points for this absolutely vital component, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on this.

In 2021 there are two famous variants of CPU coolers.

1- Air cooler: It comes with a big metal heat sink that pulls heat away from the CPU. Then this heat is blown away by a fan. Before picking an air cooler, you need to check system compatibility like your CPU socket type, RAM clearance, your PC’s case dimensions, and the airflow in your machine.

2- Liquid cooler:This AIO (all-in-one) variety cooling system is more high end option. The coolant passes through a closed-loop via a plate attached to your CPU, and in combination with the attached radiator and fan, cools the CPU. Gamers found this liquid cooling more efficient choice and can lead to some flashy-looking components with wild RGB lighting options, and even OLED screens.

 

1-Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler

The best liquid CPU cooler | Cooling Type: Water Liquid | Noise Level: 36 dB |Compatible Sockets: Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 and AMD AM2, AM3, AM4, FM1, FM2, sTR4, sTRX4

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• +Smart RGB Lighting and Fan Speed Controller, for precise speed and lighting control over up to six RGB fans.
• +RGB Magnetic Levitation PWM fans deliver powerful airflow for extreme CPU cooling performance, with eight RGB LEDs per fan.
• +Accurately control your cooling via PWM, adjusting fan speeds from 400 to 2,400 RPM.
• +Zero RPM fan profiles allow fans to stop entirely at low temperatures, eliminating fan noise.

This cooler is awesome. We have a Ryzen R9 3900X and with all cores boosted it does not exceed 55C at full load. The configuration the manufacturer recommends is to have them pull air into the case through the radiator. Make sure that depending on if your goal is to have a positive or negative pressured case that you exhaust appropriately. We have our mounted at the top of the case and as positively pressured since we have a husky and hair and dirt can be a problem getting into the case if we didn’t have it configured this way.This is the latest iteration of their cooler providing an update to the RGB LEDs on the pump/cooling block that goes on the processor. You can individually change the color of the LEDs on the block and have other swirling patterns. You also have full control of the AIO through iCUE when it comes to fan speed and pump monitoring.

 

2-Noctua NH-D15

Low-Noise Adaptors for automatic speed control and ultra-quiet operation

6 heatpipes and 2 highly optimised NF-A15 140mm fans

We are pairing the Noctua NH-D15 with the i9 9900k and the results are fantastic. Our CPU is running stable at 5 GHz on all 8-cores with average idle temps between 32-37 degrees C and 50-65 degrees C during gaming. For other workloads, it typically is in the 40-49 degrees C range. We would highly recommend using the supplied thermal paste from Noctua as well since it is a high-quality paste that is non-conductive. It also was able to work with Corsair’s Dominator Platinum RGB memory. The only modification we had to make was that we moved the first fan to the opposite end of the heatsink but in terms of performance, this has had no negative impact. If you prefer air-cooling like we do and want fantastic cooling, look no further.

3-be quiet! 250W TDP, CPU Cooler

Best Fan CPU Cooler 2021. Dark Rock Pro 4, BK022. 

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Power Connector Type 4-pin PWM
Wattage 125
Cooling Type Fan
Compatible Devices Desktop Intel: LGA 1150/ 1151/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366/ 2011(-3) square ILM/ 2066
Amd: AM2(+)/ AM3(+)/ AM4/ FM1/ FM2(+)
Noise Level 24.3 dB at max speed
Material Copper

+Low-Noise Two virtually inaudible silent Wings PWM fans

+7 heatpipes and 2 highly optimised fans

Got this for a new desktop build ? We all want 2 main things from CPU cooler, quiet operation and good cooling performance.

We have used AIO water cooling for years including the NZXT Kraken x62, Corsair H80i, Swifttech H320 X2, etc. Each time it was generally disappointed by the noise they make. You would not consider them silent, with pump noise being biggest peeve. Most of these pumps tend to starting making a ticking type noise that can be very annoying. Smaller AIO’s need to use higher rpms on the fans for cooling which generally equates to loud fans.

So this time around other than the obvious performance of a new gaming rig, keeping the rig silent and still cool was at the top of your priorities. If you don’t care about RGB, windows, etc.

Our build is:
* i7-9700k with this cooler
* MSI MPG Z390M Gaming Edge mATX motherboard
* 32GB (2x 16GB) Corsair LPX DDR4 3200 RAM. CMK32GX4M2B3200C16
* 1TB Samsung 970 Evo m.2 NVMe SSD
* MSI RTX 2080 Duke GPU
* Seasonic 850watt plat PSU SSR-850PX
* Fractal Design Mini C (without side window)
* 4x Be Quiet SILENTWINGS 3 PWM 120mm fans model BL066
* 2x Be Quiet SILENTWINGS 3 PWM 140mm fans model BL067

We have the i7-9700k running @ 5.0Ghz with max temps hitting ~80c in prime95 testing over a 4 hour period. Idle temps with ambient room temp at about 72f is ~26-29c. Gaming, it depends on the game and we have not tested many for long enough to be sure yet but we would say ranges from mid 40’s to mid 60’s.

So performance wise, this cooler is amazing. Easily handles keeping the CPU cool.

Lets talk sound/noise. At full, 100% rpm we heard a noise, this kind of whistle/whine…We moved in to listen more closely…and realized it was my nose/breathing making the noise. That’s how quiet this build is, we heard our breathing/nose whistle over the sound of the cooler!

At one point the cooler was so quiet we had to check if the fans where even working…of course they were.

As to some concerns people may have:
* Yes, this cooler is massive.
* No, it wasnt all that hard to install. Easier than dealing with an AIO. Hardest part is getting the middle fan latched on
* RAM clearance was fine for me, but I got RAM that didn’t have absurdly tall and useless heat spreaders on them.

Installation wise, you can to install it yourself with relative ease. The included screw driver is perfect. You can use grizzly kryonaut thermal paste and spread it conservatively and thin over the CPU. The hardest part of the install is getting the middle fan latched onto the block. You can use a pry tool useful for helping to pull the 2 wirey lathes over the notches of the fins.

At the end of the day this cooler provides impressive performance, decent aesthetics, and silent operation. Its big, doesn’t have RGB for 14 year olds and could have RAM clearance problems for some. If you can deal with the minor concessions and can make it work in your build you wont regret it.

We are overall impressed with the build quality of be quiet’s products overall and will be considering them more and more going forward especially for cooling products. We would highly recommend this cooler

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC | Best Gaming Laptop | Best Gaming Chair | Best Gaming UPS

4-ID-COOLING CPU Water Cooler

Best affordable liquid CPU cooler 2021.ID-COOLING ZOOMFLOW 360X Snow CPU Water Cooler 5V Addressable RGB AIO Cooler 360mm CPU Liquid Cooler 3X120mm RGB Fan, Intel 115X/2066, AMD TR4/AM4

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• Better Heat Dissipation-The cpu water cooler equipped with 360mm radiator and 3x120mm PWM fans to make sure excellent heat transfer from cpu.
• RGB Lighting-RGB lighting on pump and fans are adjustable to match your PC build.
• Noise Level- 18～26.4dB(A)
• Compatibility-Intel LGA2066/2011/1366/1151/1150/1155/1156/1200 & AMD TR4/AM4/FM2+/FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2

In terms of performance, its pretty good: especially for the price. Very quiet and efficient: gaming has the temp only up to about 60c and very quiet even then. RGB lighting is controlled easily by the software for motherboard. Very easy to install and doesn’t interfere with RAM.You can run the id cooling pump at 100% and it makes zero noise where as the CM if set above 85% made a god awful buzzing noise. The fans are very quite upto about 85% then you start to hear them, but after using as rock fan tuning on MB they never get above 60% on the fan curve so remain silent 99% of the time. Build quality feels very good, the tubes are long and braided, the pump is quite large but materials feel strong sturdy and well put together. We also prefer the mounting of this its much safer and more secure and lines up better. We have to say you WONT find a better sub AIO anywhere at THIS PRICE. It just works very well while looking the mutts dangles. Recommended.

 

5-Thermaltake AIO Liquid Cooling System 

Thermaltake Floe Triple Riing RGB 360 TT Premium Edition PWM TR4 LGA2066 Ready AIO Liquid Cooling System CPU Cooler CL-W158-PL12SW-A

Type: Liquid cooling | Compatibility:Supports Intel LGA 2066/2011 3/2011/1366/1200/1156/1155/1151/1150, AMD TR4/AM4/FM2/FM1/AM4/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2 (CPU Socket) | Noise volume: 24.7 dBA | Dimensions: 276 x 122 x 53 mm | Weight: 1610 g) |Features RGB of Speed: 500~1400RPM |Connector:5 pin | Tube Length:326 mm |Material:Rubber

If you compare it with Corsair H45 liquid cooling the first difference you will notice that it is less noisy.This Thermaltake Water system is manufactured by Asetek, OEM refrigeration specialist for years and is very skilled in cooling products. The pump is quite and supports voltage regulation if the board supports it. The water block has excellent base machining, which has a positive impact on the CPU temperature. The fan supports PWM speed regulation and at low revs it is quite. Regarding the installation itself is somewhat complex, there are many small parts and you have to follow carefully the manual, which on the other hand, shows all the steps perfectly.
The temperature, which is at the end of what it is, is similar to that achieved with Corsair kit, very good in any case.
In short, highly recommended. If you have space in the box, it is worth investing in a liquid cooling kit. There is no air sink on the market that offers the same performance at equal price.

6. EVGA CLC 240

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Type: Liquid cooling | Compatibility: Intel LGA2066/2011/2011-v3/1200/1150/1151/1155/1156/1366 and AMD AM2/AM3/AM4/FM1/FM2/TR4 and upcoming variants | Fan speed: 2400 RPM | Noise volume: 39.5 dBA | Dimensions: 276 x 122 x 53 mm | Weight: 820 g

Buyer’s feedback: I purchased this 280MM cooler after the original 120 CLC cooler by EVGA wasnt cutting my needs. This offers exceptional cooling capabilities and offers most bang for buck vs competitors. Read below for a more detailed review.

Packaging – So for newbie builders (such as myself) let me first start off by saying that the box this ships in is rather huge! The packaging of of this cooler is really big and for a moment feels intimidating when thinking that you’ll have to fit this in your tower. The box came packaged in a shiny black sleeve with EVGA’s branding over it. The brown box slides out easily and there is only one sticker/seal that you have to slice in order to get to the goodies inside. Inside the actual cooling block has thermal paste (by Shin Etsu) pre-applied and is of great quality, this is all protected by a plastic covering and is neatly tucked in between its foam cutouts. The radiator is the biggest thing in the box (obviously) and is also tucked away neatly in the foam cutouts with all of its cables/wires folded and tied. Overall presentation and packaging upon opening is excellent. There is also a small opening in the foam in the middle that is housing several ziplock bags full of all different screws and clamps and brackets, all neatly labeled for what board you are using them for (AMD vs Intel).

Installation – One word, EASY! As a novice builder, making my 2nd pc after 15 years this was super easy to install and i had no trouble with it whatsoever. The first thing i did was take the plastic cover off the block and swap the pre-installed Intel mounting bracket with the AMD one included. All you have to do is turn it counter-clockwise and it will pop right off (use a bit of force, dont be afraid it wont break). Once i did that (i put the plastic cover back on to protect the thermal paste) i began to install the radiator. In my Phanteks P400 case the only space i had for such a huge radiator was the front of my system (attached a pic for reference). I had to remove the original preinstalled case fan to the top of my case otherwise this wouldnt fit, it practically takes up the entire front space. Once the radiator was installed i was able to pop the block right onto the cpu mount, line it up perfectly and start tightening it down. One step i forgot to mention is that you need to install the mount bracket to your mother board prior to anything else so that your cpu block can rest on that, these are the screws that are double sided, they screw into the plastic bracket usually underneath the motherboard and then the brackets of the cpu clamp just slide on top and you close the top with another screw. More detailed instructions are in the included booklet – Overall very straight forward and easy

Performance – I have thrown literally every game and ultra settings (paired with a GTX 1080TI) and have never had my processor go above 47 degrees (celcius). I enabled a feature in the EVGA flow process APP to have the RGB lighting indicate if the temp is running hot. Blue means its cool and red means its getting hot. This has never turned red even once and i have had gaming sessions (including gamestreaming to a shield tv) for multiple hours at a time, no heating issues whatsoever. Compared to the 120MM CLC model, that one used to get hot after about 30 minutes of playing an intensive game like Doom 2016. It would then force pressure on the rest of the system causing my graphics card fan to go insane (honestly not 100% sure if this was interrelated but it stopped happening once i got this clc). This offers better performance (in my opinion) than the Nzxt Kraken or other CLC CPU coolers out there. Another important factor is the noise level. I can barely here this thing when its in my Phanteks P400 case. There is minimal to no noise at all of the radiator fans.

Quality – The build quality of this is exceptional. It feels like a premium product and the most important part, the tubes, are braided strongly and dont look like they will wear out or break. I was not scared at all that i may be bending them too much or that they could snap off easily.

Overall Result – The EVGA CLC 280 Liquid / Water CPU Cooler is (in my opinion) the best liquid cooler (asides from custom water loop coolers) that you can buy in the market now for your CPU. It is very competitively priced and offers superior cooling compared to is little brother variants and competition. It also offers little to no fan noise which makes it pleasant to sit next to and game for multiple hours without feeling like you’re at an airport tarmac! I highly recommend this to anyone with the budget to spend, plans to do extensive gaming and would like to have a liquid cooled CPU without spending hundreds of dollars on a custom water cooled setup. Dont hesitate before buying this. EVGA has made another high quality product. [Source Amazon]

7- Cooler Master Liquid CPU Cooler ML360R

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Type: Liquid cooling | Compatibility: Intel LGA2066, LGA2011 v3, LGA2011, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1366, AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1 | Fan speed: 650-2000 RPM | Noise volume: 30 dBA | Dimensions: 394 x 119 x 27 mm | Weight: 5.61 pounds

This huge sized CPU cooler is 10 on 10. We’ve had thermaltake cpu cooler, NZXT cpu cooler, Corsair cpu cooler, and this ml240r has the highest flow rate of any of them at 69 fl, all the other coolers mentioned above were 50 or below. Keep this cpu cooler then any of them also, this AIO is the best of the best.

Pros:
-Installs very easily
-Keeps my OC’d 3770k cool
-Lighting is awesome especially considering how scarce ARGB is on the market atm
-Color controller works well
-Does what it advertises to do, can’t ask for much more than that

Cons:
-While not Cooler Master’s fault, the software to control the ARGBs is a bit scarce at the moment (We reckon motherboards manufacturers will start updating the software to alleviate this)

So these were tested and tried best recommended Fan and AIO cooler 2021 backed by reddit gaming community.