Best CPU cooler 2018: top CPU coolers for your PC

What's cooler than being great? That's right, keeping the components of your PC ice cream . 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 last performance even with the best processors. Even if you do not stay up late at night, obsessed with setting up your BIOS, buying one of the best CPU cooling sources is still a great idea, since the low CPU temperatures will allow your PC Run faster and last longer. plus.

The best CPU coolers come in all shapes and sizes, and the best for your PC will largely depend on what you need. Do not get caught up in your budget either; There are many air cooling solutions that will work admirably without burning cash. And, if your budget allows it, you can still choose a high-end liquid cooling solution that will make even the best processor think you're in Antarctica. Regardless of what you are looking for, here at TechRadar we will help you find it with this list of the best CPU coolers you can buy in 2018, each tested and classified here.

But, just the presentations, let's dive into what you are all looking for: the best CPU coolers of 2018. Regardless of your budget, no matter what type of refrigerator you are looking for, regardless of aesthetics, we trust that You will be satisfied with our choices here. So, whether you're in the market for an elaborate and complicated beast like the Kraken X62 from NZXT, or if you want something a little more subdued and discreet like the Noctua NH D15, you'll find something here.

Noctua NH-D15

Type: Fan and heat sink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – LGA 2066; AMD AM2 – AM3 +, FM1 – FM2 + | Rotation frequency: Up to 1500 RPM | Volume of noise: 19.20dbA – 24.60dbA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 160 x 150 x 135 mm | Weight: 2.91 pounds (1.32kg)

Silent silent

Six years manufacturer's warranty

Too large for some PC versions

The Noctua NH-D15 tops our list by a simple, however, a compelling reason: it may not be a liquid cooler, but it can work as well as, if not better than, some all-in-one refrigerators. Now, you may not be too familiar with the name Noctua, they are relatively small in the CPU cooling game, but your whole business is focused on the design of refrigerators, so you know that when you buy one of your products, You get a product by people who really know their trade. Not only will you get stellar cooling performance from this thing, but you will also get extremely low fan noise as well. When you combine all of that with your six-year warranty, you have a recipe for one of the best CPU coolers you can imagine.

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

Balanced cooling performance

Ideal heat pipes for driving

Support AM4 sold separately

A constant reminder of the old saying & # 39; if it is not broken, do not fix it, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is a pillar in almost any budget construction, as it is one of the most affordable CPU coolers that you can buy today. Although it only has four heatpipes and an aluminum fin structure, this renowned CPU cooler has proven itself again and again to be as efficient as any liquid cooling system. These air coolers are designed to facilitate heat dissipation, whether you are playing Destiny 2 in the maximum configuration or reading TechRadar in a web browser.

This product is only available in the USA. UU And the United Kingdom at the time of writing this document. Australian readers: see an excellent alternative in the Noctua NH-D15

Noctua NH-L9

The best low-profile CPU cooler

Type: Fan and heat sink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 1156/1155/1151; AMD AM2 / AM2 + / AM3 / FM1 / FM2 | Rotation frequency: Up to 2500 RPM | Volume of noise: 14.8dbA – 23.6dbA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 206 x 184 x 37 mm | Weight: 1.03 lbs (0.47kg)

Ultracompact

Manufacturer's warranty for six years

92mm fan

This CPU cooler is among one of the smallest that we have used for our own Mini ATX compilations. It comes from an Austrian company as our best CPU cooler that specializes exclusively in PC coolers and fans, which means that quality assurance is not compromised despite its low profile.

NZXT Kraken X62

Silent silence and high performance

RGB lighting is beautiful

Price range out of bounds for some

Is known Bett
er for your cases, such as those produced in collaboration with Asus and Razer, you may be surprised to learn that NZXT's CPU coolers are as impressive as the hardware that includes them. The Kraken X62 is no exception, as it is one of the few 280mm all-in-one liquid coolers that incorporates RGB lighting. Since the radiator comes pre-installed and the thermal paste pre-applied, the NZXT Kraken x62 is also very easy to set up. The integrated CAM software, which allows you to adjust settings on the fly, is simply the icing on the cake.

Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R RGB

The best compact liquid cooler

Type: Liquid cooling system | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – LGA 2066; AMD AM2 – AM4, FM1 – FM2 + | Rotation frequency: Up to 2000 RPM | Volume of noise: 6dbA – 30dbA | Dimensions (W x D x H): 83.6 x 71.8 x 52.7 mm

Luminous RGB lighting

Upper structure

Slightly expensive

2018 is the year of RGB, and Cooler Master is jumping on this trend with the MasterLiquid ML 120R RGB. In addition, it integrates some of the first addressable LEDs (which means you can control it through the motherboard and other software) seen in a liquid cooler. This all-in-one liquid cooling solution is not just about appearance, it has an oxidation-free pump and an efficient radiator. This means that this cooler will not only last a long time, but will keep your CPU cold all the time, without taking up too much space on your PC.

Arctic Liquid Freezer 120

Best low budget liquid cooler

Strong performance

Economic

Somewhat noisy

Few features

For less than 70 grand in US dollars and sterling, the Arctic Liquid Freezer 120 is a business that you can not miss if you are on the lookout for a liquid cooler that does not ruin the bank. While it lacks the bells and whistles of more expensive and extravagant liquid coolers, such as the Kraken NZXT, the liquid Arctic cooler is enough to get through, not to mention that it is still a big step up from the classic fan and heat sink pairing . So, although you can not expect RGB lighting or software, or even hardware-based fan control, the 120 mm variant of the Arctic Liquid Freezer will keep your system cooled in a (mostly) silent volume.

This product is only available in the USA. UU And the United Kingdom at the time of writing this document. Australian readers: see an excellent alternative on the Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF

Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF

The best low profile CPU liquid cooler

Guaranteed tube without leakage

Compact, all-in-one form factor

Fan-style blower

Even if you have a budget that allows some of the most serious liquid cooling solutions, even some of the nicer PC cases do not allow the enormous mass of a bulky radiator, double fan or even a single 120 mm radiator. That's where Hydro Series H5 SF shows that manufacturing small quantities does not mean you should give up liquid cooling. NZXT Kraken X62

NoFan CR-95C

Type: Passive cooled heat sink | Compatibility: Intel LGA 775 – 1156; AMD AM2 – AM3 +; FM1 | Volume of noise: 0dBA | Dimensions (W x H x D): 180 x 148 x 180 mm | Weight: 1.6 pounds (0.73kg)

You will not hear a sound

Works well with low power CPU

Exorbitantly massive

95W TDP limitation

Unless you're already Stuck in the rabbit hole that is the quiet assembly of your PC, you probably have never heard of NoFan, a South Korean component company that specializes in helping enthusiasts reach that silent point of 0dBA. In doing so, of course, you may have a great limitation in terms of powe
r, since your CR-95C fanless solution has limited compatibility with processors whose TDP falls below 95W. Even so, the NoFan CR-95C is worthwhile for those who struggle with low power platforms that prioritize tranquility over brute power.

This product is only available in the USA. UU At the time of writing this document. Readers from the United Kingdom and Australia: check out a good alternative in the Noctua NH-L9