You can tell a lot about a cooler from its design, and this model boasts six heat pipes that run through two aluminum heatsinks, not unlike the high-end Noctua NH-D15. Its toughest competition may come from Corsair's H150i Elite, although we haven't had a chance to test that cooler yet. Water coolers have their radiators mounted to one of the case walls, and the radiator fans vent or pull air in or out of the system through the radiator, boosting case-wide ventilation and making these cooling systems less reliant on supplemental case fans. The radiator is twice as thick, clocking in at 49mm compared to the standard 25mm. As far as lighting, the fans RGB lighting can also be adjusted with Corsairs iCUE software, but the unit really raises the bar with the pumps 2.1-inch IPS LCD display. Youll need to make sure theres room to install an AIO cooler in your case as well, preferably in the top or rear, exhausting your CPU heat out of the case. Supported AMD Sockets: AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2, FM1Supported Intel Sockets: LGA 1200, 20xx, 115x (LGA 1700 bracket sold separately). Note: Before diving in, you'll need to take note of your CPU socket before picking up an AIO water cooler. The looks are right, but Alphacool didn't sacrifice thermals with the Eisbaer Aurora. Like nearly all NZXT products, the Kraken X53 is fully integrated with CAM, allowing you to monitor temperatures and tweak your lighting settings. Also don't forget to consider thermal paste or another thermal interface material (TIM) to use with your AIO cooler. AMD: AM4 (requires CW-8960046 bracket), AM3, AM2, Dimensions (length by width by height): 154mm by 123mm by 49mm, Included fans: Two Corsair SP120L 120mm fans. For a large 360mm water cooler, Cooler Master's Master Liquid ML360 is surprisingly affordable at around $100 depending on reseller. But to make sure you're getting the most efficient thermal transfer between your CPU and cooler plate, check out the many products we thoroughly tested to find the best thermal paste for your CPU.
So your rig will stay cool and look cool. (An even more elite class of liquid coolers is custom-designed by each tube and joint rather than being a prefilled, premade system; we won't be covering that kind of advanced custom cooling hardware here.) The latter is particularly colorful, with an optional translucent top that makes the water block look like one large RGB light field. But who needs dinky little lights when you have a full-blown, customizable 3.5-inch LCD panel built into your CPU cooler? They have a massive range that you can control with PWM, from 400 rpm up to 2,400 rpm. Supported AMD Sockets: AM4, sTRX4 and TR4 (bracket sold separately)Supported Intel Sockets: LGA 1200, 20xx, 1366, 115x (LGA 1700 bracket sold separately). PCMag Digital Group. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. A larger radiator offers better cooling performance, but you need to make sure it can fit inside your case. More exotic are water coolers, also known as closed-loop liquid coolers or all-in-one (AIO) CPU coolers.
In that time, I've reviewed desktops, PC cases, and motherboards as a freelancer, while also producing deals content for the site and its sibling ExtremeTech. Motherboard connectivity allows you to link and sync with your existing RGB setup, with direct control available via on cable controls.
MORE:Best Air CPU Cooling (opens in new tab), MORE:How To Choose A CPU Cooler (opens in new tab). After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. You can expect an AIO cooler from a reputable brand to run for six years without issues, but every cooler is a little different. That said, if you want better temperatures and slower-spinning fans, a good 240mm AIO cooler is a better choice, but will generally be harder to install and wont fit in as many cases. The cooler also contains four fans instead of the three found in most 360mm coolers. On Intel, the EK-AIO 240 supports LGA115x and LGA20xx, as well as LGA1200. NY 10036. At $280, its definitely a premium cooler, but MSI backs up that price with some real performance clout. The former flair comes in the form of three standard 90mm PWM fans with RGB LED lighting. The result? Considering the cost associated with most of the CPUs and motherboards alone supported by the Eisbaer Pro Aurora, system builders in this realm of performance usually draw from a unique set of criteria, which a frequent aim for the best at any price.' With a firm handle on your system's size, case design, and motherboard and socket type, you're ready to choose a cooler.
If your AIO cooler is chilling your PC just fine at lower pump speeds, you can easily keep noise levels down this way. Don't look for RGB lights or anything else to make this solution stand out, but it's one of the lowest-cost water coolers you can buy, tempting for any budget build. 
Noctua's background is in industrial and commercial fans, and its familiar maroon and beige fans for PC builders have long been a mark of quality for modders and upgraders in the know. Deepcool Gamer Storm Captain 240 Pro. 
If you're determined to build an AMD Threadripper desktop without using a liquid cooler, then this is the product for you. This 240mm cooler has a RGB "infinity mirror" embedded in the water block portion that creates an optical illusion of a bottomless abyss regressing down into the core of your PC. Additionally, the software allows you to check on your CPU and coolant temperature to make sure everything is running smoothly. Its available in 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm. The chart below presents a list of modern CPU sockets, as well as the processors and chipsets they correspond with, which should help make figuring out your supported hardware a little easier. Of course, that would somewhat defeat the purpose of buying a passive cooler. It bounces light around inside the cap to create the illusion of infinite LED rings. Socket compatibility: Intel: LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2066, LGA2011-3, LGA2011 Unlike other AIO liquid coolers, you can swap out the fluid, upgrade the hoses and fittings, and even expand the loop. The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Pro XT is the result of Corsair's years of making AIO coolers. Inside a PC, a stereo amplifier, or a smartphone, one red line runs through them all: The circuits inside generate heat, and something's got to keep things cool. The NZXT Kraken X53 is the successor to our longtime favorite NZXT Kraken X52 that features some major improvements to look better and cool more efficiently. Gamers Nexus named the EK aios as having the highest cold plate uniformity, flatness, and mounting pressure which plays a big role in cooling performance. The EK-AIO 240 is a better option due to the fact that it's inexpensive. Your subscription has been confirmed. One of our favorites is made specially for the AMD Threadripper lineCooler Master's Wraith Ripper. If you want to trick out your rig with synced-up RGB, the NZXT Kraken X53 is for you. If you aren't interested in overclocking and your current system manages temperatures just fine, you may not see a lot of benefit from switching to an AIO cooler, either. Socket compatibility: Intel: LGA1200, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA2066 Most AIO coolers have a lifespan of six years, regardless of if they have RGB or not. Socket compatibility: Intel: LGA1200, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA2011, LGA2066
Most builds call for a 240mm AIO. The three illuminated fans stack the heatsinks between them like a triple-decker sandwich, and they work to push air at a reported rate of up to 34.5 cubic feet per minute per fan. For bling buffs, the system combines an addressable RGB (ARGB) fan with additional ARGB lights over the water block to illuminate the inside of your case and show off your hard-earned components.
Now, the fans are a great deal smaller than the 120mm spinners of the NH-D15, so don't expect this budget model to perform as well. On Intel, it supports LGA1200, LGA20xx, LGA115x, and LGA1366, and on AMD, it supports AM2 to AM4, as well as FM2 and FM1. The fans are designated as "SickleFlow 120" models and don't have any LED illumination. Another source of noise can be gurgling from the liquid as it flows, especially at higher pump speeds. The company's NH-D15 is well-known as one of the best-performing air coolers money can buy.
PC Cooling 101: How to Buy the Right Air or Water Cooler for Your Desktop CPU, How to Choose the Best Laptop Processor in 2022, First Look: All the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Cards So Far, First Look: All the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Cards So Far. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. Whether you intend to run it as is, or expand into a custom cooling loop, you won't be let down by this versatile piece of cooling kit. 
Expect excellent thermal performance thanks to the custom cold plate that features a high-density stack of 128 micro-skived fins per inch providing highly efficient cooling. You can decrease fan noise by keeping them free of dust and monitoring their settings via the BIOS if possible. The Alseye DR900 is the lowest-priced cooler in this group, but its features and value make it an enticing option if you're working on a budget build for which you want equal parts bling and cooling. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. July 2022 is here and with it comes a whole new handful of shows and movies for you to check out on all your favorite streaming platforms. Its 240mm radiator provides powerful cooling, and the two 120mm Aurora Lux Pro fans are capable of 2.0 mmH2O of static pressure and 61.5 CFM of airflow. The design is much more appealing than Arctic's offering while achieving similar levels of thermal performance. Cooler Master pairs the dual-chamber radiator with two MasterFan MF120 Halo fans (also translucent), which have a total of 24 ARGB LEDs each, and you can customize your look from the included ARGB controller, so you dont need to have motherboard RGB controls to make use of it. When it comes to raw thermal performance, EK beats the Corsairs and NZXTs of the world. The best way to mitigate risk is to keep an eye on your cooler to see if there are any signs of leaking and to monitor your CPU temperature to see if the pump is failing. The Kraken Z63 isnt lacking in power, either, as it comes with a powerful pair of 140mm fans and an advanced Asetek water pump. The cooler technically supports AM2 up to AM4, but the box only ships with mounting hardware for up to AM3. The big draw here, however, is the programmable lighting on the fan and block alike, which you can sync up with the rest of a custom build.
Its strictly trimmed dimensions keep the Scythe cooler out of the way when installing RAM and other components near the CPU socket. Imagine a glow stick dancing in the middle of your PC while its running, and youll have a good idea. New York, If you're creating or upgrading such a system and the case doesn't have room to add a water cooler, you might be tempted to give up and just rely on the stock cooler that your CPU came with. The display contains important information like the CPU and GPU temperatures, but you can also have it display animated GIFs and other things, letting you truly personalize your setup. The 360mm option is only $125, while the NZXT Kraken X73 another 360mm AIO clocks in at nearly $200. A pump of this pedigree pushes coolant like few others are capable. NZXT offers a six-year warranty, though, so you're covered from any defects for the rated life of the cooler. It uses a 280mm radiator with twin whisper-quiet fans and has beautifully designed LED integration on the water block. That being said, AIO coolers may not be the best choice for every gaming station. (We've seen this cooler easily keep an Intel Core i7-9700K running at full tilt, well under 50-degrees Celsius.) The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora is a CPU cooler that you can refill. To be fair, the cooler can get a bit loud when the fans and pump are operating at full speedwhen everything's revved up, Corsair says, the noise can climb to 37dBA. For those without concern for the high price, looking for excellent cooling and endless customization options via the display, the MSI MEG CoreLiquid S36 is worthy of serious consideration.
Cable / controller management could be better, Best 360mm Closed-Loop Liquid Cooler Alternative, Dripless disconnects for simple expansion using Alphacool components, Best 360mm Closed-Loop Liquid Cooler With a Display, Boxed unit ships with pump and fans managed by single PWM splitter, Lack of RGB lighting (for those looking for the option), iCUE software suite allows for customized cooler and lighting control, Awkward, small screws used to secure fans to radiator, $99.99 price is higher than other 120mm AIO solutions, RGB controls only apply to CPU block face, CAM software sends data to NZXT cloud services, No RGB or LED lighting on fans (might be a plus, for some), Built with DC-LT pump and copper radiator water cooling components, Tubing length could be longer to allow for more diverse installations, Pump has coolant top-up port, but coolant must be purchased separately, Very good value for a full watercooling kit, We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices. The AIO comes with two 120mm Corsair ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans for great cooling performance while maintaining quiet operation. It cools even better than the mighty NZXT Kraken X72. Check out the teaser trailer for John Wick 4, the upcoming movie starring Keanu Reeves. You need to make sure that a cooler supports the socket of the motherboard you're using; otherwise it simply won't work. Socket compatibility: Intel: LGA1200, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2011, LGA2011-3, LGA2066 The pump that moves the liquid in the cooler is typically silent or at least inconsequential compared to other PC noises. Just don't try to strap one to your Threadripper system.
Several of the coolers recommended below support many of the sockets on the list above (and older ones, too), while others support many sockets out of the box but may have optional mounting brackets sold separately to support others. Netflix has quite a few heavy-hitters with Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 and a live-action Resident Evil series. If you like the idea of having a display, but dont need tons of RGB light flooding your system, this is the one. Enermax also keeps costs down by avoiding RGB lighting and the relevant software integrations. That said, a few companies do produce coolers for HEDT processors. Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU Digital RGB, Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU Digital RGB review, 9. Alphacool's Eisbaer is a factory-filled hybrid design, featuring a closed-loop-style pump and CPU cold plate with open-loop style fittings that including an anti-leak, in-line quick connector. Typically, cooler manufacturers will increase the size of an air cooler to boost its performance and the overall amount of heat it can handle. When it comes to liquid CPU coolers, theres a good reason the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240 Illusion stands out. EK is the place for custom water cooling, and the EK-AIO 240 shows why. Every motherboard is designed to support a certain type of processor, with a CPU socket designed for that purpose. For the best performance, but especially for system tweakers and CPU overclockers, you'll likely want the largest cooler that will fit inside your case, whether you go with an air or water solution. You'll need a separate AM4 bracket. The Wraith Ripper comprises seven heat pipes that pierce two bulky heatsinks, with a 120mm fan sandwiched between them. EVGA's CLC 120mm water cooler is a no-frills thermal solution that's about as basic as it gets: just a 120mm radiator and a pair of tubes connecting it to a copper mounting plate and a pump.
Now, as a full-time PCMag staffer, I'm focusing on reviewing processors and graphics cards while dabbling in all other things PC-related. I wrote for the well-known tech site Tom's Hardware for three years before I joined PCMag in 2018. This is the one for you. It reaches similar performance to competing coolers at NZXT and Corsair while being very inexpensive. Keep an eye on your inbox! You can also run the cooler through a process to clear out air bubbles. The shorter design will let this cooler fit in many cases for which a big beast like the NH-D15 is simply too large.