Best CPU Coolers of 2022
Either you’re willing to overclock your PC, or building a computer system from the scratch, you will need a CPU cooler to control the excessive heat output while you continue doing as exhaustive tasks as possible. See this guide on lowering your cpu usage. Without a cooler, your CPU can be scorched by overheating, leading to total damage.
We’ve curated a list of best CPU coolers you can have for your PC in 2022. While creating this list, we’ve kept all sorts of needs and budgets in mind, in order to make it comprehensive.
Let’s get started!
1. Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler: The Best CPU Cooler of 2022
Perhaps an unanimous winner on every list of top CPU coolers and for right reasons. Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler is packed with excellent cooling capabilities that can curtail the heat flow while overclocking. With 6 heatpipe dual tower design and 140mm fans blowing the air, which are two major components of its humongous size, Noctua NH-D15 allows better heat distribution and enhanced airflow inside. Since it’s huge, you need to check how much space your laptop has to accommodate it and the total memory on your device.
And, if all that you’re concerned about is a noisy cooler, which we agree can put you terribly off, Noctua NH-D15 is indeed a choice to hold your bids for. With a noise level between 19.20bda – 24.60dba, it’s just the quietest of them all. Both the heatpipes and heatsink are coated with nickel. And, the base is quite shiny for better heat modulation.
Noctua NH-D15’s price just doesn’t make you happy. It’s really costly. But considering the exceptional cooling mechanism it brings, we really can’t complain. It’s worth every dime. And, quite a great alternative for those who don’t like liquid coolers.
Other Specifications
Measurements: 5.91 x 6.34 x 6.5 inches (L x W x H)
Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.32kg)
Type: Fan and Heatsink
Design: Asymmetrical
2. Dark Rock Pro 3: Best CPU Air Cooler
If Noctua NH-D15 takes the grand prize for being the quietest CPU cooler, Dark Rock Pro bags the first runner-up title. It is utterly hush-hush air cooler, going just 33.9dB at full load. That being said, it is undeniably large (but still a tad smaller than Noctua’s) for most of the laptop cases and quite expensive.
Design wise, Dark Rock Pro 3 features seven high-performance heat pipes with a front 120mm fan, an inner 135mm fan and wave-contour cooling fins, making it way more efficient for managing heat output in the overclocked systems. The heatpipes have a copper lining with aluminium caps, which better the circulation of air inside the system. Basically, the coating helps in distributing the air optimally to the right points of pressure, and thereby, keeping the temperatures much below the trigger level.
Installation is quite cumbersome. You need to tighten the heatsink stack to the base plate, using hexagon nuts, and that too, at four places, instead of just four. This means, a long screw driver wouldn’t be enough to do the nut-bolt business. You’ll be required to bend a little and secure the nuts to their places manually. That’s tedious to read, let alone doing it in any way.
But if you’re still okay with the installation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a CPU cooler as outstanding as Dark Rock Pro 3.
Other Specifications
Measurements: 8.27 x 6.1 x 6.89 inches (L x W x H)
Weight: 3 pounds (1.36 kg)
Cooling Capacity: 250W TDP (that’s perfect for peak performance)
3. Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF : Best CPU Liquid Cooler
Liquid air coolers don’t offer much flexibility. They are bulky and unmanageable, which make them quite misfits for most of the laptop chassis. But, Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF, the liquid CPU cooler, bucks the trend by being a lightweight and feasible alternative. It’s arguably the best cpu liquid cooler, offering better air circulation and cooling efficiency inside the overclocked systems. There is a high-pressure blower fan (120mm x 32mm) to offer ideal cooling and controlling all the blaze inside.
It’s so powerful that it not only cools down the PC while doing the extensive tasks but other components as well. Reason? Because it works exceptionally while pulling out the ambient air inside, maintaining the most appropriate temperature levels inside.
One major downside is the fan’s noise, though. Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF fails to deliver here with a noise level ranging between 36dBA and 42dBA. That being said, your system will continue humming throughout. This comes up to a lament if you’re running some heavy-duty programs or playing high-graphic games.
Overall, Corsair Hydro Series H5 SF, being a liquid cooler that it is, impresses with its exceptional cooling chops. But, the issue of fan noise doesn’t cut the mustard.
Other Specifications
Measurements: 13 x 3.7 x 9.3 inches (L x W x H)
Weight: 1.9 pounds (0.86 kg)
SSF Compatibility: Mounts to any Mini-ITX motherboard.
Design: Copper Coldplate + Low Permeability Tubing + A Blower Fan
4. Arctic Freezer 7 Pro: Best Budget CPU Cooler
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro isn’t very competitive, but manages to find a mention with the pros by account of its good-value cooling capabilities and peaceful working. It’s the most minimalistic in the makeup with 3 heatpipes and 1 x 92mm fans. That makes it quite compact with a decent level of power packed inside, and compatible as well with lots of cases available in the market. And, if you’re on a budget, there’s nothing better a proposition that Arctic Freezer 7 Pro.
Measuring 126.5 x 104 x 58mm, Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is quite small in size. And, doesn’t exceed to the stock cooler you get pre-installed on the PC. The noise level, reaching 36.5dB at the max load, isn’t the best of a kind and makes noise inevitable. But, still strikes a chord with the users you’re into extensive tasking and regular overclocking.
As for the design, there’s nothing out of league. Just like the rest, Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is a build made of copper, aluminium and black plastic throughout. For the installation, it doesn’t need a motherboard backplate, like other top CPU coolers. That definitely makes it a little insecure the way it’s positioned inside, but since it’s lightweight, it can stay stable.
Overall, Arctic Freezer 7 Pro works just fine. And, is well-equipped to keep things cool inside. But only if you’re not a regular at expanding the processing speeds of your system.
Other Specifications
Measurements: 4.3 x 3.7 x 4.9 inches (L x W x H)
Weight: 1 pounds (0.45 kg)
Design: A 92mm fan + 45 cooling fins + 3 copper-plated heatpipes
5. NoFan CR-95C
NoFan CR-95C is the best cpu cooler for overclocking when it comes to a quality as essential as serenity of working. This can be attributed to a fact that this cooler has helped users reach the finest frequency spot of 0dBa while overclocking. However, it’s big. Of course, not the biggest of them all, but certainly a mighty stuff at 180mm in diameter. With that said, you can suffer from system compatibility issues. Not all laptop cases will have the room to accommodate it, and RAM is another interfering factor that can take things for a ride. It’s so large that it might stray away to your graphics slot, but that shouldn’t be an issue if you’ve a second slot and a single-card setup.
There are no fans, but IcePipes which keep the temp bar low inside and pave the way for extensive tasking. The manufacturer supports any CPU with 95W TDP, which is quite a limitation if you’re looking at achieving the best performance out of your processor. NoFan CR-95C has bagged a spot on the list for being really quiet. That’s something unparalleled for any CPU cooler.
Other Specifications
Measurements: 180 x 148 x 180mm (W x H x D)
Weight: 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg)
Design: IcePipes instead of Blower Fans
More Options
6. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
If you’re cash-strapped and have no elaborate overclocking needs, Cooler Master Hyper 212 is a good cpu cooler for i7 7700k to keep temperatures fairly low inside. It isn’t as exceptional as other big daddies on the list, but still a decent, value-for-money CPU cooler that truly performs. As for its making, Cooler Master Hyper 212 has four heat pipes (copper plated), a 120mm PWM fan for consistent air circulation, a heatsink and aluminium thermal dissipation fins. But, even after so much, it’s very tiny in size, so much so that it leaves space for other components in the interiors of your laptop.
7. NZXT Kraken X62 (All-in-One Liquid)
It’s NZXT’s latest roll-out in the market and built to support the CPU to a maximum when it’s potential is inflated. This air cooler has a 280mm radiator, coupled with two 140mm fans for the best kind of thermal performance, and resisting the temperatures from blowing away inside the device when overclocking happens. On top of it, it’s very quiet in working, causing minimum irritation due to constant humming and vibration. Using NZXT’s CAM software, you can customize the blowing speed of the fans and control the air circulation inside.
Being a liquid air cooler, NZXT’s has paid a lot of emphasis on controlling liquid leaks. The rubber tubing, connecting pump and radiator, is elongated with nylon sleeves, which guarantees total leak-proof.
8. Zalman CNPS9500A
Zalman CNPS9500A is very efficient, super-silent and great looking CPU cooler for anyone who likes exploring its processor to its truest potential. With three heatpipes and a 92mm fan fitted inside it, Zalman CNPS9500A is indeed large in size, but still manageable and doesn’t trespass on the spaces of other components. Heat sink is copper plated, allowing low ambient temperature inside and better airflow efficiency. Another beauty of Zalman CNPS9500A is its near-silent, sans vibration working. This CPU cooler keeps your processor comfortably cool and help you reach the extreme with your processor.
Wrap Up
That’s a wrap! Here ends our list of top best CPU coolers for your device. Overclocking is great, we agree. But remember, while doing this, you’re nudging your system to the extreme levels of working, with which, it may or may not be habituated. To chill down things a bit and keep your device off the danger radar, it’s always recommended to pick a right CPU cooler. Our list will indeed help you zero in out the best one for your laptop.
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