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Top 10 CPU coolers
Silence and performance in one package
Author: Vladimir Nyenets, Stepan Kagner
No matter how hard modern manufacturers of processors try to optimize heat generation, one can boast of some success except in the office segment: top processors, even without overclocking, continue to be “mini-boilers” with a TDP higher than 95 W. And, if traditionally “hot” AMD (having heat emission and more than 200 W in the FX line) can at least compensate for this with a larger area of the crystal and efficient heat removal from it to the heat distribution cover, the more “cold” Intel continues to be produced with thermal paste, over time reducing the efficiency of top coolers. Regular ("boxed") coolers with a similar heat release cope at the limit, straining the ear with the fan at maximum speed, and during overclocking they become completely useless. So a huge number of universal coolers in stores is not surprising, the choice of a good cooler for the processor is very important, and to understand the offers is not the easiest task.
Today we will try to “sort through” the best coolers of 2017-2018, which can be called not only effective, but also universal: the same tower coolers, with all their effectiveness, are not always compatible with a specific motherboard and even the case.
| Category | A place | Name | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The best tower coolers for gaming systems and overclocking | 1 | Noctua NH-U14S | 9.8 / 10 | 5 710 |
| 2 | Thermalright Macho Rev.B | 9.7 / 10 | 3 770 | |
| 3 | Noctua NH-D15 | 9.5 / 10 | 7 300 | |
| The best tower coolers of the middle class | 1 | Scythe kotetsu | 9.7 / 10 | 2 625 |
| 2 | Deepcool Gammaxx 400 | 9.3 / 10 | 1 790 | |
| 3 | Deepcool Lucifer V2 | 9.3 / 10 | 2 860 | |
| 4 | Thermalright Macho Rev.A | 9.2 / 10 | 3 700 | |
| 5 | Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO | 9.1 / 10 | 2 408 | |
| Top horizontal coolers | 1 | Deepcool gabriel | 9.8 / 10 | 2 230 |
| The best passive cooling systems | 1 | Thermalright HR-22 | 9.6 / 10 | 2 230 |
The best tower coolers for gaming systems and overclocking
|
5 710
Most of the ratings of this kind one after another put in the top of highly efficient "towers" a two-piece NH-D15 cooler from the same company. However, this is a very controversial issue: firstly, its dimensions can cause problems not only with the installation of RAM, but sometimes even conflict with radiators VRM. Secondly, at the same maximum TDP (140 W for LGA 2011, 220 W for AM3 +), it costs significantly less. Thirdly, all six heat pipes in it are installed in one section, while in two-section “towers” the air passing through the second section already has time to heat up in the first one. So, as a cheaper and versatile cooler, the NH-U14S is definitely worthy of attention, especially since Noctua already offers adapters for the AM4 socket for it: taking into account the market entry of Ryzen processors, this is most welcome.
So, we have a classic "tower" with six heat pipes. The total area of durable aluminum fins is about 8100 cm2, with heat pipes they are connected by soldering. “Out of the box” the cooler is equipped with one Noctua NF-A15 fan, which, at maximum 1500 rev / min, has a noise level of 24.6 dB, driving 140 cubic meters of air per hour. In the more familiar CFM characteristics (cubic feet per minute) for lists, this is equal to 82.4 - but such a volume will need to be driven through the hull unless with serious overclocking or ill-conceived air supply into it. The cooler comes with a backplane, a set of mounts for all current AMD sockets (except AM4) and Intel. With the classic “flow into the back wall” installation, the small width of the cooler makes itself felt - the first memory slot will be blocked only on AM3 + boards, and then only in one case: if the memory is strongly up. As for efficiency, even with severe heat dissipation, this cooler maintains silence and low noise, losing several degrees and decibels of NH-D15 only during extreme overclocking (well, or if you have an AMD FX 9590 with a TVT of 220 W). So, in terms of price / performance ratio, the Noctua NH-U14S definitely deserves first place in the ranking of the best CPU coolers. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.8 / 10
Rating
Reviews
Of the premium coolers, this one fits perfectly into my case. In idle time, the temperature does not rise above 29, in the stress test more than 68 did not “press”. |
|
3 770
The previous version of this cooler (Rev. A) has already received a lot of positive feedback. The updated edition with a redesigned fan, an enlarged base and an improved design is also noteworthy - the solid plate sizes and six heat pipes clearly hint at good potential, and the performance of a full-blown 73 CFM fan is inferior to Noctua, but it is compensated for by an increased heat spread area. Moreover, reduced performance wines at lower maximum speeds (1300 vs. 1500), so that if the solid dimensions and weight for your system are not a serious drawback, then assembling a quiet PC Macho Rev B. has serious advantages. Especially note that the lower limit of revolutions in the second generation has become lower - another plus to silence. Moreover, its price is noticeably lower.
The cooler fastening is traditional for this class, the motherboard's regular backplane is replaced by a complete one. Moreover, this backplane was originally made with the expectation of the appearance of boards for AM4 socket (which Rev.A did not have), and this is another advantage in comparison with Noctua. Alas, you have to pay for everything: the solid dimensions of the Thermalright cooler create more compatibility problems, the plates hanging over the VRM at the same time worsen the cooling of the mosfet, and can rest against their radiator. For fans of overclocking, this is a clear disadvantage - alas, the deterioration of blowing VRM for all the "towers" is a common problem, but here is very acute. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.7 / 10
Rating
Reviews
This is the best processor cooler, a real monster, able to cope with the top AMD XP stoves. When upgrading to Ryzen, you will not have to buy additional mounts or change the cooler. |
|
7 300
The model is the result of the evolutionary development of its predecessor - the NH-D14 cooler, which has been a leader in overclocker ratings for five years, except for slightly higher and larger ones. Designed as a double-tower design with six nickel-plated heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm. The cooler radiator is manufactured with a 2 mm spacing between the plates, making it effective even with low-speed blowing. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.5 / 10
Rating
|
The best tower coolers of the middle class
|
2 625
This cooler will not only be the best choice for building a quiet PC on processors with TDP up to 95 W, but also allows you to experiment with overclocking or install a more “hot” CPU. The standard fan at 1400 rpm produces 79 CFM, although it makes a lot of noise (28 dB). Do not forget that it is assembled on a simple hydrodynamic bearing (read it easier - on a simple sleeve), so over time, the roar will also be added to the noise of the blades.
But the manufacturer did not forget about aesthetics - this is a decorative cover over the plates, and a braid on the fan wire, and a mirror polished base (in reality, by the way, it is practically useless, especially in systems without extreme heat generation). The cooler is installed on the complete backplane, replacing the standard one, supports sockets Intel LGA 775 / 11xx / 2011 and AMD AM2-AM3 + / FM1-FM2 +.By the appearance on the market of processors for AM4 Scythe were not ready, so for fans of the "red", based on the upgrade under Ryzen, it will not work, alas. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.7 / 10
Rating
Reviews
On average, by today's standards, the PC keeps the temperature confidently - more than 72 in LinX did not work, and the cooler is far from top. |
|
1 790
Another predecessor of this cooler, Gammaxx 300, has become almost the most frequent recommendation on the forums when assembling low-cost effective cooling. The “400th”, retaining more than the budget price (no, seriously - are there many towers with 4 tubes and a 120-mm fan for that kind of money?), “Enriched” by one heat pipe, and the weird fan on it replaced the usual 120- millimeter.
The main advantage of this cooler is a small thickness: only with extreme failure it will not allow to put high memory in the first slot. At the same time, its efficiency is enough for high-quality cooling of 95-watt "stones" in a tight package, and the temperature, even in stress tests, will have a sizeable margin. So in the case with a well-organized purge, he pulls out and overclocked 95-watt processors, and swings at 125-watt. The aesthetes will come to the base processing, although for the TDP for which this cooler is designed, the small gaps between the heat pipes and the platform will not play any role. Moreover, the tubes are in direct contact with the CPU lid, so that the base here is more of a fastener element than a heat distributor. The cooler does not have a backplane - on AMD sockets it is placed on a standard frame, in LGA 2011 it is fixed with plates with screws, in LGA 775 / 11xx - with plastic caps. Considering the solid height and weight of the cooler, it’s worth recognizing that it will be optimal primarily for AMD processors and the Intel CPU series on a 2011 socket. One more minus of the cooler is its fan: it has a small performance and at high revs it is too noisy. Of course, collecting PCs close to finance can be replaced with better quality later, at the same time getting rid of the frankly stupid blue backlight on the four diodes in the corners. The main reason for including this cooler in the rating instead of classmates comparable to it (Cryorig M9a, Scythe Katana 4) was the “correct” installation on the AM / FM sockets framework: they are installed only with a vertical flow, which is suitable only for cases with an upper hood, and a fence air directly above the video card is not the best option. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.3 / 10
Rating
Reviews
The best budget and at the same time effective choice for AMD FX. Coolers with four tubes are cheaper except on aliexpress. |
|
2 860
One of the best coolers in the average price range, focused on gaming systems and reasonable overclocking of the processor. It is made in the form of a single-section tower structure, the shape of the radiator plates of which is associated with the unfolded butterfly wings. The distance between them is 2.7 mm, which allows the cooler to be used in system units with low air flow. Airflow is provided by a 140-mm fan with a hydrodynamic bearing and anti-vibration frame coating. Main advantages:
Minuses:
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 9.3 / 10
Rating
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3 700
The time-tested representative of the well-proven family of single-section tower coolers Macho. Designed for lovers of “regular” overclocking of top processors and equipped with a low-noise 140-mm fan with a hydrodynamic bearing. Thanks to its asymmetrical design, this cooling system allows the memory bars to be installed in all front slots. The distance between the radiator plates is 3 mm, which ensures good heat dissipation even at low fan speeds. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.2 / 10
Rating
|
|
Honored veteran, embodying the third evolutionary generation of the cooler released in 2007. Designed for silent cooling of powerful processors in normal operation or to ensure moderate acceleration with comfortable acoustic pressure for hearing. For maximum PC performance, a well-ventilated enclosure is required. The cooler has a simple one-tower design and a heat exchanger made by direct contact technology. Four flattened tubes completely cover the hottest part of the processor and provide better heat dissipation than solutions with a closed base. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.1 / 10
Rating
|
Top horizontal coolers
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2 230
An inexpensive cooler immediately attracts attention with four heatpipes and an asymmetrical design - without interfering with the memory installation, it simultaneously cools the processor power supply circuits well. For budget assemblies on boards with a small number of phases, this is a huge plus - with the “tower” you would have to use an additional VRM cooling fan. If the compact size of the case simply does not allow to install a tower cooler, then Gabriel deserves even more attention.
The area of heat dissipation is 2800 cm2, so we had to install a relatively high-speed 120-mm Deepcool GS120 fan: it spins up to 1900 rpm, while becoming too noisy. However, in terms of efficiency, it significantly surpasses the Intel boxed cooler, so it starts to lose on noise only in stress tests, while the temperatures decrease significantly. It is more likely to choose it for systems on Intel's processors — fastening AMD sockets to the sockets will most likely cause more than one curse. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.8 / 10
Rating
Reviews
For a compact case, the best inexpensive replacement for a boxed cooler, it simply does not cope with processor cooling. |
The best passive cooling systems
|
2 230
With the dimensions of a serious "tower" this cooler is designed exclusively for pulling air created by external sources (for example, a rear case fan, which is almost right next to). Included, by the way, is a silicone adapter that will allow the case fan to take in air directly from the cooler plates - and their total area is 12,000 cm2.
The cooler is installed on a powerful backplate, which is not surprising for its size and weight (1120 grams!).It has 8 heatpipes installed, which promises good heat extraction from AMD processors ... and again makes us recall the ineffectiveness of cooling the edges of Intel processor covers, which are free from solder underneath. Taking into account the finning area, it is not surprising that the cooler manages to work even with overclocked processors at temperatures not exceeding the critical ones. If it is still not enough, then the kit has brackets for the installation of a standard 140 mm fan. Main advantages:
Minuses:
|
 9.6 / 10
Rating
Reviews
I was skeptical about working with overclocked i5 (voltage - 1.45 V!), But HR-22 does cope with cooling even in a heavy software. |
So, which CPU cooler is better to choose?
It must be remembered that any cooler has its pros and cons. Most motherboards are designed to cool components adjacent to the processor with air flows from horizontal coolertherefore, installing a “tower” can cause overheating problems for the VRM and the north bridge. But when overclocking or installing a processor with an initially high TDP, there are virtually no alternatives other than water cooling.
Choosing tower cooler, you need to carefully try on its dimensions on your motherboard - there may be problems with installation up to the impossibility of putting the memory bar in the first slot, the edges of the cooler can rest against the north bridge or the radiator of VRM mosfets. In any case, the best choice would be a cooler with the largest fin area and a low-speed high-performance fan.
Passive cooling - this is rather a thing for an amateur: without air pulling by case fans, it will still not be able to work, but the increased area of the ribs will further aggravate the cooling of the board area next to the socket. So, it is worth paying attention to any modernization of the cooling system - otherwise the consequences can vary from unreasonable spending of money to overheating of the north bridge or processor power supplies. But competently assembled cooling will give both silence, and steadily low temperature of the processor.
Have a good shopping!
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Updated: 24.03.2018
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