Best CPU cooler 2026

The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB is our go-to recommendation for a CPU cooler that will suit most mid to high-end gaming PCs. If you’re rocking a six to 12-core gaming CPU, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel Core Ultra 250K Plus, it’s a great choice.

This dual-fan and dual-heatsink cooler can cope with a rated heat output of 265W, which is ample for some very powerful CPUs, though it can’t quite deal with the 300W+ of an Intel Core i9 14900K. Nonetheless, for the CPUs to which it’s suited, it provides its ample cooling with low noise in normal use. It’s not the absolute quietest cooler around, but it’s still quiet enough for most systems.

All this, and this simple, cheap cooler looks reasonably smart thanks to the black top plates on its heatsinks and the addition of ARGB fans. Installing the four cables (two each per fan) and reaching down between the heatsinks with a long screwdriver to attach the cooler isn’t the easiest, but it’s no worse than similar dual-stack designs.

The main reason to consider an alternative to this cooler is if you have a really high-end CPU, have a much lower-end chip, or want the spacious look of an AIO cooler. For high-end processors, an AIO liquid cooler or an even larger air cooler like the Noctua NH-D15 will be needed. Meanwhile, the cheaper and more compact Cooler Master Hyper 212 is sufficient for low-end CPUs.

As for the looks of an AIO cooler, dual-fan air coolers like the Peerless Assassin inherently take up a lot of room in your case and look a bit boring (RGB notwithstanding), so an AIO can clear up all that space for a much more spacious look to your gaming PC. Otherwise, for sheer cooling bang for your buck, just grab the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB. Read our full Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB review for more information.

The Noctua NH-D15 is a huge air cooler consisting of two 140mm fans and two heatsinks, but that size gives it incredible cooling power, which it delivers incredibly quietly. Despite its drab brown and beige color scheme – Noctua’s signature look – it’s the best air cooler in the business, for cooling powerful CPUs without resorting to noisier AIO coolers.

The two main caveats with this cooler are that it’s expensive for an air cooler – though still a lot cheaper than top-tier AIO liquid coolers – and, again, it’s huge! Make sure to check the CPU cooler height clearance of your case, your memory height, and be aware that it won’t make for a clean, airy, RGB-filled interior to your PC – it’ll fill the thing with beige and brown.

Nonetheless, if you’ve got the room and you’re a fan of beige (or your case doesn’t have a side window or isn’t on show), this is a really top-quality piece of hardware that stands on the shoulders of countless previous generations of Noctua coolers. Its cable splitter helps you to avoid clutter, and it’s really simple to install and set up. Even on high-end CPUs, it can handle extended multi-threaded workloads. Read our full Noctua NH-D15 review.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White is an ideal choice of CPU cooler for those on a budget. If you’ve equipped your system with a sensible four to eight-core CPU with a TDP of 105W or less, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, it has enough cooling power to keep these mid-range chips in check while remaining quiet and costing very little. It’s really easy to get it installed, and it’s compatible with all current AMD and Intel systems, plus a broad selection of older models.

You’ll often find that its fan reaches 2,000rpm during gaming sessions, but the good news is that it manages to stay pretty quiet, even when it’s pushed to its limits. Meanwhile, its single 4-pin PWM cable will power the lighting and the fan at the same time, so you don’t need to worry about factoring additional cables in if you like a bit of RGB. However, if you don’t enjoy RGB lighting, then you may be disappointed that its inclusion on this cooler does hike up the cost (though there are cheaper, RGB-less alternatives available).

All things considered, if you’re after a cooler that’s small, cheap, quiet, and gets the job done, this is the one for you. Just be aware of its 180W max TDP, which won’t be enough for higher-end CPUs. Read our full Cooler Master Hyper 212 Halo White review.

If you don’t have a huge amount of money to spend, then the Arctic Freezer 7 X is a great CPU cooler for a very affordable price. It might only cost $22.99, but we found it can handle a surprising amount of CPU heat.

If you’re just looking for a basic CPU cooler for a Core i5 /Core Ultra 5 or Ryzen 5 system, or you’re looking to replace your stock cooler with a model that’s quieter and more powerful, then the Freezer 7 X is the one for you.

Veterans of PC hardware might recall this cooler’s name from the olden days, when the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro was a classic, all-purpose cooler, and the Freezer 7 X is similarly impressive. It’s remarkably quiet, even when its fan is spinning at its full speed of 2,000rpm, and it even managed to handle our overclocked eight-core Ryzen 7 CPU in our tests.

This isn’t a cooler for a 16-core monster CPU, and you’ll get more cooling power by spending more money, but this budget buy is ideal for a CPU with a 65W TDP. With the Freezer 7 X, you can say goodbye to your noisy stock cooler, and build a quiet PC, all for just $22.99. Read our full Arctic Freezer 7 X review.

First, we need to explain why we haven’t chosen a specific model here, like with the other listings. That’s because there are several versions of the NH-L9. The NH-L9i will fit Intel sockets and the NH-L9a will fit AMD sockets, but both models have the same fundamental heatsink and fan design.

We tested the NH-L9a model and were really impressed by the cooling power of this mini heatsink and fan setup. It had no trouble keeping a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 7900 in check, which is a great achievement for a low-profile cooler.

It comes with a single 92mm Noctua fan, which usually runs quietly, although it can make a fair bit of noise if you stress test your CPU to the limit on all cores. A low-noise adapter is also included to spin the fan at a lower speed, and in our tests, this still gave the cooler enough power to enable our Ryzen 9 7900 to boost to its full boost speed.

Its main limitation is that it’s not suitable for overclocking, or for running a top-end CPU, such as a Ryzen 9 7950X, at full load. For that, you’re going to need a more powerful cooler, but this is still an absolutely fantastic choice for most people looking to build a powerful mini gaming PC. Read our full Noctua NH-L9 review.

Showing that you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get top-tier CPU cooling, the mammoth Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync offers loads of cooling power for just $142.99.

It even looks good, with the RGB lighting on the fans and pump unit adding a touch of color to your build. The latter even has an infinity mirror effect that looks quite fancy when it’s all lit up.

The elephant in the room (or mammoth in the case?), however, is that this cooler is enormous. It has three 140mm fans on its radiator, adding up to a colossal width of 456mm – you’ll need to properly measure up your case to make sure you have room for it.

The result is worth it if you have a high-end CPU, though. Even when running at full load, 16-core+ CPUs are easily kept in check by this monster. If you want superb CPU cooling for a low price, and you have a big case, this is the AIO cooler for you. Read our full Thermaltake TH420 V2 ARGB Sync review.

Having an LCD on your AIO cooler’s pump block may not make your CPU run any cooler, but neither does RGB lighting, yet it still makes for a tempting addition. What’s more, the screen on the NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB looks incredibly sharp and vibrant, making it a truly striking upgrade over just some flashing lights. You can customize what’s shown on the display with NZXT’s CAM software, courtesy of a USB cable that connects to your motherboard.

Of course, this giant cooler is also great at its job. Not only did it achieve the best temperature result we’ve ever seen on our Intel LGA1700 test rig, but it also had no trouble keeping our AMD Ryzen 9 7900X in check.

What’s more, this cooler runs really quietly, thanks to its three 120mm fans having enough capacity to cool a high-end CPU without spinning at full speed. It also has one of the quietest pumps we’ve ever tested, and the RGB lighting on the fans looks great as well.

The only downsides are firstly the sheer number of cables with which you have to contend, and secondly, the price. If you want the best 360mm AIO cooler that money can buy, though, then this is the one for you, and you can often find it discounted in online deals as well. Read our full NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB review.

There’s no reason you can’t be serious about your cooling and want to add a splash of color to your gaming PC in the process. Cooler Master’s MasterLiquid series does this to great effect with its bright CPU block, and it comes in a handful of different sizes to make your next CPU upgrade a bit easier. The MasterLiquid ML360L has plenty of surface area and three 120mm fans to dissipate heat across its large radiator, but if you don’t have space for that in your case, then the MasterLiquid ML240L with dual 120mm fans might be more your pace.

While everything it does is top-notch, you might face some difficulty with the initial setup. It comes with loads of cables, which can be difficult to smoothly integrate into your setup, and if you want to mount it, you’re going to have a bit of trouble because of its size. These things aside, it looks and performs admirably.

The NZXT Kraken 240 is a stalwary of the AIO liquid CPU cooler market, and is our go-to recommendation for anyone considering moving from an air cooler to an AIO. This is a great-looking cooler with a smart, simple design, and its 240mm radiator is the ideal size to fit in most cases while still offering serious cooling capacity.

This cooler will happily handle an Intel Core i9 14900K or AMD Ryzen 9950X3D, even if temps aren’t the absolute lowest, but it’s best suited to CPUs with eight to 12 cores, and for use in PCs where the extra space around your CPU lets you make a tidy-looking build – if your PC case doesn’t have a side window, just use an air cooler instead.

In general, we don’t recommend 120mm AIO CPU coolers over air coolers, if cooling capacity, noise, and value are your main priorities – the extra pump noise and modest cooling of a 120mm radiator means they lose to air coolers. However, the key advantage of 120mm AIO coolers is their ability to sneak into tighter spaces and look good while doing so. If you have a small form factor case or just want to get that open, airy look but don’t have space or budget for a larger AIO cooler.

If that sounds like you, the NZXT Kraken 120 RGB is the cooler to go for. It looks super smart with its infinite mirror pump and RGB lighting while its cooling performance is solid too. It is still a bit louder than a mid-range air cooler, but it also looks a lot better. For well under $80, this cooler provides the ideal balance of style, cooling, and value.