🙋 Direct support and advice in our Telegram group
📹
What to do when the pc gets too hot?
Probably the cooling system you have in use will not live up to your expectations. So why not buy a more efficient one?
In this guide you will be able to choose between best air and liquid coolers present on the market.
Generally, together with the processors, a so-called “stock” heatsink with very small dimensions and performance is supplied.
It is obviously useless for those who want to push their own build with a pinch of overclock, while those who do not have this particular type of needs could replace it with a economical air cooler.
In the following guide you will find the best Air coolers and the liquid.
If you weren't interested in the cooler ad aria you can then visit our article on liquid cooling for pc where you can only find the best AIO liquid coolers (All in one).
CPU Cooler • The best Air and Liquid Coolers
To start, let's see how i behave air and liquid heat sinks.
A municipality air cooler you could identify it in the case of your pc as the “fan to cool the processor”Although in reality this is not a very elegant definition as these cooler they are composed of 2 fundamental parts.
First of all, the most appropriate term to define it is heatsink. It through semi-direct contact with the processor socket deals with dissipation.
Although it is true that there is always at least one fan, these items are equipped with a metal sheet structure that serves to spread the heat from the CPU socket throughout the structure for dissipation.
The larger the surface of the heatsink, the larger the dimensions, the better the dissipation. But pay attention to the spaces!
The fan on the other hand, in short, has the task of cooling these foils to keep the processor temperature cool.
In a AIO liquid cooler instead there are several parts:
- Waterblock: it is the block generally also equipped with a pump to let the liquid that is placed above the water flow CPU through the use of thermal paste.
- Radiator: it too has a structure with metal sheets with the difference, however, that this time the liquid will flow inside the radiator.
- Fans: will cool the liquid that is pumped from the water block to the radiator via the pipes in an infinite cycle.
We have briefly described what are the main features of these heat dispersion devices of the hardware in the computer.
CPU cooler • Air or liquid? Differences.
Which of the two alternatives is the most suitable for your needs? Let's see it now!
Many have certainly heard of liquid coolers, however there are many legends about them.
One of the following is that they require constant maintenance.
What you just read is shamelessly false.
I AIO liquid coolers (All in one) have this name precisely because they are already beautiful and mounted by default.
Therefore, there is no need to handle pipes, radiators and change the liquid so much. They are products created for the needs of less experienced users and therefore do not require any maintenance, other than to periodically replace the thermal paste (but this must also be done on air coolers).
Maintenance is instead due to liquid system per pc custom that the user assembles himself by choosing his own components (Waterblock, radiator, pipes, pump, reserve, etc.).
So which one to buy?
If you don't need to do any kind of overclock and yours is a non-high-end machine then you might buy a small one air cooler just to be with the heart at peace since that stock intel e AMD it is not very good.
If instead I wanted to carry out overclock and you own a PC high-end opts for a Air cooling expensive or to a more elegant and performing one liquid cooling system.
CPU cooler • What to consider
What are the parameters to consider before making a purchase?
First of all you have to evaluate the needs, as we explained in the previous paragraph, secondly you have to calibrate the purchase based on the budget and compatibility with the system.
Let's see in more detail what it is:
- Socket Support: Verify that the heatsink you want to buy can be mounted on the socket of your motherboard.
- Cooler Height: Verify that the heatsink you want to buy (if air-powered) is the right size to fit into the case.
- Fan speed and invoice: finally check that the fans of the dissipation system that you will need to buy are fast enough and that they move enough airflow.
Now let's move on to the real buying guide for best air and liquid coolers without getting lost in further chat!
CPU Cooler • The best budget Air Coolers
In this first section we will list only the best cheap air coolers great to replace those of stock supplied with the CPU in bundle and for very light overclock.
If you are building a PC based on the new ones Twelfth Generation Intel, we remind you that not all heatsinks will have the compatible plate with the new socket but you can always request it for free, or for a few euros, from the manufacturer.
Furthermore, prices within this category should be in the $ 100 range.
If you want something more pushed instead, go to the next section.
Let's start!
ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports
The first that we would like to recommend is the ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports, a heat sink whose fame precedes it.
It is a heatsink a single tower with a single fan that is able to return truly excellent performance in relation to the market price.
A little small, not very gorgeous but still elegance, also excellent for aesthetic builds, thanks to the black color and devoid of RGB lighting in the blades.
It does its job admirably to keep the cool CPU even under load but it is not recommended for those who want to do heavy overclocking.
The value for money is the strong point of this air cooler: with only 40 € you take home a device that cannot disappoint!
Below you can check the price in real time.
Noctua NH-U12S
Before heading towards the king of air coolers, it is imperative to mention his right hand: the nocturnal NH-U12S.
A product that under the guise of the black color becomes definitely a best buy for the price at which it is offered.
From a performance point of view it would not even seem like a single fan heatsink: well, what is surprising about this little gem is the dissipation performance when the processor is under stress.
For a reasonable amount, you can take home an article that has: power, aesthetics and a lot of versatility.
Again Noctua she does not get caught unprepared, and churns out an "update" of a now well-known heatsink, in an impeccable color this time.
DeepCool Assassin III
Another iconic air cooler is the DeepCool Assassin III, which from our tests turned out to be one of the best performing ever.
Double tower, double fan from 140 mm for this CPU cooler, a winning combination that does not forget the aesthetic aspect, resulting very minimal and elegant.
Direct competitor of the next Noctua NH-D15, it positions itself as a hair in terms of temperatures but stands out particularly in terms of price.
Great for both a Gaming that editing in the consumer range, ideal for cooling even a Intel i9 or Ryzen 9.
I believe there is no such figure best buy alternative: with approx 80 €, you take home a Mr. heatsink, able to cool even cpu in overclocking of a certain type without problems.
Noctua NH-D15
Before moving on to liquid heatsinks let's see the best air cooler produced by Noctua.
According to us perhaps the best air cooler currently on the market.
If you want to go deeper into the matter, take a look at our review of the Noctua NH-D15 Chromax.
The price is already much higher than the two previous products.
It is a air cooler di large therefore it is good to verify that it can be contained in the case.
In this case, compatibility is also ensured for AM4 motherboards.
Perfect for making pushed overclocking and for those who are terrified of liquid.
And the air cooler with the lowest temperatures around, sometimes even better than some liquid coolers you can find below.
The black coloring is the icing on the cake for lovers of whimsical configurations.
Below you can check the price in real time:
CPU Cooler • The best liquid coolers
Let's now move on to the most interesting and coveted liquid heatsinks.
In this short guide we will recommend the cooler of different sizes: with 120mm, 240mm and even 360mm radiators.
As we have suggested for air coolers, also for AIO coolers, you can ask the manufacturer for the piastra compatible with the new ones Twelfth Generation Intel CPU.
Let's not get lost in further talk and let's see together which product is right for you.
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 is the first AIO of this category.
We have always recommended it and we could not fail to do it again this time.
Un AIO liquid cooler with radiator from 240 mm, perfect for configurations from Gaming o editing at a more than reasonable price.
An elegant design, without RGB but it also looks really good in high-level configurations.
It then presents a heat sink a bit unusual being definitely more often compared to others on the market, excellent for increasing performance while maintaining a sober profile.
Even the pump is a bit special, not everyone likes it, degustibus, certainly it cannot be said that it has no identity!
DeepCool Castle 240 RGB V2
Once again we find a product on the list Deep Cool, this time is the Castle 240 RGB V2, a 240mm AIO liquid cooler.
Characterized by excellent performance and a rather affordable price, accompanied by a great deal RGB lighting.
The pump is also very particular, rather protruding, so if what you are looking for is an extremely design low profile then maybe you should look elsewhere.
I confess that this product has been in my cart for a few months waiting to be purchased for my next build, so I couldn't recommend it to you too!
Moreover, the price is falling continuously and, for 85 euros, it is absolutely a best buy for this category!
It is also available in a version with a 360mm radiator, as we will see shortly!
SilentiumPC Navis EVO ARGB 360
As first in the category 360 mm I recommend the SilentiumPC Navis Evo ARGB 360 AIO, an entry level cooler that we have already developed a review of.
Not everyone will know the brand Silentium PC and I would not be surprised if you also did not know it, but you must know that for some time it has entered the hardware components market with products at competitive prices.
Even if, as we have already been able to observe from the tests we have carried out, it is not an extremely efficient heatsink, not always a couple of degrees are not worth the 100 euro difference with the most renowned competitors.
If you count the fact that with just 100 € you have in your hands a 360mm heatsink e three ARGB fans, there is no reason to ignore it.
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360
Among the best liquid heatsinks, the 360mm version is also backARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360.
The heatsink in question is a AIO with 360mm radiator, characterized by excellent performance and a price, in my opinion, really low.
This Liquid Freezer II 360, in fact, it sees the same characteristics of the younger brother reported in the larger format, with strengths and weaknesses.
If already the 240mm version was capable of dissipate any CPU without too many compromises, here it is Liquid Freezer II 360 not only is it suitable for overclock pushed but also conforms well to the structural characteristics of large houses!
Below you can find the heatsink always updated at the current price!
DeepCool Castle 360 RGB V2
Here is as promised the DeepCool Castle 360 RGB V2, the top of the range of the Chinese brand.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm a huge fan of this cooler in the version da 240mm but if I had more space in the case I would definitely opt for this 360mm one!
This is a very good one AIO with 360 mm radiator e RGB fans, accompanied by the pump, which has a very interesting design even if definitely not low profile.
Also in terms of performance it seems to be really a excellent solution, so much so that it is compared to much more famous brands, a competition that is always good for the consumer market.
The price in this case is slightly higher because we are talking about 140 €, although it often goes on a discount under 120 euros!
