You'll find no better CPU coolers than those in this guide. We've tested the lot—Arctic, Corsair, Cooler Master, NZXT, Noctua, Thermalright... you name it—in order to make the recommendations on this page. So take a look below for our best picks.
Here's a quick rundown, if you're in a rush. The best liquid cooler for your CPU is the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro. It's available in 240, 280, 360, and 420 mm, and it's a great fit for nearly any PC build. The even better news is that it's one of the best performing in our tests and one of the cheapest. How about that?
The best air cooler for your CPU is the inimitable Arctic Freezer 36. It's cool, quiet and, importantly, it costs very little. Now where have I heard that before? Looks like Arctic knows how to make a great cooler on a budget.
If you're looking for other ways to help get rid of hot air, you can check out our guide to the best PC fans.
Jacob has years of experience testing both liquid and air coolers. You can often find him testing this stuff in his own home, which is both cool (literally) and uncool (metaphorically) in equal measure. It's handy for delivering you the very best recommendations for your next CPU cooler, at least.
August 20, 2026: Added two new coolers: Noctua's NL-LC1 and the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE.
July 23, 2025: Added a new best liquid cooler, Arctic's excellent Liquid Freezer III Pro. It offers superb value and great temps with any gaming chip.
June 12, 2025: Updated the best budget air cooler to the Arctic Freezer 36, one of the best performing air coolers in our testing.
The best liquid cooler
✅ If you want to keep the VRMs cool too: The fan in the CPU block works to keep your non-core components cool, too.
✅ You want quality cooling without breaking the bank: The Liquid Freezer III Pro isn't just an awesome liquid cooler, it is also hella affordable.
❌ You want a quiet cooler: The Liquid Freezer III Pro is excellent in many ways, especially value for money, but it is not quiet. Oh no, not at all.
The best liquid cooler is the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro. It's the latest version in a lineup of impressive AIOs from cooling company Arctic, and it's better than the last without being any more expensive.
Performance is superb on the Liquid Freezer III Pro. It's right up there with more expensive coolers and includes a VRM fan to keep your other key components chilly. It'll work great for any modern gaming CPU, at least if you get the larger sizes, but that shouldn't be an issue as they're all just so darn affordable.
The set-up is easy to do, as the pump unit is pretty compact. The VRM fan attachment fits over the pump after it's installed, so you don't have to work around it. The only downside to the Liquid Freezer install is if you're using it on an Intel processor, which requires replacing the built-in Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM) with a contact frame, which helps prevent bending. It's just a bit of a fiddly process and a little more risky than the otherwise simple install with an AMD chip.
There's RGB lighting on the fans and pump/fan unit, though you can opt for the RGB-free model if that's not your sort of thing. Also it's all controlled via your motherboard, anyways, so it's easy to set-up without any needless software on your PC.
Speaking of the fans, these are new and improved P12 Pro units. They spin faster than those on the non-Pro model, at 3000 rpm, which does mean they get pretty loud at full whack. However, set them to a simple curve in your BIOS and you'll be good to go with wicked temperatures.
It's a simple cooler that gets the job done with ease, and I'd look to the Arctic before putting any other cooler in my PC today.
Read our full Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro review.
The best high-end liquid cooler
✅ You want the best performance: The NL-LC1-36 is top of the charts, and while we don't test many 420 mm coolers, the NL-LC1-42 is in a league of its own.
✅ You want a quiet PC: This is by far the quiestest liquid cooler we've tested, with an acoustic pump cover and excellent fans minimising any noise whatsoever.
❌ You need to save some cash: This is an expensive cooler, no doubt about it, and while I can't deny its brilliane, you can get similar performance (not noise levels) for less.
The Noctua NL-LC1 is the best high-end liquid cooler for a couple of reasons. First, it's the top of our charts in testing, both 360 and 420 mm models; and second, it's by far the quietest.
The NL-LC1-36 is built on a liquid cooler platform called Emma V2, made by Asetek. It's designed for the best performance, not the lowest noise, but Noctua has made a number of tweaks to get Asetek's pump and everything else running as quietly as possible.
The first being three NF-A12x25 G2 fans, which perform at excellent levels in our testing with high airflow at low noise. The second being the pump cover, called the NL-PNA1. It uses 3-layer soundproofing and a floating silicone mount atop of the pump to reduce noise.
At just 41.5 dB(A) on my noise level meter from 40 cm away, the NL-LC1-36 is incredibly quiet. For comparison, the Liquid Freezer III Pro reaches 52 dB(A). The NL-LC1-42 is just a touch louder, at 42.5 dB(A).
Even with an Intel Core i7 14700K running at 1.325 V during the torturous Prime95 benchmark, the NL-LC1-36 shrugs it off. The chip sits at just 66°C on average during that test. Lower than other 360 mm coolers, including the excellent Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro, if only by a single degree. The NL-LC1-42 keeps the chip a little cooler.
Though both coolers do come with a large price tag compared to the competition, they are completely worth it for their quiet operation.
Read our full Noctua NL-LC1-36 review.
The best air cooler
✅ You want to replace a stock cooler: The Freezer 36 is a massive improvement over a stock cooler included with a CPU.
❌ You care about looks: The bare aluminum and copper look leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily, there's an all-black version, though it costs a little more.
The best air cooler for most CPUs and most PCs is the Arctic Freezer 36. It's affordable, well-made and performs exceedingly well in our testing.
The emphasis on 'most' there is due to the fact that air coolers often struggle to keep high power draw processors, such as a Core i9 14900K, under control. You'd want to look at the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE or a liquid cooler for one of those. For everything else, and more modern chips today, the Freezer 36 is absolutely all you need.
The Freezer 36 survived our testing with a Core i7 14700K—another demanding chip—relatively unscathed. It outperforms some coolers that cost double as much, and it manages to keep a low noise level as it does it.
The fans are two of Arctic's P12 PWM PST models. They're attached to the main heatsink using a couple of tool-free inserts, which see you snap them into place with a gentle push, and remove by pulling them away. It's pretty straightforward but it's a nice touch on what is a very affordable air cooler—you wouldn't bat an eyelid if it came with metal clips instead, as many do.
Included in the box is a contact frame, which is a block of metal designed to offer a better point of contact and firmer platform for a cooler on Intel processors. It's largely intended to keep chip bending to a minimum, which is a known issue on 13th/14th Gen Intel processors. It's a bit of a fiddly install, and you do need to install it on Intel processors as there's no other option, but once it's on and secured, it's extra peace of mind for no extra cost. The AMD installation process is a breeze, at least.
The Freezer 36 definitely gets my vote as the go-to air cooler right now. It's beaten by the Thermalright in pure performance and it's nowhere near as hench, but the Arctic is much more sensible for most PC gamers.
Read our full Arctic Freezer 36 review.
The best dual-tower air cooler
✅ You want the best performance for less: It's a dual-tower cooler for less than many worse performing single towers. Tough to argue with that.
❌ You want small or quiet: The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is neither. Big, loud, mighty.
The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is pretty hard to argue against. It's not only a top performer in our testing, but you can buy one for half the price of a budget liquid cooler. Certainly less than some smaller air coolers.
This cooler keeps our test bench's Core i7 14700K very cool even under heavy load. It's right there alongside or just ever-so-slightly behind the Noctua NH-D15 G2, which is admittedly much quieter unit but also much more expensive. Like, a lot more expensive.
With an Intel Core i7 14700K at 1.325 V in Prime95, a roughly 230 W thermal load, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE maintains it at a steady 71 °C. That's matched only by the Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP, and beaten only by the NH-D15 G2 at an impressive 66 °C.
It does make a lot of noise when it gets going. Around 50 decibels from 40 cm away. That's 10 decibels higher than the Freezer 36 and 5.5 decibels higher than the Noctua NH-D15 G2. So, for those that value silence above all else, I'd recommend one of those instead. Though you can always turn the fans down a touch in your BIOS to help reduce the noise.
That particularly low price tag helps to cover for this cooler's noise. If you have the space for the Peerless Assassin 120 SE, you can't really go wrong.
Read our full Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE review.
How we test CPU coolers
We put all of the CPU coolers we review through a benchmarking suite designed to inform us about their limitations and loudness. We use an Intel Core i7 14700K for all our testing, as this chip draws plenty of power at up to 253 W, which gives us lots of flexibility for pushing a cooler to the limits and back again.
We run the Core i7 14700K at two fixed voltages: 1.275 V and 1.325 V. The higher the voltage, and the more intensive the workload, the more heat this chip generates.
We take the average and maximum CPU temperature across various stress tests, which we run for extended periods and using different settings. The tests are:
- Baldur's Gate 3 - A 5-minute gameplay test
- x264 encoding - A spiky test that bounces between 90 W and 165 W
- Prime95 - An intensive test that hammers many of the CPU cores at once. We run this multiple times with various settings to hit certain average processor power draw targets.
Finally, we record the noise produced by the fan(s) and the pump, if there is one, at 100% speed.
Liquid cooler test results:
Temperature benchmarks w/ liquid coolers
Evaluating cooler effectiveness with a Core i7 14700K
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Asus Prime LC 240 ARGB | 52 Max °C, 50 Avg °C |
| Cooler Master MasterLiquid Core II | 53 Max °C, 49 Avg °C |
| Corsair Nautilus 360 RS | 50 Max °C, 48 Avg °C |
| MSI CoreLiquid P13 360 | 49 Max °C, 48 Avg °C |
| Noctua NL-LC1-36 | 48 Max °C, 46 Avg °C |
| Noctua NL-LC1-42 | 46 Max °C, 45 Avg °C |
Noise levels - liquid coolers
Fan noise for various liquid coolers, as measured from 40 cm away
Fan noise | 40 cm away
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 A-RGB | 52 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 36 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Asus Prime LC 240 ARGB | 48 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 34 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Cooler Master MasterLiquid Core II | 47.5 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 34 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Corsair Nautilus 360 RS | 49 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| MSI CoreLiquid P13 360 | 46 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 34 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Noctua NL-LC1-36 | 41.5 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 36.5 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Noctua NL-LC1-42 | 42.5 Fans @ 100% (dBA), 36.5 Noise floor (dBA) |
Air cooler test results
Temperature benchmarks w/ air coolers
Evaluating cooler effectiveness with a Core i7 14700K
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Arctic Freezer 36 | 79 Max °C, 75 Avg °C |
| Arctic Freezer 36-S A-RGB | 80 Max °C, 76 Avg °C |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock 5 | 90 Max °C, 85 Avg °C |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock 6 | 83 Max °C, 78 Avg °C |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 | 82 Max °C, 74 Avg °C |
| Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex | 78 Max °C, 73 Avg °C |
| Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP Black | 76 Max °C, 71 Avg °C |
| Noctua NH-D15 G2 (Standard Version) | 73 Max °C, 66 Avg °C |
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | 80 Max °C, 71 Avg °C |
Noise levels - air coolers
Fan noise for various air coolers, as measured from 40 cm away
Fan noise | 40 cm away
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Arctic Freezer 36 | 40 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Arctic Freezer 36-S A-RGB | 47 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock 5 | 49 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock 6 | 49 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 6 | 48 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Cooler Master Hyper 212 | 44 @100% (dBA), 37 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex | 45 @100% (dBA), 37 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Cooler Master V8 Ace 3DHP Black | 48 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Noctua NH-D15 G2 (Standard Version) | 44.5 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | 50 @100% (dBA), 35 Noise floor (dBA) |
Testing gear:
- BTMeter BT-100 anemometer
- Toptes TS-501B sound level meter
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a CPU cooler that's right for me?
If you aren't sure whether you need an air cooler or a liquid cooler, it comes down to budget and compatibility.
Most brand new coolers today are compatible with AMD and Intel's latest sockets: AM5 and LGA 1851. Do be careful to check the socket compatibility for a given cooler, as some may require additional kits or won't fit some sockets altogether.
The other thing to consider is whether a cooler is sufficient for your CPU. Your CPU wastes a certain amount of energy as heat, and that needs to be dissipated effectively. A cooler will take care of that but some high-end processors require better cooling to keep temperatures low.
Coolers often come with TDP ratings denoting what TDP of CPU they can sufficiently chill, but it's not always this straightforward. Some CPUs require larger contact points for adequate cooling, such as AMD's Threadripper chips, while Intel's 14th Gen CPUs often hit power draw much higher than their stated 'processor base power'.
Just be careful to check out what sort of chip a CPU cooler is rated to cool, especially if you're planning on overclocking.
Those on tight budgets now don't necessarily need to consider an aftermarket air cooler. Until AMD released its Wraith coolers (and then took them away again), we'd never recommend a stock cooler to any PC gamer, but they're a good stand-in when money is tight. Still, it's best to replace these with something beefier eventually, and especially now they're left out of the box in most cases.
If you have a little more spending room, liquid coolers can offer a lot more—from better performance to intelligent software control.
Some of you may be wary about putting liquid near your expensive components, but rest assured all of the coolers recommended in this guide are backed with excellent warranties that will cover you in the event of a manufacturer failure—a colossal leakage is an infrequent occurrence, anyways.
Is liquid cooling quieter than air cooling?
Generally, air coolers are pretty quiet, though it depends on how many fans they have, what size they are, and what sort of fan curve you have set. A single fan generally makes less noise than three on a liquid cooler, which also has a pump for added noise, though there are a fair few variables to consider.
Fan size is one of them. A small fan, counterintuitively, often makes more audible noise. They have to spin faster to move as much air as a larger fan, which means they can be working hard to keep your components cool. If you're pushing any sort of cooler to the limit, it will likely run the fans at their fastest, which is usually a lot noisier than 60% or lower.
Bigger fans, usually around 140 mm, are great for cooling and generally run slower. They're usually quieter for that, but not always. It depends on the brand and fan type—some are quieter than others.
A liquid cooler can be quiet, too, though this depends on how many fans it has on the radiator, the size of these fans, and whether the pump screeches or stays nice and silent. Noctua's NL-LC1 is a prime example of how pump noise can be kept to a minimum with clever design.
The quietest of all would be an entirely passive cooler with no moving parts whatsoever. Like the Noctua NH-P1. However, those can't always cope with the hottest and most heavy CPUs.
Do I need liquid cooling if I don't overclock my CPU?
Liquid cooling can undoubtedly give your processor the thermal headroom it needs to run comfortably overclocked, but you might want an AIO in your system for other reasons. The vainest is the aesthetic—not having a huge hulking heatsink clogging up your chassis when there's a Perspex or glass peephole to show off your components is often desirable.
What's an air cooler good for?
The main things an air cooler are good for are, 1) sticking to a tight budget, and 2) small form factor cases. While some tiny cases are built for tiny liquid cooler radiators, most prefer to leave a small amount of space above the motherboard for a minimal chiller. That's where an air cooler like the NH-L12S comes in.
