Rating of the best cooling systems for the processor. Cooling systems, CPU fans

Nowadays it is very difficult to imagine life without the use of computers and various gadgets, because with their help almost everything is available to us. For some it is entertainment, for others it is a way of communication, for others it is a place to work and earn good money. If there is demand, it means there is progress; today the average personal computer has the performance that prestigious institutions dreamed of just a few years ago. Yes, we ourselves notice that every year newer and more powerful computers are born.

High power has a huge disadvantage - heat generation. If the load on the processor is high enough, then it consumes more electricity, and therefore generates a large amount of heat. And heat is a problem, because its excess leads to system malfunctions, and frequent and prolonged overheating of the processor can lead to rapid failure of the latter, since the processor requires constant cooling, especially if you load it heavily or overclock it. That is why the cooler has become almost the most important part of a computer, although not the most expensive.

How to choose a good cooler for a computer based on parameters (4 important points)

Listed above are the most basic aspects, knowledge of which is necessary when purchasing a cooler. We can only advise that when purchasing a cooler, you touch its blades: they should not have any play, and they should also spin easily. We must not forget about the material from which the cooling radiator was made; it is best if it is aluminum.

Best CPU Cooler | Introduction

Detailed specifications are great, of course, but only if you have time to research them. However, all the user needs is best cpu cooler for the available amount. For those who do not have time to look through numerous test results, for those who do not feel confident enough in their choice best cpu cooler, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of - the editors are constantly updating this article, which talks about the choice best cpu cooler for every budget and taste.

Best CPU Cooler | Updates for February 2019

All outdated and discontinued models have been removed from the review, and now our tables contain only current cooling systems, which can be found in most specialized stores.

Best CPU Cooler | Air coolers

Lower CPU temperatures provide increased stability, efficiency, and reliability. It benefits everyone: from overclockers looking to extract maximum performance from their processor, to efficiency enthusiasts looking to achieve the lowest power consumption. This material is aimed at those who do not have time to look through numerous test results, and who do not feel confident enough in choosing the best processor cooler or the best liquid cooling system. The editors periodically update this article, adjusting the recommendations.

Best CPU Cooler | Pivot table

We evaluate "performance" by the ratio of cooling efficiency to noise, and "value" by the ratio of performance per dollar spent. The formula for a successful cooler is always a large heatsink surface area and increased airflow to maintain low temperatures, along with high thermal conductivity materials to quickly transfer heat from the processor to the heatsink surface. Maximum performance typically requires a large heatsink, and some of these models are too bulky to fit into mid-to-small cases.

Large coolers tend to fit into wide, full-size tower cases, although there are some mini-ITX gaming cases designed to accommodate larger coolers. Mid-sized cooling systems fit most standard cases and motherboards, but are less efficient due to their smaller radiators and fans. Thin coolers up to 75mm in height are usually designed for compact cases. Since different motherboards have different processor socket locations, it is very important to check the parameters of the cooler, motherboard and case before purchasing.

Do you have one of the new Ryzen models? Then you don't need to buy another cooler even for overclocking. All Ryzen 2000 series processors and some older models come with quality coolers, many of which can handle moderate overclocking. If you want to overclock the chip to the highest possible frequency, then buying a powerful cooler makes sense, but for most Ryzen owners it simply isn't necessary.

If you want to purchase a large air cooler, first measure to see if it will fit. Large and low-profile models can interfere with the installation of tall RAM modules and even rest against the heatsinks of the board's power supply system. At the same time, tall coolers can interfere with the installation of a side wall, even if your case does not belong to the compact category. Please make sure the measurements are accurate before purchasing.

Remember that, all other things being equal, the more fans, the better the cooling, but the higher the noise level. The most efficient coolers are often the loudest. If this is a problem for you, you will have to look for the optimal balance.

RGB lighting can be impressive, but make sure it can be turned off. Many modern cooling systems come with RGB lighting and/or RGB fans, which can give your PC a striking appearance. But make sure that this backlight can be turned off through the built-in controller or through the motherboard. There will probably be situations where the backlight will interfere - for example, when watching a movie in the dark.

Best CPU Cooler | The best large air cooler - be quiet! Dark Rock 4

ADVANTAGES

• Excellent performance
• Excellent build quality and design
• Low noise level
• Compatible with most modern sockets

FLAWS

• Premium price

VERDICT

Dark Rock 4 is an excellent and very effective, but rather expensive air cooler that can decorate any system unit.

• Alternative: Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4

Best CPU Cooler | The best mid-size air cooler - Cooler Master MasterAir MA410M

ADVANTAGES

• Mid-size cooler takes up less space
• Thermal sensor allows you to demonstrate temperature changes via RGB lighting

FLAWS

• Not as quiet as analogues

VERDICT

The Cooler Master MasterAir MA410M is a mid-sized air cooler with heat pipes and RGB lighting that delivers impressive cooling performance and fits perfectly into any gaming system.

Best CPU Cooler | Best Low Profile Air Cooler - Reeven RC-1001b Brontes

ADVANTAGES

• Low price
• Low noise level
• Equals performance as larger models, but takes up less space

FLAWS

• Does not support 130W processors, including Intel chips for LGA 2011x sockets

VERDICT

For just RUB 2,800, the Reeven RC-1001b Brontes eliminates any competition with performance typical of much larger models. Thanks to its small size, it is also perfect for the most compact cases.

Best CPU Cooler | Best Air Cooler for AMD Threadripper-Noctua NH-U14S

ADVANTAGES

• Superior Performance
• Very low noise level
• Simple and reliable fastening

FLAWS

• Premium price
• May not fit in small cases due to height

VERDICT

For anyone looking for a high-quality, high-performance, and quiet air cooler for AMD Threadripper, this is our clear recommendation.

• Alternative: Cooler Master MasterAir MA621P

Relevance: March 2019

Along with the performance of computers, temperature conditions increase, which must be contained to ensure stable, long-term service of all components. For these purposes, manufacturers create cooling systems, which will be discussed in detail in the article. They all have different structures, proprietary technologies, efficiency, and are compatible with certain types of processors. In every price category you can find coolers that can provide the desired set of functionality and performance. Remember, a computer is not a microwave, don't let it get fried.

We have compiled a list of the best CPU fans based on expert assessments and reviews from real customers. Our recommendations will help you make a choice that suits your needs and desires. There are many competitors in the global technology market, but we have selected the best manufacturers and we recommend paying special attention to them:

Budget / Inexpensive

1. Zalman
2. Deepcool
3. Ice Hammer

1. Thermalright
2. Scythe
3. Thermaltake
4. Zalman
5. Cooler Master
6. Deepcool

Expensive/Premium class

1. Noctua
2. Be quiet

*Prices are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.

CPU Fans: Backlight

Minimum price:

Main advantages

• The heat pipes and contact surface are made of copper. They are connected by soldering, which ensures the best thermal conductivity
• The total dispersion area is 6800 cm² and is one of the best indicators for single-tower systems
• Radiator design with additional cutouts allows for installation of a second cooler
• Ability to work in both passive (power dissipation up to 125 W) and active modes (300 W)
• The built-in controller automatically maintains the desired temperature and rotation speed, making the cooler almost silent (12.6-31.1 dB)
• The lower rotation limit is 300 rpm with an average of 700 rpm
• Record low price, practically no one can compete with it

Show all products in the category "Size 140 mm"

CPU Fans: Sleeve Bearing

Sleeve bearing/ Size 120 mm / Speed ​​controller

Main advantages

• The radiator fins have different end heights, which reduces air resistance and the load on the cooler
• The presence of five heat pipes has a beneficial effect on temperature control. This amount is rarely found in single tower cooling systems
• A perfectly flat base ensures even contact with the processor. Many manufacturers have soles with small bulges where the tubes pass through.
• The proprietary fan can accelerate to an impressive 2000 rpm. To limit the speed to 1500 rpm, a resistor (RC24P) is included if you need to achieve absolute silence

Sleeve bearing/ Size 120 mm

Main advantages

• The fan belongs to the slim-systems, showing a very small height - 58 mm. This will allow you to place it in any case, even mini-ATX format
• Unique design provides dual airflow to each of the five copper tubes for superior cooling performance
• The branded cooler is only 12 mm high and can accelerate to a respectable 2000 rpm. Up to 1300 rpm it remains absolutely silent, and at maximum it demonstrates a comfortable 33 dB
• The heat sink is polished to a mirror finish, although many competitors do not pay due attention to this point and marks from the cutter remain noticeable. As a result, irregularities may remain, which will lead to spot overheating.
• Contact between the base and the tubes is ensured by solder rather than ineffective hotmelt adhesive.

Show all products in the category "Sleeve bearing"

CPU Fans: Magnetic Centered Bearing

Magnetic centering bearing/ Size 140 mm

Main advantages

• The mating surface and outlet pipes are made of copper, although many manufacturers use simpler aluminum
• Additional NA-RC7 resistors limit the maximum rotation speed to 1200 rpm, so the coolers will remain silent at all times
• To prevent vibration, the company has developed a unique magnetically stabilized bearing (SSO2). The fan frame is additionally equipped with a vibration-isolating pad
• All metal elements are coated with a layer of nickel to prevent corrosion
• In addition to standard sockets from AMD and Intel, the manufacturer provides mounts for installation on legacy LGA775 and LGA1366

Have you ever wondered what the performance and speed of modern processors is? This is actually very important. Every modern processor must be cooled. This need arises due to the fact that it constantly heats up, due to the huge number of information flows that it has to process. Of course, the cooler plays the most important role in the process of cooling the processor. This device constantly supplies cool air to the core of the processor, allowing it to work for many years. However, not every processor cooling system is capable of coping with such a complex task. There are a huge number of models on the computer equipment market in 2018, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. It’s easy to get confused in such diversity. We will talk about how to choose a cooler for AMD and Intel processors in this article.

A socket is a connector on the motherboard into which the central processor is inserted. Sockets have different mounting distances for coolers, so the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a good cooling system is the socket. The design features of modern sockets are such that they differ for each specific processor. The method of mounting the device will be different, and it is necessary to decide on the model in advance before visiting the store. Modern processor manufacturers, AMD and Intel, produce completely different architectures for these sockets, each of which is suitable only for one type of processor. The main thing is to know what kind of hardware your computer has, then everything will fall into place.

CPU Cooler Size

After the socket is determined, you need to choose one of the hundreds of models of cool processor cooling systems that the modern market offers. Cost is not always the most important factor here. The main thing is that the fan fits easily inside the system unit. Some home computers have undergone repeated upgrades over many years of operation, and this leads to the fact that certain problems may arise when installing a cooling system. There may simply not be enough space for the cooler. That is why its geometric parameters must be treated extremely carefully. The size of the fan blades directly determines the amount of air that will be supplied to cool the processor. The stronger this flow, the better for the computer. The best cooler has geometric parameters of 92 by 92 by 25 mm. This standard is primarily used by people in private home settings. For a processor that is not the fastest, this is quite enough. If a person purchases a fan for a computer that he uses for games and complex tasks, then this size may not be enough. Here it is worth paying attention to models with a geometry of 120 by 120 by 25 mm. This is a more powerful device that creates more intense airflow. By the way, it has been noted that larger fans for cooling the processor are less noisy.

Expert video advice on choosing a cooling system for a processor

Cooler rotation speed

A reliable cooler should provide high enough rotation speeds to ensure maximum cooling efficiency. This parameter is measured in revolutions per minute. The most “advanced” models are considered intelligent, that is, they independently change the rotation speed depending on the load on the system. For example, a person just surfs the Internet, while the processor runs on a minimum of resources. In this situation, the rotation speed will be approximately 1100 rpm. If he suddenly decides to play some modern “shooter” game, then the fan begins to navigate according to the state of the processor, that is, it picks up speed, which can rise up to 2000 rpm. For those who have purchased a large fan, there is no need to worry about overheating at all, it will easily maintain the optimal temperature of the processor.

Types of CPU Cooling Systems

There are several types of processor cooling systems.

Box cooling systems

A cooler that comes with a processor in one box for one price is called boxed, from the word BOX (box). They are not the most powerful and are quite noisy. But for a low-power household computer, it is better to buy this system, which is very convenient. It's easier and cheaper than buying these devices separately.

Cooling systems without heat pipes

The simplest and cheapest processor cooling systems consist of a cooler and a radiator, which is a block of copper or aluminum plates - heat reflectors. They are easy to install and easy to use. Such cooling is quite enough for a low-power computer; in addition, this system has a low price. Its significant feature is the fairly high noise from the fan, which increases with increasing load on the computer.

Multi-cooler cooling system

Many processor cooling systems are equipped with two or even three coolers. Of course, the more fans there are, the more powerful the air flow and, accordingly, the stronger the cooling of the processor. But such units are massive and weigh quite a lot. It is clear that it is not advisable to install this expensive type of cooling system in an ordinary low-power computer.

Liquid Cooled Systems

Systems with liquid processor cooling have copper and aluminum heat pipes through which a liquid circulates, intensively removing heat. These systems are extremely efficient and quiet. But the price of such systems is quite high. In addition, they have specific fastenings, which make the coolers difficult to install; The devices are quite bulky and take up a lot of space. And it’s not a fact that a liquid-cooled system will have a high-quality fan.

Radiator designs for processor cooling systems

In order to choose the right cooler for an Intel and AMD processor, it is important to take into account the design of its radiator, which determines the direction of outgoing air flow inside the system unit.

Coolers with tower radiators

Tower cooling systems do an excellent job of cooling the fastest processors. They dissipate heat well, thereby ensuring long-term operation of the computer. The only disadvantage of this type of radiator is the narrow direction of the outgoing air flow, which does not reach other parts of the motherboard. Outgoing air from tower systems flows either upward or to the rear of the system unit.

C-type coolers

C-type cooling systems, with their curved tubes over the processor with a radiator with a cooler attached to them, resemble the letter C. In addition to high-quality cooling of the processor, these systems provide much better airflow to the motherboard.

Combined

Combined processor cooling systems are quite rare. They are equipped with powerful, expensive system units. This aims to combine the two above-mentioned types of cooling. But devices of this type are not much more effective, but they are expensive. And whether they are needed is a personal question for everyone.

Top CPU coolers of 2018

The main characteristics of good coolers were listed above, but in addition to them, you need to pay attention to the specific company that produced this device and released it into the world. The most popular and high-quality products on the computer market in 2018 are considered to be the products of the companies Thermaltake and Cooler Master. It is these two companies that are most widely known today. This does not mean that there are no other manufacturers of similar devices on the market. Of course, they are present, and even produce products that are distinguished by high quality indicators. Only Thermaltake and Cooler Master coat their devices with additional protection that prevents dust from falling out. After all, dust is also destructive for any microprocessor technology. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the products of the companies - DeepCool, Zalman and Thermalright, and in order not to get lost in this huge number of models, we have compiled a rating of the best coolers for all types of processors and sockets, which took the entire Top of the coolest magazines and won the respect of gamers, so here they are.

The best CPU coolers of 2018

This Top includes universal models of processor cooling systems that became sales leaders throughout 2017-2018, that is, they are suitable for both Intel and AMD.

1. ZALMAN CNPS10X PERFORMA
2. DEEPCOOL ASSASSIN II
3. Cooler Master Hyper 412S
4. THERMALRIGHT MACHO REV.A
5. Noctua NH-D15
6. Cryorig H5 Ultimate
7. Arctic Freezer i32

The best coolers for Intel i5, i7 processor

Here we have collected the Top 7 best processor cooling systems from Intel in 2018.

1. Deepcool Lucifer V2
2. Master Hyper 101
3. Cooler Scythe Katana 3
4. Thermalright HR-22
5. Thermaltake Contac 30
6. Cooler Master X6 Elite
7. ZALMAN CNPS10X OPTIMA

Best CPU coolers for AMD