Best CPU Coolers 2023 – Zen 4 & 13th gen updated

Ryzen 7000 series and Intel 13th gen

Both Intel 13th gen and the Ryzen 7000 series run incredibly hot, and need a large cooler with a high cooling capacity to keep at an acceptable temperature.

We managed to throttle the 13900K by 13% in our testing, all this was thanks to a particularly stressful stress test from Aida64 Extreme. Although we never expect you to reach this level of CPU stress under normal circumstances, we still feel you shouldn’t be able to throttle with a 360mm AIO.  Has Intel packed too much into its CCD?

Ryzen is a similar story, although we never actually achieved any thermal throttling, we were close. The 7600X reached a toasty 95 Celsius during our stress tests, with the 7900X not too far behind. Bear in mind, that’s just with PBO enabled, we have no hope for manually overclocking these chips, or trying to increase the voltage in any way. Doing so tends to skyrocket temps and with Ryzen only having 5 Degrees of wiggle room, it’s safe to say we’ll see some throttling in that scenario.

We have the best cooler pages for both of these CPU types since they are kind of in a league of their own.

• Best cooler for 13th gen CPUs 
• Best cooler for Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. 

How We Choose

All of the CPU coolers on this list are here for a reason – we didn’t just pick them out of thin air. First and foremost, we conducted a search to discover which CPU coolers gamers are into while trying to balance those with the highest reviews against those with the lowest price tags.

Reviews from various manufacturers were taken into account, as well as reviews from others in the PC gaming industry.

Next, we get our hands on as many of our recommendations as possible so we can see the build quality up close, test how easy they perform, and see how they effectively cool the CPU.

How We Test

From PC cases to CPU Coolers, we like to get hands-on with all the hardware we recommend. Testing the products is a huge part of our overall selection process and it is a way we can be sure that a specific option is the best for the job.

CPU Coolers must meet our expectations which largely comes from a lot of acoustic and thermal performance tests, with some other boring stuff but most if not every recommendation will have gone through a strict testing process.

With a CPU cooler, we need to assess build quality, thermal performance, acoustic performance, and finally, value.

This process enables us to provide you with an accurate take on how well a cooler performs and, ultimately, if it’s worth your hard-earned cash.

Things To Consider

When buying a CPU cooler there is more to consider than just ‘will it fit’. Below are a few key factors that you should go over and understand before making that final purchase.

Performance

All the CPU coolers on our list are proven to perform well in relation to their cost. A cooler’s only job is to keep temperatures low and give you, the consumer, more bang for your buck from your CPU.
So having a solid performing cooler can help you squeeze extra power from your CPU if you go down the overclocking route and it’s best to have it as cool as you possibly can.

Noise

CPU coolers are expected to be loud when running at max which is often the case if in a game for example. Air coolers generally produce more sound than liquid coolers but not always. Cooler manufacturers test the max noise levels so we can see what noise impact certain coolers will have on our system.

Reliability

It’s important to go with manufacturers that produce high-quality products and this is especially true when it comes to liquid cooling solutions.
There have been cases where the closed-loop ‘liquid’ coolers have leaked so we have tried to ensure quality suggestions!

Your Budget

Often any aftermarket cooling solution is better than the stock fan that comes with certain CPU’s. If you’re unsure how powerful your fan should be after reading everything here, then it’s best to go overboard as its safer than not cooling your CPU enough.
If you buy an extra powerful CPU cooler, then you might not need to upgrade it when you upgrade your CPU next. If money is tight then save your cash and go for a solid air cooling solution.

Consider The Amount Of Heat Your Computer Generates

Before you can determine what size cooler you need(and how much money you should budget) you first need to know how much heat your CPU generates.
Thankfully this is a lot easier than you’d think since you really just need to know the TDP.
This information is normally on the CPU box and should tell you everything you need to know.
If you don’t have the CPU box anymore, simply go online and type in the model number of your CPU and head straight to the specifications tab and look for the TDP.

What Size Cooler Should You Pick?

Now that you know your CPU model, it’s time to determine what sized cooler will best suit your needs.

If you have a low TDP CPU (around 40W to 70W), then a large cooler will not be necessary. You can go for a cheaper, small-to-medium-sized cooler and still keep those temps down. Anything over 75W will benefit from a larger CPU cooler as the large heatsinks help keep those temps even lower and they sometimes come with extra fans for improved airflow.

Mind the CPU Socket

Whether you use an air or liquid cooling solution, it must fit with the CPU socket.
Even though most coolers are produced to fit most CPU sockets by offering various brackets, some coolers still only work with specific sockets.
To determine the type of CPU socket that fits your CPU cooler, check your CPU or your motherboard specifications.

Should You Use Air Or Liquid?

Technically for out of the box processing power, the choice is down to preference as they will all provide adequate cooling. Often air coolers are cheaper but may not offer the same performance for cooling an overclocked CPU.
Regardless of what you pick both cooling types share some pros and cons. As a rule of thumb, low profile air fans can often be really quiet and can fit in smaller builds.

Clearance: Make Sure All Your Components Fit

One of the most common problems people face when buying a mid-to-high-end air cooler is the clearance(room once cooler is installed).
Sometimes the heatsinks can be really big and leave little to no space for your RAM and other hardware and sometimes the case its self. So make sure you check the clearance, which should be clearly indicated on the spec sheet of the CPU cooler.
You should also check your motherboard’s layout to ensure parts won’t be bumping into one another.If you have plenty of clearance, then you’re good to go. On the flip side, if you don’t have enough clearance, you’ll need to go with a liquid cooler since they take up less space but ensure your case has adequate room to mount it.

Consider the Position of the Fan and the Direction of the Air

Typically, a case will have four different locations for liquid coolers to be mounted. Depending on the case, you can normally install a cooler on the top ( you will see vents and screw holes). Sometimes this can be mounted on the front if your front panel comes off your case. In extreme cases, where space is tight, a smaller liquid cooler can replace the exhaust fan at the back of the PC.

When positioning the fans on the air or liquid cooler make sure you know which way the air is going to blow. Some manufacturers have arrows etched onto the fans to show you the direction and you ideally want this air to be flowing out of the case so position accordingly.

How Much Do Aesthetics Matter?

It goes without saying that liquid coolers look nicer than most air coolers.

Despite liquid coolers looking ‘cooler’, it doesn’t mean that it is more effective. There are of course a handful of air coolers that cool better than liquid coolers so don’t just go for the dearest.
Just keep in mind that liquid coolers are usually the go-to option when overclocking as they cool better than air at higher temperatures.

Key Terms To Understand

Before we get stuck in, here are some basic terms to familiarise yourself with if you aren’t currently aware.

AIO (All-In-One)

This is in reference to a liquid cooler or a closed-loop cooler. This means the pump, pipes, liquid, and reservoir all come together as one single unit. All you have to do is install it and you’re good to go. It’s known as an ‘All-In-One’ as you can get fully customized liquid cooling which requires a lot more know-how and skill to install

TDP (Thermal Design Power)

Also called Thermal Design Point. This is a specification measured in watts. It tells us the maximum amount of heat that component will produce which in this case is a CPU.

RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)

Revolutions per minute or RPM is the number of revolutions a CPU fan makes in a minute. More RPMs means more airflow, but this can raise noise levels.

PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

Pulse-width modulation is a modulation process or technique that performs a predefined action based on either temperature (of the CPU) or system commands.
It simply means a PWM fan lets you control the rotational speed or RPM and lighting (if it’s RGB) wirelessly or via a 3rd party software.

dbA (A-weighted decibels)

This directly expresses the relative loudness of sounds in the air as it is perceived by the human ear. A-weighted system decibels means sounds at low frequencies are reduced compared with the unweighted decibels.
Here’s a table showing comparative examples of noise levels:

Noise levels

Why are CPU coolers so important?

CPU coolers are important for PC operation because they help regulate the temperature of the CPU and prevent it from overheating. Overheating can cause the CPU to slow down or shut down in order to prevent damage, which can negatively impact performance and stability.

A properly functioning cooler helps maintain the ideal temperature range for the CPU, ensuring that it can operate at maximum speed and efficiency. In extreme cases, overheating can cause permanent damage to the CPU, requiring costly repairs or replacement.

A good cooler helps extend the lifespan of the CPU, improve system stability, and prevent performance throttling, making it an important component in any system.

Related Cooling Pages

If you enjoyed this guide, why not check out some of our similar guides that may help you with your purchasing decision.

• AIO CPU Coolers
• Liquid Cooling vs Air Cooling
• PC Case Fans
• RGB Case Fans
• Thermal Paste