Our Top Picks for CPU Coolers in 2024

Having a capable CPU cooler is crucial if you want to extract the maximum performance out of your power-hungry CPU. The best CPU coolers not only excel in cooling performance but also look great and don’t cost a fortune. Whether you’re a fan of air coolers or liquid coolers, I’ve put together this list of the best CPU coolers to buy in 2024.

Tip: buying a new CPU cooler? Find out how to choose the right CPU cooler for your PC.

Best Cheap Air Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB

Price: $33

If you’re someone who hates to fret about specs and just wants to spend the absolute minimum on a CPU cooler, the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB stands undisputed. Costing less than $35, this dual-tower air cooler features six nickel-plated copper heat pipes, two 120mm ARGB fans, and an excellent aluminum heatsink to cool workloads of up to 265W.

Even if you’re picky about noise levels, fan speeds, and airflow, the PA 120 SE is completely up to the task. Shockingly, it can even handle the most extreme CPUs, like the Core i9-13900K or Core i9-14900K, as long as you’re not overclocking your CPU. Even though it’s a 2022 model, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB was one of the gaming PC parts that impressed me in 2023.

You can also opt for the all-white ARGB or black non-ARGB variants, if RGB isn’t your thing.

Best Value Air Cooler: DeepCool AK500 Zero Dark

Price: $55

If you’re willing to stretch your budget slightly, the DeepCool AK500 Zero Dark has a lot more to offer for your money. The cooling performance is absolutely fantastic, as it’s capable of keeping up to 240W of CPU workloads in check. But its all-black design, compact single-tower form factor, and RAM clearance are what make it truly a great buy.

Even though it’s a single-tower cooler in all-white and chrome, with five copper heat pipes, that doesn’t seem to affect the airflow or the cooling performance, irrespective of whether you’re using a budget gaming CPU or a high-end one. The AK500 feels like a perfectly sized air cooler and can fit almost any case. You don’t have to worry about a complex installation or crowding of space around your RAM slots.

Best Premium Air Cooler: DeepCool Assassin IV

Price: $100

DeepCool makes some of the best CPU coolers on the market, and the DeepCool Assassin IV is no different. The above-mentioned AK500 would be more than enough for your heavy workloads, but the Assassin IV takes things up a notch. Not only does it perform better than many budget air coolers, but it features a design that’s unlike anything else you’ll see.

Unlike the majority of air coolers with an intake fan at the “front,” the Assassin IV pushes the 140mm intake fan in the middle of the cooler. Another 120mm fan is attached to the rear of the cooler, and the entire preassembled design results in a unique look that doesn’t affect performance. There’s even a bundled fan bracket to attach a third fan at the front if you really can’t bear a fanless front face on your cooler.

Thanks to fluid bearings, the Assassin IV runs super silent, and there’s a nifty onboard switch to choose between silent and performance modes.

Tip: worried about your CPU overheating? Check out the optimal CPU temp for gaming and how to cool it down.

Best Premium AIO Liquid Cooler: be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 360

Price: $155

be quiet! is known for producing some of the best air coolers, as well as AIO liquid coolers. The Pure Loop 2 FX 360 is one of their top 360mm liquid coolers. It beats many competitors from DeepCool, Lian Li, Arctic, and Enermax. In a first for the brand, this FX series cooler features bright RGB lighting, both on the fans and the CPU block.

Unlike most AIOs, the Pure Loop 2 FX 360 places the pump near the radiator, instead of within the CPU block, bringing some of the lowest noise levels among AIOs. When it comes to liquid cooling, this premium AIO is one of the absolute best CPU coolers, thanks to its incredible cooling performance, design, and build quality.

Best Budget AIO Liquid Cooler: DeepCool LS520 SE WH

Price: $89

One of the most common gaming PC building mistakes is buying insufficient cooling, especially if you’re overclocking a high-end CPU or want a super-silent and chilly system. But with the DeepCool LS520 SE WH, you don’t need to spend a bomb to get great AIO cooling.

The LS520 SE WH is an all-white beauty that looks as good as it performs. Its 240mm radiator and 3100 RPM pump are enough to cool up to 280W of workloads. The CPU block features an infinity mirror to further enhance your build’s aesthetics. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-performing and better-looking AIO.

Best for SFF builds: Noctua NH-L12S

Price: $60

If you’re building in a small form factor (SFF) PC case, you’ll need all the room you can get. The slim but powerful Noctua NH-L12S is the best CPU cooler for the job. This low-profile cooler is only 70mm tall and has a 120mm silent fan. There’s also a tube of Noctua’s high-end NT-H1 thermal paste bundled in the box.

You have the option of installing the fan above or beneath the aluminum heatsink for maximum flexibility. The copper base and heat pipes do an excellent job in cooling workloads of up to 200W. There are many other low-profile coolers on the market, but none of them have Noctua’s renowned performance and quality.

Good to know: fan configuration is important for optimum cooling. Favorite this guide to intake/exhaust fans and airflow on your PC for later reference.

Best White Air Cooler: ID-COOLING FROZN A620 ARGB

Price: $65

The ID-COOLING FROZN A620 ARGB is a breathtaking all-white air cooler with a tasteful ARGB design along its dual-tower heatsink and dual 120mm PWM fans. The top of the cooler, i.e., the one facing the side of the case, has an attractive, flat design, so you don’t have to look at those pointy protrusions seen on many other coolers.

Six copper heat pipes and a unique fin design on the heatsink perform an excellent job of heat dissipation. The fans have fluid dynamic bearings for low noise and deliver around 78CFM of maximum airflow. The cooler is easy to install and comes with a tube of thermal paste.

Best White AIO Liquid Cooler: Lian Li Galahad II Trinity 360

Price: $190

It might cost double that of many other 360mm liquid coolers, but the Lian Li Galahad II Trinity 360 is simply one of the best-looking white AIOs on the market. The thick build of the radiator enhances the all-white design, and the RGB lighting of the high-end UNI FAN SL-INF fans is unlike any other AIO. Additionally, the infinity pump can be customized in multiple ways to show different lighting effects.

The fans are preinstalled and have a single cable for the entire fan setup, so you save yourself some time assembling and cable managing them. Performance is top-notch with this 360mm AIO, and it can easily handle around workloads of 250W. Use Lian Li’s L-Connect 3 software to customize the lighting effects and pump speed.

Building a gaming PC doesn’t need to be as complex as it’s made out to be. Still, you need to plan well to not end up regretting your choices. Buying the best CPU cooler for your needs is one of these key decisions. While you’re at it, you should also know how to choose a PC case that is compatible with the air cooler or liquid AIO cooler you’re buying. Once you’ve put everything together, it’s also advisable to use one of the simplest fan control tools to optimize your fan curves for the best performance and acoustics.

Image credit: Unsplash

Tanveer Singh

After a 7-year corporate stint, Tanveer found his love for writing and tech too much to resist. An MBA in Marketing and the owner of a PC building business, he writes on PC hardware, technology, video games, and Windows. When not scouring the web for ideas, he can be found building PCs, watching anime, or playing Smash Karts on his RTX 3080 (sigh).