Sometimes choosing a CPU cooler is hard. So we've got you covered with some of the best CPU coolers you should consider in 2020. We have reviewed the best air coolers & liquid coolers in this article.
It doesn't matter if you're looking to achieve the most competitive overclock for your gaming PC or just a CPU that doesn't become noisy under heavy load; selecting the best CPU cooler is a vital decision for any new PC build, or upgrade.
Using the right CPU coolers can make a huge difference in overall temperatures, noise, and performance levels.
Keeping your CPU temperature as low as possible will also increase the longevity of your computer.
And sometimes the stock cooler that comes with a brand new PC may not be able to cope with your gaming preferences.
In situations like this, you should opt for a better CPU cooling solution.
The best CPU coolers for this year come in varying sizes, shapes and price ranges.
In this post, we will be discussing some of the very best air and liquid-based CPU coolers currently on the market so that you can make the right selection.
Keep scrolling to find out what makes them so cool.
Here Are The List Of 8 Best CPU Coolers (Air & Liquid) For 2020:
- ARCTIC Alpine 11 GT (Air Cooler)
- Thermaltake Contac Silent 12 (Air Cooler)
- Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO (Air Cooler)
- Noctua NH-L9x65 (Air Cooler)
- Noctua NH-D9L (Air Cooler)
- Corsair Hydro Series H60 (Liquid Cooler)
- Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 (Liquid Cooler)
- Thermaltake WATER 3.0 Dual Riing RGB (Liquid Cooler)
List Of 5 Best CPU Air Coolers 2020
Most CPU cooling systems are air-based and their mode of operation is quite straightforward: a heatsink will absorb the heat coming from the CPU, and then disperse it with an active fan.
CPU air coolers are generally more affordable than their liquid-based counterpart and can meet the needs of most CPU users - especially for people who don't have any serious overclocking ambitions.
The Alpine 11 GT CPU cooler could turn out to be your best CPU cooler option because it is quiet, competent, and can be installed quickly.
It does a great job of keeping your PC temperature at a relatively lower level than most CPU coolers can. This is largely due to the aluminum heatsink design, which has a higher thickness than the Intel cooler model.
It also has a measurement of 89x89x75mm and weighs only 291g which is quite similar to the Intel CPU cooler.
Overall, it's one of the best budget CPU coolers you can get as a replacement for a faulty stock cooler but not for any heavy overclocking.
This is a more robust CPU cooling solution that can offer improved performance levels at more conducive temperatures with reduced noise.
It has even been touted as the best CPU cooler that enjoys compatibility with the newest socket models from both Intel and AMD. It can also cope with some overclocking.
It measures in at 153x127x75.3mm and weighs 700g.
Moreover, there are several aluminum heat pipes, a big heatsink, a powerful 120mm fan, as well as a wide contact surface area.
Overall, the Thermaltake Contac Silent 12 will give you a performance edge over the typical CPU cooler from Intel.
If you're looking for the best CPU cooler with some serious chill, do not scroll past this model.
This robust universal CPU cooler combines outstanding performance with minimal noise levels. It even looks awesome as well.
It has a thick aluminum heatsink, a powerful fan measuring in at 120mm, as well as a direct-contact copper piping system that will allow most users to accomplish any task except for the most enthusiastic overclockers.
Thanks to its compact nature, this is probably the best CPU cooler you can use for the more crowded computer cases since it occupies very little space when compared to other CPU coolers with similar specs and performance levels.
You can expect to find a small and thick aluminum heatsink along with copper heat pipes, plus a very quick rotating fan which makes up for the modest size of the heatsink.
Its dimensions are 95x95x65mm and it weighs in at 413g.
Overall, this particular Noctua cooler is one of the best CPU cooling fans for people who prioritize space management over performance and noise.
Introducing the performance-oriented Noctua CPU cooler with an unusual "dual tower" design due to the fan being placed vertically between its two individual aluminum heatsinks.
Combine this with the heat pipes and copper contact plate, and you get an efficient heat dissipation system.
Yet another noteworthy feature of this CPU cooler is its extremely quiet performance.
It comes in 95x95x110mm dimensions and weighs 531g.
Overall, its performance levels are not much different from other models in its class. However, it is extremely silent for a CPU cooler of this dimension.
List Of 3 Best CPU Liquid Coolers 2020
Even though the idea of having water flow through your high-end PC's fragile electronic system may seem far-fetched, liquid-based coolers are some of the finest cooling solutions around.
The way they work might be a bit more multifaceted when compared to their air cooling kin: here, the water flows in-between the case-mounted radiator and CPU.
This radiator serves as a heatsink, and the CPU is cooled afterward by the fan(s).
Liquid cooling comes highly recommended for gaming enthusiasts looking to squeeze more juice from their PCs.
This basic yet extremely reliable liquid cooler comes equipped with an aluminum radiator and a copper contact plate.
It uses an enclosed cooling system; hence it does not need to be refilled. Moreover, the radiator utilizes a powerful 120mm fan for heat dissipation.
This might not be the best CPU cooler on the market but it represents an excellent entry-level option for liquid cooling systems.
Perhaps you're switching from an air CPU cooler; you will undoubtedly notice a drop in temperature of approximately 10 degrees Celsius, coupled with reduced noise levels.
Here we have a sturdier upgrade to the earlier H60 model.
Apart from its reduced noise levels coupled with some extra fine-tuning, the differences are mostly negligible.
They are both extraordinary CPU coolers with big 240mm radiators and dual fans.
And just like the other Hydro models from Corsair, the H100i v2 also comes fitted with a closed cooling system.
As a plus, it even incorporates RGB lighting which identifies with your PC's gaming genre.
Our final best CPU Cooler 2020 recommendation is a CPU cooling solution by Thermaltake.
The default model comes fitted with two fans and a 240mm radiator, although there's a more costly version that incorporates three fans and a 360mm radiator.
It makes use of aluminum radiators and a copper contact plate, while it also has a special regulator for controlling the fans' speed and lighting.
In Conclusion
The key to finding out how great a CPU cooler is to focus on how it combines performance with space management.
The liquid CPU coolers might be a tad expensive but so are most performance-oriented air coolers.