Building a powerful rig goes hand in hand for building an efficient cooling system for ensuring top notch performance. CPUs that draw a lot of power tend to run hotter than power efficient CPUs. With the advancement in CPU qualities as well as more cores, new CPUs are able to churn out more punching power than ever before. But it all comes with a caveat, they all produce a lot of heat and in order to run things smoother you need the best solution for that particular CPU.
There are lots of options out there for different sockets of CPUs. Both the AMD and Intel CPUs now enjoy the options of having aftermarket coolers to ensure safety for hardware as well as sporting cooling capabilities. Nowadays liquid cooling has become a common sight as well. Though a bit complex in nature its performance ensures the consumers to get one for their system. Instead of building the liquid cooling system on your own the AIO system offers smoother setup and hassle free maintenance.
Here we will look at both air as well as liquid cooling systems that are currently on the market.
Corsair iCUE H170i Elite Capellix XT
This cooler showcases top notch performance in cooling high performance CPUs both from Intel and AMD. The cooler possesses a larger radiator that is able to provide an efficient heat dissipation.
The AIO liquid cooler supports LGA 1700, 2066, 1200 and 115X sockets from Intel. It also supports AM4 and AM5 sockets from AMD. The cooler has a scale of 420mm and dimension of 457x140x27 mm. Fans can run from 500 to 1700 rpm that can reach up to 35.8 dBa.
Upsides
- Great cooling performance
- Great for top quality CPUs
- Aesthetic looks
- Good if you can get a deal
Downsides
- Bulky
- Requires a larger casing
- A bit expensive without deal
Price
Price is around $220 but with deals can be around $200.
Deepcool Gammaxx L240 V2
If you are looking at a cheaper option but with good performance then the L240 V2 is for you. It is a good AIO cooler that has a balanced performance with what it costs.
It supports LGA20XX, LGA1366, LGA1200 and 115X sockets from Intel. Moreover it also supports a wide variety from AMD sockets AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2 and FM1. Having a scale of 240mm it has a dimension of 280x120x27 mm. Fans possess speeds of 500 to 1800 rpm with noise level reaching up to 30 dBa.
Upsides
- Great value for your money
- Efficient cooling
- Quiet during idling
- Good looking
Downsides
- Gets loud when under stress
Price
The price is around $80 which is quite cheap for a good cooler of this caliber.
Deepcool AS500 Plus
If you are looking at a hassle free low maintenance air cooler then the AS500 from Deepcool is the best on the market right now.
It has a wide support for CPU sockets from both Intel and AMD. In the case of Intel it supports LGA 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 2011, 2066 sockets while it supports AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2 and FM1 from AMD. The cooler has 2 fans of 140mm with speeds varying from 500 to 1200 rpm. It has a dimension of 140x102x164 mm reaching a max noise level of 31.5 dBa.
Upsides
- Great value for your money
- Noise level is not high
- Effective cooling
- Great build quality
Downsides
- Not suited for high end CPUs while overclocking
Price
It has a price tag of $65 which is quite cheap considering the quality of the cooler.
Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
If you are looking for a silent option then Pure Rock 2 is a cooler you should consider. This cooler showcases great cooling capabilities while being silent.
The cooler supports a wide array of sockets. It supports Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1200, 2011, 2011-3 and 2066 sockets while AM3 & AM4 sockets from AMD. It consists of pure wings 2 120mm fans on one side. The cooler has a dimension of 87x121x155 mm. Fans can reach speeds of 1500 rpm with a max noise level of 26.8 dBa.
Upsides
- Quiet when in operation
- Good pricing
- Great build quality
Downsides
- Simple in style
- Rated for cooling CPUs with TDP of 150W
Price
It’s a value for your money, having only the price tag of $45.
Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
When it comes to high end air cooling systems then NH-D15 from Nocturna is your best bet. It has proven itself to be a top notch cooler in performance.
The cooler supports a wide variety of CPU sockets. It supports LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 2011, 2011-3 and 2066 from Intel. Moreover it has support for AM4, AM3, AM2, FM2 and FM1 sockets from AMD. The cooler has 2 NF-A15 HS-PWM fans with variable speed from 300 to 1500 rpm. It has a dimension of 161x150x165 mm and reaches up to 25.6 dBa noise level.
Upsides
- Efficient cooling capabilities
- Very quiet when running normally
- Great build quality
- Aesthetic slick black looks
Downsides
- Bulky
- Requires more space
- Loud during stress
Price
For an air cooler it’s a bit pricey than most air coolers on the market. It has a price tag of $155.