Top rated CPU coolers
Here’s a ranking of the top rated CPU coolers. To give you a quick overview, we’ve added the most important information about each product. This page always stays fresh and updates automatically.
1. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
The Dark Rock Pro 4 offers an immense cooling performance of 250W TDP and operates almost silently. It is perfect for demanding systems and overclocked CPUs. The two Silent Wings PWM fans are equipped with durable fluid-dynamic bearings, quiet 6-pole motors, and airflow-optimized fan blades. The front fan is a Silent Wings 3, which provides extremely high air pressure with its funnel-shaped frame. Vibration-damping elements attached to the heatsink allow for decoupled fan mounting. The Dark Rock Pro 4 delivers massive performance with an impressive 250W TDP and ensures low system temperatures, even when the CPU is running at full speed.
2. be quiet! Pure Rock 2
Pure Rock 2 Black is be quiet!'s CPU cooler designed for quiet multimedia and graphics applications. With a cooling performance of 150W TDP, it features four 6mm high-performance heat pipes, a Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM fan, and the ability to install the cooler effortlessly from above. The Pure Rock 2 Black is an essential-category CPU cooler. With 150W TDP, it offers excellent cooling performance for graphics, multimedia, and entry-level systems of all kinds. The Pure Rock 2 Black is equipped with four 6mm heat pipes with aluminum caps, which are key to its high cooling performance as they optimally transport heat to the cooling fins. The Pure Wings 2 120mm PWM fan with high-quality rifle bearings ensures the perfect balance between necessary cooling and quiet operation. The 9 fan blades are optimized for airflow to reduce noise-generating turbulence.
3. Noctua NH-D15 Chromax
The NH-D15 chromax.black is a completely black version of Noctua's award-winning flagship model, the NH-D15. The recipe for success of this premium cooler remains unchanged thanks to the same dual-tower design and the proven NF-A15 PWM fans: the CPU cooler offers excellent quiet operation combined with cooling performance that can compete with complete water cooling systems. The chromax.black version, with its black fans and black-coated heatsink, additionally combines these advantages with a sleek stealth design. The overall high-quality package is completed by the renowned multi-socket mounting system SecuFirm2 and Noctua's popular NT-H1 thermal paste. Whether for overclockers or silent enthusiasts: the NH-D15 chromax.black is a true premium solution that looks just as good as it cools.
4. Noctua Nh-D15
The Noctua flagship model NH-D15 is a dual-tower cooler of elite class, based on the legendary NH-D14, and continues its pursuit of ultimate cooling performance with the highest level of quiet operation. With its wider heat pipe layout and two NF-A15 140 mm premium fans featuring PWM support for fully automatic speed control, the NH-D15 can further enhance the award-winning efficiency of the NH-D14. The overall high-quality package of the NH-D15 is completed by the proven SecuFirm2 professional mounting system and Noctua's renowned NT-H1 thermal paste. Whether for overclockers or silent enthusiasts, the NH-D15 is a premium solution for the highest demands.
Based on the award-winning NH-D14, which has received over 350 recommendations and awards from leading international hardware websites and magazines, the NH-D14 is one of the most successful premium coolers of all time. The NH-D15 achieves improved silent cooling performance compared to the NH-D14, thanks to the wider arrangement of the heat pipes and the two NF-A15 fans.
The dual-tower design with 6 heat pipes offers more cooling surface, better heat distribution, and superior airflow efficiency in dual-fan operation compared to conventional single-tower coolers. The width of the cooling fins has been increased from 140 mm to 150 mm, and the distance between the heat pipes has been widened. The improved heat distribution over a larger surface area achieved through these measures significantly contributes to the superior efficiency of the NH-D15.
Thanks to the recessed lower cooling fins, the NH-D15 provides 62 mm of clearance for tall memory modules in single-fan operation—most current high-end modules can be used without any issues.
5. be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 2
Be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 2 is particularly suitable for quiet and compact multimedia systems. Thanks to its compact dimensions, Pure Rock Slim 2 is the perfect choice for PC cases with limited space. The asymmetrical design allows for complete configuration of RAM slots. For this reason, the cooler is compatible with a wide range of components and offers many configuration options. The Pure Rock Slim 2 features three heat pipes with aluminum caps. These are key to its high cooling performance, as they efficiently transfer heat to the cooling fins.
6. Noctua NH-U12S Chromax Black
Noctua is one of the well-known names in the silent and high-end cooling sector, particularly renowned for its CPU coolers, which enjoy an excellent reputation. These coolers combine outstanding build quality with high cooling performance and minimal noise levels. The self-developed fans from Noctua play a significant role in this, and they are also available separately to serve as case, CPU, or radiator fans.
The NH-U12S is the latest 12 cm single-tower CPU cooler in Noctua's classic U-series, which has received over 400 awards and recommendations from international specialist publications. The 45 mm slim design of the S-version not only guarantees 100% compatibility with tall RAM modules but also enables, through a further optimized design in conjunction with the fully automatic PWM-controlled NF-F12 FocusedFlow fan, an even better silent cooling performance compared to the previous version.
7. Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
If you are passionate about IT and electronics, want to stay up to date with technology, and don't want to miss even the tiniest details, purchase the Noctua NH-U12ACH.BK laptop fan.
Voltage: 12 V
Color: Black
Material: Aluminum, Copper, Nickel
Width: 12.5 cm
Speed: 2000 rpm, 450 rpm
Airflow: 102.1 m³/h
Diameter: 12 cm
Compatible: AMD AM4, LGA 1200, LGA 1700, LGA 2066, LGA 1150, LGA 1151, LGA 1155, LGA 1156, LGA 2011, AMD AM5
Fan: 2
Included: Mounting kit
Dimensions approx.: 12 x 12 x 2.5 cm
Noise level: 22 dB
Quantity: 1 piece.
8. Noctua NH-U9S chromax.black CPU cooler
The NH-U9S chromax.black is a completely black version of Noctua's whisper-quiet, award-winning premium cooler NH-U9S. The recipe for success remains unchanged thanks to the same compact tower cooler with NF-A9 PWM fan: strong cooling performance, excellent operational quietness, and outstanding compatibility with memory, cases, and PCIe. The chromax.black version, with its black fan and black-coated heatsink, additionally combines these advantages with a sleek stealth design.
9. Alpenföhn "Ben Nevis" Rev.C
Thanks to its volume flow of 95.14 m³/hour, the Alpenföhn "Ben Nevis" offers an excellent performance ratio for all price-conscious users. The speed of the fan can be regulated from 400 - 1600 rpm via the PWM connection, achieving a noise level of 8 - 20.2 dB. The Shock KILLER POLE absorbs shocks during the transport of a PC system.
10. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5
The Dark Rock Pro 5 features seven high-performance copper heat pipes and a special black coating with ceramic particles. The two Silent Wings PWM fans are equipped with durable fluid-dynamic bearings, quiet 6-pole motors, and airflow-optimized fan blades. With a Speed Switch, you can choose between two modes that affect the maximum speed and PWM curve. The "Quiet" mode offers a maximum fan speed of up to 1500 RPM and is the perfect choice for everyday applications. The "Performance" mode allows the Silent Wings fans to spin at up to 2000 RPM, unleashing the full power of the Dark Rock Pro 5. The removable mesh cover with an integrated middle fan is installed from above. A completely black mounting kit with a pre-installed mounting bridge and screws perfectly matches the cooler's black design. Thanks to a nickel-plated cooling plate, the Dark Rock Pro 5 is compatible with liquid metal thermal paste such as the DC2 Pro. The properties of the liquid metal compound combined with the Dark Rock Pro 5 enable high-end CPUs to achieve even greater performance.
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