

And Cooler Master's MasterLiquid P元60, an admittedly pretty (and pretty big) AIO cooler, is $190. On the extreme air side of the cooling line, the Ice Giant Prosiphon Elite has an MSRP of $170, which competes with many large AIO coolers. If you can go the extreme route, there are fanless air cooling options like Noctua's Colossal NH-P1 as well for the ultimate truly silent cooling option, although you'll still need case fans to move the warmed air out of your case.Īir coolers usually cost less than AIOs, though that line is also blurring as AIO coolers are getting increasingly affordable, while high-end air coolers reach toward and sometimes above the $100 range. These days, though, that’s not cut and dry.

Air coolers can also be louder and less efficient than liquid coolers at moving heat away from your CPU and out of the chassis.
COOLER MASTER HYPER 212 EVO REVIEW LINUS PC
Large air coolers tend to take up more internal space in your PC case, or at the very least they need more vertical clearance off your best motherboard, which can limit your case options. If you’re not sure if you want to go the air cooling route (a big metal heatsink with fans) or opt for a liquid-cooled AIO (a pump attached to a radiator and fans), there are a few things to consider.

To make sure you're getting the most efficient thermal transfer between your CPU and cooler plate, check out the many products we thoroughly tested to find the best thermal paste for your CPU. Most coolers will come with some kind of paste, either in a small syringe or pre-applied to the metal cold plate. If your CPU cooler can’t keep up with the heat your processor is generating, that may result in lower performance or possibly even a shorter lifespan for your processor-andclearly no one wants that.Īlso, don't forget to consider thermal paste or another thermal interface material (TIM).
