CPU Coolers

Types of CPU Coolers

A CPU Cooler with Air

If you're looking for a more powerful alternative to a boxed cooler at a reasonable price, cooling the CPU with air is the right one for you. Usually, such a CPU cooler is just a simple combination of a large passive section and a fan.

Air coolers have a number of advantages. Highlights include low cost, reliability and ease of installation. However, a CPU cooler using air is usually large and this can sometimes interfere with other components, especially RAM modules. Passive air cooler blocks often weigh up to a kilogram and the larger ones may not be compatible with many common PC cases. Their dimensions often exclude them from compact assemblies not only because of their size. Air coolers need a strong airflow to function properly, which is usually not present in miniature assemblies.

A CPU Cooler with Water

When we talk about CPU water coolers, we refer primarily to All-in-One solutions that offer a complete CPU cooler system ready for immediate use. Such CPU coolers have the advantage of size. Overall, they are not very compact, but the place where the liquid cools, the so-called radiator, is not located in the processor, but can be placed in different positions in the case where the heat is transported by the liquid. This makes the cooling flexible and allows you to place the CPU cooler even in tight spaces. 

However, water cooling cannot be installed in all PC cases, but only in models that are designed for water cooling. There are a lot of them and you can filter them into the corresponding category by the parameter "Water cooling support". Water coolers are much more complex and fragile by design, so there are more risks involved than with an air cooler, but the reward is a more efficient and effective cooling system. 

Parameters for Choosing Your CPU Cooler

• Max speed - The maximum cooling fan speed indicates the maximum amount of rotation the fan can perform in one minute. A higher speed usually means better cooling capabilities, but also higher noise levels, so it has limited predictive value as a stand-alone parameter.
• Max noise level - Cooling noise values are measured in decibels (dB) and the maximum value applies at maximum speed.
• Airflow - Airflow defines the real capabilities of the fan when it comes to pushing air through. Two main units are used for CPU Coolers: cubic feet per minute (CFM) and cubic meters per hour (m³/h). The optimum fan is one that achieves the highest possible airflow at the lowest possible noise level.
• Automatic speed control - CPU coolers with automatic speed control change fan speeds themselves based on current component temperatures.
• Manual speed control - The fan speed of CPU coolers with manual speed control can be changed manually. This is usually done by a sliding switch on the fan itself. However, the speed of most of these coolers can still be controlled by PWM.
• No speed control - fans of CPU coolers without speed control spin at a constant speed that cannot be changed.
• Socket - in this context we are talking about the CPU socket on which the CPU cooler is mounted. Coolers are often universal, but this is not always the case and so you should use a filter that allows you to select a specific socket for your processor.