CPU Cooler Performance Tier List

[mbdb1mmer]

13 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

I haven't found benchmarks for the Fuma 2 yet. 

What are your priorities? Are you planning to heavily oc?

Yeah im gonna try to OC cpu to max.

[WoodenMarker]

11 hours ago, mbdb1mmer said:

Yeah im gonna try to OC cpu to max.

Did you already try oc'ing with the Kraken X62? If so, what were your results?

An AIO would provide the most raw cooling performance for the cpu but an air cooler may provide better active cooling to the motherboard components. Adding top case fans near the top of the motherboard may help provide extra cooling if you're going with an AIO. 

Where are you shopping / located? Budget?

[mbdb1mmer]

Yeah i did, results are good, i just want to move from NZXT(x62, H500i) because i dont like it and want to try anything else AIO or Air cooler.

I am buying from Amazon.de and i really dont have any budget.

[WoodenMarker]

8 hours ago, mbdb1mmer said:

Yeah i did, results are good, i just want to move from NZXT(x62, H500i) because i dont like it and want to try anything else AIO or Air cooler.

I am buying from Amazon.de and i really dont have any budget.

For air cooling and oc'ing, it's hard to go wrong with the NH-D15.

Unless you're planning to flip the top fan to an intake for motherboard cooling which may interfere with the overall case airflow or at least the graphics card cooling, I'd recommend sticking with an air cooler.

[thinwalrus]

 

On 6/25/2019 at 1:33 PM, Exaco said:

How come Mugen 5 is worse than GAMMAXX L240? I thought it's an beast air cooler that beats 90euro Noctua's such as the one in Tier 2.

Its not. You need noise normalized testing to determine whats good and what is bad. You can boost a shitty cooler with 2000rpm fans and make it very loud, or you can have a quality cooler with 1000rpm fan and 9dB lower noise(3dB doubles loudness).

[thewind32]

I would like some opinion on my system. I have a:

Fractal Design Define Mini C TG

8600k (slight overclock @ 4.7ghz)

Cryorig H7

Open-air 1070 ti

2 x 140mm front intake

1 x 120mm rear exhuast

Vent on top of case is currently closed

 

I recently went and delidded the cpu, Folding@Home showed a reduction of 12 deg c on average. I would like to further improve the overall temps.

I'm considering replacing the H7 with a Fuma 2 or 240/280mm AIO. Currently leaning towards the Fuma 2 since a decent air cooler is generally >= 240/280 AIO, while being quieter and posing no leakage risk. Am I right to expect a decent difference between the H7 & Fuma 2 (I know there are no results for Fuma 2 yet but assuming it's on par with Fuma rev b)?

 

What should I do with the top vent? I considered adding a 120mm intake since an exhaust would seem to compete with the cpu cooler.

Or should I go for an AIO with top intake (not sure if I'm right but the front panel of the case feel quite restrictive for intake airflow)

Or would simply leaving it open fanless help by allowing hot air to escape?

 

(btw I want to maintain a positive pressure as my area is rather dusty)

Thanks!

[WoodenMarker]

2 hours ago, thewind32 said:

Am I right to expect a decent difference between the H7 & Fuma 2 (I know there are no results for Fuma 2 yet but assuming it's on par with Fuma rev b)?

 

What should I do with the top vent? I considered adding a 120mm intake since an exhaust would seem to compete with the cpu cooler.

Or should I go for an AIO with top intake (not sure if I'm right but the front panel of the case feel quite restrictive for intake airflow)

What are your current temps?

You can probably expect lower noise with the Fuma 2 but not a significant drop in temps unless you were already running the H7 at very low fan speeds. 

A top intake between the front panel fans and the cooler could help with positive pressure and provide more fresh air for the cpu cooler. The front mesh is a bit restrictive but that's the sacrifice for good dust filtration. 

[thewind32]

15 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

What are your current temps?

You can probably expect lower noise with the Fuma 2 but not a significant drop in temps unless you were already running the H7 at very low fan speeds. 

A top intake between the front panel fans and the cooler could help with positive pressure and provide more fresh air for the cpu cooler. The front mesh is a bit restrictive but that's the sacrifice for good dust filtration. 

My H7 is not running at low speeds, but a curve that feels ok to me. Apart from the H7, I've only ever used a Hyper 212x (in my previous build) so I'm not sure what to expect from an even larger cooler.

 

Max temps after delid @ 4.7ghz 1.22V are:

71C - prime95 small FFT

74C - Intel Burn Test 20 passes @ very high

73C - Realbench stress test

The room temp here is 30? (rough estimate)

 

I intend to oc further now, but haven't had the time yet. Btw, when people say "my oc runs at X deg C", do they usually mean gaming or stress testing (if so what test)?

 

In your earlier reply to mbdb1mmer, you mentioned that top intake would affect gpu temps?

[WoodenMarker]

1 minute ago, thewind32 said:

I'm not sure what to expect from an even larger cooler.

I intend to oc further now, but haven't had the time yet. Btw, when people say "my oc runs at X deg C", do they usually mean gaming or stress testing (if so what test)?

 

In your earlier reply to mbdb1mmer, you mentioned that top intake would affect gpu temps?

Depending on the curve, I'd expect a 3 - 7c drop. 

Load temps are usually synthetic loads unless otherwise specified. It's generally good to specify what you're using though. 

 

Top intake would've been worse than exhaust for the graphics card since it would rely on the case's one rear exhaust fan to remove the heat. This is more of an issue with open air style vs. blower style graphics card coolers.

[thewind32]

18 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Top intake would've been worse than exhaust for the graphics card since it would rely on the case's one rear exhaust fan to remove the heat. This is more of an issue with open air style vs. blower style graphics card coolers.

I do use an open air style card, but comparing my current setup where top lid is closed vs adding a top intake, the gpu temps shouldn't be worse off right?

 

Sorry if this is going off topic from the thread's purpose.

[WoodenMarker]

4 minutes ago, thewind32 said:

I do use an open air style card, but comparing my current setup where top lid is closed vs adding a top intake, the gpu temps shouldn't be worse off right?

A top intake would probably still be better than the top being closed. Since you're using a tower cooler, the intake fan could be placed ahead of the cpu cooler for provide more fresh air. 

In my earlier reply to mbdb1mmer, the top intake fan would've been closer to the rear of the case to better cool the motherboard which could interfere with the rear exhaust fan. 

[Oalei]

https://buldar.com/p/review-disipador-chino-de-aliexpress-vs-noctua-vs-liquida/5d1013dc4638764736e38038
is the H120D is going to tier 5? performance wise

Edited July 8, 2019 by Oalei

[WoodenMarker]

5 minutes ago, Oalei said:

https://buldar.com/p/review-disipador-chino-de-aliexpress-vs-noctua-vs-liquida/5d1013dc4638764736e38038
is the H120D is going to tier 4? performance wise

No, there isn't enough data to place the cooler and it looks like it doesn't perform nearly as good as coolers from Tier 4 like the NH-U14S from the link you posted. 

My guess would be Tier 6. 

[Oalei]

6 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

No, there isn't enough data to place the cooler and it looks like it doesn't perform nearly as good as coolers from Tier 4 like the NH-U14S from the link you posted. 

My guess would be Tier 6. 

yeah i edited it to 5 but you said 6 so maybe im gonna buy it cause its cheap enough 25usd/360K IDR
i mean its a frekaing chinese stuff who would buy those when they can afford something else, but for me nah i want a good re selling value when i probably will sell it, aRGiBi.

[Vejnemojnen]

Came across a brand "Gelid", I believe they're Dutch. Some of their offerings: Alza Gelid Coolers for CPU-s

 

I'll look up reviews for their budget-oriented products. I guess they should be good enough. Hmm

[WoodenMarker]

1 minute ago, Vejnemojnen said:

Came across a brand "Gelid", I believe they're Dutch. Some of their offerings: Alza Gelid Coolers for CPU-s

I'll look up reviews for their budget-oriented products. I guess they should be good enough. Hmm

Gelid Solutions has been around and on the list since its creation. They have Swiss roots and are based in Hong Kong. https://gelidsolutions.com/about-us/

Their Gelid Wing UV's in particular were pretty well liked by Linus and used in his old personal rig. They're generally known for their value-friendly and quiet fans. 

 

[looterz]

Looking at cooling solutions for a new 3900x build. Think the Noctua NH-U12A is still one of the champs? I went over to AIOs awhile back and while the temps have been good overall I had a pump die on one and the noise was a bit high, came across LTT's "Why you shouldn't water cool your PC" video again and I think it's time to switch back.

[WoodenMarker]

7 hours ago, looterz said:

Looking at cooling solutions for a new 3900x build. Think the Noctua NH-U12A is still one of the champs? I went over to AIOs awhile back and while the temps have been good overall I had a pump die on one and the noise was a bit high, came across LTT's "Why you shouldn't water cool your PC" video again and I think it's time to switch back.

Yep, the NH-U12A is excellent and hard to go wrong with if you can afford it. It's not the very top performer but it's up there and comes with NF-A12x25's which are the best 120mm's on the market. There are other coolers that generally provide better performance for the price if that's what you're looking for instead.

[Jeezygarceezy]

Just want to say thanks for this list! I've been searching the last few days for the right cooler, and sifting through all the reviews/comparisons was getting a little cumbersome.

 

I've got an XPS 8930 with an 8700k and the stock cooler is not great. I was looking at the L12-S as it consistently ranked first among low profile coolers, but I'm thinking now I'll go for an EVGA CLC 120. They are the same price and I couldn't care less about aesthetics or acoustics, just looking for the best cooling in a small package.  

[WoodenMarker]

25 minutes ago, Jlg11d said:

I've got an XPS 8930 with an 8700k and the stock cooler is not great. I was looking at the L12-S as it consistently ranked first among low profile coolers, but I'm thinking now I'll go for an EVGA CLC 120. They are the same price and I couldn't care less about aesthetics or acoustics, just looking for the best cooling in a small package.  

Did you make sure that the AIO would fit? It seems pretty tight with an H60 2018 Edition here with a slimmer NF-A12x15 for the fan: https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-GPU-and-CPU-Liquid-Cooler-PSU-Case-Swap-Upgrade/td-p/6137280

[Jeezygarceezy]

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

Did you make sure that the AIO would fit? It seems pretty tight with an H60 2018 Edition here with a slimmer NF-A12x15 for the fan: https://www.dell.com/community/XPS-Desktops/XPS-8930-GPU-and-CPU-Liquid-Cooler-PSU-Case-Swap-Upgrade/td-p/6137280

Yeah, later in that thread the guy modifies it some more to fit the full size fan. You think I should just get the 2018 h60? Is that the best performer in the 120mm aio category?

[WoodenMarker]

1 hour ago, Jlg11d said:

Yeah, later in that thread the guy modifies it some more to fit the full size fan. You think I should just get the 2018 h60? Is that the best performer in the 120mm aio category?

There are thicker and better performing 120mm AIO's but I'm not sure if they'd fit. 

There are many similar options and it'd be hard to single out the very best performer. The 2018 H60 isn't a bad choice though. 

Where are you shopping / located? Budget? Have you explored the oc'ing options available on the motherboard? 

[Vejnemojnen]

On 7/8/2019 at 6:27 AM, WoodenMarker said:

 

 

Thanks a lot! I've noticed that from some coolers, (ie. ID Cooling SE-214X vs. ID SE-214RGB or Fera 3 vs. Fera 3 RGB) there are options for RGB unit, usually more expensive. Is there any difference in REAL PERFORMANCE? As far as I am aware of, the Fera3 RGB is actually a different cooler, a less tall design, below 145mm, whereas the standard Fera3 is roughly 159. 

 

The 214X vs. 214 RGB seems different as well, at least, the latter is far dearer. Is it solely for the lighting, or there is difference between heatpipes&sinks&fans as well?

 

Sorry for asking, I 'm just generally curious.  

[Jeezygarceezy]

6 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

There are thicker and better performing 120mm AIO's but I'm not sure if they'd fit. 

There are many similar options and it'd be hard to single out the very best performer. The 2018 H60 isn't a bad choice though. 

Where are you shopping / located? Budget? Have you explored the oc'ing options available on the motherboard? 

I'm in the states, budget is sub $100. Options are extremely limited, so I'm using Throttlestop.

[WoodenMarker]

8 hours ago, Vejnemojnen said:

Thanks a lot! I've noticed that from some coolers, (ie. ID Cooling SE-214X vs. ID SE-214RGB or Fera 3 vs. Fera 3 RGB) there are options for RGB unit, usually more expensive. Is there any difference in REAL PERFORMANCE? As far as I am aware of, the Fera3 RGB is actually a different cooler, a less tall design, below 145mm, whereas the standard Fera3 is roughly 159. 

The 214X vs. 214 RGB seems different as well, at least, the latter is far dearer. Is it solely for the lighting, or there is difference between heatpipes&sinks&fans as well?

The rgb options are often not the same cooler or fan but just in rgb. In the cases of the SE-214 RGB and Fera 3, the fans has more blades which results in higher airflow and noise as stated in the specs. 

At least in the case of the Fera 3 / RGB, they have a similar number of fins and seem to perform similarly. 

Spoiler

Fera 3 (left), Fera 3 RGB (right)

https://youtu.be/UzkIs2ksCX8?t=295

https://youtu.be/0fmTMhS2ecw?t=342

They aren't as popular as some other examples though such as the Hyper 212 BE and RGB BE where it's pretty consistently shown that the RGB version performs better. 

https://gnd-tech.com/2018/10/cooler-master-hyper-212-black-edition-review/

Keep in mind that the fan change is a lot more dramatic in the case of the Hyper 212 BE / RGB going from 5 wide blades to 10 thinner ones.

 

I'm not sure about the SE-214 RGB since I haven't found performance results. They're probably still pretty similar though with the RGB variant being a bit better as indicated by the specs.