Which cooler is suitable for intel core i5. Choosing a cooler for the processor. Cooling systems without heat pipes

A lot of articles, both useful and not very useful, practical and theoretical, have been written on the topic of how to decide on the choice of a cooler for a processor. The choice of models in stores is huge; they differ in design, size, cooling efficiency and price. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of marketers, the latter parameters are not always identical.

There are times when a great looking, painted and hyped supercooler performs mediocre. The opposite situation also occurs, when a mediocre manufacturer produces a very successful model. Therefore, when choosing, it is worth considering the various elements of the system from all sides, and only after careful analysis make an informed decision.

The main purpose of the cooler is to cool the processor, which occurs by removing heat from the processor cover and subsequent dissipation into the surrounding space. An important point in this regard is such an indicator as the thermal conductivity of the radiator material.

Thermal conductivity is the movement of thermal energy in a material from an area with a higher temperature to an area with a lower temperature due to the movement of microparticles, or, we can say, it is simply the ability of an object to transfer heat. Silver has the best heat transfer performance, however, it would be interesting to see those who want to buy a cooling system made from such a material :)

For the industrial production of radiators, copper and aluminum are used, with slightly inferior characteristics. In general, an active cooler consists of a metal radiator attached to the processor cover and a fan. There are also passive models - they are without a fan. The fan increases the rate of heat dissipation many times over. Under no circumstances should this be allowed!

Types of coolers for processors

Such devices can be classified rather conditionally, given that until recently some types were not produced at all. Having analyzed a lot of information on the Internet and the range of products offered, we can distinguish two large groups:

Boxed coolers and coolers without heat pipes are the simplest models, consisting of an aluminum plate with fins, in some cases having a copper base and a fan attached to it. They often come bundled with a processor when sold; they are called “boxed”. They have limited cooling capabilities, but are easy to install and perform their duties at standard processor frequencies. The included fan is of low quality, which is why as the rotation speed of the blades increases, a computer with such a cooler may produce additional noise.
Heat pipe cooling systems - work by removing heat using a fluid circulating in hollow tubes made of aluminum or copper. They have the best efficiency indicators, but are often equipped with non-standard mounting, some are heavy, and are equipped with fans of different quality.

The first cooling option is not worth considering in detail. If you plan to work in normal mode, with an average-performance processor, without experimenting with overclocking, and the noise level is not a critical indicator, you can be content with any simple cooler. In principle, you can reduce the noise level by correctly setting the fan speed using BIOS or.

The second cooler option requires closer attention and has many additional characteristics that ultimately determine the buyer’s choice.

Computer coolers with heat pipes

The first idea of using heat pipes to reduce the temperature of cooled units was patented by the USA back in 1942. Its essence was that inside the pipes, sealed on both sides, there was a liquid substance that evaporated at the place of heating, the steam moved to the cold zone, where it condensed, releasing thermal energy, again forming a liquid that returned to the place of heating.

They were used exclusively for industrial purposes; they did not think about any high-performance computers at that time. The tubes can be without filler inside, in which case they must be directed upward so that the condensate drains under the influence of gravity, or with a porous structure, in which case the shape of the tubes does not matter, and the circulation of liquid occurs due to the pores.

Now tube coolers occupy the majority of the market. Their design can be generally described as follows: there is a base (sole) of the cooler, pressed against the processor, tubes are soldered into it, on which aluminum plates are mounted to help dissipate heat. Conventionally, such products can be divided into various subtypes:

With direct contact, when the tube directly interacts with the heat distribution cover of the processor;
Without direct contact, when only the base of the cooler interacts with the processor.

It is difficult to say which type is better. The majority of users claim that direct contact is more effective. From practice, we can say that the alternative option copes with its functions very well. Here one should take into account the fact that the working fluid begins to evaporate only at a certain temperature, from 25 to 50 degrees. That is, until this moment, heat removal occurs only due to the metal parts of the radiator, and the base serves as the main heat sink.

Any computer enthusiast, and there are a majority of them on our site, should know– What parameters should you pay attention to when choosing a cooler for and how do these small turntables differ from each other? Is it worth buying a tower cooler or is the boxed version enough? WITHIs it worth installing “dropsy” and what is Power Dissipation?I will try to answer all these questions today.

So, when they come to the store to choose a little spinning comrade for their processor, many users’ eyes begin to run wild. And this is not surprising; today the market offers a huge number of models at a wide variety of prices. Conventionally, coolers can be divided into three categories.

Boxed and heatpipe-less coolers

The simplest models on the market, consisting of an aluminum plate with fins and a fan attached to them. Almost every processor model has two versions for sale.

First - BOX version(hence the name of boxed coolers), which includes the processor itself and a simple cooler without heat pipes included.

Second version - OEM, which includes a bare processor. By the way, boxed versions usually have a much longer warranty on the product, but that’s not what we’re talking about today.

(BOX cooler DEEPCOOL THETA 9 for CPU Intel Pentium G4560)

As we can see, in this case the price is slightly different, and it differs precisely because of the included cooler and the extended warranty.

And the first question that I often get asked is: Should I buy the BOX version or buy the turntable separately? It all depends on the price and purpose of your PC. In this case, the difference is 1250 rubles, which is quite noticeable. I recommend taking the boxed version of the processor if the difference does not exceed 400-500 rubles. Plus, a bonus in the form of a big guarantee is never superfluous. As for the purpose of your computer, everything is simple, if your gaming or workstation is from the entry-level and mid-price segment, then the boxed version will be quite enough for you. If your system is closer to the top options or if it will be overclocked (during overclocking, the amount of heat generated by the processor due to increased voltage on the stone increases greatly!), then you need to buy a more advanced fan model separately. The advantages of boxed coolers include low price and compactness. The downside is that they are not suitable for powerful machines and, due to their small size, they are often quite noisy. So we've sorted out the boxes, let's move on to the next category of turntables.

Liquid cooling systems or, more simply put, “dropsy”

They consist of a copper base that is installed on the processor cover, a small pump that circulates water, a pair of tubes and a radiator with fans.

The next question I’m asked regarding cooling is: is it worth installing “dropsy”? I’ll answer right away that no. If you analyze all the pros and cons of these systems and compare them with the pros and cons of tower coolers, it becomes clear that the latter are much more advisable to buy.

Tower coolers with heat pipes

The next category of processor cooling is tower coolers with heat pipes. They consist of a copper or aluminum base, from which several heat pipes extend, to which a radiator is in turn attached. And the cooler is already attached to the radiator.

If you compare them with water cooling systems, the first thing that catches your eye is the price. Dropsy is always much more expensive. This is the first reason why I don't recommend using them. Yes, they run a little quieter and cool a little better, but is it worth paying twice as much? Everyone decides for themselves. The second reason is the complexity of operation and mandatory additional care. For the average user, checking the pump and water pipes daily is an unnecessary hemorrhoid. In general, the final decision is yours, but I outlined my position.

CPU cooler options

So, after you have decided on the choice of cooling type, you can move on to the parameters on which the final choice of a particular model will be based. The first thing to look at is the type of sockets supported. Almost every online store has this feature. If not, then you know where to look - the manufacturer’s website. I will analyze everything using the example of my processor (i5 6400) and my cooler (DeepCool Gammaxx 400).

My stone has 1151 sockets, so the cooler should be installed on the same socket.

Let's go further and look at the size of the turntable. It should fit into the housing in such a way that the side cover of the housing closes smoothly. By the way, I am often asked whether it is worth closing the case completely or leaving it open. Definitely needs to be closed! If the case is open, the air flow inside the system is disrupted and the cooling of the components becomes worse. It is also easier for dust to penetrate inside, and dust, along with high temperatures (I will never get tired of saying this) is the main evil of computer hardware! I'm getting off topic a bit, let's get back to the height of the pinwheel. The specifications for any case indicate the maximum possible height of the processor cooler,

and the characteristics of the cooler include its height, length and width. I think it will not be difficult for anyone to compare these data.

The next very important parameter is power dissipation. The processor specifications always indicate the amount of heat generated by the processor itself.

It is heat dissipation that is the sworn enemy of our cooler and it is with this that he fights every day to ensure stable operation of our stone. In general, the cooler must be able to dissipate all the heat generated by the processor. To do this, look at the power dissipation column indicated in the characteristics of the turntable.

But under no circumstances choose a cooler with a power dissipation equal to the heat dissipation of the processor. The thing is that cooler developers very often overestimate this parameter, so I recommend buying a cooler with a small margin. And if you are going to overclock your processor, then feel free to multiply the TDP of the processor by 2 and get real heat dissipation. Of course, the amount of heat during overclocking depends on the degree of overclocking itself, but in any case, always take a cooler with a small margin.

Next, be sure to look at the size of the fan. If you read my last article about, then you already know the main rule when choosing cooling. The more blades, the better. The thing is that small fans, in order to cope with the same amount of air, need to spin much faster than large ones. And the faster the cooler spins, the more noise it makes and, as a rule, wears out faster. Therefore, I advise you not to look at the parameter showing fan revolutions per minute at all. It’s more accurate to look, but make your choice based more on the size of the turntable. For example, a 120 mm turntable with 1200 rpm will be many times quieter and more efficient than an 80 mm turntable with 2400 rpm.

The next, no less important parameter is the maximum air flow.

The quieter the fan, the better.

Hi all. Let's talk about how to choose cooling for a computer, more precisely for a processor.

In general, any weather (in winter - batteries, in summer - sun) is a difficult time for our computer, because the temperature of the environment (and, as a result, the computer components) increases significantly, and therefore the cooling systems have to work at full capacity, trying to to cool the ardent character of our iron friends.

However, standard coolers do not always successfully cope with their task, which leads to constant reboots, shutdowns and other problems that follow overheating of the computer.

As you probably remember, the article “” will help you identify overheating (and find out the temperatures of components in general), and today I will tell you how to choose the right cooler for, which, as a rule, has the hardest time of all.

Why do you need a separate CPU cooling system?

To begin with, I would like to explain a little why the processor needs cooling and why the cooler that is usually given in addition to the crystal (that is, to this very processor) is bad. No, seriously, there was no way to do without this part, because I am very often asked why the option that comes with the processor is so bad, because, they say, they are not fools and know what to put in the kit. Of course, I don’t argue that the computer works with such a cooling system, but there are a number of nuances here.

To put it very simply, the processor consists of a huge number of small electrical conductors, each of which requires energy. And, as you know from a school physics course, energy does not disappear from the conductor - it goes from electrical to thermal.

Considering that a modern processor has more than half a billion transistors, the question of the need for cooling disappears by itself: the heat from them is enough to heat a small room. The processor cannot independently dissipate such an amount of energy: the area is too small, and the materials are not the same.

Therefore, with each crystal, manufacturers supply a simple cooler (unless, of course, you buy the BOX version of the processor, and not OEM). It is enough to work at standard frequencies and at normal temperatures, but for extreme situations (long warm-up, i.e., for example, working with a full-fledged processor-dependent application or game, high ambient temperatures (summer), overclocking, etc.) it is better to look for a more powerful model.

The fact is that under this very simple cooler supplied in the kit, the processor still gets noticeably very hot. No, the temperature does not reach critical, but it is still consistently high, and because of it, some chemical processes that continuously occur in the crystal are accelerated, as a result of which, firstly, it can simply fail faster, and secondly, slows down and skips beats. The main problem lies precisely in the fact that with a weak cooling system, the processor has.. mmm.. a small performance reserve. Look at all sorts of results tables on the Internet.

Even in a room with air conditioning, the temperature of the crystal under a standard twister rises to 73 degrees (and this is with the stand open, i.e. without the case). In a case where hard drives, video cards, disk drives, etc. live next to each other, the air can heat up to 60 degrees and the higher this temperature, the more difficult it is for the cooler, and the hotter the surrounding air, the more performance drops.

However, it’s also not worth going to the store and buying the first cooler you come across. In the world of cooling, sometimes a device for 3,000 rubles may well turn out to be worse than a model for 1,000 rubles, and this is due to many factors, which we will now talk about.

Part 1: Cooler Base

Well, let's get started.

The work of any cooler begins... at its base, namely, at the place where it comes into contact with the processor. Here the cooler takes heat from it and transfers it to the cooling area. This process is called heat transfer, and its efficiency depends on two variables - area and surface material.

It is usually unrealistic to come up with something superb here, because the dimensions of the processor are fixed, that is, the contact area cannot be increased, and there is only one material that is affordable and has high-quality thermal conductivity - copper (there is, of course, also aluminum, but it is less efficient).

It turns out that the maximum that the manufacturer can do is to make sure that, with all other components, heat transfer is carried out as efficiently as possible, namely... the base must be ideally polished.

Therefore, one of the first selection criteria is the “specularity” of the metal in the area of contact with the processor, that is, ideally you should see your reflection on the surface, or at least not observe any significant irregularities or, especially, scratches, because they reduce contact area and reduce work efficiency.

Also beware of heat pipes “tearing” the base of the cooler (see photo above), as they also reduce the useful contact area. If you see that the tubes protrude from the total surface area, then it is better to put such a cooler aside and look for something else.

But what you rarely need to pay attention to (a common mistake of beginners who believe that the color always determines the material) is the color, because copper is often coated with nickel.

Part 2: Heat Pipes

The next stage of work is the transfer of heat to the cooling surfaces. When the processors were weak and cold, this stage did not exist: the radiator was attached directly to the base and dissipated heat into the air. With the increase in productivity and the amount of energy released, heat transfer began to be taken more seriously - heat-conducting tubes appeared on coolers.

This invention is old and well known to many. One end of a copper pipe is soldered, liquid is poured into it, the air is pumped out and the other end is sealed. When heated, water absorbs energy and turns into steam, which rises to the upper (cold) part of the pipe, cools, condenses, releasing stored energy, and flows down. And so on ad infinitum.

Everything is the same in coolers, but with one caveat. When installed in the case, the cooling system is in a horizontal position, and water cannot flow into the heating zone on its own. Therefore, the tubes are filled with porous material. Due to the capillary effect, liquid can move against the forces of gravity and move in any direction.

It is also difficult to come up with anything new at this stage, because the operation of heat pipes practically does not depend on their physical parameters, and therefore, as a criterion, one must rely on the number of heat pipes. Globally, the more, the better, but in general, three or four will do as a minimum (less is doubtful).

Part 3: body and components

The next phase of the cooler's operation is heat dissipation. This action takes place on the fins of the radiator, namely dozens of plates strung on heat pipes. It is here that the heat taken from the processor will be given to the air and it will be able to breathe more freely. The radiator can look whatever you want - developers are not shy about experimenting with shapes, angles of inclination, materials, and so on, but all this joy is subject to a number of rules, which are the next criteria for selection.

Firstly, the dissipation area should be maximum, that is, there should be as many radiator plates as possible, and the radiator itself should be as massive as possible. Secondly, the thinner the plates, the better, because the heat will be retained less. The requirements for the material of this whole thing are the same - high thermal conductivity, that is, copper should act as it. Some say that copper is not necessary in this phase and it is important to use it exclusively in the base and heat pipes, because given the high dissipation area, the radiator can also be made of aluminum. However, I do not really agree with this statement and I think that even here it is better to choose copper as the material. But see for yourself.

Part 4: active cooling, namely the fan itself

Well, the last stage of the cooling system for the processor is active cooling, that is, the cooler itself. No matter what manufacturers say, a heatsink with a powerful processor alone cannot handle it - limited available space and high thermal resistance (temperature drop per watt of heat dissipated) will not allow it.

Again, the use of a heatsink alone is questionable due to the weak release of dissipated heat from the case, which leads to an increase in temperature in the case and heating of other elements inside it.

Naturally, a fan helps overcome such problems: the powerful air flow created reduces the resistance of the radiator and increases the amount of heat removed.

The rule for turntables is simple: you need to look for the largest ones in size (and not, contrary to the opinion of beginners, in the number of revolutions). The larger the diameter of the impeller, the more air is taken in per revolution, which means the required rotation speed and, as a result, the noise decreases.

So, taking a 120 mm turntable with 1200 rpm and an 80 mm turntable with 2400 rpm and comparing them, we get that the first one is, firstly, more efficient, and secondly, much quieter.

By the way, in addition to the size and speed, you also need to monitor the type of bearing. If it says “Ball bearing” (rolling), we take it, because they are quiet and last a long time. If it's "Slide bearning", we put it off, because it makes noise and quickly turns sour.

Part 5: choosing thermal paste

When buying a cooler, do not forget about thermal paste. Expensive and good coolers usually have it included in the kit or already applied to the surface, but for the rest it’s worth buying separately.

What is thermal paste? This is a layer of paste (just like toothpaste), the purpose of which, when applied to the surface between the processor and the base of the cooler, is to eliminate the unevenness of the contacting surfaces and remove all the air between them. A good thermal paste can quite reduce the temperature by 5-10 degrees.

Unfortunately, there are almost no sensible comparative tests of pastes, and those that are done do not correspond much to reality. The fact is that the paste requires about 200 hours to reach working mode, and, as you understand, no one will spend that much time on each tube. So you need to choose it according to technical characteristics. The most important parameter is thermal conductivity. The higher the better.

Globally, it seems that he covered all the main points and did not forget anything. It’s probably impossible to be more detailed :)
As always, if you have any questions, want to add or say something, then write in the comments to this article.

By the way, do not forget that dust often accumulates between the fins of the radiator and it needs to be cleaned, which I wrote about in the article ". By the way, there are also a few words about choosing the right case.

As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, additions, etc., then welcome to comment on this article.

PS2: I wrote a few words about cooling video cards.
PS3: Thanks to my favorite magazine “Gaming” for help in writing this article.

To cool the processor, a cooler is used, which consists of a radiator and a fan.

Different processors have different mounts for coolers and have different thermal dissipation (TDP). As for heat dissipation, the more powerful the processor, the larger the cooler should be.

For the cheapest 2-core processors (Celeron, A4, A6), any simple cooler with an aluminum radiator and an 80-90 mm fan will be enough. The larger the fan and radiator size, the better the cooling. The lower the fan speed, the less noise. Some of these couriers are not suitable for all processors, so check the supported sockets in the description. For example, Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER is suitable for almost all sockets except AM4.
CPU cooler Deepcool GAMMA ARCHER

Most coolers for more powerful processors are universal and have a set of mounts for all modern processors. DeepCool and Zalman coolers have an optimal price/quality ratio, and I will recommend them first.

Please note that not all coolers can be equipped with a mount for the AM4 socket, and sometimes it can be purchased separately; check this point with the seller.

For 2-core Intel processors (Pentium, Core-i3) and 4-core AMD processors (A8, A10, Ryzen 3), a small cooler with 2-3 heat pipes and a 90-120 mm fan, such as Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T (for TDP 65) is enough W).
CPU cooler Deepcool GAMMAXX 200T

Or Deepcool GAMMAXX 300 (for TDP 95 W).
CPU cooler Deepcool GAMMAXX 300

For more powerful 4-core Intel (Core i3,i5) and AMD (FX-4,6,8, Ryzen 5) you need a cooler with 4-5 heat pipes and a 120 mm fan. And the minimum option here would be Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 (4 handsets) or slightly better Zalman from the CNPS10X series (4-5 handsets) for more powerful processors.
CPU cooler Deepcool GAMMAXX 400

For even hotter 6-core Intel (Core i5,i7) and AMD (Ryzen 7), as well as for overclocking, it is advisable to purchase a large, powerful cooler with 6 heat pipes and a 120-140 mm fan. Some of the best in terms of price/power ratio are Deepcool Lucifer V2 and Deepcool REDHAT.
CPU cooler Deepcool Lucifer V2

2. Do I need to buy a cooler separately?

Most boxed processors, which are sold in cardboard packaging and have the word “BOX” at the end of the label, have a cooler included.

If “Tray” or “OEM” is written at the end of the marking, then there is no cooler included.

Some expensive processors, despite being labeled with the word “BOX,” are sold without a cooler. But the box is usually smaller in this case, and the description often states that the processor does not include a cooler.

If you purchase a processor with a cooler, then you do not have to buy the cooler separately. This usually works out cheaper, and a boxed cooler is quite enough to cool the processor, since it is designed for it.

The disadvantages of boxed coolers are a higher noise level and the lack of a heat sink reserve in case of overclocking the processor. Therefore, if you want to have a quieter computer or overclock the processor, it is better to purchase a separate processor and a separate quiet and more powerful cooler.

3. Processor parameters for choosing a cooler

In order to choose the right cooler, we need to know the socket of the processor and its heat dissipation (TDP).

3.1. CPU socket

Socket is a motherboard connector for installing a processor, which also has a mount for a cooler. Different sockets have different types of cooler mounts.

3.2. CPU heat dissipation

As for heat dissipation (TDP), this indicator is also often indicated on online shopping sites. If the TDP of the processor is not indicated, then it can be easily found on the website of another online store or the official websites of processor manufacturers.

There are many more sites where you can find out the characteristics of the processor by the model number.

You can also use the Google or Yandex search engine.

4. Main characteristics of coolers

The main characteristics of coolers are the supported sockets and the TDP for which the cooler is designed.

Each cooler is designed for certain sockets; it simply will not install on others. Which sockets a particular cooler supports is indicated on the websites of manufacturers and online stores.

4.2. Cooler TDP

Despite the fact that the TDP of the processor for which the cooler is designed is the main parameter, its value is not indicated on the websites of online stores and most manufacturers. However, this data can sometimes be found. For example, on the website of one of the leaders in the production of coolers, the Austrian company Noctua, there is a comparison table of TDP coolers.

The TDP value of some popular cooler models, determined approximately based on test results, can be found on the Internet. Based on this information and personal experience, I have compiled a table with which you can easily select the optimal cooler depending on the TDP of the processor. You can download this table at the end of the article in the “” section.

5. Cooler design

CPU coolers come in many different designs.

5.1. Cooler with aluminum radiator

The simplest and cheapest are coolers with an aluminum radiator and a standard 80 mm fan. The shape of the radiator may be different. Basically, coolers for Intel processors have a round heatsink, while for AMD processors it is square.

Such coolers are often included with low-power boxed processors and are usually sufficient for them. Such a cooler can also be purchased separately inexpensively, but their quality will most likely be slightly worse. Well, such a cooler is not suitable for overclocking a processor.

5.2. Cooler with fin radiator

On sale you can still find coolers with radiators made of stacked aluminum or copper plates.

They remove heat from the processor better than coolers with a solid aluminum radiator, but are already outdated and have been replaced by more efficient coolers based on heat pipes.

5.3. Horizontal cooler with heat pipes

Coolers with heat pipes are the most modern and most efficient.

Such coolers are available with more powerful processors. They remove heat from the processor much better than cheap coolers with an aluminum radiator, but they blow warm air in a less efficient direction - towards the motherboard.

This solution is more suitable for compact cases, since in other cases it is better to purchase a more modern vertical cooler.

5.4. Vertical cooler with heat pipes

A vertical cooler (or tower cooler) has a more optimal design.

Warm air from the processor is blown not towards the motherboard, but towards the rear exhaust fan of the case.

Such coolers are the most optimal; they have a very large selection in size, power and price. They are best suited for very powerful processors and overclocking them. Their main disadvantage is their large dimensions, which is why not every such cooler will fit into a standard case.

The efficiency of the cooler most depends on the number of heat pipes. For a processor with a TDP of 80-100 W, a cooler with 3 heat pipes is enough; for a processor with a TDP of 150-180 W, a cooler with 6 heat pipes is needed. You will find out how many heat pipes a particular processor needs from the table, which can be downloaded in the “” section.

In the characteristics of a cooler, they usually do not focus on how many heat pipes it has. But this can be easily calculated from a photo of the base of the cooler or by counting the number of outgoing ends of the tubes and dividing them by 2.

6. Base design

The base of the cooler is the contact pad, which is in direct contact with the processor. The efficiency of the cooler also depends on its quality and design.

In coolers with an aluminum radiator, the radiator itself acts as the contact pad. The base can be solid or through.

A solid base is more preferable, as it increases the contact area between the radiator and the processor, which has a beneficial effect on cooling. And in a through design, dust can accumulate in the gap between the radiator and the fan.

Firstly, it has a bad effect on cooling. Secondly, it is impossible to clean the dust from there without removing the cooler from the processor, while a radiator with a solid pad can be easily cleaned without removing it.

6.2. Radiator with copper insert

The radiators of some coolers have a copper insert at the base, which is in contact with the processor.

Radiators with a copper insert are slightly more efficient than all-aluminum options.

Coolers with heat pipes may have a copper base.

This design is quite effective.

6.4. Direct contact

Some manufacturers actively preach the almost cosmic technology of direct contact (DirectCU), which consists of saving copper by pressing heat pipes in such a way that they themselves create a contact pad in direct contact with the processor.

In fact, this design is close in efficiency to a radiator with a copper base.

7. Design and material of the radiator

The efficiency of the cooler also greatly depends on the design of the radiator and the material from which it is made.

The cheapest coolers have a radiator made entirely of aluminum, since this metal is cheaper than copper. But aluminum has low heat capacity and uneven heat distribution, which requires stronger airflow and therefore noisier fans.

7.2. Aluminum with copper

Coolers with aluminum radiators with copper inserts are a little more efficient, but are no longer relevant.

7.3. Copper radiator

You can still find coolers with radiators made of copper plates on sale.

Copper has a high heat capacity and heat is distributed evenly in it. This makes it possible to stabilize the processor temperature at a certain level and does not require fast, noisy fans. But the effectiveness of such a system is limited due to the fact that a copper radiator has high thermal inertia and it is difficult to quickly remove heat from it. But such a cooler can be indispensable in compact cases for media centers, since it is quite low.

7.4. Radiator made of aluminum plates

The most effective today are coolers with heat pipes and a radiator made of many thin aluminum plates.

Heat from the processor is instantly dissipated through heat pipes to the plates, on which the fan air flow is also quickly removed due to the high dissipation area. This design has very low heat capacity and thermal inertia, so cooling efficiency increases significantly with a small increase in fan speed.

7.5. Nickel plating

Good branded coolers may have nickel plating on heat pipes, copper bases, and even aluminum heatsink fins.

Nickel plating prevents surface oxidation. It always remains beautiful and shiny. But the most important thing is that the oxide does not interfere with heat removal and the cooler does not lose its properties. Although, by and large, the difference will not be significant.

7.6. Radiator size

The efficiency of the cooler always depends on the size of the radiator. But coolers with large radiators cannot always fit into a standard computer case. The height of a tower radiator for a standard case should not exceed 160 mm.

The width of the radiator also matters. A cooler with a large radiator may not fit due to the close location of the power supply. You also need to consider the size and layout of the motherboard. It may happen that the cooler cannot be installed due to high protruding radiators of the motherboard near the processor, closely spaced tall memory modules, etc.

All this must be taken into account in advance and, if in doubt, measure the required distances in your computer. It's better to play it safe and take a slightly smaller cooler. If the processor is very hot, and the case is small, or elements protruding from the motherboard are in the way, then tear them off; a horizontal cooler with heat pipes and specially designed with sufficient distance from the motherboard will suit you.

7.7. Radiator weight

The larger the radiator, the heavier it is, and the heavier the radiator, the larger it is. But essentially, the higher the TDP of the processor, the heavier the radiator should be. For a processor with a TDP of 100-125 W, a radiator weighing 300-400 grams is enough; for a monster like AMD FX9xxx with a TDP of 200-220 W, you need a radiator of at least 1 kg, or even 1200-1300 grams. I will not give the weight of the radiator for each processor, since you will see all this in the table, which can be downloaded in the “” section.

8. Fans

The size, speed and other parameters of the fan determine the efficiency of the cooler and the noise level it creates.

8.1. Fan size

In general, the larger the fan, the more efficient and quieter it is. The cheapest coolers have fans measuring 80x80 mm. Their advantage is simplicity and low cost of replacement (which is rare). The disadvantage is the highest noise level.

It is better to buy a cooler with a larger fan - 92x92, 120x120 mm. These are also standard sizes and are easy to replace if necessary.

For particularly powerful and hot processors, such as AMD FX9xxx, it is better to take a cooler with a fan of a standard size of 140x140 mm. This fan is more expensive, but there will be less noise.

It’s better to limit the choice to coolers with standard fan sizes, what if you still have to replace it someday? But this is not important, since among us there are real nuggets of Kulibins who will screw any fan to any radiator on their knees

8.2. Fan bearing type

The cheapest fans have a Sleeve Bearing. Such fans are considered less reliable and less durable.

Fans with ball bearings are considered more reliable. But they make more noise.

Most modern fans have hydrodynamic bearings (Hydro Bearing), which combines reliability with low noise levels.

8.3. Number of fans

To overclock such monsters as AMD FX9xxx with a TDP of 200-220 W, it is better to take a cooler with two 140x140 mm fans. But keep in mind that the more fans, the higher the noise level. Therefore, there is no need to buy a cooler with two fans for a processor with a TDP of up to 180 W. Recommendations for the number and size of fans are in the table from the “” section.

8.4. Fan speed

The smaller the radiator and fan size, the higher its speed will be. This is necessary to compensate for the low dispersion area and low air flow.

In cheap coolers, fan speed can vary between 2000-4000 rpm. At a speed of 2000 rpm the fan noise becomes clearly audible, at a speed of 3000 rpm the noise becomes annoying, and at 4000 rpm your room will turn into a small landing pad...

The ideal option is a fan measuring 120-140 mm with a maximum speed of 1300-1500 rpm.

8.5. Automatic speed control

Motherboards are able to regulate cooler speed depending on the processor temperature. Adjustment can be done by changing the supply voltage (DC), which is supported by all motherboards.

More expensive coolers can be equipped with fans with a built-in speed controller (PWM). In this case, the motherboard must also support speed control via a PWM controller.

It’s good if the cooler has a 120-140 mm fan with a speed in the range of 800-1300 rpm. In this case, you will almost never hear it.

8.6. Cooler connector

Processor coolers can have a 3-pin or 4-pin connector for connecting to the motherboard. 3-pin ones are controlled by changing the voltage by the motherboard (DC), and 4-pin ones using a PWM controller (PWM). A PWM controller can more accurately control cooler speed, so it is better to purchase a cooler with a 4-pin connector.

8.7. Noise level

The noise level depends on the rotation speed of the fan, the configuration of its blades, and is measured in decibels (dB). Fans with a noise level of up to 25 dB are considered quiet. Based on this indicator, you can compare several coolers and, other things being equal, choose the one that makes less noise.

8.8. Air flow

The strength of the air flow determines the efficiency of heat removal from the radiator and, accordingly, the efficiency of the entire cooler and the noise level. Airflow is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Based on this indicator, you can compare several coolers and, other things being equal, choose the one that has a higher CFM. But do not forget to pay attention to the noise level.

9. Cooler mount

There are no pitfalls in mounting a small or medium-sized cooler. But with big models there are surprises...

Carefully read the cooler mounting diagram before purchasing it. Some heavy coolers require reinforced mounting using a special frame on the back of the motherboard.

In this case, the motherboard must allow the installation of such a frame and there should be no soldered electronic elements at the installation site. There should be a recess in the computer case where the processor is supposed to be located. Even better if there is a window that allows you to install and remove such a cooler without removing the motherboard.

A set of universal coolers that fit many sockets may contain many different mounts.

If the cooler is of sufficient quality and expensive, then they will not be superfluous if you suddenly want (or have to) change the motherboard and processor to another platform (for example, from AMD to Intel). In this case, there is no need to change the cooler.

10. Backlight

Some coolers have LEDs and glow beautifully in the dark. It makes sense to purchase such a cooler if your case has a transparent window through which you can enjoy how it works while you relax. But keep in mind that the backlight can interfere and irritate not only you, but also your family members. Therefore, think in advance where the body will stand and where the light will go.

11. Thermal paste

Thermal paste is applied to the processor to improve heat transfer and this is very important. In cheap coolers, thermal paste may already be applied to the contact pad and covered with a plastic cover.

More expensive models come with a small tube of thermal paste, which can be enough for 2-3 times. Sometimes thermal paste is not included. Check the availability of thermal paste on the online store website.

If thermal paste is not included, you will need to purchase it separately. Thermal paste greatly influences the transfer of heat from the processor to the cooler. The temperature difference between a processor with bad and good thermal paste reaches up to 10 degrees!

As a budget option, you can take KPT-8 in a white aluminum tube. Its thermal conductivity is not so high, but if the processor is not very hot (TDP up to 100 W) and you do not plan to overclock it, then this will be enough. The main thing is that it is original! It is not advisable to purchase it in syringes, jars, plastic tubes with handmade stickers, since there are a lot of fakes in such packaging.

It should be absolutely obvious that the packaging is factory made.

Alsil-3 thermal paste is similar in quality and price, but even in the original it is sold in syringes that are difficult to distinguish from a fake.

12. Cooler manufacturers

The best cooler manufacturers are the Austrian company Noctua and the Japanese company Scythe. They produce high-quality coolers and are deservedly popular among wealthy enthusiasts. Noctua provides a 72-month warranty on coolers.

The Taiwanese company Thermalright successfully markets the above-mentioned brands, which has very similar models at a slightly more reasonable price.

But the most popular in Russian-speaking countries are coolers from such familiar brands as Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Zalman. Coolers from these manufacturers have the best price/quality ratio.

But by and large, the manufacturer of the cooler is not so important, since there is nothing special to break apart from the fan. Therefore, it’s not a sin to save money and take something cheaper. A fairly large assortment and low prices are offered to us by DeepCool, GlacialTech, Ice Hammer and TITAN.

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, it’s just a cooler. And let the presence of a guarantee calm your nervous system

13. Warranty

The cheapest coolers have a standard 12 month warranty. Basically, all that can come out of the cooler is the fan, and replacing it will not be difficult.

But if you are purchasing a good cooler with branded fans, then it is better that the warranty is 24-36 months, since finding high-quality fans with the same characteristics can be difficult and expensive.

Top coolers are expensive, but manufacturers give them a warranty of up to 72 months.

I do not recommend purchasing coolers from little-known manufacturers whose lineup is represented by only a few models, as there may be problems with warranty service. Remember - a guarantee never hurt anyone

14. Setting up filters in the online store

Using the table, determine the main parameters of the cooler for your processor.
Go to the “Cooling Systems” section on the seller’s website.
Select the "Processor" destination.
If you want a better cooler, then choose only the best manufacturers.
If you want to save money, then choose all popular manufacturers whose lineup includes at least 15-20 models.
Select your processor socket.
Note the presence of heat pipes in the filter.
Size and number of fans (optional).
Availability of speed controller (only if necessary).
Cooler height (for a standard case up to 160 mm).
The presence of backlighting (will greatly narrow the choice).
Other parameters that are important to you.
Sort the selection by price.
Look through the coolers, starting with the cheaper ones (from the photo you can determine the number of heat pipes and the massiveness of the radiator).
Select several suitable models, view their photos from different angles and compare them based on parameters that were not included in the filter.
Buy the cheapest suitable model.

Do not overdo it with filters, as you can weed out successful models. Select only the parameters that are most important to you.

Thus, you will receive a cooler with the best price/quality/efficiency ratio that meets your requirements at the lowest possible cost.

15. Links

Below you can download a table that allows you to easily determine the main parameters of the cooler, depending on the processor heat dissipation (TDP).

CPU cooler Deepcool REDHAT
CPU cooler Zalman CNPS10X Optima
CPU cooler Deepcool GAMMAXX S40