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The best low profile CPU cooler. Cold for change: review of budget CPU coolers

The Deepcool Lucifer V2 CPU cooler is a redesigned version of the regular Deepcool Lucifer. By and large, the second version differs from the first only in the fan, which can operate at speeds of 300 RPM. Let us recall that for the first Lucifer this figure was many times higher.

Deepcool Lucifer V2 is designed for those who need to build a quiet PC with a powerful processor. This cooler is capable of dissipating up to 130 W of heat, which means that the hero of our article is suitable for cooling even the hottest six-core CPUs. However, nothing prevents the second Lucifer from being used in any other configuration.

Appearance and equipment

The cooler comes in a convenient cardboard box with a carrying handle. The inscription “Silent Version” hints that the fan of the Second Lucifer should be very quiet.

The Deepcool Lucifer V2 has a rich package package, although the same can be said about any universal cooler. In addition to the radiator and fan, the box contains a set of mounts for a large number of Intel and AMD processor sockets.

The radiator of the Second Lucifer remained as massive as that of the first version. Its large dimensions are easily explained: this cooler is designed for assembling quiet systems, which means that the main task of heat dissipation falls on the radiator. The dimensions of the radiator without an installed fan are 163 x 140 x 110 mm for length, height and depth, respectively.

6 heat pipes with a diameter of 6 mm each pass through 36 aluminum plates. The thickness of one plate is 0.5 mm, and the intercostal distance is 2.4 mm.

The heat pipes do not contact the processor directly; a highly polished copper base is responsible for this contact.

The shape of the radiator turned out to be unusual; when viewed from above, it resembles a large tropical butterfly. This design is needed to install such a large radiator on the motherboard, but we will talk about this in another part of the review.

Only one fan is supplied with the Second Lucifer, although brackets for installing a second Carlson are available. After assembly, the dimensions of the cooler will increase to 168 x 146.5 x 136 mm for length, height and depth, respectively.


The fan of the Second Lucifer had no markings, so it was impossible to determine its technical characteristics without a detailed acquaintance with the Deepcool website. As we wrote above, the minimum rotation speed is 300 RPM, the noise level created by this “propeller” ranges from 12.6 to 31.1 dBa, and the maximum air flow is 81.33 CFM.

For a 140 mm fan operating at 300 rpm, the characteristics look very interesting. As for the appearance, the “propeller” frame is made of rubber, and on its inner side there is a special coating that reduces vibrations.

Specifications

Cooler type: Tower
Supported Intel sockets: LGA 775/1150/1151/1156, LGA 1366/2011/2011-V3
Supported AMD sockets: AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+, FM1/FM2
Dimensions of radiator with fan: 168 x 146.5 x 136 mm
Radiator dimensions without fan: 163 x 140 x 110
Radiator materials: Aluminum fins and chrome plated copper contact plate
Number and size of heat pipes: 6 x 6mm
CPU contact type: Chrome plated copper plate
Number of ribs: 36
Fin thickness: 0.5 mm
Intercostal distance: 2.4 mm
Quantity and model of complete fans: 1 fan, model unknown
Bearing type: 1 hydrodynamic
Fan speed: from 300 RPM
Fan noise: from 12.6 to 31.1 dBa
Created air flow: 81.33 CFM
Fan voltage: Unknown
Current consumption: Unknown
Cooler weight: 906 gr. with fan and 760 gr. without fan
Approximate price: 2,800 rubles

Installation on the motherboard

Installing the cooler is not difficult and is described in detail in the instructions. The cooler was installed and tested on the motherboard.

First you need to assemble the back board according to the socket type. To do this, simply insert four metal pins into the required holes and secure them using the included rubber gaskets. To install Deepcool Lucifer V2 on an Intel LGA1366 socket, you just need to use the supplied adapters that are screwed into the socket.


We tested Deepcool Lucifer V2 on an ASUS Maximus VIII Gene motherboard with an Intel LGA 1151 processor socket. On these motherboards, the cooler can be installed either lengthwise or crosswise. This choice may be useful for those who want to direct the fan upward so that it takes in cold air from the top side of the system unit.

Of course, this installation method will be relevant only if you plan to assemble a PC without a discrete video card (otherwise warm air will be blown towards it) and if there are holes for ventilation in the upper part of the case.


When installing a radiator in a different way, you may encounter a problem with installing a fan. On motherboards where the RAM is installed to the left and right of the socket, the cooler fan may interfere with the installation of memory modules with very tall heatsinks. However, the Geil RAM we use, equipped with high radiators, did not interfere with the installation of the second Lucifer.

At the beginning of the review, we mentioned the strange shape of the radiator, now it’s time to look into this in more detail. This shape is necessary so that the user can tighten the mounting screws during the final installation of the cooler. To do this you will need a very long screwdriver, which, unfortunately, was not included in the kit. Therefore, it is unlikely to be possible to install Second Lucifer without using third-party tools.


Testing

Testing was carried out using thermal paste found in the box with the cooler. An open test bench was used for testing. To increase the load on the processor, its built-in video core was used instead of a discrete video card. During testing, the room temperature was 22 °C.

Test stand:

  • Processor Intel Core i5-6600K
  • Motherboard:
  • Cooler: Deepcool Lucifer V2.
  • RAM DDR4 Geil EVO Potenza DDR4-3000
  • AeroCool KCAS 600W power supply
  • Windows 10 64 Bit

In synthetic load mode, which regular PC users will never encounter, Deepcool Lucifer V2 performed very well. The maximum processor temperature was only 68 degrees. At the same time, the maximum fan rotation speed was 980 rpm, and the noise from the fan was almost inaudible.

Conclusion

The Deepcool Lucifer V2 cooler can be safely recommended to those who want to build a quiet PC. The second version of “Lucifer” is made specifically for such tasks; the minimum rotation speed of its fan is only 300 rpm. However, even at the maximum rotation speed we obtained (about 1000 rpm), there was little noise from this cooler.

As for the price, at the time of writing this article, Deepcool Lucifer V2 is just beginning to appear on store shelves, and its price is about 2,700 rubles. Even taking into account the increased dollar exchange rate, this is not much.

Minuses:

  • Installation of the cooler is impossible without a long screwdriver, which is not included in the package.
  • Large heatsink - may not be suitable for systems with exotic RAM and very tall heatsinks

Pros:

  • Compatible with all AMD and Intel processor sockets
  • Quiet fan
  • Good temperatures under load

Prince of Silence: review of the Deepcool Lucifer V2 processor cooler was last modified: March 10th, 2016 by Konstantin

If you work at a computer at home for a long time and for a long time (and especially at night), then any noisy fan inside the system unit can “drive” not only you, but also your family into white heat. How to choose a truly quiet fan for your computer?

So why do fans make noise at all?

There are two main reasons: these are their own mechanical vibrations (unsuccessful balancing of the impeller, poor quality or worn bearings, etc.) and the passage of the air flow past the fan elements and its environment (for example, past the radiator fins on the processor or an unsuccessfully caught in the air flow any bundle of wires). There is even a special name for the latter - “Aeolian tones” (those who want to learn about this phenomenon in more detail can look at Wikipedia, simultaneously visiting the article “Karman’s path”). For the rest, it is enough to know that this noise, both in power and in pitch, directly depends on the speed of the flow.

From the previous paragraph, the initial tips are completely obvious: if possible, try to choose fans with the maximum area swept by the impeller and the minimum number of revolutions, and best of all, with the ability to regulate them (if the motherboard, etc. does not support speed control, then do it yourself “manually” "The regulator is not that difficult). Practice shows that somewhere up to a level of about a thousand revolutions per minute, computer fans are practically silent - you are more likely to hear the noise of the hard drive spindle than of it.

Further, the surface of the impeller itself, upon visual inspection, should be smooth, without scratches, ripples or flashes of plastic - all these defects at high speeds will certainly begin to “howl” in different tones. Very roughly, the alignment of the impeller can be checked by carefully grasping the fan with two fingers by the body and spinning the impeller a little (you can take my word for it - fingers are very sensitive to the slightest vibration!), or even better, apply voltage to the fan held in your hand and test for the presence of vibrations throughout operating range.

There is an opinion that quiet fans for a computer must have a rolling bearing (“with balls”, otherwise known as a ball bearing) - which, generally speaking, is not always true, since the coefficient of friction of steel on the bronze sleeve of the plain bearing is extremely small. Checking the type of bearing (and at the same time applying grease) is simple: you need to carefully remove the adhesive sticker from the back side and remove the plastic/rubber “plug” in the center - a view of the bearing, the impeller axis and the washer securing it will open.

But the most important point is the noise level, each fan has such a dB indicator when buying it, you should definitely look at it. Here is a table that can be used to determine the noise level that the fan will emit.

Decibel,
dBA 		Characteristic Sound sources
0 Can not hear anything
5 Almost inaudible
10 Almost inaudible quiet rustle of leaves
15 Barely audible rustle of leaves
20 Barely audible human whisper (at a distance of 1 meter).
25 Quiet human whisper (1m)
30 Quiet whispering, ticking of the wall clock.
The permissible maximum according to the standards for residential premises at night, from 23 to 7 o'clock.
(SNiP 23-03-2003 “Protection from noise”).
35 Quite audible muffled conversation
40 Quite audible ordinary speech.
The norm for residential premises during the day, from 7 to 23 hours.
45 Quite audible normal conversation
50 Clearly audible conversation, typewriter
55 Clearly audible Upper standard for class A office premises (according to European standards)
60 Noisy Norm for offices
65 Noisy loud conversation (1m)
70 Noisy loud conversations (1m)
75 Noisy scream, laugh (1m)
80 Very noisy a scream, a motorcycle with a muffler, the noise of a vacuum cleaner (with a high engine power - 2 kilowatts).
85 Very noisy loud scream, motorcycle with muffler
90 Very noisy loud screams, freight railway car (seven meters away)
95 Very noisy subway car (7 meters outside or inside the car)

Prevention and care

Even the quietest fans can begin to make noise over time if they are not given preventive maintenance: do not regularly change the grease on the bearing and do not remove accumulated dust from the surfaces (it sharply worsens the aerodynamics of the surfaces - see above). Also, never and under no circumstances should you “slow down” the fan with foreign objects on the impeller - you will simply irreversibly damage the edge of the blades!

The “heart of the system,” as the central processor is often called, needs cooling. The fact is that it consists of a huge number of transistors, each of which needs power. Energy, as we know, does not disappear anywhere, but passes from electrical to thermal. Of course, this energy must be removed from the processor. In stores you can find cooling devices of various types, sizes and shapes. Today's article will help you choose a CPU cooler.

The word “Cooler” comes from the English cooler - cooler. Applicable to computer equipment, we mean an air cooling system, which most often consists of a radiator and a fan, and is used to cool computer components whose heat output is greater than 5W.
Initially, processors made do with their own surface to dissipate the required amount of heat, then simple aluminum radiators were attached to them. With the increase in power, and therefore heat dissipation, this became not enough. Fans began to be installed on radiators. Naturally, manufacturers sought to improve design and materials, which ultimately led to a variety of cooling system options.

Types of processor cooling systems based on heat removal method.

1) Air cooling systems, which are also called “coolers”.
Today’s article is dedicated to them.

2) Liquid cooling systems .
Heat is removed using liquid. There is a water block on the processor that removes heat. The pump, which is included in the circuit, pumps this liquid through tubes to a remote radiator. There the heat is removed and the liquid returns to the water block. This cycle is continuous. There are unattended systems and serviced ones. In the first case, the liquid is collected and filled at the factory. The latter are purchased as a set and assembled for a specific system.

Advantages compared to most air systems:

Less noise
+Higher efficiency
+ Installation flexibility
+Interesting appearance.

Minuses:

Higher price
-Risk of leaks
-Difficulty of installation
-Blowing around the socket space is required.

3) Extreme cooling systems.
These are systems based on the principle of phase change, open evaporation systems, as well as so-called “chillers”. This kind of system is used only by enthusiasts to achieve results in overclocking computer components.

Is it always necessary to select a cooler? BOX and OEM processors.

When choosing components for assembling a system unit, first decide on the processor. The question immediately arises: “Why can a processor of the same model in the same store be bought at different prices?” The fact is that there is an OEM version, and there is a BOX version, usually this is indicated in the name. The first means that the processor arrived at the point of sale on a pallet and is used to assemble a PC. BOX - the version provides that the processor is in a box with a cooling device, instructions, and, usually, an increased warranty. It should be noted that the most powerful processors, even in BOX versions, are not always equipped with cooling systems. In this case, the box size is smaller, and the absence of a cooler is indicated on the box and in the description.

It makes sense that OEM processors require a cooler. However, it is often purchased for the BOX version. The supplied cooler will naturally cope with cooling, but only under ideal conditions. If the case is poorly ventilated, in the event of heat, or overclocking the processor, at best the fan will make a lot of noise, and the temperatures will be extreme. At worst, the processor will overheat and slow down, skipping cycles. In the case of an office system unit, you can use a complete, boxed cooler, but a combination of an OEM version and a cooler from a third-party manufacturer will cost less.


Selection of a cooler depending on the socket.

Once the processor is selected, you need to look at which socket it is intended for. This is the first point in choosing a cooler. A socket is a slot on the motherboard into which the processor is installed. Processor manufacturers change sockets quite often. Replacement of standards for fastening processor cooling systems occurs less frequently.
Typically, simple coolers with low cost are suitable for only one processor socket. Manufacturers make powerful cooling systems universal, which allows their products to be used for various platforms, even those that are no longer in production.
To choose the cooler that suits us, we simply select the socket we need in the configurator, for example, AM3+, and so on.

Selection of cooler depending on power dissipation.

TDP - Thermal Design Power is the power that the processor cooling system must be designed to handle. Measured in Watts. Nobody hides this parameter; it can also be viewed in the processor characteristics. The power dissipated by the cooler must be greater than or equal to the TDP of the processor. Of course, in case of equal power, the cooling system will be enough, but here everything is the same as in the case of a complete BOX cooler - it is better to take it with a reserve. Even if there is no overheating, a cooler with a higher power dissipation will be quieter and will not have to be replaced in case of an upgrade. If you plan to overclock the processor, you need to take into account that heat generation increases in proportion to the voltage increase. As a result, TDP increases, sometimes even significantly.

Conventionally, we can distinguish several groups of processor coolers depending on power dissipation:

Up to 45W – for office PCs
45-65W – for multimedia PCs
65-80W – for mid-range gaming PCs
80-120W – for high-end gaming PCs
More than 120W – powerful gaming or professional PCs, also overclocked processors.

Selection of a cooler depending on the design.

Structurally, all processor coolers can be divided into two groups: conventional design and tower design. The first implies a fan parallel to the motherboard, and the radiator fins perpendicular. In the case of a tower structure, the opposite is true. There are high-performance coolers of the usual type, but most often they are similar to those that come with BOX processors.
Achieving high heat dissipation power is much easier with tower coolers. Due to the heat pipes, the radiator can be located further from the motherboard, it is possible to install several fans, and also make a radiator of any size. The tower cooler blows warm air towards the rear wall, not the motherboard. It will not interfere with the socket space and RAM strips.
In conventional coolers, the location of the fan ensures better airflow around the socket. Dimensions are also a plus - the height of coolers of this type is less than that of tower coolers.



The height should be taken into account in coolers of any design - it should be less than what is indicated in the parameters of the computer case. Otherwise, the wall will not be able to close.

Heat pipes, due to the liquid boiling in them, transfer heat from one place to another almost instantly. In the case of computer coolers - from the base of the cooler to the radiator. The more tubes, the more efficient the cooling device will be. Also, the diameter of the heat pipes also affects the performance of the cooler - the thicker they are, the faster the pipes can remove heat.

Choice of materials for the radiator and cooler base.

Copper and aluminum are two materials that all cooler manufacturers use. Copper has a higher thermal conductivity, but is much heavier and more expensive than aluminum. A simple cooler without heat pipes is usually made entirely of aluminum. There are models with copper inserts at the base. There are also all-copper models, but if there are no heat pipes, they will not be able to cool powerful processors well.
Tower type coolers are combined - the base is made of copper and the radiator is aluminum. All-copper towers are quite rare coolers, as the cost and weight increase, and the increase in performance is insignificant. It is not always possible to determine the material by color - sometimes the base and heat pipes are coated with nickel to prevent oxidation.

Parameters of complete fans.

In order for the radiator to effectively remove heat, it must be ventilated. This is done by fans. Sometimes manufacturers use their own standard size, sometimes standard fans with a square frame of 80, 92, 120, 140mm. If a standard fan fails, it can easily be purchased separately. The larger the fan, the quieter it is, since it pumps more air at the same speed.
Most often, coolers are equipped with one fan; fanless (passive) models are rare. Powerful devices can be equipped with two or even three fans, which provides better airflow. However, manufacturers often leave the opportunity to retrofit coolers. The maximum number of installed fans is one, two or three.
The higher the fan speed, the better the radiator will be ventilated. This will reduce temperatures, but increase noise levels. This level is measured in decibels (dB), and depends on the rotation speed, type of fan bearing, shape and number of blades. Fans up to 25 dB can be considered quiet, which most often corresponds to rotation at a speed less than 1500 rpm.
However, the fan speed can be controlled. There are coolers where this is done manually. The kit includes a regulator, by rotating the knob or moving the slider, you can achieve an acceptable noise level. However, in this case, you will have to independently monitor the processor temperature and increase the speed at moments of maximum load. Sometimes the kit contains not a variable regulator, but a constant resistor. That is, by connecting the fan directly to the motherboard, we get one speed, and through a resistor - a lower, but also fixed speed.
If the motherboard supports PWM, it is better to purchase a cooler with

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 (if, of course, you buy BOX processor version, 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 stable is 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, it slows down and skips cycles. 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 an air-conditioned room, the temperature of the crystal under a standard knob 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 door, the air can heat up under 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 is 3000 rubles may well be worse than the model for 1000 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’s usually impossible 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 a 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.

Tobish, taking the turntable 120 mm With 1200 revs and turntable 80 mm With 2400 and having compared them, we find 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"(swings) - we take them because they are quiet and last a long time. If " Slide bearing"(slips) - we put it off, because they make noise and quickly turn 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 to get into working mode, the paste needs about 200 hours, 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., please feel free to comment on this article.

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

Updated: 07/13/2018 16:43:23

The processor heats up intensely during operation. This is due to the laws of physics and there is no way to get around them. Coolers, in turn, are designed to cool the processor to a temperature at which it will function normally. We have compiled a rating of the best coolers that are suitable for use with almost any processor - from a simple Celeron for an office typewriter to a high-performance Intel Core i7-7700K, which to this day remains one of the best gaming chips.

How to choose a CPU cooler

The CPU cooler must be chosen carefully. Otherwise, he will not cope with his “responsibilities.” Overheating of the processor, in turn, leads to a drop in performance, shutdown the computer, or damage the chip itself.

Active, passive and liquid cooling

Cooling can be organized in one of three types - active, passive and liquid.

Active cooling system involves the use of a radiator and fan. The first is installed on the processor. The radiator plumage is heated by the “chip”, after which it is cooled by air flows. The efficiency of an active cooling system depends on the materials from which the heat pipes are made, as well as on the performance of the fan.

Thus, the most effective are copper heat-water tubes with copper or aluminum fins. But exclusively aluminum radiators are suitable for cooling only old or budget processors like the Celeron or Pentium lines.

The disadvantage of the active cooling system is that it requires a constant flow of “cool” air inside the case. Otherwise, other components of the motherboard may overheat. Therefore, the system unit must be installed so that air circulates freely around it.

In addition, the efficiency of active cooling decreases when the radiator becomes clogged with dust.

The liquid cooling system is structurally similar to the active one. Only instead of a radiator, a contact plate and special tubes with a thermal fluid (often ordinary water) are used. The fans are placed in a separate block, which is placed outside the system unit. Thanks to this, there are no special requirements for installing the system unit, and the performance of the cooling system does not decrease over time.

The only disadvantage of a liquid cooling system is its high cost.

Passive cooling consists only of a radiator. Heat from the processor is dissipated naturally through convection inside the system unit. The performance of such a cooling system leaves much to be desired, so it is used exclusively with low-heating chips - old or mobile, including laptops or ultrabooks.

When choosing the type of cooling system, you should be guided by the purpose of the computer:

    An office “typewriter” with an old or low-power processor - a passive radiator is suitable;

    “Regular” or “gaming” computer – active cooling;

    Gaming computer with top components - liquid cooling.

What to look for when choosing a cooler

The main criteria when choosing a cooler are compatible socket and power dissipation.

    Since processors differ not only in performance, but also in size, it is important to consider socket and cooler compatibility. Socket - the size and form factor of the chip itself, as well as the placement of mounts for the cooling system on the motherboard. If it is not compatible with the cooler, installing the latter simply will not work. You can find out which socket is used from the technical characteristics of the processor and motherboard, as well as using the AIDA64 program or similar.

    Power dissipation is the performance of the cooling system. It shows how much heat can be removed by the cooler. The power dissipation must be greater than the thermal dissipation (TDP) of the processor. Both of these parameters are measured in Watts, so comparing them is not difficult.

The remaining parameters are optional and do not have much importance when choosing a cooler.

Manufacturer

The quality of the materials used, the durability of the cooler and additional functions of the cooling system depend on the manufacturer. Therefore, it is advisable to choose devices from trusted companies.

Rating of the best CPU coolers

Nomination place Name of product price
The best tower coolers for gaming systems and overclocking 1 5 500 ₽
2 RUB 4,190
3 7,660 RUR
4 5,090 ₽
The best mid-class coolers under 3000 rubles 1 RUB 2,111
2 RUB 3,970
3 1 150 ₽
4 RUB 3,350
5 RUB 2,756
The best passive cooling systems 1 RUR 3,920
Best CPU Water Cooling Systems 1 9,273 RUR
2 6,290 RUR
3 5,990 ₽

The best tower coolers for gaming systems and overclocking

A tower cooler is a type of active cooling system. Its design involves placing the fan on the side of the radiator, allowing heat to be dissipated more efficiently. The main thing is to choose the right direction for blowing hot air.

An important advantage of a tower cooler is maintaining the performance of the radiator over time. The plumage is not covered with dust, so the efficiency of the airflow does not decrease.

Why first place: High performance, wide socket compatibility, virtually silent operation.

Description: The Noctua NH-U14S tower cooler opens the rating - one of the best active cooling systems on the market. At a relatively low price, it provides a maximum power dissipation of 220 W, making it compatible with high-performance and overclocked processors. The mounting pad can be installed on chips of the most popular sockets of the LGA, AM and FM series, including LGA1151 (which is used in the Intel Atom Coffee Lake line).

The radiator design includes six direct contact copper heat conductor tubes and an aluminum tail. Moreover, the plates are not welded to the tubes, but are pressed with them, which ensures effective heat transfer.

The fan is based on a magnetically centered bearing. The maximum speed is 1500 rpm, and the regulator of this number is internal. The fan provides an airflow of 82.52 CFM, but the volume does not exceed 24.6 dB.

Advantages

    Highly productive and at the same time almost silent;

    The kit includes a mounting structure, bolts, thermal paste and everything you need for installation;

    Operating life 150 thousand hours, manufacturer's warranty 6 years.

Flaws

  • Large - can block the PCI connector or RAM slots;

    When used with overclocked or “hot” chips, it is better to replace the supplied thermal paste with another one.

Why second place: High performance and compact design, but relatively high noise level.

Description: In the Zalman CNP9900DF model, the manufacturing company used a radiator of a non-standard design for tower coolers. The tail is located radially, and the fans (there are two of them here) are somewhat “recessed” into the plates. According to the manufacturer, this design provides better heat dissipation and a smaller dissipation area while maintaining efficiency.

The nominal maximum power dissipation is 300 W. But this value is ensured only with open mounting; in a system unit with an installed side wall, this parameter drops by approximately 25-30%. However, even this is enough for most modern processors, including gaming ones.

The radiator is entirely copper – there are three direct contact heat pipes and tail plates. The fans are equipped with direct sliding bearings, providing rotation speeds of up to 1400 rpm with a nominal volume of up to 27 dB.

Advantages

    Compact, does not cover anything during installation;

    Cools stock processors well;

Flaws

    Not suitable for overclocked processors due to lack of performance;

    Loud noise under high load;

    Difficult to install, it is better to mount it on a removed motherboard.

Why third place: Powerful, quiet, with 6 direct contact heat pipes, but relatively expensive.

Description: The Noctua NH-D15 cooler is a good solution for computers equipped with the latest generation multi-core processors (for example, Intel Core i9 or overclocked Intel Core i7). The device provides efficient cooling thanks to an air flow of 82.52 CFM, 6 direct contact copper heat pipes in the radiator and two fans with a rotation speed of up to 1500 rpm. At the same time, the cooler is compatible with most processors - it can be installed on almost all sockets of the LGA, AM and FM series.

Like the leader in the rating, this cooler is equipped with a proprietary radiator - copper heat conductor tubes are connected to an aluminum fin using the pressing method. The sole is also copper, polished to a mirror finish. Heat pipes are coated with nickel for better protection against corrosion.

The fans are based on bearings with magnetic centering, which ensures quiet operation.

Advantages

    Excellent cooling for both overclocked and multi-core processors;

    Easy installation. Everything you need for installation is included;

    Quiet fans even under high load.

Flaws

    Huge! It cannot be used with standard-height RAM or with cooling. Install in a narrow body - too;

    Boring, unattractive design;

    The radiator fin plates are flimsy, so the cooler requires careful installation.

Why fourth place: A good cooler for stock, including multi-core, processors, but it may not cope with cooling overclocked ones.

Description: The rating is completed by one of the most classic tower coolers designed for use with gaming and multi-core (6, 8 cores) processors – Thermalright Macho Rev.B. The device dissipates up to 280 W of heating power, is equipped with six direct contact heat pipes, an aluminum radiator and one fan that operates almost silently even at maximum speed.

The fan rotation speed ranges from 300 to 1300 rpm, and the air flow intensity is 16.9-73.6 CFM, respectively. The speed controller is external, so the specific performance can be adjusted independently for the processor or tasks used. The cooler is compatible with almost all existing chips and can be installed on LGA, AM (including the latest AM4) and FM sockets.

Advantages

    High performance and quiet operation;

    Relatively low price (lower than predecessors on the list);

    Compact, but the fan can cover the first RAM slot.

Flaws

    Less productivity than that of “colleagues”;

    Assembly and installation can be tricky, but instructions are included;

    Tall, 165 mm, this is worth taking into account when choosing.

The best mid-class coolers under 3000 rubles

Why first place: Tower cooler, direct contact between heat pipes and the processor, rotation speed up to 2000 rpm.

Description: The top-ranking Zalman CNPS10X Performa cooler has a tower design, thanks to which it can cool even high-performance processors. In particular, it is equipped with five copper heat pipes in direct contact with the base plate, an aluminum radiator and a 120 mm fan with a rotation speed of 900 to 2000 rpm.

The fan is equipped with a classic plain bearing, but thanks to optimization, the noise level even under maximum load is up to 36 dB. In this case, the speed controller is internal, so the rotation speed is set automatically by the cooler.

The cooler is compatible with both modern and classic sockets. So, it can be installed on almost all LGA models (including LGA1151 and even LGA775), AM, FM and S. Additional mounts can be purchased for other sockets.

Advantages

    The design of the radiator allows for good cooling of processors even at low speeds;

    Quiet operation;

    Durability.

Flaws

    Difficult, inconvenient fastening. It is advisable to place the cooler on a removed motherboard with RAM already installed;

    It is advisable to replace the supplied thermal paste;

    Bulky and heavy.

Why second place: Powerful, efficient cooling system, but more expensive than other models in the rating.

Description: Deepcool Assassin II is a tower cooler with two fans and eight copper heat pipes. Thanks to this, the device provides good cooling even for gaming and overclocked processors, and is also compatible with almost all used sockets.

The cooler radiator, consisting of two modules, is made of aluminum plates. Copper heat conductor tubes are connected to them by pressing. This ensures good heat transfer and dissipation from the processor.

Two 140mm fans can rotate at speeds of 300-1400 rpm and are based on hydrodynamic bearings, ensuring low volume even under high load. Maximum – 27.3 dB.

The cooler, despite the low price, has high performance. For example, the Intel Core i7-7800X processor heats up to 54 degrees under peak load in stress tests.

Advantages

    High performance;

    Silence of work;

    Rich equipment with a large number of pads, mounts, and thermal paste.

Flaws

    Relatively complex assembly;

    Large-sized, can cover power connectors or various functional elements of the motherboard;

    The cooler power supply hub is inconvenient, it dangles, you need to glue it to the case yourself.

Why third place: Ultra-budget tower cooler, good combination of price and quality.

Description: The Deepcool Gammaxx 300 cooler, which occupies the “middle” of the rating, has an excellent combination of price and quality. Of course, it is not very suitable for overclocked or gaming processors, but it copes well with heating mid-range chips or with average heat dissipation. In particular, the maximum power dissipation of the device is 125 W.

The cooler is compatible with almost all processor models. Necessary soles and fastenings included. The radiator is made of aluminum plates, which are complemented by three copper heat pipes.

The cooler fan is equipped with a proprietary hydrodynamic bearing, which ensures minimal operating volume. In particular, even under load it makes 21 dB noise. The rotation speed is 900-1600 rpm (the regulator is external, i.e. it can be adjusted), and the air flow is 40 CFM.

Advantages

    Simple, quick installation;

    Minimum operating volume;

    Rich equipment.

Flaws

    Relatively large-sized;

    The contact pad is made of aluminum, into which direct contacts of heat conductor tubes are built;

    Inconvenient latches with plastic “ears” that can break.

Why fourth place: Quiet, efficient and comfortable. But the improved version (Rev.B) costs only a few hundred rubles more, so it’s better to take it.

Description: Tower cooler with the highest performance in this rating segment. In particular, the maximum power dissipation of the device is as much as 280 W, which makes it compatible even with gaming and overclocked processors. Includes mounts and pads for LGA sockets (including LGA775 and LGA1151), AM and FM.

The radiator configuration includes 6 copper heat conductor tubes with direct contact. The tail is made of aluminum sheets. The plates are connected to the tubes by pressing rather than welding.

The cooler is equipped with one 140 mm fan. Rotation speed – 900-1300 rpm. The proprietary bearing makes the fan quiet - even at maximum load it makes 21 dB noise. In this case, the air flow is up to 73.6 CFM.

The speed controller is external, so you can customize it yourself to suit the installed processor and usage scenario.

Advantages

  • Rich equipment with a branded screwdriver and the necessary fasteners;

    High performance.

Flaws

    There are many revisions, and there are even ones with an aluminum sole without direct contact of heat conductor tubes;

    Large, may not fit into some cases;

    Assembly is not easy for beginners and there are no instructions in Russian.

Description: The Noctua NH-L9i cooler is designed for Intel Core i3-i7 series processors installed in LSI sockets. It is made in a traditional design, which involves placing a fan above the radiator. As a result, the cooler's power dissipation is relatively small and amounts to 65 Watts.

The cooler's radiator is made of aluminum plates, placed by pressing on a copper heat conductor tube with direct contact. The fan is equipped with a proprietary low-noise bearing with magnetic centering, thanks to which the cooler's operating volume does not exceed 23.6 dB even at 2500 rpm. The speed itself is adjustable from 300 to 2500 rpm. The airflow generated by the fan is 33.84 CFM. The speed regulator is built into the cooler and operates automatically.

The cooler is highly reliable – the trouble-free operation time is 150 thousand hours, and the manufacturer’s warranty is 6 years.

Advantages

    Low-profile design, can be installed in narrow system units;

    Low operating volume and good performance (even the Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5 can cool down);

    Simplest installation.

Flaws

    The mounting bolts are fixed when the motherboard is removed;

    Relatively high price;

    Not suitable for overclockable or unlocked processors.

The best passive cooling systems

Why it: Copper-aluminum radiator designed specifically for passive cooling systems.

Description: The Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.C cooler was designed specifically for use as a single cooling device. It features a massive base with a polished copper sole, to which six copper heat conductor tubes are attached by pressing, and an aluminum radiator with a wide distance between the plates, ensuring free air circulation.

The cooler is compatible with the vast majority of Intel LSA sockets, including the newest ones, as well as AMD AM and FM.

Even without a fan, it provides as much cooling as some of the other devices in the ranking, delivering up to 40-50W of passive dissipation. However, if you wish, you can attach a fan to it - 120 and 140 mm models are suitable. Brackets for fixing it are included with the radiator.

Advantages

    Effective heat dissipation thanks to the massive base and 6 copper tubes;

    Wide space between the radiator plates for better air circulation;

    Massive base.

Flaws

    Tall radiator, may not fit into a thin case;

    Dense placement of heat pipes;

    The “two tower” design has less rigidity than a monolithic one.

Best CPU Water Cooling Systems

Why first place: A cooling system that can cool the processor even without fans. Of course, there are three of them.

Description: The rating opens with one of the most productive water cooling systems – Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate. The device is equipped with three fans that rotate at speeds of up to 2000 rpm. This ensures effective cooling even for overclocked processors. In addition, up to 6 additional fans can be installed.

The contact pad is made of aluminum and copper. The mount is compatible with the most common sockets, including LGA, AM and FM. Adapters for other types of processors are commercially available.

The installed fans are quite quiet - even at a maximum rotation speed of 2000 rpm, they are noisy by 20 dB. In this case, the air flow passing through the cooling system is 99 CFM. The minimum rotation speed of coolers is 1000 rpm.

The system can also operate in passive mode – with the coolers turned off.

Advantages

    Quiet but powerful cooling system;

    Quiet pump;

    Compact and easy to install.

Flaws

    Over time, the noise level increases, it is recommended to replace the fans or install a reobass;

    It may not be able to cope with cooling processors with a heat dissipation of more than 250-300 W (overclocked);

    A bit expensive.

Why second place: Gaming water cooling system, the main drawback of which is the price.

Description: Deepcool Captain 360 EX could top the rating if it were not for its relatively high price (even for water cooling systems). It is very productive - the dissipated power is 220 W. At the same time, thanks to the use of proprietary hydrodynamic bearings in the fans, the system is characterized by quiet operation - a noise level of up to 31.3 dB at a rotation speed of 1800 rpm and an air flow of 76.52 CFM.

The contact plate of the water block is made of polished copper. The pump is equipped with a ceramic bearing, which provides a service life of 120 thousand hours. It works silently.

Why third place: Dual-fan cooling system with fast pumping and high efficiency.

Description: The rating is completed by a rather unusual liquid cooling system – the Arctic Cooling Liquid Freezer 120. It differs from other devices in its compact unit with a radiator and fans, which is significantly smaller in size than traditional “panels”. However, it copes with the task of cooling the processor “excellently” - the rated power dissipation is 300 W.

The fans can rotate at speeds from 500 to 1350 rpm, provide an air flow of 74 CFM, are equipped with durable hydrodynamic bearings and are relatively quiet - at maximum load the noise level is 30-35 dB.

The water block is equipped with a copper contact plate and a built-in pump that rotates at a speed of 5400 rpm. Thanks to this, the cooler can be used even in passive mode. However, the pump can still be heard from the housing.

Advantages

    Rich equipment with high-quality additional items;

    Quiet, efficient operation;

    Suitable for overclocked processors.

Flaws

    Pump speed is too high, which can reduce reliability and cause noise;

    Heavy and bulky;

    Relatively expensive.


Attention! This rating is subjective in nature, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before purchasing, consultation with a specialist is required.