A processor cooler is often overlooked when purchasing a PC... and yet it can be important depending on how you plan to use it!
Below you will find a comparison and a buying guide on everything you need to know before buying your CPU cooler!
The 2 best CPU coolers in our ranking!
What to know before buying your CPU fan!
- Many brands offer two CPU cooling systems: watercooling (liquid cooling system) and cooler (air cooling system).
- Before purchasing a cooler for your CPU, you need to make sure it is compatible with your components . Also that its size is adapted to your computer case, as we will see in the section dedicated to purchasing criteria.
- Cooler Master is one of the best brands to buy your CPU fan . You can be sure of the quality and performance of their components, they also offer in addition to cooling systems, other components such as computer cases or power power supply .
Comparison of the best CPU coolers!
As you have seen there are two types of cooler for your processor: liquid and air.
What is the best solution ? Choosing which elements to incorporate into a configuration is a crucial step in obtaining the results that will best meet your expectations. Although these two cooling systems have the same purpose in your setup, absorbing heat from the processor and then distributing it, their mode of operation and their capacities may vary.
We therefore invite you to find out more further down in our buying guide after reading the comparison!
The 3 best watercooling systems from Cooler Master!
Its operation is similar to that of its colleague using air, but this one has a water block filled with coolant allowing more interesting performances .
1. Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R RGB
Features and Reviews
If you are looking for a quality watercooling cooler, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid is for you. Its polyphenylene sulfide and fiberglass components constituting the low-profile dual chamber make it impervious to oxidation and corrosion.
Its low resistance radiator improves flow for better exchange efficiency, but also for unrivaled cooling performance. The integrated MasterFan maximizes air pressure for better liquid cooling. Its double tube makes it durable and gives it a high-end style. With an average lifespan of 160,000 hours, your peace of mind is assured.
2. Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240
Features and Reviews
Between performance and discretion, the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 is the best. Its dark color adapts to your configuration and makes it more elegant. With a copper base and quality components, its lifespan is estimated at 70,000 hours.
Its 120mm MasterFan Air Balance smooths the operation of the CPU fan, considerably reducing daily clicks and vibrations. The dual-chamber pump that composes it isolates the heated liquid to maximize cooling performance. Its ease of installation makes it one of the products with the best quality/price ratio on the market.
3. Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 120
Features and Reviews
Little brother of the MasterLiquid 240, the MasterLiquid 120 is the minimum you need if you want to get started in gaming. Ideal for new systems or upgrades, you will have no problem installing it thanks to its compatibility with Intel and AMD configurations. Small in size and matte black in color, it is one of the most stylish and compact elements on the market.
With an average lifespan of 70,000 hours, you won't have to worry about when to change it. Its dual dissipation pump and MasterFan Air Balance smooth the operation of the fan for reduced vibrations. The FEP tube that composes it ensures full flow and eliminates potential evaporation.
The 3 best coolers from Cooler Master!
In this structure, heat is transferred from the processor using thermal paste applied to a copper or aluminum plate generally serving as a conductive base. Its efficiency can therefore vary depending on the manufacturing materials, as well as the size and number of fans.
1. Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition
Features and Reviews
With discretion and aggressiveness, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition quickly adapts to your configuration. Its upper cover in brushed aluminum and its black fins in reinforced metal give it an unusual aesthetic style. Using the RGB LED controller, you can easily personalize the colors of your device.
With simpler installation than its predecessor, the Master Hyper 212 is one of the best cooling solutions around. Its stacked fin array ensures low resistance to air flow. In addition to being quiet, the wide speed range that can be fine-tuned guarantees better than average cooling performance. In order to avoid dynamic losses and accelerate the exhaust of gases, its fan allows you to perform a push-pull easily and quickly.
2. Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED Turbo Red
Features and Reviews
Out of the ordinary, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Turbo Red gives your configuration a one-of-a-kind design thanks to its double fan designed with blades and red LEDs. In addition to being trendy, its original design with all-in-one assembly makes it compatible with AMD and Intel products.
For better heat dissipation towards the metal bases, four thermal pipes with direct contact between the processor and the aluminum fan have been incorporated. Its dual pvm fan improves the balance between airflow and static pressure to reduce heat. Unwanted noises during your gaming games will be nothing more than a bad memory with the help of its anti-vibration rubber.
3. Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO
Features and Reviews
With one of the best quality/price ratios at the moment, the Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO is one of the most affordable products on the market. Its compact design allows it to considerably increase airflow for quality cooling.
Featuring three aluminum thermal pipes with direct contact between the processor and the fan, heat dissipation compared to metal bases is guaranteed. Its anti-vibration rubber pads and quick-install cover prevent noise and provide you with a quality experience.
If you are an impatient person who likes simplicity, its quick installation system and its compatibility with Intel and AMD components will allow you to easily incorporate it into your configuration.
The buying guide to help you choose your processor fan!
What is a CPU cooler?
Cooling systems are used to dissipate hot air from your PC which is located on the various components.
Indeed, in a computer, the components perform much better when they are cool; the more they heat up, the more they become damaged and lose their efficiency.
This therefore allows them to be refreshed to have a better lifespan as well as better performance. Water cooling is particularly useful if you use your computer for long hours in a row.
The two components that generally heat up the most are the graphics card and the processor , so they require good cooling fans for your processor.
How to choose between a vendirad and watercooling for your CPU?
The answer will simply depend on the tasks or actions you are going to perform with your setup.
However, here are a few things to consider:
Beginners and intermediates:
If you are someone who wants to perform basic tasks or play games that do not require advanced components, we advise you to opt for a cooler – air cooling.
Its simpler operation makes it possible to obtain affordable prices, while maintaining good performance. In addition, this system is generally the simplest to install . It is therefore perfect for beginners and intermediates. Be sure to favor copper materials as they are generally of better quality than aluminum.
Want a bright RGB cooler? Here are our top 3!
Experienced:
On the other hand, if you want to be equipped with the best components to carry out heavy tasks, our choice will be watercooling – liquid cooling system. This structure is generally more expensive than the previous one.
More complex to install than the cooler, you will need certain technical skills to incorporate it into your configuration , as well as a certain amount of space available . These defects will be largely compensated for by the integration of software allowing you to control the fan speed and lighting (Some CPU coolers do not have this, please note.). The noise will also be less pronounced than for the cooler.
Want RGB watercooling? Here are our top 3!
Advantages and Disadvantages of CPU Fans
There can be many reasons for purchasing a cooling system.
For example, when you buy different components to build your PC yourself, you will receive a mini cooler for your processor.
The problem is that the mini-cooler included with your processor is often inefficient and can therefore cause your processor to heat up too high, which will damage it and reduce its performance.
Buying a better CPU fan separately is therefore a wise choice in this case.
As we have seen, it is possible to regulate the temperature of its components with a cooler, that is to say an air cooling system.
But there is another system, known as watercooling in English, which has advantages that I will present to you in comparison with those of the air system:
| Vendirad – CPU Air Coolers | Watercooling – Liquid refrigeration | |
| performance | Its performance can be more than sufficient for a low or mid-range computer. And even for a high-end one who will not be subject to a significant workload. | They offer significantly better performance. They are ideal for high-end gaming equipment . |
| Interview | It is advisable to clean the dust from time to time and change the thermal paste once a year. | They require more complex maintenance. This includes, among other things, replacing the thermal compound and cleaning radiators and fans. To this must be added the purging and filling of fluids from the pipes. |
| Noise | They are increasingly integrating better systems to keep noise to a minimum. | These are much quieter systems. |
| Space required | Typically, they require less space than liquid cooling systems. High-performance systems tend to require more space, although in general they require larger enclosures. | These are larger systems, so they generally require a fairly large box. |
| Price | A lot less expensive. | Its price is much higher. |
4 purchasing criteria to take into account before choosing it!
There are different criteria to take into account when purchasing your CPU cooler, so you will find all the necessary information below.
Choose the type of cooler
First of all, you must decide on the type of system you want to integrate into your PC: the air system or the liquid cooling system.
Generally speaking, it is recommended to start with an air cooler system if you are still a beginner or if your budget does not allow you to take anything else. Regardless, it remains a good choice because it is relatively easy to install and inexpensive.
Liquid cooling – watercooling is more expensive but also more difficult to install. This system is often used in gaming PCs, that is to say for playing video games.
In addition to being ultra efficient, it is also a silent CPU fan since unlike a cooler there is no motor and blades which will generate noise. It also requires more recurring maintenance.
Good to know: Did you know that fan coolers are becoming quieter and quieter? Moreover, if you absolutely want to have a PC that makes no noise, we invite you to see the best silent PC cases !
The size
You need to be careful that your case is large enough to house the CPU fan. If you are preparing to build your gaming PC, we invite you to choose an ATX case .
The case must be large enough to accommodate the majority of products. Remember that if the cooler is too wide or your case is quite small like a mini itx case , you risk having a problem during assembly...
Concerning the coolers, they do not take up much space in width but can block in height, so pay attention to this fact.
Coolers are much bulkier and require more in-depth research, so check the dimensions of your case and the space taken up by each of your components.
Compatibility
The system must of course be adapted to your motherboard and processor. Make sure the socket is the same between your components and you will have no problem.
You will find this information on the instructions but also on the different product pages on which you can purchase them.
The power
Your processor fan obviously increases the consumption of your PC.
For a fan cooler we will need approximately 50W to power it.
Watercooling requires a little more power power supply , on average between 100W and 150W depending on the quality.
What are the different advantages of Cooler Master CPU fans?
You saw in our comparison, we only offer Cooler Master models.
The brand represents a guarantee of quality in the sector, it is as appreciated by experts as by enthusiasts. Here are some examples of the advantages of this brand:
The products are of very good quality and viable
There is a lot of variety and choice among products
The quality to price ratio is excellent
How to install a fan cooler on your CPU yourself?
The procedure is quite simple and rather common for each installation, but it remains essential to consult the instructions which will be supplied with the product so that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Installation is done in 3 main steps for a cooler:
First of all, you must turn off your computer, take care to unplug it and put it in a position that will make installation easier.
You will need to apply thermal paste to the processor. Thermal paste is very important, it allows fresh air to regulate the temperature well. If it is not applied your processor will be damaged extremely quickly. So applying the paste is essential, you can apply it in the form of X on your CPU.
When this is done, you now need to mount the fan, the location of the screws varies depending on your motherboard. Once it is mounted, you must now connect it to your motherboard at the connector marked “FAN”. You will also find its location using the instructions for your motherboard.
Good to know: To successfully apply your thermal paste to your CPU, you need a quality one. Discover the best thermal pastes for PC .
Here are the best, top-rated cheap CPU fans!
Conclusion
Take care to check if the cooler is suitable for your PC! However, don't forget to look closely at the sockets and the size of the components. You now have at your disposal all the information you need to purchase a fan for your CPU!
