Top 5 Best CPU Coolers for Gaming in 2025

The Top 5 Best CPU Coolers for Gaming in 2025 we’ve tested for budget setups, overclocked monster rigs, and everything in between

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You should carefully consider your options when selecting a CPU cooler, regardless of whether you want to achieve the maximum overclock or create a computer that is silent when it is operating. The temperature and fan noise of your system will be greatly impacted by the CPU cooler that is most suited for your setup. By maintaining higher boost clocks for longer periods of time, a great cooler can even improve performance in high-end systems. Every year, we test dozens of models of all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers and PC air coolers. Our recommendations for the top coolers to regulate CPU temperatures are listed below. However, for even better cooler options, visit our Best AIO Coolers page if you’re specifically looking for a liquid cooler.

Is it an air cooler or an AIO (liquid) cooler?

There are a few factors to take into account if you’re unsure whether you want to use a liquid-cooled AIO (a pump connected to a radiator and fans) or an air cooling system (a large metal heatsink with fans). Your choice of case may be limited because large air coolers typically require more vertical clearance off your best motherboard or take up more interior space in your PC case. Additionally, air coolers may be noisier and less effective than liquid coolers at transferring heat from your CPU to the chassis. However, it isn’t always the case these days.

Table of Contents

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1.Thermalright phantom spirit 120 evo

The first Phantom Spirit 120 air cooler from Thermalight was just released, and we were blown away by both its testing performance and pricing, giving it a rare perfect score. However, a few months later, the business made a comeback with The Phantom Spirit 120 Evo, which included upgraded fans with a hint of RGB and even improved functionality. Although the fans are noisier at maximum speed, our testing indicates that this cooler can reach chart-topping performance without the fans running at full speed.

Even larger coolers with 140 mm fans, such as Thermalright’s Frost Commander 140 and ID-Cooling’s A770, outperformed the Phantom Sprit 120 EVO in our benchmarking, cooling 238 watts.

When it comes to the best CPU cooling performance, expensive coolers like Noctua and Be Quiet have long dominated benchmarks and enthusiasts’ opinions. However, in recent months, Thermalright’s coolers have made it difficult to recommend those that cost over $100 (and, to be honest, the majority of other coolers). While costing no more than a third of the price of a cooler like Noctua’s D15S, the Phantom Spirit 120 EVO essentially matches or outperforms other coolers in terms of performance.

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2.Thermalright peerless assassin 120 se

The Peerless Assassin 120 SE from Thermalright is true to its name; it offers the highest performance of any air cooler we tested on Intel’s Alder Lake at a lower cost than the competition. We retested it several times to ensure the findings were accurate because it worked so well in our tests when cooling our Core i9-12900K. The Peerless Assassin 120 SE outperformed the competition at lower thermal/TDP settings and outperformed our tested competition in cooling the CPU when it was drawing more over 200 watts.

The two 120mm fans in the cooler effectively dissipated all of the heat at low noise levels—just 34.5dB at maximum speed and 33dB at 50% speed. If your case can accommodate it, you should think considering including this cooler in your future system build, regardless of value.

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3. Scythe Mugen 6

Scythe’s Mugen 6 offers performance and noise levels that are on par with those of high-end models from BeQuiet! and DeepCool, but at a lesser cost. The Mugen 6 and Mugen 6 Black Edition air coolers are excellent choices if you want a high-performing air cooler with low maximum noise levels.

more than Thermalright’s Phantom Spirit 120, there aren’t many more silent coolers in this price range. For high-end CPUs, it can dissipate a little more power, but at higher maximum noise levels.

Scythe, a fabless company established in Chiba, Japan, manufactures its fans, air coolers, and other PC hardware in collaboration with factories in China and Taiwan, in contrast to some of its rivals. For more than 20 years, the company has been providing cooling devices that are primarily designed for silent operation and low noise levels.

Today, we are testing the Mugen 6 and Mugen 6 Black Edition, Scythe’s newest air coolers. Together with Scythe’s newest 120 Wonder Tornado fans, the Mugen 6 has a single huge heatsink with a staggered design for full RAM compatibility.

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4. Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE

Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE is currently the greatest aftermarket cooler available for those on a tight budget, however it shouldn’t be used for overclocking. According to our tests, it maintains moderate noise levels while providing vital cooling performance that is enough for the majority of users. It has a shorter one-year warranty than the majority of its competitors. However, given how reasonably priced this cooler is, you should be able to replace the fan if it fails within a few years.

In recent years, PC enthusiasts have come to recognize Thermalright for raising the standard for both performance and affordability with their affordable air coolers. When you take into account performance, price, and noise levels, I think their Phantom Spirit 120 offers the finest value available.

In this review, we examine the Assassin X 120 R SE, one of Thermalright’s least expensive desktop coolers. This entry-level cooler is simple and features a single 120mm fan, four copper heatpipes, and a single tower radiator.

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5.Cooler Master Master Liquid 360 Atmos

Thermalright continues to establish it’s a market leader in the cooling field, again setting the bar for performance and value with the Grand Vision 360. The thermal performance of the company’s most recent 360mm AIO were superior to those of any coolers we tested, including the current flagship Core Ultra 9 285K and Intel’s older Core i7-14700K.

Although its cooling capabilities weren’t significantly superior to those of Be Quiet and NZXT’s equivalents, Thermalright’s cooler is more feature-rich and more reasonably priced at $129 in the US.

The Grand Vision 360 has an LCD panel with numerous preset customization choices, which sets it apart from most AIOs in this price range. Although not everyone needs or desires that functionality in a cooler, Thermalright at least offers it at a lesser cost than the majority of its rivals without compromising cooling efficiency in favor of a gaudy LCD. Thermalright’s Grand Vision 360 is the liquid cooler you’re looking for if you want an LCD-equipped AIO that cools incredibly effectively and isn’t as expensive as you may think.

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We run every CPU cooler we evaluate through a benchmarking suite that tells us about each cooler’s shortcomings. We measure the highest CPU temperature during a variety of stress tests that we execute for prolonged periods of time. These consist of:

• Stress test x264 for 10 minutes with 3DMark Steel Nomad
• Benchmark for Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition—5-run loop
• The 10-minute multi-threaded Cinebench R23 test
  
  After running the CPU-intensive benchmark, Cinebench R23, we also time how long it takes the processor to reach idle temperature. This provides an indication of how well the cooler transfers heat from the processor to the heatsink or radiator.

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How can I pick the best CPU cooler for me?

It all depends on compatibility and price if you’re not sure if you need a liquid or air cooler. The first thing to look for is if a cooler provides a suitable mounting option and supports the motherboard socket. The majority of coolers on the market currently work with Intel’s current LGA1851 socket and AMD’s most recent AM5 socket.

However, certain older coolers—possibly used ones—might not be able to support the newest chips.The other thing to think about is if your CPU needs a cooler or not. Your CPU must efficiently disperse the heat it produces as a waste of energy.

While it’s not always this simple, coolers frequently have TDP ratings that indicate what TDP of CPU they can adequately chill. While Intel’s 14th Gen CPUs frequently experience power draws significantly greater than their declared “processor base power,” some CPUs, like AMD’s Threadripper chips, require larger contact points for proper cooling.

Just make sure to find out what kind of chip a CPU cooler is designed to cool, particularly if you intend to overclock.

In any case, how does liquid cooling operate?

Your CPU has a plate that pumps coolant through a closed loop. While returning to the plate, this coolant ‘carries’ the heat from your valuable components into the radiator, where it is cooled by the fans that are attached to the radiator. The cycle keeps going until the CPU cools down or something “clunks” and you have to buy a new one.

Compared to a full custom water-cooling loop, it is straightforward and a hundred times easier to build.

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