• What cooler is needed for the processor. “The best of the best” or consolidated testing of eight top-class processor coolers

    Choosing a high-performance CPU cooler

    The home personal computer is that element consumer electronics, which you always want to improve at least a little. Add RAM, install another one hard drive, upgrade the video card and many more different “improve”, “increase”, “expand”, etc. One of the simplest (at first glance), effective and inexpensive ways to increase computer performance is to overclock the central processor. IN computer environment this process is called the beautiful word “overclocking”, since in most cases it consists of increasing the frequency at which the processor operates.

    One of the side effects of overclocking is a significant increase in power consumption. electric current and, as a result, an increase in the amount of heat generated by the processor. Those who are a little familiar with the physics of semiconductors are well aware that the performance of any semiconductor element is highly dependent on temperature. The higher it is, the more unstable the microcircuit operates, and when the critical point is reached, the semiconductor turns into a conductor, energy consumption and release increases abruptly, and the processor burns out or turns off. On the contrary, the lower the temperature of the silicon crystal, the more stable it operates and the higher its performance.

    From what has been written it follows that the better it cools CPU in the system unit personal computer, the higher its performance and the more stable its operation. The more powerful the cooling system, the higher the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing the overall performance of the PC.


    Scythe Rasetsu - small and efficient

    To cool the processor while the computer is running, a wide range of different devices are produced, the operation of which is based on different principles. We talked in detail about the physics of heat removal in the article “Theoretical foundations of cooling system unit elements. Processor coolers,” so now we will focus on the practical side of selecting a cooling system whose performance is optimal for your system.

    Step one - defining the socket

    Central processors of personal computers (like any other components) change quite noticeably with the development of their production technologies. Moreover, these changes concern not only improved characteristics and changes in the internal structure of the crystal, but also purely geometric and electrical parameters of the chip. The dimensions of the case change, the number, height and shape of the legs, the distance between them and the method of attaching the processor to the motherboard. The entire listed set of parameters together is standardized for each type of processor and is called a processor socket.


    Socket FM2 and plastic mounts for cooler

    There are quite a few types of sockets (for Intel processors there are more than three dozen of them and almost the same for AMD), and each of them has its own unique mechanical and geometric parameters. Each socket also has its own method of attaching the processor cooler to the motherboard. Therefore, when choosing a cooling system, you should first find out the socket of the processor installed in your system and limit your choice to the appropriate type of cooler.


    Socket 1150. Mounting holes for attaching the cooler are visible

    The choice is made somewhat easier by the fact that in recent years there has been some unification of cooler mounts for various sockets. This is especially noticeable on motherboards under AMD processors. The mounts have not been modified since the release of socket AM2 and on any modern processor with sockets AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2 and FM2+ you can install the same cooler. For Intel processors, two types of mounting are currently available - one for LGA2011 and the other for LGA1150, LGA1155 and LGA1156. Older generations of processors require different mounts.

    Information on the compatibility of the processor cooler with various sockets from all manufacturers in mandatory indicate both on the box and on their website. Many coolers come with several types of mounting, which makes them universal in relation to the socket.

    Step two - choosing a manufacturer

    The total number of companies producing cooling systems for personal computer processors is very large. Fortunately, there is a certain table of ranks that allows you to divide cooler manufacturers according to the quality, reliability and efficiency of their products (note that this rating largely reflects the subjective opinion of the author of the article, but at the same time takes into account the average objective data on the test results of various devices of the brands mentioned below).

    Brands of the first magnitude can without hesitation include the Austrian company Noctua, whose coolers are silent with excellent efficiency, the Japanese Skythe, which produces high-performance and original devices, Taiwanese Thermaltake and Cooler Master, as well as South Korean Zalman. Let’s say right away that there is a fairly large number of devices from other manufacturers with excellent characteristics, but it is the high-quality products of these companies in a wide range that are available on domestic market, which is why they are preferred.

    Step three - determining the required performance

    There are several different methods for calculating the required performance of a processor cooler, taking into account the amount of heat generated by the processor, the effective dissipation area of ​​the radiator fins, the amount of air flow created by the cooler fan(s), the material of the cooler base or heat sink, and other parameters. In this article, we will not delve so deeply into the theory and overload the text with formulas. We will select a sufficiently efficient cooler according to the characteristics available in the specifications specified by the manufacturer in several steps.

    First of all, determine in which mode your computer will operate. If you are not going to overclock the processor, then the selection process is greatly simplified. It’s enough just to find in the cooler specifications that match yours or more powerful processor of the same type, and you can safely install this cooler into the system. To operate in normal modes, most modern classic coolers with direct contact between the radiator and the processor are sufficient. Choice specific model in this case it is necessary to carry out according to other criteria - low level noise, design, air flow direction, etc.

    If overclocking the system is not excluded, then the cooling system should be selected more carefully. First, determine how seriously overclocking you are going to subject your system to and what result you want to get in the end. Extreme fans seeking to squeeze the best (and impossible) out of the best components available on the market and set another performance record for a personal computer use cooling systems with liquid nitrogen as a coolant. There is no point in writing anything in more detail for such enthusiasts in this article, since all of them, as a rule, are very savvy in the technical side of the issue.

    Cooling the system with liquid nitrogen

    For everyone else, we can recommend a simple algorithm for choosing a cooling system. For those who plan to subject the overclocked processor to heavy loads constantly or most of the time (for example, in demanding game modes), it is worth paying attention to liquid cooling systems. Now their cost is no longer exorbitant, although it exceeds the price of high-quality air coolers. The performance of various life-support systems varies quite widely, so it is worth reading the relevant reviews and tests in advance in search of a compromise between efficiency and cost.

    The life support system can be so large-sized

    Those PC owners who overclock the processor to improve overall system performance and subject it to serious loads only from time to time should be content air systems cooling on heat pipes. Cooler efficiency can be assessed based on visual signs:

    • number of heat pipes - the more, the better;
    • size and weight of the radiator - large massive radiators with a large number thin plates are more efficient;
    • Size and number of fans - Large diameter fans not only provide more airflow, but are also quieter when cooling an unloaded processor.

    Scythe Katana 3 - both the processor cools and the memory cools

    Of those coolers that you think are suitable for your purposes, you can choose the most suitable one by referring to the test results of various online laboratories. Now there are similar tests for almost any cooling system produced by more or less well-known brands.

    Step four - determining the compatibility of the cooler with motherboard and body

    Unfortunately, even if the cooler you like has a mount that matches your processor socket, this does not guarantee that it will be compatible with your system. The reason for the incompatibility may be a purely geometric discrepancy between the overall parameters of the cooler and the location of the elements of the motherboard, power supply and case walls.

    The easiest way is to check the possibility of installing a cooler in a case based on its vertical dimensions. To do this, you can simply take a regular ruler and measure the distance along the back wall of your case from the left cover to the hole for the connector panel plug. To the obtained result you need to add 37.5 mm (standardized distance to the contact plane of the cooler sole) and subtract a couple of millimeters by the thickness of the lid. The result obtained will be the maximum allowable vertical dimension of the processor cooler. Please note that for cooling systems with a top-mounted fan, you need to leave a couple more centimeters between the lid and the end of the cooler, otherwise you will need to cut a ventilation hole in the lid (many cases already have such holes).

    Tall radiators often interfere with the cooler

    It is more difficult to find out the compatibility of the lower part of the cooler with the elements located around the processor socket on the motherboard. Most often, conflicts arise with radiators for cooling voltage stabilizers and with radiators installed on RAM. If you suspect that such a conflict may arise, then it is best to purchase a cooler after directly checking its geometric compatibility. To do this, you can take your system unit to the store where you plan to buy a cooling system and perform a test installation.

    Step five - protect your hearing and nerves

    Almost any processor cooler during operation is a source of quite audible noise, consisting of the hum of fan bearings, air noise in the fan blades and radiator planes, noise of the liquid pump and air in the radiators for the liquid coolant. The only absolutely silent option (not counting passive radiators) known to the author is a liquid cooling system based on liquid metal, in which the coolant is pumped by an electromagnetic pump.

    Danamics LM10 - cooler with liquid metal as a coolant

    All other coolers during operation produce a noise level in the range from 15 to 45 dB(A) or more. A sound level of up to 35 dB(A) is comfortable for humans, and a level of up to 22 dB(A) can be considered silent.

    Information about the “noise” of any cooler is necessarily provided both on its packaging and on the manufacturer’s website, so choosing a quiet device is not a problem.

    Resume

    The modern market for processor cooling systems is so vast and diverse that it is difficult to give a sufficiently complete description of it in one article. The material, shape and size of radiators, the material of the sole or heat sink, the size and power of fans, the direction of air flow and other parameters differ very significantly in various devices. But it is precisely this diversity that allows us to confidently assert that, with some effort, you can always choose exactly the processor cooler that is optimal for your system in terms of price and efficiency.

    If you decide to collect new computer yourself, then you have to solve a number of problems related to the selection of components. One of these problems is choosing a CPU cooler. In this article we will look at the main points in this simple matter.

    When building a new PC, it's always tempting to choose the standard cooler that comes with the processor. After all, using it you can save a little.

    If you are building a computer to run undemanding programs, then a standard cooler will be sufficient. Moreover, if good air movement is organized in the case, then a standard cooler will cope even with heavy programs and computer games.

    The only thing for which a standard cooler is definitely not suitable is overclocking the processor. If you plan to overclock the processor, then you must definitely choose a more efficient cooling system.

    Also, you should not choose a standard cooler (or as it is also called a “Box cooler”) if you want to build quiet computer. Standard coolers are usually very small in diameter and because of this they are noticeably noisy. At the same time, the speed of such a cooler should be high, because the radiator underneath is also small.

    CPU cooler socket and dimensions

    If you are choosing a cooler for a processor, then the first thing you need to consider is the dimensions of the cooler.

    If you choose a cooler that supports your processor socket, then you simply will not be able to install it, the cooler will not fit on right place. If you make a mistake with the dimensions of the cooler, you may have problems closing the case. If the cooler is larger than the space between the processor and the case cover, then you simply will not be able to install the side cover.

    In the case of particularly large coolers and compact motherboards, situations are possible when the cooler will overlap the slots under RAM or even PCI Express connectors. This also needs to be taken into account when choosing a CPU cooler.

    Not a standard cooler in a computer case

    Therefore, in order to avoid having to return the cooler to the store later, it is better to carefully study the characteristics of the cooler and make sure that your processor socket is in the list of supported sockets, and that the dimensions of the cooler will not create problems when assembling the system.

    Cooler efficiency

    When choosing a CPU cooler, it is very important to correctly evaluate its efficiency and processor heat dissipation. To do this, it is best to focus on the TDP of the processor and cooler. TDP stands for “Thermal design power”, which in turn can be translated as “Cooling system requirements”. TDP is specified in Watts and refers to the amount of heat that the processor cooling system must dissipate. You can read more about this.

    If the characteristics of the cooler indicate the TDP for which it is designed, then simply compare the TDP of the cooler with the TDP of the processor. If the TDP of the cooler is higher, then you can safely buy such a cooler. It will cope with cooling your processor without any problems.

    But the characteristics of coolers do not always contain information about TDP. In this case, when choosing a cooler for a processor, you have to evaluate its effectiveness based on indirect factors. These factors are:

    • Radiator weight. The heavier the heatsink, the more heat it can take away from the processor and dissipate into the space around it. Therefore, the greater the weight of the radiator, the more efficient the cooling system.
    • Number of heat pipes. Heat pipes transfer heat from the processor to the heatsink fins. Therefore, the more heat pipes and the larger their diameter, the more efficient the radiator is.
    • Number of coolers and their size. The more coolers on the radiator and the larger the diameter of these coolers, the better the radiator is blown and the more efficient the cooling system.
    • Heat pipe contact. Heat pipes can contact the processor either directly or through an additional plate. The best option- This is direct contact. This way, the heat pipes will be able to better transfer heat from the processor to the radiator fins.
    • Introduction
    • Quick and Concise Tips for Choosing a CPU Cooler
    • Detailed selection tips good cooler
    • Conclusion

    Introduction

    In general, a cooler is a fan with a radiator that blows air over a very hot processor (CPU - central processing unit) and other parts system unit computer.

    It turns out that almost all the main components emit heat, and some actually get very hot. Strong heating can lead to burnout of the part, which will lead to either purchasing a new one or repairing it. This is inappropriate for us, so we can’t do without a good cooler.

    Usually all coolers are already included if the PC was assembled at the company. In general, most often such computers are able to work for some time, but noticeably less than if all the parts were selected by an experienced craftsman, taking into account many of the features of the system unit inside and the parts that are installed in it.

    For those who want to quickly and easily choose their processor cooling, just follow these tips:

    1. Your CPU Thermal Dissipation (TDP)- this is the amount of heat that a given processor generates (you need to look at its specifications), usually it is 45, 60, 90, 125 or more Watts. When choosing cooling, make sure that given value was equal to the processor or higher
    2. Fan speed- this is the number of revolutions of the cooler per minute. Usually from 1.5 to 4 thousand. It is clear that the higher the speed, the higher the noise
    3. Mounting - it is very important not to forget that processor coolers have different mounts (although there are also universal ones), so do not forget to look in the characteristics of the processor which mount is suitable for it (or in other words - socket)
    4. Thermal paste - do not forget that if the purchased CPU cooler does not have thermal paste (a special paste to improve heat transfer), then you will have to apply it yourself, otherwise the processor will overheat and a breakdown may occur, exactly the same situation happens with laptops, so we recommend the article cleaning laptops and replacing thermal paste

    These are the main points that you should pay attention to when choosing a CPU cooler, but if you want to choose a truly reliable and suitable copy, then read on.

    To begin with, it is worth noting that the choice of coolers is quite diverse, which accordingly hints that you can choose the most good option, if you know some nuances, in addition to the recommendations described above. First, let's look at the structure of a cooler or cooling system for a processor:

    • Fan
    • Radiator

    In short, these are what the cooling system consists of. But, in a little more detail, when choosing the fan itself, it has the following features:

    1. More the better- this means that the blades are larger, the air intake is larger, and therefore the air flow for blowing is greater, although the rotation speed may be lower. That is, if you want to choose a quieter fan, then pay attention to larger specimens.
    2. It is desirable that the fan base should be rolling bearing- quieter and last longer
    3. Rotation speed- here according to your needs, if you want a quiet option, then take it with a rotation speed of no more than 2 thousand revolutions (sometimes with 2 fans), although this is not so important, because if the cooler has a 4-pin power supply, then the speed of its revolutions can be easily controlled
    4. Branded copy- it is advisable to choose a good branded cooling (although it is not necessary for a regular PC for movies and the Internet), it will cope with its responsibilities better and will last longer

    • The material, at least its base (where it comes into contact with the CPU) should be copper, since it conducts heat best (of the available materials). In particular, its base should be as smooth as possible, without obvious irregularities, otherwise this will complicate heat transfer
    • Radiator size and shape. The larger the radiator, the greater the heat intake (but do not forget about the dimensions of the system unit case so that it can fit there). Plus, the shapes of radiators can be very diverse (this can be useful so that the air from them additionally cools the components of the motherboard, the RAM, in general, has a certain direction of air flow)
    • The presence of heat pipes, which improve heat transfer
    • Don't forget about attaching the radiator to the processor, it can be different, for this we specify the socket of the CPU and cooler, they must match

    Conclusion

    In general, if you are assembling an inexpensive home computer, then you don’t have to worry too much about choosing a cooler for the processor - it will suit you regular model corresponding to the characteristics of your processor. But if you are working on assembling a gaming, powerful PC, then you need to think through every little detail.

    This note is only a starting point for choosing cooling; you can finally complete this process only by reading several relevant articles, watching various videos on the Internet and, to top it all off, reading reviews and recommendations from owners of the same components.

    This is the only way to build the most thoughtful and durable PC for gaming, work and other versatile tasks.

    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 most simple 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 see, in in this case the price is slightly different, but it differs precisely because of the cooler included and the extended warranty.

    And the first question that I am often asked is: Is it worth taking BOX version Or should I 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 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 just 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 regular user Checking the pump and water pipes daily is an extra 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 will be based a certain model. The first thing to look at is the type of sockets supported. Almost any online store has this characteristic. 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. Also, dust penetrates inside more easily, and dust, along with high temperature(I will never get tired of saying this) – the main evil 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 one is very important parameter– 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 it fights every day to ensure stable work our pebble. 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.

    How to choose a CPU cooler | Basics (why bigger is better)

    Any electrical circuit has resistance, and it is the principle electrical resistance built into both the CPU and toasters. Electrical semiconductors have an unusual feature - they can change resistance from low to high when electrical current is applied in a certain way. These states are represented in a logic circuit as ones and zeros. Although CPU logic circuits are not designed to heat anything, we are essentially using little hotplates in computers.

    Groups logic circuits, performing data processing, become very hot. Therefore, the developers are faced with the task of preventing the melting of small pieces of glass on which these circuits are etched. For this purpose, they came up with heat sinks in the form of massive metal radiators - this is what key elements processor cooling systems.

    Yet the term heat sink means something that absorbs heat. Radiators are helped to dissipate a large volume of heat into relatively cold air by their fins, which increase the dissipative surface area. These fins turn a standard CPU heatsink into a special type of heatsink, if you ignore the terminology. Like most radiators, their main principle of heat transfer is convection (and a little - thermal radiation), this is when heated air rises upward, being replaced by cold air from below.

    The heat output of a processor depends on its clock speed, voltage, circuit complexity, and the material on which the circuit is engraved. Few fin-count heatsinks are sufficient to cool some low-power processors, but most desktop users want more performance, which results in more heat that needs to be dissipated.

    When natural convection does not replace warm air with cold air quickly enough, the process must be accelerated, which is achieved by installing a fan. The photo above shows a rare, all-copper cooler. Copper transfers heat faster than aluminum, but it also weighs more and costs more. To achieve best ratio Price to Cooling and Cooling to Weight Manufacturers often use a copper rod surrounded by aluminum fins.

    Additional fans and increased heatsink surface area improve the efficiency of the CPU cooler. Liquid cooling allows you to install huge radiators that are attached not to the motherboard, but to the computer case. A so-called water block is installed on the CPU, which transfers heat to the liquid. The pump is installed on the side of the radiator (as in the photo above) and pumps water (or coolant) through the channels of the radiator and water block.

    Any of the solutions described above will maximize contact with circulating air, but they will not work effectively without good contact surfaces of the CPU and cooler. Used to fill the space between surfaces thermal conductive material, it displaces air, which acts as an insulator. Most CPU coolers come with it. For many models it is immediately applied to the contacting surface. But instead of factory materials, enthusiasts often choose third-party thermal conductive compounds, although our tests have shown that the difference between them is quite small .

    For extreme cooling, refrigerant compressor units are used. Such systems are able to reduce the CPU temperature much lower than the ambient temperature. But, as a rule, they use much more energy than the processor itself. There are versions that compress and cool the air to produce liquid nitrogen. However, condensation around cold components is a serious concern, so even the simplest “refrigerators” are usually used only at exhibitions and competitions.

    The "bigger is better" rule for coolers is limited by the size of your case, but there are several other factors to consider as well. Since this article is written for beginners, we will only consider models from our list of the best processor coolers. It includes large air coolers (height over 150mm), low profile coolers (up to 76mm), mid-sized coolers (from 76 to 150mm), and pre-built fluid systems cooling.

    How to choose a CPU cooler | What about "boxed" coolers?

    "Boxed" or "boxed" coolers are coolers that are supplied by CPU manufacturers with their products. Typically, they are not designed for the increased heat dissipation of the processor during overclocking or for installation in confined spaces of narrow computer cases. System board, typically reduces fan speed to reduce noise and is the first to respond to rising CPU temperatures by increasing fan speed up to maximum. If at maximum speed fan rotation, the cooler is unable to lower the CPU temperature to an acceptable level, the system reduces clock frequency and CPU voltage. We call this process thermal throttling or throttling. In the worst case, you can see a picture when a humming computer is not able to provide the required level of performance.

    Third-party coolers usually have a larger dissipative surface area, as well as larger fans, which allow them to pump larger volumes of air with less noise. The photo above from left to right shows: a water cooling system with a radiator for two 140 mm fans, a large air cooler with two radiators, two generations of stock or boxed Intel coolers, and a wide low-profile cooler designed primarily for HTPC systems.

    Included with the FX-8370 processors, AMD provides Wraith cooler, which is another attempt to increase the cooling efficiency of box coolers.

    Temperature change during processor heating process

    Despite the good performance of AMD's new cooler, customers are still sometimes forced to buy third-party coolers as some high-end CPU models come without them.

    IN lately AMD and Intel have begun shipping compact liquid coolers that meet the cooling demands of very hot processors without the need for customers to turn to alternative brands. The growing popularity of mounts for 120mm fans in modern cases makes it possible to install small fan fans in cases different forms and sizes, which distinguishes them favorably from air coolers of similar dimensions.