AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors running on the AM5 socket have taken over the market thanks to their remarkable value and gaming performance. Ranging from 6 cores and 12 threads to 16 cores and 32 threads, the lineup has fantastic gaming CPUs. However, they also require decent thermal performance to avoid thermal throttling. Therefore, after careful research and testing, we have completed a list of the top AM5 CPU coolers in today’s article.
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Here’s a quick look at our selected AM5 CPU coolers and a brief comparison of their specs:
Best AM5 CPU Coolers
Here is a selection of our best AM5 CPU coolers that you can buy right now:
- Best AM5 Air Cooler: Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black
- Best AM5 240mm AIO CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB
- Best AM5 360mm AIO CPU Cooler: EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB
- Best AM5 Budget CPU Cooler: DeepCool AK620 Digital
- Best AM5 Low Profile CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black
Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black
Best AM5 Air Cooler
Specifications: Type: Dual Tower Air Cooler | Fans: 1x NF-A15 140mm | Fan Speed: 300 — 1,500RPM | Noise: 19.2 — 24.6dB(A) | Dimensions: 135 x 150 x 160mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel: LGA 1700, 1200, 115X, 2066, 2011-0, 2011-3 AMD: AM4, AM5 | RGB: No
Pros
- Matte black finish
- Silent 140mm fan
- Easy installation process
- RAM clearance
Cons
- Size issues
- No RGB
Cooling Performance: The Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black CPU cooler provides exceptional air cooling performance thanks to its 1x NF-A15 140mm fan running at 1,500RPM speeds. During my performance testing, we noticed that the air cooler significantly improved the airflow in our PC case, concurrently increasing its cooling performance.
Loving the cooler’s outstanding thermal performance, Nauman Siddique, one of our hardware reviewers, couldn’t resist but state the following in my review:
“I have no doubt in the capabilities of the Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black based on its performance throughout my testing; I consider it a powerful champion among its competition and one of the best air coolers I have tested.”
Build Quality: Outside of its remarkable performance, the air cooler also showcases sturdy build quality with six 6mm heat pipes and 90 black metal fins. Therefore, heat dissipation isn’t an issue for the Noctua NH-D15S due to all the fins and heat pipes. Also, even with its size, the cooler is versatile and can support RAM sizes up to 66mm tall.
Aesthetics: While the air cooler doesn’t support any form of RGB, its black aesthetic provides a killer look for darker builds. You can also utilize Noctua’s heatsink covers to change the color of the air cooler as per the color theme of your build, which provides users with more customization capabilities.
Buy It If
Below are a few snapshots we took during our dedicated product review:
✅ You want the best airflow capabilities from an air cooler: The Noctua NH-D15S is on our best CPU coolers list due to its outstanding thermal dissipation while providing excellent RAM clearance. If you want better airflow in your case, we recommend this purchase.
✅ You want better RAM clearance: If you’re using a taller RAM kit, the Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black might be a good air cooler option because of its incredible 66mm RAM clearance.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You’re using a smaller PC case: I don’t recommend purchasing this CPU cooler if you’re using a smaller PC case because the height of the air cooler makes it challenging to fit and may cause compatibility issues.
What Makes It The Best AM5 Air Cooler?
The RAM clearance, intricate design, high-end quality fins, and a silent fan that helps improve the case’s airflow make the Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black the best AM5 air cooler.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB
Best AM5 240mm AIO CPU Cooler
Specifications: Type: 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler | Fans: 2x P12 PWM PST A-RGB 120mm Fans | Fan Speed: 200 — 2,000RPM | Noise: 39.4dB(A) | Dimensions: 277 x 120 x 38mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel: LGA 1700, 1851 AMD: AM4, AM5 | RGB: Yes
Pros
- Outstanding value
- Remarkable cooling performance
- Low noise fans
- Sturdy build quality
- Six-year warranty
- Beautiful in-house pump design
Cons
- Low motherboard compatibility
- Bulkier CPU block
Cooling Performance: The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB AIO cooler provides impressive airflow capabilities thanks to its 2x P12 PWM PST A-RGB 120mm fans running at 2,000RPM speeds. During my performance testing, the cooler allowed decent overclocking headroom without causing any bottlenecking issues with high-end CPUs.
Build Quality: Regarding its build quality, the AIO cooler provides an aluminum radiator with a higher FPI and a copper baseplate that helps keep the temperatures low, thanks to its greater heat dissipation properties. I also loved the longer 450mm tubing that allows easier installation, even with bigger PC cases.
Aesthetics: The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB AIO cooler provides a unique set of aesthetics with beautiful RGB lighting on the in-house VRM pump design and radiator fans. Moreover, the cooler has a black and a white variant, so you can choose whichever you want based on your PC build, which I loved dearly.
I loved the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB AIO cooler the most out of its competition because it provides the most value for its money without losing out on aesthetics or overclocking headroom. Moreover, it’s the perfect choice for a white PC build for a Ryzen 7000 series processor. So, if you’re not looking for the highest-end AIO cooler, this purchase will suffice for a long time, even with a Ryzen 9 7900X CPU.
– Usman Saleem
Buy It If
We took a few images of the AIO cooler while it was on our test bench:
✅ You want slight overclocking headroom: If you want slight overclocking headroom from an AIO cooler for your AM5 CPU without breaking the bank, I recommend purchasing the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB.
✅ You require the best bang for your buck: If you want the most value from your purchase and a longer product life, this AIO cooler will meet your standards due to its lower price but higher performance output.
✅ You want a beautiful white AIO: The cooler has beautiful yet exotic looks with integrated A-RGB lighting that improves the cooler’s overall aesthetics. So, if you’re building a white PC, this cooler will keep you happy.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You’re exploring better motherboard compatibility: It may face slight compatibility issues with motherboards that have larger M.2 coolers. ARCTIC provides a free M.2_1 cooler replacement for affected motherboards to solve the issue. However, it makes the entire installation process much more difficult.
What Makes It The Best AM5 240mm AIO CPU Cooler?
The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB AIO cooler provides impressive cooling performance thanks to its 2x 120mm fans running at 2,000RPM speeds with ~49CFM, which helps increase the PC case’s airflow. Furthermore, with beautiful A-RGB lighting and decent customization capabilities, it is the best AM5 240mm AIO CPU cooler on our list.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 9/10 |
EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB
Best AM5 360mm AIO CPU Cooler
Specifications: Type: 360mm AIO Liquid Cooler | Fans: 3x EK-Loop fan FPT D-RGB 120mm | Fan Speed: 550 — 2,300RPM | Noise: 36dB(A) | Dimensions: 400 x 124 x 27mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel: LGA 1700, 115X, 1200, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 AMD: AM5, AM4 | RGB: Yes
Pros
- Removable pump lid
- EK OmniLink
- Impressive overclocking headroom
- Six-year warranty
- Impeccable cooling performance
- Beautiful radiator design
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Noisy fans
Cooling Performance: If you don’t care about pricing and only want the best possible performance for any of your AM5 CPUs, the EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB will come in handy with its impeccable cooling performance. During our dedicated performance testing, the AIO cooler averaged 90°C in Cinebench with the Ryzen 7 7700X CPU we also reviewed.
Awais Khan, another hardware reviewer at Tech4Gamers, was blown away by the cooler’s thermal performance and had to mention it in his review. Here’s what he said:
“The EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB packs a solid performance punch that the competition has to manage. The digital RGB lighting is quite brilliant. I have everything to love about this cooler.”
Build Quality: With a longer warranty period and much-needed features such as the EK OmniLink for less cable clutter, the AIO cooler shows sturdy build quality, which we loved while reviewing the product. To explain, with fluid dynamic ball bearing fans, an aluminum radiator, and a thicker FPI, the cooler promises no faults for a longer period.
Aesthetics: Thanks to its beautiful RGB elements and darker looks, the EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB cooler provides beautiful aesthetics, making it one of the prettiest coolers on our list. Besides its looks, you have superior customization options thanks to its rotatable and removable pump top.
Buy It If
Here are a few product pictures from our dedicated review:
✅ You want to achieve the highest possible boost clock speeds: The EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB cooler provides some of the best cooling performance, allowing immense overclocking headroom to achieve higher boost clock speeds.
✅ You want less cable clutter to improve your PC’s aesthetics: This AIO cooler will solve your problems thanks to the EK OmniLink technology that helps daisy chain the radiator fans.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You’re on a tighter budget: Given its higher price, I wouldn’t recommend it to budget gamers. You can go for a 240mm AIO cooler instead.
❌ Noisy fans won’t make the cut: During our testing, the fan noise increased to 36dB(A), making the noise apparent.
What Makes It The Best AM5 360mm CPU Cooler?
Showcasing remarkable thermal performance with high-RPM and high-CFM fans, the EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB cooler allows outstanding overclocking headroom for most budget and high-end CPUs. Moreover, with beautiful aesthetics and a sturdier build quality featuring less cable clutter, it is the best AM5 360mm CPU cooler on our list.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 9/10 |
DeepCool AK620 Digital
Best AM5 Budget CPU Cooler
Specifications: Cooler Type: Dual Tower Air Cooler | Dimensions: 129 × 138 × 162mm | Fans: 2x 120mm 4-pin PWM Fans | Fan Speed: 1,850RPM | Noise Level: 28dB(A) | Socket Support: Intel: LGA 2066, 2011-v3, 2011, 1700, 1200, 115X AMD: AM5, AM4 | RGB: Yes
Pros
- Excellent cooling performance
- Superb all-black design
- Smart RGB lighting integration
- Unique display feature
- Quiet 120mm fans
Cons
- Slightly expensive
- Only 3-year warranty
Cooling Performance: From a performance standpoint, the DeepCool AK620 Digital is an excellent cooling solution, particularly tailored for mid-range CPUs. Thanks to its 260W TDP, it confidently managed moderate overclocking demands in our dedicated performance testing, ensuring stable performance even at high clock speeds.
After giving it a test run and verifying the benchmarks, Nauman Siddique stated the following regarding the cooler’s performance capabilities:
“A little master full of magic and thrust is how I would define the DeepCool AK620 Black Digital air cooler. It has more to it than meets the eye, and we are saying this after putting this cooler through its paces.”
Build Quality: With six advanced copper heat pipes, the air cooler efficiently dissipates heat, resulting in superb thermal capacity for sustained performance, thanks to its sturdier build quality. Its large fin array maximizes surface area, while the pure copper cold plate ensures direct contact with the CPU for efficient heat transfer.
Aesthetics: The DeepCool AK620 Digital stands out with its striking all-black design, exuding sleek elegance. Its sharp edges add a touch of personality to its aesthetic, creating a unique visual appeal. The two strips of RGB lighting provide a touch of exquisite flair, allowing for customizable illumination that can complement various setups.
Buy It If
Here’s a product image gallery captured by us:
✅ You want the best air cooler for AM5 CPUs: With its exceptional cooling performance and superb build quality, the DeepCool AK620 Digital is ideal, thanks to its 2x 120mm 4-pin PWM fans running at 1,850RPM speeds. So, if you want better airflow, we recommend buying this cooler.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You want a longer warranty period: We don’t recommend purchasing the DeepCool AK620 Digital CPU cooler if you want a longer warranty period to ensure your purchase doesn’t go to waste after only 3 years.
What Makes It The Best Budget AM5 CPU Cooler?
Thanks to its exceptional build quality, commendable thermal performance, innovative features, and unique display with slight RGBB lighting, the DeepCool AK620 Digital is the best budget AM5 CPU cooler.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black
Best AM5 Low Profile CPU Cooler
Specifications: Cooler Type: Low Profile Air Cooler | Dimensions: 92 × 114 × 37mm | Fans: 1x 92mm 4-pin PWM Fan | Fan Speed: 2,500RPM | Noise Level: 23.6dB(A) | Socket Support: AMD: AM5 | RGB: No
Pros
- Unique low-profile design
- Quiet NF-A9x14 fan
- Solid thermal performance
- Wide case compatibility
Cons
- No RGB lighting
- No overclocking headroom
Cooling Performance: The compact size and single-fan configuration of the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black provides solid cooling performance with its 92mm fan. In our dedicated testing, the cooler kept the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X at 85.3°C during an all-core Cinebench R23.2 load test.
In his testing, Awais Khan found the air cooler to be satisfactory and shared his thoughts on its performance:
“This little beast has a height of 37mm, and this low-profile design is aimed at the AM5 platform. It has kept Ryzen 7 7700X well in check.”
Build Quality: The Noctua NH-L9a has an exceptionally well-built heatsink. To explain, the heatsink uses two large 6mm copper heat pipes that curve through the heatsink array and maximize heat dissipation. Moreover, we loved that the NF-A9x14 fan uses Noctua’s SS02 bearings, giving it a projected lifespan of 150,000 hours.
Aesthetics: Noctua has kept the design of the Noctua NH-L9a Chromax.Black simple due to its one-tone theme. This variant of the NH-L9a uses an all-black design. There is a lack of RGB lighting on the cooler, which may be a negative point for many. But other than that, the air cooler has a sleek design and is perfect for darker PC builds.
Buy It If
Here’s a glimpse of the product through a few pictures we took while testing it:
✅ You want a low-profile cooler that won’t thermal throttle your CPU: If you’re building a small-form-factor AM5 PC, then the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black is the ideal cooler to get to avoid any form of thermal throttling issues, even with slightly higher-end AM5 processors.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You want to overclock your processor: We don’t recommend purchasing this CPU cooler if you’re going to overclock your processor because the Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black can barely keep a CPU’s temperatures at bay. It doesn’t have any overclocking headroom.
What Makes It The Best Low Profile AM5 CPU Cooler?
The Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black is the best low profile AM5 CPU cooler thanks to its excellent thermal performance, low noise output, and highly compact form factor that makes it ideal for SFF PCs.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 7/10 |
Why We Didn’t Go For These Best AM5 CPU Coolers?
After a thorough round of testing, only a select few CPU coolers made it to our list. Here are a few honorable mentions that barely didn’t make the cut:
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB: It has a complicated installation process, and its predecessor provides slightly better performance at a similar price point.
- Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT LCD: The cooler’s fans produce a lot of noise even at lower RPM speeds.
- Enermax ADV Aquafusion 360: The aesthetics aren’t on par with other budget AIO coolers.
- Corsair iCUE H170i Elite LCD XT: Extremely high priced without offering better thermal performance than the best 360mm AIO coolers.
Specifications Comparison
Check out the following table that compares the general specifications of the CPU coolers we have covered in today’s article.
| Best AM5 CPU Coolers | Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Fans | Fan Speed (RPM) | CFM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black | 135 | 150 | 160 | 2 | 1,500 | 49.5 |
| ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB | 277 | 120 | 38 | 2 | 2,000 | 48.82 |
| EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB | 400 | 124 | 27 | 3 | 2,300 | 72 |
| DeepCool AK620 Digital | 129 | 138 | 162 | 2 | 1,850 | 68.99 |
| Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 Chromax.Black | 92 | 114 | 37 | 1 | 2,500 | 57.5 |
Best AM5 CPU Coolers Benchmarks
At Tech4Gamers, we subject every product to a battery of comprehensive tests to ensure its quality and performance before it earns a spot in our roundup. As for the AM5 CPU coolers, our meticulous evaluations reveal a lineup of coolers that exhibit exceptional thermal performance and efficiency:
Important CPU Cooler Key Terms
Here’s a rundown of essential CPU cooler terms that you should know when shopping for an AM5 CPU cooler:
- TDP: Thermal Design Power, or TDP, is the maximum heat a CPU cooler can handle, measured in watts.
- FPI: FPI or Fins Per Inch is a measure of the density of fins on a radiator per inch.
- Heatsink: Metal structure with fins that draws heat away from the CPU.
- Radiator: A radiator is a crucial part of a liquid cooling loop, as it uses tiny metal fins to dissipate heat from the loop using airflow from fans.
- Thermal Paste: The material applied between the CPU and heatsink for better heat conduction.
- Heat Pipes: These are tubes with heat-conductive liquid, moving the heat from the CPU to the heatsink.
How We Picked The Best AM5 CPU Coolers
Choosing the best CPU cooler for your AM5 system can be a bit of a challenge. Even if you are familiar with the thermal demands of your CPU of choice, many other factors are crucial in the purchasing process. Here are some of the key factors I considered when selecting.
- Cooling Performance: Check the TDP specifications of your CPU and cooler to ensure the cooler can handle the heat output effectively. Additionally, researching and comparing benchmark results of different coolers can provide valuable insights into their actual cooling capabilities under varying workloads.
- Noise Levels: Considering noise levels is equally vital when selecting a CPU cooler to balance efficient cooling and a quiet computing environment. Opting for a cooler with adjustable fan speeds or PWM control allows you to fine-tune the noise-to-performance ratio according to your preferences.
- Compatibility: Verify that the cooler supports your CPU’s socket, as mismatches can prevent proper installation. For air coolers, check the height to ensure they fit within your case without obstructing the side panel or the RAM.
- Aesthetics: Look for coolers with customizable RGB lighting options on both the fans and pump block, allowing you to match your preferred color scheme or create dynamic lighting effects.
Fans Poll Results On Best Cooler
FAQs
Yes, you can use an AM4 cooler on an AM5 motherboard socket. The AM5 socket uses the same CPU cooler bracket as the AM4 socket, which means there is cross-compatibility between the two platforms regarding CPU coolers.
Yes, many Intel and AMD CPUs can work with the same coolers if you install the appropriate brackets. Modern CPU coolers have a wide compatibility range, including Intel and AMD CPUs. Use the appropriate bracket for your particular CPU when installing the cooler.
Yes, water cooling is certainly better than air cooling from a pure performance standpoint. However, many premium air coolers can match the performance of liquid coolers and can even do so at a more affordable price. It all comes down to preference and convenience factors.
Yes, you can overclock some AM5 CPUs using an air cooler, but the results will vary. Of course, a high-end liquid cooler is more suited to manual overclocking with a premium Ryzen 7000 series CPU. Still, an air cooler can also provide some level of overclocking support.
Recent Updates
- March 17, 2024: I decided to swap the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB for its predecessor, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB, because the latter provides better performance, an easier installation process, and RGB lighting around the pump.
- March 14, 2024: After running it through various tests, I have replaced the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT LCD with the EK Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB due to its significantly higher thermal performance, a more straightforward installation process, and plenty of customization capabilities.
- March 11, 2024: I have changed the Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360 with the DeepCool AK620 Digital because the latter provides better customization, similar performance, and decent looks at a comparable price point.
Looking for more options? We have you covered:
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7950X3D
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7950X
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7900X3D
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 9 7900X
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 7 7700X
- Best CPU Coolers For Ryzen 5 7600X
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[Reviews Specialist]
Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.
- 8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
- 6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
- Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
- Certified in Google IT Support Specialization
