The Intel Core i9-13900K is no doubt a mighty CPU, boasting 24 cores and a max turbo frequency of 5.80GHz; the processor leaves almost every other competition in the dust. With such an insane performance, its max turbo power is rated at 253W, which means you’re going to need a top-tier CPU cooler to prevent this beast from thermal throttling. That’s why we have tested and rounded up the best CPU coolers for i9-13900K.
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More For Intel Core i9-13900K:
Best CPU Coolers For i9-13900K
Here are our 6 picks for the Best CPU Cooler For i9-13900K:
- Best Budget CPU Cooler For i9-13900K: Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360 A-RGB
- Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-13900K: ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360
- Best Air Cooler For i9-13900K: Noctua NH-D15S Chromax Black
- Best 360mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K: Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT
- Best 240mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 ARGB
- Best White Cooler For i9-13900K: ASUS ROG Strix LC II 360 ARGB White Edition
Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360 A-RGB
Best Budget CPU Cooler For Core i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 3x SquA RGB ADV Fans | Fan Speed: 500-2000 RPM | Noise: 15~32.6 dBA | Dimensions: 394 x 120 x 27 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1700/1200/115x/2066/2011/2011-3/1366, AMD AM5/AM4/AM3+/FM2+/FM1 | RGB Fans: Yes
Pros
- Budget-Friendly
- High 380W TDP
- Great Thermal Performance
- Beautiful Looks
Cons
- High Noise Output
Cooling Performance: You get 3x SquA RGB ADV high-static pressure fans with RPM speeds of 500 — 2,000. Based on our dedicated testing, this AIO cooler provides decent cooling performance while keeping its performance per dollar in check.
Build Quality: The radiator is made of high-quality aluminum, possessing a dense core for better heat dissipation. During my testing, I couldn’t find any workmanship or paint defects on the radiator, fans, or pump. With this cooler, you should easily get a few years of reliable cooling without needing another upgrade.
Aesthetics: Focusing on aesthetics, the Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360mm A-RGB features an infinity mirror design with RGB lights surrounding it. This way, you get infinite RGB reflections on the pump, which is simply beautiful.
Buy It If
You have a tight budget: The most significant advantage of the Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360mm AIO is its performance per dollar value. Thus, if you’re on a tight budget, the cooler is a perfect fit for the Intel Core i9-13900K processor.
Don’t Buy It If
You want quiet fans: Unfortunately, during my testing, the cooler fans were pretty loud, and I could hear lots of buzzing. If you want a quiet environment to work, I don’t recommend purchasing the Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360mm AIO cooler.
What Makes It The Best Budget CPU Cooler For i9-13900K?
All things considered, if you’re after a budget-friendly yet high-performance AIO, then the Enermax Aquafusion ADV 360 A-RGB is perfect for you. Its radiator, fans, pump, and everything is aimed for exceptional thermal performance, and considering its pricing, it is definitely the Best Budget CPU Cooler For Core i9-13900K.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 7/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360
Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 3x AURORA RISE 120mm fans | Fan Speed: 0~2500 RPM ±10% | Noise: Max 31.5 dBA | Dimensions: 391.5 x 124 x 30 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel 1200/1700/2011/2011-3/2066/3647 SQUARE & NARROW / 4189, AMD AM5/AM4/AM3+/FM2+/FM1 | RGB Fans: Yes
Pros
- Thermal Performance
- RGB Lighting
- Build Quality
Cons
- High Noise Output
Cooling Performance: The ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360mm AIO has an 18 FPI count. As per testing by our reviewer Awais Khan during gaming at 4K resolution, the Intel Core i9-13900K didn’t go above 55°C, showcasing the cooler’s remarkable cooling performance. You can also easily overclock your processor using this AIO cooler, further increasing its value.
Build Quality: The cooler has a nickel-plated copper baseplate, and all the fittings are made of high-quality nylon. Moreover, the tubing is 400mm long and is made of long-lasting EPDM plastic. During our testing, it felt robust, and one could feel the crisp aluminum material of the radiator on the fingertips.
Aesthetics: As for the aesthetics, boldness seems to be the theme, as ALPHACOOL has used angular corners, matte black contrast, and a uniquely raised center portion on the water block. Furthermore, you can peek inside the reservoir and the pump from three different sides. Overall, the AIO looked really beautiful on my test bench.
Buy It If
Easy installation, Good performance: If you’re looking for easily installable AIO coolers, the ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360mm comes with pre-installed fans, coupled with offering good performance overall in our testing.
Don’t Buy It If
You want quieter fans: Unfortunately, the ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360mm AIO has loud fans, which also provide lots of cooling. If fan noise is a deterring factor for you, I don’t recommend purchasing this AIO cooler.
What Makes It The Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-13900K?
All in all, if you’re looking for a jack-of-all-trades AIO CPU cooler that comfortably keeps your Core i9-13900K at optimal temperatures even under intense gaming loads, then the ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro HPE Aurora 360mm AIO should be your choice. Yes, it will be a bit heavy on your pocket, but it is certainly worth it, and that’s why we are recommending it as the Best Overall CPU Cooler For i9-13900K.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black
Best Air Cooler For i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 2x 140 mm | Fans Speed: 300-1500 RPM | Noise: 24.6 dB(A) | Dimensions: 165 x 150 x 161 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel Sockets: LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2066, 2011-0, 2011-3 (Square ILM), AMD Sockets: AM4, AM5 | RGB Fans: No
Pros
- Hassle-free installation.
- 2x included 140mm NF-A15 fans.
- Top-tier performance.
- Splendid black aesthetics.
- Premium build quality.
- Six-year warranty.
Cons
- A bit pricy.
- Might have clearance issues.
Cooling Performance: The NH-D15S has six heat pipes that are used in the dual-tower design. Of course, there’s going to be a difference between AIO Vs air cooling performance, but the Noctua cooler fills in by a huge margin. In my opinion, if you’re not ready for AIO coolers, the NH-D15S is the best air-cooling option for you.
Build Quality: The cooler uses a copper baseplate and heat pipes, thus improving overall heat conductivity for better cooling efficiency. I noticed the way Noctua has designed the heat pipes; the cooler can operate with more efficiency and better heat dispersion.
Aesthetics: Black mounting components, a black heatsink, black fans with black anti-vibration pads, and black fan clips; every nook and cranny of NH-D15 is covered in a black shade. The NH-D15S looks especially wonderful in an all-black theme build.
Nauman Siddique, our hardware review expert, after taking a closer look at the cooler, was surprised with its build quality and lightweight. This is what he commented:
“The cooler is also lightweight; many people may assume it would be heavy with such a large heatsink, but it is not.”
Buy It If
You’re looking for top-tier air cooling: Air cooling, while being the easiest method to cool the PC, can be lackluster in front of water cooling. However, if you’re looking for top-tier air cooling for your Intel Core i9-13900K processor, the Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black has you covered with its dual-tower design.
Don’t Buy It If
You don’t have the RAM clearance: One of the biggest issues with air coolers is the RAM clearance they provide. If you want lots of clearance, the Noctua NH-D15S Chromax.Black cooler may not be a cooler you want to purchase because of its dimensions.
What Makes It The Best Air Cooler For i9-13900K?
It is now impossible to refrain from the incredible NH-D15S; it performs far better than many air coolers in terms of performance, has excellent aesthetics for an air cooler, and its all-black shell looks just amazing. In our books, the Noctua NH-D15S deserves the title of the Best Air Cooler For i9-13900K; we can easily recommend it to anyone who has their eyes on the upcoming Intel Core i9-13900K processor.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT
Best 360mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 3x 120 mm | Fan Speed: 450-2000 RPM | Noise: 30.4 dB(A) | Dimensions: 397 x 120 x 27 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel Sockets: LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066, AMD Sockets: AM5, AM4, sTRX4, sTR4 | RGB Fans: Yes
Pros
- 2.1-inch LCD.
- Amazing cooling potential.
- 3x included 120mm ML RGB ELITE fans.
- 5 year warranty.
- Top-notch build quality.
Cons
- Expensive.
Cooling Performance: The iCUE H150i Elite’s pump delivers great performance to prevent thermal throttling while keeping low noise levels. When I put the cooler through the wringer, the Intel Core i9-13900K showed notable temperatures within 50°C, ensuring the cooler’s performance. I also found the overclocking capabilities of the CPU increase because of the greater thermal headroom.
Build Quality: The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT has a fully-coated aluminum radiator. Furthermore, the cooler has a 450mm tube made of black-sleeved long permeation rubber, ensuring longevity. Not many coolers have similar build quality as the Corsair iCUE H150i, so you don’t have to worry about the cooler’s performance deteriorating.
Aesthetics: Right out of the box, the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT dazzles us with its beauty. You can customize the LCD display to showcase your favorite animated GIFs or choose from various pre-installed screens and lighting profiles. Additionally, the included Commander Core allowed me to customize the fan RGB within a few seconds.
Buy It If
Good performance coupled with Monitoring: Apart from offering good performance, one of the most significant advantages of the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT 360mm AIO is its LCD display on the pump. You can use the display to monitor your CPU temperatures, along with custom gifs might be interested in.
Don’t Buy It If
You don’t have a hefty budget: While the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT AIO shows remarkable cooling performance and has a stylish design, it has a huge price tag. If you don’t have a hefty budget, I don’t recommend purchasing the cooler.
What Makes It The Best 360mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K
Aside from its glamorous looks and an LCD, the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD XT 360mm AIO has an amazing cooling potential, more than enough to fulfill the thermal demands of the Intel Core i9-13900K and allow users to overclock the processor, making it the Best 360mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K.
Read more of our tested round-ups:
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 9/10 |
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 ARGB
Best 240mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 2x 120 mm | Fans Speed: 1800 RPM | Noise: 10.64 dB(A) | Dimensions: 277 x 120 x 38 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel Sockets: LGA 1700, 1200, 115X, 2011-3, 2066, Square ILM, AMD Sockets: AM4, AM5 | RGB Fans: Yes
Pros
- Futuristic pump design.
- Top-tier cooling capability.
- 2x included 120mm PWM A-RGB fans.
- Integrated cable management.
- Remarkably quiet.
- Value for money.
- Six-year warranty.
Cons
- Installation can be difficult.
Cooling Performance: The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240mm has a 250W TDP, and it should be more than enough to manage the temperature of the Core i9-13900K. The cooler shows enough thermal headroom for good overclocking.
Build Quality: The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II uses a copper baseplate that helps with heat absorption, while the aluminum radiator is perfect for heat dissipation. Moreover, rubber bumpers and fewer vibrations on the fans also help in keeping the fan’s noise at a bare minimum of 10.64dB(A).
Aesthetics: The futuristic-looking pump design of the cooler catches our eye straightaway upon opening the packaging. The pump boasts a stylish appearance and an incorporated cooling fan for better performance. In my testing, I installed the cooler with a darker aesthetic for the colors to blend in better.
Our CPU cooler expert, Hayyan Serwer, took a go at the cooler and had to say the following about the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240mm’s cooling performance:
“The AIO’s cooling capabilities are outstanding, especially when compared to comparable AIO coolers in its pricing range.”
Buy It If
Good Value, Exotic pump design: If you’re looking for a CPU cooler with an impressive cooling performance and exotic design, the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240mm AIO has a futuristic pump design with a spaceship-like shape.
Don’t Buy It If
You want RGB on the pump: The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240mm AIO doesn’t have any RGB on the pump, so if you want a fully illuminated CPU cooler, this one won’t make the cut.
What Makes It The Best 240mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K?
The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240 A-RGB is the ideal cooler for cooling the Intel Core i9-13900K CPU with its remarkable cooling performance for a 240mm AIO. No matter how much work is put on your CPU, this magnificent cooler won’t allow it to overheat. The cooler provides extraordinary performance at a great value while being extremely silent. Thus, we cannot resist crowning the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240-ARGB with the title of the Best 240mm AIO Cooler For i9-13900K.
- Read Our ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240-A RGB Review
- Best 240mm AIO
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 7/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ASUS ROG Strix LC II 360 ARGB White Edition
Best White CPU Cooler For i9-13900K
Specifications = Fans: 3x 120 mm | Fan Speed: 800 — 2500 RPM | Noise: 37.6 dB(A) | Dimensions: 394 x 121 x 27 mm | Socket Compatibility: Intel Sockets: LGA 2066, 2011-3, 2011, 1151x, 1200, 1700, AMD Sockets: AM4, TR4 | RGB Fans: Yes
Pros
- Premium build quality.
- AURA Sync software utility.
- Six year warranty.
- Top-tier performance.
- Cool aesthetics.
Cons
- Quite Expensive.
- No LCD.
Cooling Performance: The cooler houses three ROG Strix fans running at speeds of 800 — 2500 RPM. Furthermore, when I tested the cooler at 4K resolution in multiple games, I almost couldn’t believe the average 53°C temperatures throughout my gameplay.
Build Quality: When I opened the packaging, even after examining through nook and cranny, I couldn’t find any build defects of the sort. So, if you’re planning to buy the cooler, you won’t have to worry about any performance or aesthetic decay for a long time.
Aesthetics: With a unique moonlight-white design, the ROG Strix LC II is a dream come true for all-white and minimalistic theme lovers who are looking for an amazing CPU cooler to match their PC build. I was really impressed by just how beautiful the AIO looks.
Buy It If
You’re building a white PC: If you’re building a white PC, getting a hold of a CPU cooler with remarkable thermal performance and decent aesthetics isn’t easy. That’s where the ROG Strix LC II 360mm AIO comes into play with its unique white design and cooling performance it offers. The cooler is a perfect fit for white PCs.
Don’t Buy It If
You want a pump LCD display: While the ROG Strix LC II’s price aligns with its competition, the other coolers have an LCD display, while this cooler doesn’t. So, if you want the display to check the CPU temperatures in real time, the ROG Strix LC II 360mm AIO won’t cut it for you.
What Makes It The Best White CPU Cooler For i9-13900K
The ROG Strix LC II 360’s performance is among the very best, and on top of that, its white and minimalistic looks can be a treat for white theme lovers. Thus, we can easily recommend the ASUS ROG Strix LC II 360 ARGB White Edition as the Best White CPU Cooler For i9-13900K based on its outstanding cooling performance, simple installation, and attractive design.
If you’re building a white PC, read through the following:
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 10/10 |
Want More CPU Cooler Options?
Thermal Benchmarks
To find the top CPU coolers for i9-13900K, we tested a bunch of different AIOs, comparing their thermal performance to find the best of the best. Want to know our results? Here they are:
How We Tested & Picked The Best CPU Coolers For i9-13900K
- Performance: When choosing a CPU cooler for your processor, performance should be a priority. Thermal dissipation is an essential factor, and if the heat doesn’t dissipate, the processor might heat up, promoting thermal throttling or even damaging hardware.
- TDP Rating: TDP is a key factor when buying a CPU cooler. TDP works differently for coolers and processors. For CPUs, TDP states the amount of heat produced, while for coolers, it states the amount of heat the cooler can dissipate. Thus, your cooler’s TDP should always be higher than your processor’s.
- Budget: Considering the budget is another important factor for selecting coolers. Tech4Gamers always recommends its readers spend money on performance-related components like CPU, RAM, and motherboard and then proceed towards other components. Therefore, I selected products that aren’t too pricey yet offer the best performance possible.
- Noise Level: Noise level, while not being a crucial factor, depends on the user’s preference. So, quieter coolers are always preferred over noisy ones. For that reason, I kept a note to choose coolers that are quiet, and if not, their performance should cover the noise.
- Aesthetics: Aesthetics is a personal preference, but it isn’t recommended to leave a CPU cooler that fulfills the requirements of your processor over RGB. The best choice is to spend money on performance and then draw attention to aesthetics. However, if you want both, I have selected CPU coolers that offer remarkable performance along with beautiful aesthetics.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are upgrading from the Alder Lake line-up, then you don’t have to purchase a new cooler for Intel 13th gen because they both use the same CPU socket.
No, the i9-13900K does not come with an inbuilt cooler. However, we can find several after-market coolers which are recommended for the processor.
With a core-heavy workload, Core i9-13900K temperature can easily reach 92°C. A strong CPU cooler is required for effective heat dissipation, especially if you intend to overclock.
Water coolers provide much more efficient cooling than air coolers; thus, it is more than understandable if one opts to use an AIO water kit for their new processor.
- February 21, 2024: Adding thermal benchmarks from our hands-on testing.
- June 12, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. No products were changed.
- September 16, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. No products were changed.
- October 5, 2023: Paragraphing and grammar fixes for better readability. Added image galleries. No products were changed.
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[Hardware Reviewer]
Awais Khan is a Tech Geek, conscientious, reliable, and hardworking individual who pays attention to detail with excellent time management skills. Alongside that, he is an expert in PC Hardware; dealing with Benchmarks, Analysis, and testing before sharing information with readers. Whenever free, Awais occasionally shares Gaming Videos on his YouTube Channel.
Get In Touch: awais@tech4gamers.com
