PC Analytics - Best Air Cooler Overall
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Thermalright |
| Cooler Name | Phantom Spirit 120 |
| Stated dBa | 25.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 7 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 125x157x135 mm |
| Radiator 1 (WxHxD) | 125x116x40 mm |
| Radiator 2 (WxHxD) | 125x116x40 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 7.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 7.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 6.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 8 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | Phantom Spirit 120 Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Phantom Spirit 120 cooler is easy to install, much like other Thermalright models. It's an upgrade from the 120 SE, featuring a neat textured design, two 120mm fans, and a subtle logo, staying true to Thermalright's style with a few improvements. This compact cooler delivers high-performance cooling with a seven heat pipe, dual tower setup, and it's pretty quiet too. It's a great choice for keeping high-end setups cool with minimal sound.
Installation Insights
This cooler has a similar installation components as many of the mainstream Thermalright designs, which is one of the easier installation setups. However, it also faces an issue regarding uninstalling this cooler, where the cooler is unable to slide/twist off the cooler to break the thermal paste seal. This might be necessary if the thermal paste has a strong hold between the cooler and the CPU.
Arctic Freezer 36
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Arctic |
| Cooler Name | Freezer 36 |
| Stated dBa | None |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 4 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 126x159x104 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 7.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 6.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 9.1 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 10 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | Freezer 36 Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Arctic Freezer 36 features a novel fan attachment method with pre-installed buttons for easy setup, avoiding the complications of traditional wire methods. Its compact size and standard mounting brackets simplify installation, making it less cumbersome than larger coolers. With an all-black design, single heatsink, and two Arctic P12 fans, it offers a sleek look ideal for all-black setups. This cooler performs well, efficiently cooling high-power CPUs under heavy use, best suited for medium-level CPUs. Despite its effectiveness, it may not handle extremely hot CPUs as well. Its quiet operation is a significant advantage, making it perfect for noise-sensitive environments, standing out for its exceptional cooling-to-noise ratio.
Installation Insights
the Arctic Freezer 36 features a novel way to secure the fan to the cooler. It uses buttons that are pre-installed and attached to the fan to snap into the cooler. This makes the process much easier relative to the main steam method that uses wires that can sometimes bend the heatsink fans. The rest of the installation process follows the industry standard with mounting brackets that secure the cooler to the motherboard. Given it's size, it's much easier to handle than some of the larger dual tower coolers.
Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet)
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Be Quiet! |
| Cooler Name | Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet) |
| Stated dBa | 16.3 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 7 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 136x168x145 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 7.2 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 6.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 9.6 |
| Manufacture's Link | Dark Rock Pro 5 (Quiet) Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Dark Rock Pro 5 represents a significant upgrade with its user-friendly mounting system and improved fan installation, ensuring better alignment and performance. It features a sleek design, enhanced by a signature quiet fan, and offers the ability to adjust power speed directly on the unit. This cooler excels in quiet mode, providing superior cooling under average loads but may reach its limits with high-heat CPUs. Its noise levels remain low up to 70% fan speed, making it ideal for those prioritizing a quiet setup.
Installation Insights
The Dark Rock Pro 5 marks a notable advancement over its predecessors, featuring a mounting system that aligns with those of most mainstream coolers. This iteration enhances the design by securing the mounting bracket directly to the cooler, a change from the prior generation. Fan installation sees improvements too; the front fan comes pre-attached, ensuring perfect alignment, while the middle fan is designed to slide in from the top, secured by the top mount instead of side brackets. These enhancements significantly improve the cooler's setup and performance compared to the previous generation. Additionally, given the option to change the power speed on the top of the cooler, the middle fan has a 5 pin connector to facilitate this functionality, which forces you to use their connection rather than direct control through the motherboard.
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Thermalright |
| Cooler Name | Phantom Spirit 120 SE |
| Stated dBa | 25.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 7 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 125x154x135 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 7.2 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 7.9 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 5.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 8 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | Phantom Spirit 120 SE Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Phantom Spirit 120 SE is a stylish and high-performing cooler with a sleek design featuring a large aluminum heatsink, all-black fans, and a black top radiator. It has two 120mm fans that ensure your computer stays cool and runs smoothly, and it's compatible with various types of processors. With its seven heat pipes and ability to handle tough tasks and overclocking, the Phantom Spirit 120 SE is an attractive choice for computer enthusiasts of all ages who want a top-notch cooler without spending a fortune. Plus, it's available in different styles to match your preference.
Installation Insights
This cooler installation is very similar to Noctua's typical installation, which is one of the easier installation setups. However, it also faces similar issues regarding uninstalling this cooler, where the cooler is unable to slide/twist off the cooler to break the thermal paste seal. This might be necessary if the thermal paste has a strong hold between the cooler and the CPU.
Thermalright Frost Spirit 140
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Thermalright |
| Cooler Name | Frost Spirit 140 |
| Stated dBa | 25.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 4 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 121x158x140 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 7.0 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 8.1 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 4.7 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 7 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | Frost Spirit 140 Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Frost Spirit CPU cooler offers a sleek design resembling the Frost Commander and Peerless Assassin 120. It requires extra effort to secure the fans to the heatsink due to the metal's firm placement. Despite its larger radiator, the Frost Spirit maintains a compact size with a single 120mm front fan and a 140mm fan between the heatsinks. It delivers impressive performance, rivaling Noctua's offerings, and is capable of effectively cooling powerful CPUs and managing overclocking. Notably, it stands out for its remarkably quiet operation, surpassing the noise levels of the Frost Commander 140, with a noise profile similar to the NH-D15. Overall, the Frost Spirit is a stylish, powerful, and quiet CPU cooler suitable for various computer setups.
Installation Insights
The cooler installation is quite similar to Noctua's easy setup and is identical to the Frost Commander's setup. However, during installation, securing the fans to the heatsink requires more effort (relative to the Phantom Spirit or Peerless Assassin), which is due to the metal securing the fans requiring much more effort to place. For this reason, it's also a lot easier to slightly bend the heatsink fins, but this can be fixed by bending it back with a credit card. </p><p> Additionally, like Noctua coolers, the Frost Spirit faces challenges in uninstalling when trying to break the thermal paste seal between the cooler and CPU, as it doesn't easily slide or twist off. This can be an issue if the thermal paste forms a strong bond.
Noctua NH-D12L
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Noctua |
| Cooler Name | NH-D12L |
| Stated dBa | 22.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 5 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 125x145x113 mm |
| Radiator 1 (WxHxD) | 125x95x50 mm |
| Radiator 2 (WxHxD) | 125x95x32 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 6.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 5.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 8.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 8 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | NH-D12L Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Noctua NH-D12L is a top-tier air cooler that offers excellent cooling capabilities and quiet operation. Its dual-tower design and exceptional build quality make it a top choice for users seeking a reliable and efficient cooling solution for moderate-performance systems.
Installation Insights
The NH-C14S features Noctua's SecuFirm2 mounting system, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of Intel and AMD sockets and offering a straightforward installation process, typical of Noctua coolers. Clear instructions, high-quality components, and a tube of their premium NT-H1 thermal compound make it an easy and user-friendly experience, even for beginners. The cooler uses the original AMD backplate for AMD installations. However, one downside is that the cooler may stick to your CPU, and due to the screw setup, you can't slide the cooler off the CPU like with some other brands. Overall, the NH-C14S offers a relatively hassle-free installation process.
Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Be Quiet! |
| Cooler Name | Dark Rock Pro 4 |
| Stated dBa | 24.3 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 7 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 136x162x145 mm |
| Radiator 1 (WxHxD) | 136x106x47 mm |
| Radiator 2 (WxHxD) | 136x106x47 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 6.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 6.4 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 8.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 2 (Difficult) |
| Manufacture's Link | Dark Rock Pro 4 Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 cooler is perfect if you want a powerful, good-looking, and really quiet cooler for your computer. It's great at keeping your computer cool and is easy to put in, so it's a top choice for all kinds of people who build computers, whether for work or gaming. Just keep in mind that the installation can be a bit more challenging than other coolers, especially for beginners.
Installation Insights
Putting together the Dark Rock Pro 4 cooler can be tough, especially since it's a premium cooler. There are a few things that make it harder to install. First, it uses a metal bar to attach to the computer's motherboard, and it can be tricky to get it in the right spot. Second, the system for attaching the fan to the cooler isn't very easy to use because it doesn't have a helpful spot to lift the metal. You might need to use your nails or other tools to put the fan on, which makes it more complicated. Lastly, there's a metal plate at the top of the cooler that makes it look nice and helps with noise, but it also blocks your view of the middle fan and makes it harder to attach the cooler to the mount. </p><p> Because of its design, the Dark Rock Pro 4 cooler might be a better choice for people who have built computers before. If you're new to building computers, it could be pretty challenging. But there is a good thing about this cooler: it doesn't cause problems with fitting your computer's memory (RAM) in most setups, which is an issue with some other coolers.
Noctua NH-U14S
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Noctua |
| Cooler Name | NH-U14S |
| Stated dBa | 24.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 6 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 150x165x52 mm |
| Radiator (WxHxD) | 150x115x52 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 6.7 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 6.2 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 7.5 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 8 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | NH-U14S Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The Noctua NH-U14S stands out as an excellent cooler, offering a simple yet attractive design, top-notch cooling performance, hassle-free installation, and impressively low noise levels. It is the perfect choice for those looking for a reliable and quiet cooling solution for their PC.
Installation Insights
The NH-U14S boasts a user-friendly mounting system that is compatible with a wide array of Intel and AMD sockets. Its straightforward installation process is facilitated by clear instructions and high-quality components.
Noctua NH-U12A chromax.Black
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Noctua |
| Cooler Name | NH-U12A chromax.Black |
| Stated dBa | 22.6 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 7 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 125x158x112 mm |
| Radiator (WxHxD) | 125x105x58 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 6.6 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 7.3 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 4.9 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 8 (Easy) |
| Manufacture's Link | NH-U12A chromax.Black Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
Overall, the Noctua NH-U12A is a high-performance air cooler that offers excellent cooling capabilities and quiet operation. Its single-tower design and exceptional build quality make it a top choice for users seeking a reliable and efficient cooling solution for high-performance systems.
Installation Insights
The NH-U12A features Noctua's SecuFirm2 mounting system, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of Intel and AMD sockets and offering a straightforward installation process, typical of Noctua coolers. Clear instructions, high-quality components, and a tube of their premium NT-H1 thermal compound make it an easy and user-friendly experience, even for beginners. The cooler uses the original AMD backplate for AMD installations. However, one downside is that the cooler may stick to your CPU, and due to the screw setup, you can't slide the cooler off the CPU like with some other brands. Overall, the NH-U12A offers a relatively hassle-free installation process.
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Halo Black
Get more cooler details| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | CoolerMaster |
| Cooler Name | Hyper 212 Halo Black |
| Stated dBa | 27.0 |
| Number of Heat Pipes | 4 |
| Full Size (WxHxD): | 124x154x73 mm |
| Air Cooler Rating: Overall | 6.6 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Temperature | 5.8 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Noise | 8.3 |
| Air Cooler Rating: Install | 6 (Moderate) |
| Manufacture's Link | Hyper 212 Halo Black Manufacture's Link |
Product Links
General Comments
The CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Halo features a unique, slightly complex installation and a sleek, all-black RGB design that suits any compact setup well. Although straightforward to install, ensuring even connection at all motherboard points can be tricky. Its design cleverly hides the heat pipes for a clean appearance. While it outperforms many coolers in terms of noise-to-cooling ratio, it's best for standard use rather than high-powered CPUs or extensive overclocking, due to its moderate cooling performance.
Installation Insights
The CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Halo features a distinctive installation design that is somewhat more complex than the standard design found in modern coolers. Initially, the mounting brackets are attached to the cooler, which is then secured to the motherboard at four points. While the process is straightforward, ensuring an equal connection at all four points can sometimes be challenging when handling the cooler.
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