cpu-coolers
by Perfect Tech Reviewer
It’s no secret that AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X is a powerhouse of a processor. It comes with a whopping 16 cores and32 threads, making it perfect for gaming, professional use, or even overclocking. However, all that power is not free, and that price is higher temperatures.
The Ryzen 9 5950X runs hot, and if you don’t have a good CPU cooler, you’re going to be in for some serious performance problems. We’ve put together a list of the best CPU coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X, so you can keep your CPU running cool and perform at its best.
There are several different CPU coolers on the market, but the best coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X will typically feature large heatsinks and multiple fans. With that said, there are multiple different factors to consider when choosing a CPU cooler, so do your research beforehand.
At A Glance:
Best pick
Best Air Cooler for Ryzen 9 5950X
Noctua NH-D15
✓
Low-Noise Adapter
✓
Long-lasting bearing materials
✓
PWM support for automatic speed control
Budget Pick
Best Budget CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 5950X
DeepCool Assassin III
✓
Packed with a lot of accessories
✓
Extremely Quiet under heavy load
✓
Two Fan operation for higher CFM
Staff Pick
Best 360mm AIO for Ryzen 9 5950X
Alphacool Eisbaer LT360
✓
High Capacity Radiator
✓
Easily changeable tubes
✓
Whisper-silent operation
CPU coolers are composed of varying configurations. Some use a simple setup where there is a base plate, fins, and a fan to keep the air flowing. Usually, stock coolers are made from this configuration. Weak performance and no suitability for high-intensity long-hour work make them weak candidates for gamers. Unfortunately, some high-end chips like the Ryzen 9 5950x do not come with a cooler, so some companies have introduced high-quality coolers. They consist of baseplates with heat pipes, liquid reservoirs, pumps, and radiators fitted with a high-end fan that produces a much promising cooling effect for high thermal design power processors. The heat is carried away depending on many factors, but we will keep everything standard for each reviewed cooler. To help you decide, we first have some shopping tips:
Quick Shopping Tips
Socket Size: Socket size is the most important specification you need to look at first. Just ensuring you have an AMD or Intel processor is not enough. Sockets change as the generation of a specific brand changes. So be confident you are shopping for the right cooler for your socket size.
Thermal Design Power (TDP): Is the amount of heat produced by your processor while working at its nominal frequency. Increasing the frequency can increase TDP. So be sure whether you will be overclocking in the future or not before buying a product.
Noise: Some gamers who prefer using headphones while gaming don’t mind the extra noise, but some also need their rig for work during the day. So you can buy coolers with LNA to reduce the noise when working or go for liquid cooling with a bigger radiator.
Aesthetics: Aesthetics have gained a stunning popularity among the gaming community. Some coolers come with RGB. Some are single-colored, and others are multicolored multi-LED type, so pick the one you like the most.
Read on to find out more.
Our Recommendations For Best Air CPU Coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X
Our Recommendations For Best Liquid CPU Coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X
Noctua NH-D15
Best pick
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Brand: Noctua | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 / AM3 / AM3+ | Heatsink Material: Copper/Aluminium | Bearing Type: SSO2 | Max. RPM: 1500 | Max. Noise: 24.6 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 82.5 CFM | Weight: 2.86 lb. | Dimensions: 5.91 x 6.34 x 6.5 inches
Noctua is the top brand due to its well-researched processor cooling product by offering the best airflow based heat exchange products. Noctua NH-D15 is a massive air-fin based cooler with high TDP and low noise. The best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 5950x as the processor TDP is 105W, which is less than half of the supported TDP by this cooler. Despite being huge, it fits most motherboards easily, and under a single fan configuration, you can fit a ram with a 64mm tall heatsink.
It has two options, dual fan, and single fan mode. In dual fan configuration, the allowed height reduces to 32mm. Using a single fan allows higher memory modules but increases noise. The price is also premium because of the amount of research put into producing this high-quality product. The Noctua signature color theme of beige and brown does not go with the modern pattern, but it does give it a unique and outstanding look. RGB is missing on this cooler, but this cooler is more about functionality.
Cooler noise depends on the number of fans. Increasing the number of fans and increasing the heat sink size reduces the noise as the fan does not have to rotate fast. You have both the options with this cooler. The cooler also features the Low Noise Adapter, which reduces the RPM of the fan. In dual fan mode, this fan will work perfectly with the Ryzen 9 5950X on clock speed while producing lower noise and removing maximum heat. This material used in manufacturing this cooler is also premium. Copper base and heat pipe with aluminum fins and soldered joints supported with corrosion-free nickel plating.
The Pros
✓
Low-Noise Adapter
✓
Long-lasting bearing materials
✓
PWM support for automatic speed control
The Cons
✗
No RGB Lightning
Dark Rock Pro 4
Brand: be quiet! | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 / AM3 / AM3+ | Heatsink material: Copper | Bearing Type: Fluid Dynamic | Max. RPM: 1500 | Max. Noise: 24.3 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: N/A | Weight: 2.49 lb. | Dimensions: 5.35 x 5.74 x 64.09 inches
Be quiet is a German brand known for its high-quality PSUs that are efficient and high performing. The company is ambitiously targeted the cooling solution market since 2008. The latest and premium product they have to offer is the Dark Rock Pro 4. It has dual fans, which are virtually inaudible. The company lives up to its name and ensures this product leaves a 24.3 dB(A) sound signature, all of it while supporting 250W TDP. It is impressive as with the product of this size and no LNA; it gives off promising results.
If you are looking to remove 250W of heat, then the heat sink’s size will concern. Despite being a cooler with high TDP, it is not suitable for overclocking. The heat sink is humongous in size, so you will need to check the RAM height before installing this heat sink. Be sure that your RAM height is not above 40mm; otherwise, it won’t fit underneath the heatsinks. As reported by some enthusiasts, the noise level reaches 30dB(A) under fully loaded conditions, which is just a little off the company’s stated noise level.
If there’s one thing that makes this heat sink stand out is the aesthetics. The heatsink, fan, heat pipes, and base plate are all black. The whole package looks amazing on a black motherboard with white RGB. There is an advantage of having an air-based cooler. It has fewer active components like a pump in liquid cooling, reducing life and increasing power consumption. These coolers are power efficient. Dark Rock Pro 4 is cheaper than its competition Noctua NH-D15 and misses just a few degrees in performance. All these qualities prove it as the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 5950X.
The Pros
✓
Aesthetically Appealing
✓
Seven high-end copper heat pipes
✓
Outstanding performance for pin-drop silent operation
The Cons
✗
No thermal paste included
DeepCool Assassin III
Budget Pick
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Brand: Deep Cool | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 / AM3 / AM3+ | Heatsink material: Copper/Aluminium | Bearing Type: Fluid Dynamic | Max. RPM: 1400±10% | Max. Noise: 34.2 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 90.37 CFM | Weight: 3.23 lb. | Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.5 x 6.5 inches
Deep Cool Assassin III is a heat pipe cooler with a dual-fan configuration. It is known for its impressive performance in acoustics and cooling. The fan comes with a significant amount of accessories for installation. It includes two fans, a heatsink with heat pipes, resistor wires for running fans at lower RPM, alcohol scrub, thermal paste, and a piece of plastic for spreading the paste. Interestingly they have included a screwdriver so that you won’t need any extra tools for installation.
One of the biggest hurdles in installing big heat pipe coolers is the DIMM slot’s overlapping and limitation. This cooler allows 54mm height memory heatsinks. The heat sink itself is very high. The cooler is the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 5950X and an excellent comprehensive performer for several other coolers. The lack of nickel plating or black color powder coating could have been a nice touch, but Deep Cool decides to go with the standard look. There is no RGB to make the heat sink stand out. This cooler is more about functionality and price rather than aesthetics.
The performance of the Deep Cool Assassin III does not disappoint. It goes head to head against our favorite Noctua NH-D15. The temperature is almost the same for high TDP processors. The users have reported silent operation, which is barely noticeable with the resistor wires to lower the fan speed. The cooler has compatibility with all the modern chipsets and most of the past sockets. In a market where big brands have created a name for themselves, Deep Cool has shown promising results.
The Pros
✓
Packed with a lot of accessories
✓
Extremely Quiet under heavy load
✓
Two Fan operation for higher CFM
The Cons
✗
No powder coating
Noctua NH-C14S
Brand: Noctua | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 / AM3 / AM3+ | Heatsink material: Copper/Aluminium | Bearing Type: SSO2 | Max. RPM: 1500 | Max. Noise: 24.6 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 82.5 CFM | Weight: 2.24 lb. | Dimensions: 4.53 x 5.51 x 6.42 inches
Noctua is committed to manufacturing the air-based cooler because they are as simple as a cooler can get with minimum power consumption and high performance. The product under review is Noctua NH-C14S; the design is slightly offset to ensure that the motherboard slots are not covered and provide additional space. This is a big advantage for higher memory module owners. The mini-itx and micro-atx can easily house this cooler.
When it comes to PC components, price is a significant decisive factor. Noctua is known for its high quality, but unfortunately, their products are also expensive. This fan has a bad price/performance ratio due to the premium material, and research put into making the product. The extra fan, if needed, will cost you hefty dollars. Aside from the price, the color theme matching has always been the problem with Noctua’s premium products. The beige and brown is quite different than most gaming machine color themes.
The C in the cooler’s name suggests that the cooler is C type, and S represents that it has an offset design allowing room for slots. Memory clearance just because of the innovative design is a whopping 70 mm, which is the highest in our list of air-cooled heat exchangers. Noctua gives an impressive 6-year warranty, which speaks out of high-end quality itself. The cooler has exceptional performance and offers good PCIe clearance. The accessories bundled are also of excellent quality, and the installation is as easy it can be.
The Pros
✓
Top-flow cooling solution
✓
Compatible with AM4 socket
✓
70mm Clearance for RAM & PCIe
The Cons
✗
No screwdriver included
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280
Brand: Arctic | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 | Heatsink Material: Aluminium | Fan RPM: 1700 (PWM) | Pump RPM: 2000 (PWM) | Max. Noise: 8.4 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 72.8 CFM | Weight: 4.6 lb. | Dimensions: 13.3 x 6.93 x 6.26 inches
The ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 is the perfect addition to your gaming PC. Featuring integrated cable management, 80% less power consumption, and a maintenance-free water loop, this cooler will keep your system running smoothly.
This powerful and efficient cooler is designed specifically for use with LGA1700 processors and provides outstanding cooling performance thanks to its advanced cool plate, pump, and radiator design. Additionally, the VRM fan provides extra cooling for the base and voltage transformer, resulting in a 15°C lower voltage regulator temperature.
Its large socket and heat-spreader allow for full coverage of the CPU, keeping it cool and performance-ready. The Liquid Freezer II’s cooling power is unmatched even with its reduced surface area. So you can be confident that your decision to invest in a new Alder Lake processor will pay off in spades. It has a copper base with an aluminum block for superior heat transfer. The tubing is made of flexible PVC for easy installation.
To get the best possible performance and unbeatable cooling performance and compatibility, choose this amazing and robust cooler.
The Pros
✓
Outstanding performance in cooling
✓
VRM fan is an added unique feature
✓
Extremely Low operational Noise levels
The Cons
✗
No RGB to light up the setup
Alphacool Eisbaer LT360
Staff Pick
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Brand: Alphacool | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 | Heatsink Material: Copper | Bearing Type: Sleeve | Fan RPM: 1700 (PWM) | Pump RPM: 2600 (PWM) | Max. Noise: 29 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 63.85 CFM | Weight: 2.2 lb. | Dimensions: 3.94 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches
Alphacool Eisbaer LT360 has been making water cooling solutions for a very long time, and you could see all of the experience in their Eisbaer LT360 AIO liquid cooling solution. The radiator that is included in the box is top of the class. They have everything top-notch in the box itself so that you don’t require any additional hardware to make it work correctly. The cooling is such a high end that processors like the Intel 3570K clocked at 3.7GHz will remain below 50C even under intensive load. The 360mm large radiator allows larger heats to be removed.
The looks of this AIO cooler are not on top of the line. It has no RGB and the tubing included in the box is not the best looking in the business. The large connectors also have distractive red and blue rubber bands, which don’t go with the most chassis. Although, they are easily removable to give it a simple look. It does not feature a VRM cooler, which might be a problem for overclockers, but this cooler outshines for its price.
If you are looking to expand the pipes’ length, it is really easy to disconnect via a connector on the tubing and easily install a unique clear tube or any other as per your liking. The radiator is made from 100% copper material to ensure enhanced heat transfer at lower power consumption. The power consumption is a bit high than the competitors, but the noise level and price cannot get any better for the AIO solution.
The Pros
✓
High Capacity Radiator
✓
Easily changeable tubes
✓
Whisper-silent operation
The Cons
✗
No VRM support
Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Prisma
Brand: Fractal | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 | Heatsink material: Copper/Aluminium | Bearing Type: Ceramic Bearing | Fan RPM: 2000 (PWM) | Pump RPM: 3500 (PWM) | Max. Noise: 32.7 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 85.71 CFM | Weight: 5.15 lb. | Dimensions: 18.5 x 7.08 x 5.7 inches
The Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Prisma is a top-of-the-line CPU cooler that offers both style and substance. Its sleek, black braided tube sleeves and ARGB wires give it a sophisticated look, while its pre-applied thermal paste and easy mounting make it a breeze to install.
It is a high-performance CPU cooler with sleek style and cutting-edge features. With its integrated PWM and ARGB hub, the Celsius+ S36 makes it easy to install and route your cables for a clean, stylish build. The integrated Prisma ARGB fans make a spectacular display out of high-performance cooling, while the color-coordinated cooling keeps your system looking great. The stylish glass pump face with a backlit logo and ARGB LED effects looks great in any build. The support for Asus AURA, Gigabyte Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, Razer Chroma, and ASRock Polychrome gives you plenty of options for customization.
Whether you’re using it for Intel or AMD sockets, the Celsius+ S36 is perfect for those who want the best of both worlds.
The Pros
✓
Excellent 500-2000 RPM fan speed
✓
PWM and AUTO switch on pump face
✓
It is aesthetically stunning with RGB sync
The Cons
✗
Not compatible with Adjust R1
Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
Brand: Corsair | Socket Compatibility: Intel LGA 1200 / 1150 / 1151 & AMD AM4 | Heatsink material: Copper/Aluminium | Bearing Type: Dual Magnetic | Fan RPM: 2000 (PWM) | Pump RPM: 2000 (PWM) | Max. Noise: 36 dB(A) | Max. Airflow: 97 CFM | Weight: 2.16 lb. | Dimensions: 12.6 x 5.51 x 1.18 inches
Corsair is known for its robust and high-quality products. Corsair H115i RGB Platinum is a 280 mm cooler that has RGB to make it look visually pleasing. The pump housing is squarish in shape, and they have reduced the size of it compared to previous models. The RGB looks stunning in the shape of the ring with a large variety of effects. The base plate is made up of copper and easily installs onto the latest LGA1200 and AM4 sockets. You can use the SATA power connection to provide electricity to the unit.
The pump housing needs to be connected using a USB-A header’s micro-USB cable to link everything. Micro-USB is susceptible to damage and may not be a long-lasting solution. The whole setup is noisy compared to the other liquid coolers we have reviewed. It starts from 42dB(A) under the IDLE mode, as reported by some users.
The tubing is flexible with braided sleeves, and the connectors allow sway of the tubing to a certain extent. The connectors are all plastic. The radiator is aluminum-based with a dual fan setup. The fans have four addressable LEDs to improve the overall look of the setup. The iCUE software can be used to address individual LEDs and the other hardware that you have connected to your motherboard. The fan speeds can be easily manipulated in the software.
The Pros
✓
Supports all the latest Socket
✓
A lot of individually addressable LED
✓
Easy Installation Process for beginners
The Cons
✗
No Micro-USB connector
Summary For Best Air CPU Coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X
Summary For Best Liquid CPU Coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X
Conclusion
If you have gone through our reviews regarding the best CPU coolers for Ryzen 9 5950X, you might have concluded that you can afford to have some space in our chassis and do not own high profile RAMs; air coolers are the best bet.
They are cheap and get the job done with a minimum amount of hardware. The overclocking is, however, limited due to the TDP limitation that each air-fin based cooler imposes. On the other hand, if you are looking to overclock or have a lot of space inside your chassis, you can go for liquid cooling. It is much quieter and has a clean look with customizable RGB and varying functional modes for gaming or idling.
The price, however, increases due to complicated working mechanisms. We have featured only one liquid cooling kit that also cools your VRMs. The liquid cooling does not flow air around the VRMs due to the design, but ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 allows you to operate with cooler VRMs, which means stable processor performance. In the end, it’s all dependent on the user whether they want to go for aesthetics or functionality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Ryzen 9 5950x come with a cooler?
The Ryzen 9 5950x does not come with a cooler. It’s because it is an unlocked processor that can reach high temperatures under overclocked conditions. If you need a cooler that allows a bit of overclocking headspace with support for RAMs and PCIe, then Noctua NH-C14S is your best bet. It has good performance under low noise and is designed to fit the toughest of chassis conditions.
What is the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 5950x?
Ryzen 9 5950x can reach 4.9GHz of clock speed and even beyond that, depending on the user’s expertise. ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 has the best cooling properties with the least amount of noise. The unique feature is the ability to cool VRMs using a fan just beside the pump housing. This feature makes it an excellent choice for high-performance Ryzen 9 5950x.
What CPU cooler should I get for Ryzen 9 5950x?
If you are not a fan of liquid-based cooling and would instead go for a cheaper air baked cooler than Noctua NH-D15 is the best in the business with a high enough profile and dual fans to boost heat transfers to way above the required wattage of the Ryzen 9 5950x. The CPU would run cooler, and the cooler will also allow a bit of headspace for overclocking.
Does Ryzen 9 need water cooling?
Ryzen 9 5950x can get very heated under processor-intensive work especially overclocking. This processor has a very low TDP than Intel, but if you fit it with a water cooling kit. It will outshine in performance. Ryzen 9 is the latest and greatest processor offered by AMD. The multicore performance allows it to be the best choice for streamers. Streamers love aesthetics as it attracts views, and Fractal Design Celsius+ S36 Prisma has all the stunning features to make it stand out.
Perfect Tech Reviewer
I write about PC gaming hardware and tech gadgets for gamers and professionals. My mission is to help you build individualized and unique high-performance PCs for your special needs and budget.
