Our recent watercooling guide revealed that for less than 60 euros you can enter the world of liquid cooling quickly and safely; however, it's logical that there are reservations. Some users don't feel comfortable with watercooling, and we definitely understand their concern. Fortunately, the market offers traditional coolers with very solid performance and prices that fit any budget.
If there's one thing we've learned the hard way in recent years, it's that the cooling solutions bundled with processors are deficient. Only with the latest Ryzen models can we say AMD's coolers have gained some robustness, but Intel's units are downright anemic. Several YouTube enthusiasts have proven that the old Intel coolers with copper bases and more aluminum work better than current versions, which is ridiculous and insulting after paying hundreds of dollars for a chip. So be it: if you're tired of seeing your processor's temperature skyrocket and it doesn't respond to adjustments like a thermal paste change, undervolting or a general cleaning, it's time to look for a new cooler.
The Best Coolers Without Breaking the Bank
The main traditional cooler designs are two: on one hand we have towers, which significantly increase the dissipation surface, and on the other, downdraft coolers, very useful in tight spaces like mini ITX cases. The list we'll share below leans heavily toward towers simply because they are more widely available, but we're confident you won't be disappointed. Let's see:
Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO
A classic design based on another classic design. Cooler Master's Hyper EVO series is one of the most recommended on the market, especially for its price-to-performance ratio. The Hyper TX3 EVO features three direct-contact copper heat pipes, a 92 mm PWM fan, broad socket support, and the ability to add a second fan in a push-pull configuration.
Deepcool Gammaxx 300
One of the surprises in the cooler world comes from Deepcool. The Gammaxx 200T became the preferred budget option among many YouTubers, but that spike in popularity affected both its availability and its price. The best shortcut is to pick up its bigger brother, the Gammaxx 300, which adds a third copper pipe and raises supported TDP to 130 watts. It even costs less than the TX3 right now.
Noctua NH-U9B SE2
Noctua coolers are impossible to mistake thanks to the curious color combination of their fans, but performance doesn't fall behind. The Noctua NH-U9B SE2 is a beast with two premium 92 mm NF-B9 fans, a respectable 460 grams of mass (without the fans), a solid copper base, four low-noise adapters, and six years of warranty. The only technical detail is that you'll need to request a kit for AM4 processors (no charge on the official page).
Arctic Freezer 33 Plus
Yes, the same brand known for its thermal paste makes coolers, and very decent ones, I might add. In fact, the lineup is broader than it appears, but today we're sticking with one of its most recent models, the Arctic Freezer 33 Plus. Its AMD support is limited to AM4, and on the Intel side it reaches LGA 115x and LGA 20xx. It comes with two fans for a push-pull configuration and a sample of the excellent MX-4 paste. Not bad for 40 euros.
CRYORIG H7
Another name that has grown a lot in the market is CRYORIG, and among its most popular models stands out the H7. Its height doesn't exceed 145 millimeters, which enables its use in slightly more compact cases without losing the 120 mm fan, and the asymmetric fin design optimizes airflow at the intake. It supports all Intel 115x sockets, while on AMD it extends to AM4.
Noctua NH-L12
And to close our humble guide, one more model from Noctua, with a different format. The Noctua NH-L12 is a solid option among downdraft coolers, combining an ultra-low profile with two fans, one 120 mm and one 92 mm. If available space is very limited, nothing stops you from removing the 120 mm fan and letting the NF-B9 do the heavy lifting in pull mode. The values for its maximum TDP depend on many factors, but Noctua published an official guide here.
As always, our last paragraph extends an invitation for you to share your own experience. Is a cooler missing from this list? Have you bought a special model and would like to recommend it? Don't hesitate to do so. Good luck!
