Best CPU Coolers for i7-9700K

Noctua NH- D15

This brand has mastered the manufacture of heatsinks. It is highly trusted by its consumers and if you are new to this brand, then its high time you should give it a try. Noctua has manufactured industry-leading products in the past. And this one under discussion carries on the legacy of excellence. It is mainly manufactured on the design of its predecessor NH- D14.

Noctua NH- D15 has specifications and features of its own. The most highlighted one is that it has two fans. Many cooling systems fail because they have one fan only but not with this dual fan NH- D15. These fans are premium quality NF- A15 fans. The fan thickness of 140 mm makes the entire cooling system even more efficient. The PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) support gives a variety of speeds to the fans.

The dual-tower design has 6 heat pipes which make the system more coherent. Many air coolers out there are structured on a single tower that is why they have higher chances of collapsing when the load exceeds a bit. But the dual tower design of the NH- D15 is an all-in-one feature as it maximizes the surface area and ensures equal heat distribution. When this feature is paired with the dual fan feature, it improves the quality of airflow.

The design of NH- D15 is very competent as it is one step ahead of the competitors. It is supported by six heat pipes as well. Heat pipes, when paired with each other make the structure more durable. So is the case with the design of NH- D15. The 6 heat pipes effortlessly replace the conventional single tower and heat pipe for the better. Heat distribution is the key factor in any air cooler. It determines how well the air cooler can handle the heat. In the NH- D15, heat is distributed across the entire motherboard. To maximize this distribution, the fin-stack has a spacing of 150 mm. In this way, an adequate distance is ensured between the heat pipes and this distance is responsible for sufficient heat distribution. Although the fans perform their task very quietly at an adequate speed still you have manual control over their speed.

If you want your environment to be super quiet, then you can reduce the fan speed from 1500 to 1200 rpm via the low noise adaptors. Noctua’s NH- D15 offers compatibility with various sockets. This is due to the SecuFirm2 mounting system. And with the free NM-I3 mounting kit, you have more socket options.

CRYORIG H5 Ultimate

The design of CRYORIG H5 Ultimate resembles the pattern of a hive, so it is called hive fin. It protects the fin stacks and strengthens them. Another prominent feature of the design is the Jet Fin Acceleration System.

It is responsible for the fast expelling of hot air out of the system more efficiently. Turbulence Reduction is a part of this system. As the name suggests, it lowers the turbulence in the airflow and makes it more uniform. This is achieved through the beehive fin. This design is the characteristic of the Cryorig H series, but this product has features of its own. It has 4 very efficiently performing heat pipes.

These heat pipes are placed very carefully, and the entire product is engineered so that it covers the entire system i.e. CPU when it comes to cooling. H5 Ultimate offers Heat pipe Convex-Align System. More heat pipes can be placed in this system. This placement is optimized, and it provides improved alignment in the copper base along with nickel plating.

What I like the most about this product from the H 5 series is its compatibility. It works with a few motherboards. These include 2066, 2011(-3), 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, FM1, FM/+, AM2/+, AM3/+, and AM4. High-quality fans are used in this air cooler. The XF140 fans used in this product are very light in weight yet they deliver high-quality performance. They offer a speed range of 700 to 1300 RPM.

The Cryorig H5 Ultimate operates at very low noise levels of approximately 23 Dba. Its setting up is not a hectic task as it is backed with MultiSeg Quick Mount System. With this mounting system, you can have a fast installation without much hassle. Cryorig has always kept made the customers ease their top priority. This considerate behavior also reflects in this product. To check whether this product will fit in your system or not, you can perform a small test by using paper to create an origami-like product’s design.

Corsair H150i Pro

Next, we have Corsair H150i Pro on the list.Over the years, Corsair has manufactured top air coolers for CPUs. Quality of the product is what has made Corsair a competitive brand. Speaking of the design of H150i Pro, it has an RGB pump head which makes it different from the above products. The RGB lighting is one of the most looked for factors when it comes to keyboards, motherboards, and CPU air coolers.

It has three low-noise fans coupled with each other to provide greater efficiency. These fans are PWM enabled. This fan system is powered by Magnetic Levitation (ML) which means their suspension is controlled by the magnetic field. If you are looking for a cooling system that works silently as if it does not exist in the first place, then you are on the right page. Corsair has designed this model so efficiently and carefully that it will fulfill all your requirements. The fans are designed to work within very low noise levels, equivalent to 20 dB, even at their maximum speed. It is due to the 120 mm Magnetic Levitation and the Pulse Width Modulation that you get an excellent airflow throughout your system.

This airflow is approximately 47.3 CFM which is incredible keeping in view the weight of the entire cooling system. I have already mentioned the low noise levels of the fans and not only the fans, but the entire system is low on noise i.e. 25 dB. Also, you get a lot of controls with this device. All thanks to the Corsair iCUE software which gives you the free hand to adjust the RGB Lighting, fan speeds, pump speed, and temperature controls.

You get control over individual fan speeds as well. This means quite a lot of options in a small cooling system. I appreciate Corsair for providing the zero-speed mode in this model. With the zero speed or the Zero RPM feature, you can completely stop the functioning of fans once your system has reached the desired level of cooling. So, if you are way too sensitive to the noise of fans, you can completely get rid of it for a few hours. This device is compatible with several sockets which is a big plus point for me. These include the Intel LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 and AMD, AM2, AM3, AM4, FM1, FM2

Noctua NH-L12

Moving further, we have another amazing option from Noctua. It is the Noctua NH- L12. I know after reading about the previous option from Noctua, you are already giving it a thought. So, its high time I introduce another option from the same brand. If your system is not a high-end one and you want an option accordingly, then this one will be a perfect choice. It is a product made for small systems. Its design is just the right blend of metals. The base and the heat pipes are made of Copper. The cooling fins are made of Alum and there are Nickel plated solder joints. What I highly appreciate about the design is that it is very light in weight.

Including fans, the weight is 1.5 pounds and that too with a metal body. This product is designed to work in the HTPC environments as well as with the form factors of the µATX and the mini-ITX. There are two fans in this cooler, one is NF- F12 and the other one is NF- B9 fan. Both are backed by PWM which makes the speed of the fans controllable. This control is automatic, and fans are turned off once the systems have attained low temperatures.

You can also use this cooling system with one functional fan i.e. the NF- B9 fan to reduce both cooling and the speed. The NF- B9 fan is 92 mm in height and with this one functional, the overall height is decreased by 66 mm. Although, the overall operation is super quiet, and you do not need to get rid of one fan to cut on noise, but you can do this to reduce cooling. Also, the Low Noise Adaptors can be used to reduce the speed of fans to 1220 or 1300 RPM. The maximum rotation speed is 1500 or 1600 RPM and the minimum is 300 RPM. This system offers high compatibility with the sockets. This is due to the SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system.

These sockets include the LGA2011, LGA1366, LG1156, LGA1155, LGA775, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, and FM1. Many consumers complain about the hurdles of installation and Noctua has offered a listening ear to those ignored complaints. This difficulty mainly arises due to no installation of the backplates.

Noctua has resolved this matter by offering extra mounting bolts so you can go through the installation process without the backplates. And that is very considerate of a brand for its consumers. The fans are also compatible with the above-mentioned sockets except for the FM1 socket because it requires a backplate. Another feature that makes it stand out is that it comes with Self Stabilizing Oil-Pressure (SSO) Bearing. It is responsible for durability in the long run and provides extremely low noise levels which can be as low as 13.1 dB.

Thermalright Le Grand Macho

Fifth on the list is a production of Thermalright Le Grand Macho. This product has a different design and will blow you away with its specifications. The fins are successively placed to make a round and hollow structure. The design is such that there is one fan and it is placed in such a way that it occupies one side of the fin.

There are seven units of heat pipes and that many numbers of heat pipes are offered by very few brands out there. Each pipe is 6mm. the dimensions of the fin unit are also very reasonable which makes this system slightly compact. The fin has a thickness of 0.4 mm and there is a gap of 3.1 mm between two of them. This gap prevents the trapping of dust particles within the system so that it stays efficient for a long time and reduces the need for cleaning. Also, these gaps account for the passive operation of this machine. It was mainly designed for more of a passive operation because of its small built and single fan.

With these gaps, they are arranged into a structure called the fin area. This area is 150 mm in length, 120 mm in width, and 159 mm in height.

When compared to the predecessors and previous models of the series, this one is the most portable option of all. The fact that thermal right uses metal in the manufacture of this product is worth considering. The base is pure copper made of C1100 Copper which is plated with Nickel. Despite all these factors, this machine is very light in weight. Also, the airflow is far better than it is for standard small machines. Airflow is the key factor and is responsible for the efficient distribution of cool air which cools the system.

This product is somewhat designed like its predecessor, yet it shows distinctions. The fans are 140 mm thick. These fans offer a range of speeds with minimum one being 300 RPM and the maximum one is between 1200 or 1300 rpm. This means there will be as much as no sound at the lowest speed. Also, you get all the accessories required for installing this air cooler into your system.

Scythe Big Shuriken 3

Another trust-worthy brand is Scythe. The product under discussion is the Big Shuriken 3 and you will love the way its amazing features will unfold to you. This brand has made its mark in the market by the quality of air coolers it manufactures. Firstly, its design is very minimalistic, yet it delivers everything you want. Quality and performance are the factors that seal the deal for most of us. And this product has both.

At first glance, you see a square from the top which is 120 mm in length. Its height is 69 mm. in most of the cases, consumers prefer low height options as they are easy to handle once you have started with the installation process. With this height, it easily fits in many ATX and ITX cases. The pre-installed fan is 25 mm in height. The dual-tower design suits most of the CPUs.

Do you have any guesses about the weight of this product? You might have made the wildest guess but not as wild as the weight is less than half of a kilogram! Yes, it is. The weight of this product is 475 grams. Also, the product ad its accessories are installation-friendly. As the package comes with screws, thermal paste, and the mounting brackets, you have nothing to worry about. The critical part of the installation is already resolved. 

I like the compatibility this device offers. It is compatible with sockets such as Intel LGA 775 /115X / 1366/ 2011 v3/ 2066/ AMD AM2+ / AM3+ / AM4 /FM1 / FM 2+. That is quite huge. The total count of the heat pipes is five with a 6 mm thickness for each. The fan size is also very optimum and fits perfectly within the size. These fans provide a maximum speed of 1800 RPM. This might sound low but trust me that the fan will do its job even at low speed or very high speed. This is because of the high quality of the product under discussion.Also, the airflow is highly optimized. It is provided within an optimum range of approximately 50.79 CFM.

EVGA CLC 280

The design of EVGA CLC 280 is equipped with dual fans each with a size of 140 x 140 x 25 mm. There is also a 280 mm dual-fan radiator. The fans are designed specifically to perform at very low noise levels. The CLC in the name stands for closed-loop cool. this is the type of cooling provided by this system. The cooling is in a closed-loop so that it may not get lost and dissipated.

Another amazing feature is the RGB lighting. The RGB offers synchronization options as it can be synced with other RGB components of EVGA.This product shows compatibility with LGA 2011, 1150, 1155, 1366, F1 and the F2 sockets. The fan design is very simple and minimalistic. It ensures maximum output from it in case of noise levels. The design of the fans is responsible for the low operational sound level0.

I have already mentioned the importance of having a quality airflow. EVGA has also kept it in their minds. So, this device is capable of airflow of 113 CFM. The noise levels are as low as 16 decibels. They may increase but only up to 39 deciles. Which means you can work in a very peaceful environment. It includes amazing software that is responsible for controlling the EVGA’s AIO and EVGA flow control.It is a very good option for the i7-9700K as this product has all it requires to be the best CPU cooler, just like the others on the list.

Fractal Design Celsius S24

Last but not the least; we have Fractal Design Celsius S24 on our list. The product is from the Celsius series of the Fractal. This series has a specialty that its products are very low on noise. They are specially designed for very quiet operation.The radiator is made of Aluminum whereas the pump is made of Copper. Near the radiator is an integrated fan hub so you can directly connect to fans. The design offers a dual-mode fan control. The overall design is compact. This is highly missing in all the options that the market has. Some products are difficult to install while some are complexly engineered. But this one right here is just the right option. It is what you need.

The PWM control over the fans makes the speed of the fans adjustable. This is a feature that everyone wants. So, I have tried to include all the PWM enabled options. This feature even allows you to turn off one or two fans according to your requirement. The radiator is 240mm and the two fans are 120 mm each.The packaging includes the backplates which are essential for placing or installing the cooling system. It also includes the thermal block which senses the elevations in temperatures and makes the cooling system functional. The deciding factor is how well a cooling system manages heat. This system has shown tolerance towards temperatures such as 55 and 60 °C which is insane.

You can easily have straight 4 to 5 hours of gaming without causing any strain on your i7-9700K because this amazing Celsius S4 is there to your CPU rescue. The glass pump is equipped with RGB lights and has the brand’s logo on it. This product manages airflow very well. It has an airflow of 87.6 CFM which is enough to circulate cooling within the system reaching parts such as the motherboard etc. As I have mentioned above, the models of this series are manufactured especially for quiet operation. The noise levels of this device are as low as you could have imagined. It is only 20 dB which is the cherry on the top