Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600

Best Air Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 - Noctua NH-D15

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler has a dual-tower CPU cooler design. Noctua did listen to their customers and kept the things that worked well while adding some new changes to the Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler has support for 150mm fans, as well as 140mm fans. Noctua is known for their low noise level and great to excellent performance across all of the models of their CPU coolers.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU Air Cooler is the Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 Overclocking because of its cooling power. It is incredibly silent and has a reasonable price. This makes the Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler a great choice if you want to pair it with the AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600 CPU.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler offers socket compatibility for AMD as well as Intel, covering all of the current socket types. It is 150mm wide, 160mm tall and is 135mm deep without a fan.

However, with a fan, the Noctua NH-D15 is 150mm wide, 165mm tall, and will be 161mm deep. Using two fans will increase the height significantly. If you mount both fans to the Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler, then there will be 1320 grams hanging from the motherboard.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler has six copper heat pipes which are soldered to the base, which is a copper base and has been nickel plated. Each and every fin in both stacks of this CPU cooler have been directly soldered to each of the heat pipes, which allow the low CFM fans to work well and increase the efficiency of the CPU cooler.

It is recommended that you use one of the two NF-A15 PWM fans included with the Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler in the middle in order to have maximum clearance, but for even better cooling performance you can use both of the fans.

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There is a fan installed in the middle, but there is another fan included with the Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler which is entirely optional. The Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler has six heat pipes that stretch outwards and then up into the fins and they go through the seven shorter fins before going through the thirty eight larger fins above them.

There are shorter fins on both edges of the Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler to provide clearance for memory on both sides of the cooler. There’s rubber isolation on the corners of the fans which helps in keeping the cooler run quite silently while the fans cool the CPU underneath and these fans use wire fan clips to be clipped into place.

The copper heat pipes and the copper base plate are Nickel plated, once they have been assembled.

The Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler provides excellent cooling for the price it has. This CPU air cooler performs really close to even some of the AIO coolers which are more expensive than the Noctua NH-D15.

Two Noctua NF-A15 fans provides cools down the dissipated heat and provides more than enough cooling to keep your Ryzen 5 3600 CPUs temperatures low even when overclocking or under heavy working load.

Best Budget CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 - Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B

Scythe has a different approach to their product lineup than many other manufacturers who jump around with product lines, try new things and hoping for the best.

However, Scythe has a different method; they consider their customer feedback and adapt to the existing designs in order to fulfill the needs of the users and then deliver an updated cooler to an already existing product line.

Being based on the highly awarded Mugen 5, the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler brings some minor changes in order to provide the customers flexibility and to provide support for the latest motherboards. Scythe got rid of a section of the fins as well as Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B has an offset in order to make the CPU cooler work easily with motherboards that have RAM on both sides.

The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B comes with new hardware to fit on AM4 motherboards. The heat pipes are nickel plated and the CPU cooler comes with a new fan from their Kaze Flex series to provide even better performance.

With such a budget friendly price, Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler is a great choice for a budget cooler for the Ryzen 5 3600. The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler has design which will appeal to more customers and provides performance that is quite similar to the Noctua’s NH-D15 CPU cooler.

The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler supports every socket type since and including the LGA775 on the Intel side and on the AMD side, the CPU cooler’s mounting hardware allows every socket type since and including the AM2 to the AM4.

Scythe included the Kaze Flex 120 PWM fan with the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler. The fan is a 120mm square and has a 27mm thickness. The speed of the fan can be anywhere between 300 to 1200 RPM via PWM.

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The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler has a total of 39 fins and the top fin is thicker than the rest of the fins and there are caps over the heat pipe tips. These pipes are offset and have curves on both sides of the base.

The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler’s tower has an asymmetric design. This CPU cooler’s bent pipes allow the tower to sit a little bit back from the center point, this provides space for the primary fan placement.

The tower offset provides space for RAM clearance and on the other end of the CPU cooler, the five lower fins are also cut short to provide space for RAM clearance on both sides of the CPU cooler, especially for the motherboards that have RAM slots on both sides.

The aluminum fins are pressed onto the heat pipes after the nickel coating. Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler’s base has a near perfect mirror finish to it and is slightly convex which does help in increasing the pressure and helps in the heat removal.

The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU cooler is really quiet, even under load. This Rev.B version of this cooler now supports AMD Ryzen 5 3600 out of the box which makes this CPU cooler a great option for a Ryzen 5 3600 PC build.

Best Low Profile CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 - Noctua NH-L12S

Noctua is remaking a CPU cooler that we saw in 2012 last time. That CPU cooler was the Noctua NH-L12. The Noctua NH-L12 as well as the Noctua NH-L12S, both are aimed for those who have small cases and have little headroom for tower CPU coolers. However, Noctua did make some changes with the latest version of the CPU cooler. This time, the CPU cooler comes with only one fan instead of two.

The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler is slightly smaller than the older NH-L12 CPU cooler due to the fan change mostly. The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler is 70mm tall, whereas the NH-L12 CPU cooler was 93mm tall.

There some changes made to the design which should improve things for the users. There is a choice to put the fan below or above the fins and this Noctua NH-L12S lies on its side and runs parallel to the motherboard.

The Noctua NH-L12S is a small, 70mm tall and a silent CPU cooler. It has a Low-Noise Adapter that has automatic speed control which means that it only makes 21.4 dB of noise at low loads. This makes it one of the quietest low-profile CPU coolers.

The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler supports many older sockets as well as any current sockets. The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler comes with a fan which makes the height 70mm and if you put the fan above the fins, it will increase the height to 85mm.

The Noctua NH-L12S weighs 390g and if we add the fan, then the CPU cooler weighs 520g. Four 6mm in diameter heat pipes, as well as the base, are both made of copper and then they have been Nickel plated. Heat pipes of the CPU cooler are soldered into the base and are also soldered to the fifty-eight fins.

The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler comes with a single NF-A12x15 PWM fan. The fan is 15mm thick. It spins at a maximum of 1850 RPM.

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All fifty-eight fins are spaced with a tab bend over at the side. The fan clips on to the grooves on the side with a wire fan clip and is not any taller than the fins.

The heat pipes are close to each other when they leave the base. However, they are more evenly angled as they rise to the fin stack in order to spread the heat more evenly so that the fan can remove it more efficiently.

The heat pipes of the Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler start in one direction and then bend twice to go back into the fins. The top one is a ninety degrees angle and the bottom one is a little gentle.

The top section of the base fits the heat pipes tightly and it also has the cross-bar mounting solution along with the already attached to the base spring loaded screws.

The Noctua NH-L12S CPU cooler comes with NF-A12x15 slim 120mm fan and the user has the choice to mount it either under the fins or on top of the fins. Even if the user was overclocking the CPU, this CPU cooler can outperform similarly priced low-profile coolers.

Best RGB CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 - EVGA CLC 280

To have a liquid cooled AMD Ryzen 5 3600 PC build, there are many AIO coolers to choose from. However, many of these AIO coolers provide a similar performance out of the box, but we recommend the EVGA CLC 280, of course, if the 280mm AIO radiator fits in your PC build.

EVGA CLC 280 AIO cooler’s CPU waterblock has a 100% copper base and it also has a built-in pump which is really quiet and has a 20 dB(A) of noise level.

There is an RGB LED logo on the CPU waterblock as well which is fully controllable. Measuring 312mm x 139mm x 27mm (LxWxH), the large radiator is made up of Aluminum and can support 140mm fans. EVGA CLC 280 AIO cooler ships with two really quiet Teflon Nano Bearing 140mm fans.

The EVGA CLC 280 AIO cooler comes with all of the necessary brackets, mounts, retention, and screws for installing different types of CPUs.

EVGA CLC 280 AIO cooler’s smoothly latched finish of the CPU mating surface has a factory applied a thermal paste of EVGA’s ODM. The CPU water block uses a standard bracket holds it tightly with the CPU and it can also be removed if you twist it counterclockwise and replace it with the legacy AMD bracket.

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When the system is powered up, the EVGA logo on the CPU waterblock lights up. It has sleeved tubing as well, which makes the AIO look stylish and sleek.

You can use the downloadable software to control the fully controllable RGB LEDs. Just connect the included USB cable to the CPU waterblock at one end and connect the other end will connect to the USB header on the motherboard.

If you download the software, it will give you complete control over the EVGA CLC Liquid Cooler which includes RGB lighting, fan speed, pump control and you can save your own profiles.

There are two standard PWM fan headers, you just have to break the USB interface out of the head unit.

The EVGA CLC 280 AIO cooler has been ranked against the likes of H115iV2 and Kraken X62 in terms of performance and at 600 RPM with 29 dB(A) of noise level.

It comes with two 140mm PWM fans, RGB and a stylish, yet clean look, coupled with the performance it provides, makes it a great choice to use it for the Ryzen 5 3600 in the PC build.

Best Liquid CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 3600 - Corsair H100i RGB Platinum

One of the best known brands when it comes to PC components is, without a doubt, Corsair. It is like this for a good reason. They have a hand in pretty much everything providing the users with their great value for money products with great performance.

Corsair’s one of the most popular range of products probably has to be the AIO coolers. They have a huge range which suits almost every requirement, need or price.

The Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO cooler features RGB and if you are a gaming enthusiast and enjoy light shows coming from your PC, then the Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO cooler is a great choice for you as it has that beautiful RGB lighting and provides great cooling performance which makes it a great choice to use for AMD Ryzen 5 3600.

The Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO CPU cooler has a professional look and it is in a sleek black style except for the silver part that the pump block is surrounded with.

Having a well-protected feel on the pipes that go from the pump to the radiator, at the same time these pipes are really flexible which should not make any problem when moving it.

The pump block has the classic Corsair’s AIO design that anyone will recognize if they are familiar with the Corsair’s AIO design. Pump’s mating surface comes with thermal paste pre-applied to it.

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For covering the processor, the mating surface is nice and big and has a smooth finish which will provide good contact to help in removing the heat from the CPU. This AIO cooler features a snap-fit mounting solution.

Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO cooler’s radiator has a sleek black design and is quite remarkable than most 240mm radiators. It has a solid build which is reassuring.

Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO cooler ships with two ML120 120mm fans. These fans are designed specifically to provide the users with lesser noise with RGB lighting.

Corsair has proved themselves to have one of the easiest installation methods. The number of cables may look weird, but once everything is plugged into the correct ports, then a little bit of cable management will solve it.

Conclusion

If you have a small form factor PC case and want a budget CPU air cooler which provides good cooling performance and has a budget friendly price, then you should definitely check out the Noctua NH-L12S.

It provides good cooling performance for the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, while it has a budget friendly cost, has good build quality and is a CPU air cooler for a small form factor.

If you want a normal-sized CPU air cooler which provides excellent cooling performance at a budget-friendly price, then you should definitely check out the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU air cooler.

It provides excellent cooling performance for the Ryzen 5 3600, has a solid build quality, and is a normal-sized CPU air cooler at a budget-friendly price.

If you want one of the best cooling performance from a CPU air cooler and don’t care much about going a little bit over the budget, then you should definitely check out the Noctua NH-D15 CPU air cooler.

It provides the users with one of the best cooling performance for a CPU air cooler for the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, it has a solid build quality, but the price is a little bit over budget.

If you don’t care much about budget, have enough room for a 280mm radiator to be mounted in your PC case, and want excellent cooling performance, then you should definitely check out the EVGA CLC 280 AIO CPU cooler.

It provides excellent cooling performance for the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, has a good design, has an RGB logo on the CPU water block if you’re interested in that, and has a reasonable price for an AIO CPU cooler.

What you should know before buying the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 5 3600?

The performance of AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is similar to the 8th generation Intel processor Core i7-8700K while having a lot lower clock rates. This is mainly due to the higher IPC of the processor and since this processor is based on the 7nm process, it has a low TDP of 65 watts. The stock performance of the processor is although quite good for most people, enthusiasts always push the processors to their maximum capabilities by overclocking them. 

Overclocking a processor highly increases the power consumption of the processor, which in turn raises the temperature levels. For an overclocked AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor, you should consider these things before buying a CPU cooler. 

Compatibility: First of all, make sure that the cooler you are buying is physically compatible with the processor. Since AMD Ryzen 5 3600 requires an AM4 socket, you have to buy a CPU cooler that offers an AM4 bracket. Since AM4 is a relatively newer socket, most of the old CPU coolers are not going to be compatible with it. 

Optimization: If you intend to buy an air cooler, make sure that your PC case provides a good enough airflow so that the cooler intakes cold air and exhausts hot air. If you are buying an AIO liquid cooler for your rig, make sure that your case provides space for the radiator, especially in the case of a 280mm or 360mm radiator. 

Cooling Performance: For air coolers, the higher count of heat-pipes usually results in a better performance which is why they are more expensive. Most of the high-end air coolers support around four to six heat-pipes and often come in a dual-tower form factor. For AIO CPU coolers, a larger radiator with more fans usually provides better performance, going as high as 280mm or 360mm radiator, however, if you are short on budget you can buy the smaller AIO coolers that come with a 120mm or 140mm radiator.

Acoustic Performance:The acoustic performance of your rig highly depends on the cooling solution since it is the main component that produces noise. The cooling systems with lower fan speeds are quieter but have lower performance as well. The size of the fans also plays a big role and coolers with larger fans have better acoustic performance. Apart from these, the overall design of the cooling solution highly affects the noise and that is why you will have to check the acoustic performance of the cooling solutions individually from various manufacturers.