Buying Guide
The Best CPU Coolers for Intel
We weighed five air coolers on heat pipe count and fan size; the Phantom Spirit 120 SE has the highest heat pipe count, and the Freezer 36 costs the least.
By Alex Morgan, PC Hardware Editor
12 min read5 products evaluated
Intel's LGA1700 and LGA1851 sockets share cooler mounting, and a contact frame helps with bending. Every pick names LGA1851 support, ordered from the lowest price.
The order reflects heat pipes, fan size and height from maker specifications; we did not test these air coolers ourselves, and a missing heat pipes is flagged, not filled in.
Quick Picks
Which of the 5 picks to look at first. Tap a name for the full analysis.
Lowest Price Here
ARCTIC Freezer 36Undercutting the Phantom Spirit 120 SE on price when we checked.
Best for: Keeping the cost under $50.
Check price for ARCTIC Freezer 36 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Highest Heat Pipe Count
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SEThe highest heat pipe count here (7).
Best for: Buyers who put heat pipe count first.
Check price for Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Lowest Height
ID-COOLING IS-55The lowest height here (57mm).
Best for: Buyers who put height first.
Check price for ID-COOLING IS-55 on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Also Consider
Noctua NH-L12SAn NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins.
Best for: Buyers who want NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins.
Check price for Noctua NH-L12S on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Premium Pick
Noctua NH-U12S chromax.blackThe highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots.
Best for: Buyers who want a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots and can spend more than the NH-L12S costs.
Check price for Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
| Pick | Why it stands out | Best for | Check price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undercutting the Phantom Spirit 120 SE on price when we checked. | Keeping the cost under $50. | Check price for ARCTIC Freezer 36 on Amazon (opens in a new tab) |
| The highest heat pipe count here (7). | Buyers who put heat pipe count first. | Check price for Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE on Amazon (opens in a new tab) |
| The lowest height here (57mm). | Buyers who put height first. | Check price for ID-COOLING IS-55 on Amazon (opens in a new tab) |
| An NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins. | Buyers who want NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins. | Check price for Noctua NH-L12S on Amazon (opens in a new tab) |
| The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots. | Buyers who want a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots and can spend more than the NH-L12S costs. | Check price for Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black on Amazon (opens in a new tab) |
Our Picks
Lowest Price Here1 of 5
ARCTIC Freezer 36
The Freezer 36 is a single tower with fans in push-pull and a contact frame for Intel LGA1851 and LGA1700.
Best for
- Keeping the cost under $50.
Skip if
- Skip it if heat pipe count matters most to you; the Phantom Spirit 120 SE offers 7.
Why we like it
Its six-year warranty matches Noctua's. Its four offset heat pipes run in a single tower with two fans in push-pull. The click-in fan mounts make fan swaps easy, and it takes most 120mm fans.
Its side-flow heatsink lets the rear fan pull air through the fins and out of the case, and ARCTIC backs it with a six-year warranty. Its pressure-optimised fans push air through four offset heat pipes, which suits high-end CPUs in a single tower. On heat pipe count it trails the group at 4, while the Phantom Spirit 120 SE offers 7. It undercut the Phantom Spirit 120 SE and every other pick on price at the time of writing.
Key specs
- Heat pipes
- 4
- Fan size
- 120mm
- Warranty
- 6-year
- Fans included
- 2
- Sockets named
- AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700
Pros
- 6-year warranty
- Two fans included
- Mounts on both AM5 and Intel LGA1851
- Push-pull single tower
Cons
- Heat pipe count trails the Phantom Spirit 120 SE (7)
- No published height
Highest Heat Pipe Count2 of 5
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
The Phantom Spirit 120 SE packs seven heat pipes and two 120mm fans into a 154mm-tall dual tower.
Best for
- Buyers who put heat pipe count first.
Skip if
- Price-first buyers should look at the Freezer 36, which cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
Thermalright rates it for CPUs up to 280W, which covers most gaming chips with room to spare. Thermalright rates it for CPUs from 105W to 280W, and mounting kits cover AM4, AM5 and Intel up to LGA1851. Its 7 heat pipe count is the highest here; the IS-55 comes next at 5.
Its 154mm height ranks third of 4 here, behind the IS-55 (57mm) and ahead of the NH-U12S chromax.black (158mm). Check that your case offers at least 154mm of CPU cooler clearance before ordering. It was priced above the Freezer 36 and below the IS-55 at the time of writing. There is no published warranty figure, whereas the Freezer 36 offers 6-year.
Key specs
- Heat pipes
- 7
- Fan size
- 120mm
- Height
- 154mm
- Fans included
- 2
- Sockets named
- AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700
Pros
- 7 heat pipes
- Two fans included
- Mounts on both AM5 and Intel LGA1851
- Dual-tower heatsink
Cons
- Costs more than the Freezer 36 at the time of writing
Lowest Height3 of 5
ID-COOLING IS-55
The IS-55 is a 57mm cooler with five heat pipes and a slim 120mm fan, listed for AM5 and LGA1851.
Best for
- Buyers who put height first.
Skip if
- Price-first buyers should look at the Freezer 36, which cost less when we checked.
Why we like it
It fits cases too short for the 67mm to 70mm coolers. On heat pipe count it sits mid-pack at 5: the Phantom Spirit 120 SE offers 7, and the Freezer 36 comes in at 4. Nothing else here matches its 57mm height; the NH-L12S comes closest at 70mm.
It also comes with a 15mm-thick 120mm fan. At 57mm tall it suits slim and small form factor cases, but a cooler this low sits close to the memory, so check your RAM height against the maker's clearance figure. On price it sat third of 5, between the cheaper Phantom Spirit 120 SE and the pricier NH-L12S, at the time of writing. The maker doesn't give its warranty; if that figure matters, the Freezer 36 offers 6-year.
Key specs
- Heat pipes
- 5
- Fan size
- 120mm
- Height
- 57mm
- Fans included
- 1
- Sockets named
- AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700
Pros
- Mounts on both AM5 and Intel LGA1851
- 15mm-thick 120mm fan
- Heat pipe count of 5, ahead of the Freezer 36
- Lowest height of the picks (57mm)
Cons
- Costs more than the Freezer 36 at the time of writing
Also Consider4 of 5
Noctua NH-L12S
The NH-L12S fits a slim 120mm fan onto a 70mm cooler, and the fan can sit above or below the fins to clear tall RAM.
Best for
- Buyers who want NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins.
Skip if
- Skip it if you need to know its heat pipe count before buying; the maker doesn't publish one.
Why we like it
It covers AM5 and LGA1851 with a six-year warranty. Its 70mm height ranks second of 4 here, behind the IS-55 (57mm) and ahead of the NH-U12S chromax.black (158mm). At 70mm tall it suits slim and small form factor cases, but a cooler this low sits close to the memory, so check your RAM height against the maker's clearance figure.
When we checked, only the IS-55 and cheaper picks cost less, and the NH-U12S chromax.black cost more. If you want a confirmed heat pipe count, look to the Phantom Spirit 120 SE instead: it offers 7, while this one gives no figure.
Key specs
- Fan size
- 120mm
- Height
- 70mm
- Warranty
- 6-year
- Fans included
- 1
- Sockets named
- AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700
Pros
- 6-year warranty
- Mounts on both AM5 and Intel LGA1851
- NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins
- Height of 70mm, ahead of the Phantom Spirit 120 SE
Cons
- No published heat pipe count
- Costs more than the Freezer 36 at the time of writing
Premium Pick5 of 5
Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black
The NH-U12S is a slim 120mm tower that never overhangs the RAM or blocks the top PCIe slot.
Best for
- Buyers who want a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots and can spend more than the NH-L12S costs.
Skip if
- Its heat pipe count is not published, which rules it out if you need that number.
Why we like it
At 158mm it fits most towers, and the black finish suits a dark build. It ships with an NF-F12 120mm PWM fan and a Low-Noise Adaptor, NT-H1 thermal paste and the SecuFirm2 mount, and Noctua backs it with a 6-year warranty. Mounting covers Intel LGA1851, LGA1700 and LGA1200 as well as AMD AM5 and AM4.
On height it trails the group at 158mm, while the IS-55 comes in at 57mm. Check that your case offers at least 158mm of CPU cooler clearance before ordering. It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the NH-L12S and the rest. The maker doesn't give its heat pipe count; if that figure matters, the Phantom Spirit 120 SE offers 7.
Key specs
- Fan size
- 120mm
- Height
- 158mm
- Fans included
- 1
- Sockets named
- AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700
Pros
- Mounts on both AM5 and Intel LGA1851
- Slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots
- NF-F12 PWM fan
- All-black finish
Cons
- No published heat pipe count
- Height trails the IS-55 (57mm)
- Costs more than the Freezer 36 at the time of writing
How We Chose These CPU Coolers for Intel
Alex Morgan compared the manufacturer specifications, connectivity, warranty terms and compatibility of every pick. Figures come from the makers unless a third-party source is named; we did not test these products ourselves.
- What we compared
- We set side by side five coolers on heat pipe count, fan size, height and warranty, using each maker's published specs. We did not test them in-house, and heat pipe count and height are missing for at least one pick.
- What every pick has in common
- All 5, from the Freezer 36 to the NH-U12S chromax.black, state fan size, fans included and sockets named.
- Where the specs have gaps
- The NH-L12S and the NH-U12S chromax.black give no heat pipe count; the Freezer 36 gives no height.
- Price range
- At our last check the picks ran from the Freezer 36 (under $50) to the NH-U12S chromax.black ($50 to $100).
What to Look for in a CPU Cooler for Intel
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
How much height you need
Across these 4 picks height spans 158mm (the NH-U12S chromax.black) to 57mm (the IS-55). Start with the IS-55 if height decides it. The Freezer 36 gives no height figure, so 4 of 5 picks are compared here.
Heat pipe count
The Phantom Spirit 120 SE tops heat pipe count at 7 and the Freezer 36 sits lowest at 4. If heat pipe count is your first filter, the Phantom Spirit 120 SE sets the ceiling at 7. The NH-L12S and the NH-U12S chromax.black give no heat pipe count figure, so 3 of 5 picks are compared here.
A tower air cooler with brown fans installed in a PC Extras that separate them
The IS-55: a 15mm-thick 120mm fan. The NH-L12S: an NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins. The NH-U12S chromax.black: an NF-F12 PWM fan.
Budget
Under $50 buys the Freezer 36, the Phantom Spirit 120 SE and the IS-55; $50 to $100 buys the NH-L12S and the NH-U12S chromax.black at our last check.
A tower air cooler in a case with red-lit fans Start from what matters most
Keeping the cost under $50: the Freezer 36. Buyers who put heat pipe count first: the Phantom Spirit 120 SE. Buyers who put height first: the IS-55.
How to Choose a CPU Cooler for Intel
By priority
| Priority | Consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping the cost under $50 | Freezer 36 | Undercutting the Phantom Spirit 120 SE on price when we checked |
| Buyers who put heat pipe count first | Phantom Spirit 120 SE | The highest heat pipe count here (7) |
| Buyers who put height first | IS-55 | The lowest height here (57mm) |
| Buyers who want NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins | NH-L12S | An NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins |
| Buyers who want a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots and can spend more than the NH-L12S costs | NH-U12S chromax.black | The highest-priced pick here at the time of writing, with a slim tower that does not overhang the RAM slots |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Key specs side by side
The IS-55 leads on height at 57mm, ahead of the NH-L12S at 70mm. "Not listed" marks heat pipe count where the NH-L12S and the NH-U12S chromax.black leave the figure out.
| Cooler | Heat pipes | Fan size | Height | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freezer 36 | 4 | 120mm | Not listed | 6-year |
| Phantom Spirit 120 SE | 7 | 120mm | 154mm | Not listed |
| IS-55 | 5 | 120mm | 57mm | Not listed |
| NH-L12S | Not listed | 120mm | 70mm | 6-year |
| NH-U12S chromax.black | Not listed | 120mm | 158mm | Not listed |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
By price at the time of writing
The Freezer 36 was the lowest-priced pick (under $50) and the NH-U12S chromax.black the highest ($50 to $100) when we checked; tiers move with Amazon pricing.
| Price tier | Coolers |
|---|---|
| Under $50 | Freezer 36, Phantom Spirit 120 SE, IS-55 |
| About $50 to $100 | NH-L12S, NH-U12S chromax.black |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the IS-55 ahead of the NH-L12S on height?
The IS-55 comes out best at 57mm, with the NH-L12S at 70mm. The NH-U12S chromax.black closes the ranking at 158mm. The Freezer 36 is left out of this ranking because its height isn't stated; 4 of 5 picks are ranked.
How does the IS-55 compare with the Phantom Spirit 120 SE on heat pipe count?
Between the top two, it is 7 on the Phantom Spirit 120 SE against 5 on the IS-55, a 40% difference. The Freezer 36 is at the other end of this group with 4. No heat pipe count figure is published for the NH-L12S and the NH-U12S chromax.black, which leaves 3 of 5 picks ranked here.
Why is the IS-55 our Lowest Height pick?
It carries the badge for the lowest height here (57mm). On height it leads the NH-L12S, 57mm against 70mm, a 19% margin. It suits anyone who puts height first.
What extras do the Freezer 36 and the Phantom Spirit 120 SE include?
The Freezer 36: a push-pull single tower. The Phantom Spirit 120 SE: a dual-tower heatsink. The IS-55: a 15mm-thick 120mm fan.
Who should choose the Phantom Spirit 120 SE?
The Phantom Spirit 120 SE carries our Highest Heat Pipe Count label for the highest heat pipe count here (7). It ranks second of 5 here and sat in the under $50 tier at our last price check; it suits anyone who puts heat pipe count first.
Bottom Line
Our first pick is the Freezer 36, chosen for undercutting the Phantom Spirit 120 SE on price when we checked. Look at the Phantom Spirit 120 SE for the highest heat pipe count here (7), the IS-55 for the lowest height here (57mm) and the NH-L12S for an NF-A12x15 slim fan that can mount above or below the fins if those matter more to you.
Check the mounting kit version; older LGA1200 kits don't fit.
Related Guides
- Related guideThe Best Air Coolers
- Related guideThe Best CPU Air Coolers
- Related guideThe Best Low-Profile CPU Coolers
- Lower budgetThe Best CPU Coolers Under $30
- Similar guideThe Best Black CPU Coolers
- ExplainerPC Airflow Explained
- ExplainerHow Many Case Fans Do You Need?
- Check compatibility: processorsHow to Check CPU and Motherboard Compatibility
- Similar guideThe Best AIO Coolers for AM5
- Topic hubAll cpu coolers and cooling guides
About the author
PC Hardware Editor
Alex covers PC hardware, monitors, components, upgrades and peripherals for The PC Journal, with a focus on helping readers understand specifications, compatibility and meaningful product trade-offs.
Covers: Monitors, Graphics cards, Processors, PC components, Peripherals, Upgrades and compatibility
View all articles