Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 7950X in 2024

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AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X is one of the best processors on the market, packing plenty of power at a 170W TDP. To harness every ounce of power, you'll want to start with one of the best AM5 motherboards. Then you'll need the best cooling solutions to tame the heat buildup. Whether you prefer air cooling or AIO for convenience, or custom water cooling for the best performance, we've got the best CPU coolers for the Ryzen 9 7950X for you.

  • Dark Rock Pro 5

    Source: be quiet!

    Dark Rock Pro 5

    Best overall

  • The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU cooler, top view

    Source: Thermalright

    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler

    Best low-end air cooler

  • The Noctua NH-D15.

    NH-D15

    Best Premium Air Cooler

  • Corsair ICUE Link H150i RGB

    Source: Corsair

    Corsair iCUE H150i RGB

    Best White AIO Liquid Cooler

  • A render of the bequiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm CPU liquid cooler on a transparent background.

    Source: bequiet!

    be quiet!

    Best 240mm Liquid Cooler

  • Dark Rock Pro 5

    Best overall

    Dark Rock Pro 5

    90$ 100$ Save $10

    This sleek air cooler hides dual-tower heatsinks with seven copper heatpipes, meaning high-performance cooling for the Ryzen 9 7950X. And while it's large, it stays away from the RAM slots on AM5, making it compatible with high-profile modules.

  • The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU cooler, top view

    Best low-end air cooler

    Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler

    The Peerless Assassin 120 SE reduces heat buildup on any CPU it's connected to with a dual-tower, dual-fan design that looks much more premium than its price tag suggests. It's the new value-for-money air cooler and can handle up to 265W, more than enough for any Ryzen 7000 series.

  • The Noctua NH-D15.

    Best Premium Air Cooler

    NH-D15

    Noctua's NH-D15 has been the king of air coolers since its launch, making it a perfect fit for the most powerful Ryzen 7000 processor. With two oversized fans pushing air past the dual-tower coolers, thermal issues are a thing of the past.

  • Corsair ICUE Link H150i RGB

    Best White AIO Liquid Cooler

    Corsair iCUE H150i RGB

    If you're trying to put together an all-white system, Corsair has you covered with the iCUE Link H150i RGB. It keeps your CPU cool while eliminating the usual AIO cable clutter by moving all the connectors to the end of the cooler instead of the CPU block.

  • A render of the bequiet! Pure Loop 2 240mm CPU liquid cooler on a transparent background.

    Best 240mm Liquid Cooler

    be quiet!

    be quiet! makes some of our most popular coolers on the market, both air and liquid coolers, so if you're looking for a quiet liquid cooling system, check out the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 240. This 240mm liquid cooler will keep your system cool and quiet and features synchronized aRGB profiles.

  • A PNG rendering of the Lian Li Galahd Trinity II 360mm liquid cooler on a transparent background.

    Best 360mm AiO

    Lian Li Galahad II Trinity 360mm

    We prefer a 360mm AiO for the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and the Lian Li Galahad II Trinity fits the bill. This AiO features aRGB lighting and three incredibly powerful fans to keep the most powerful AMD CPU cool.

  • ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 420 A-RGB

    Best 420mm Liquid Cooler

    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 A-RGB

    High-performance CPUs require a high-performance cooler, and this 420mm AIO from Arctic is a perfect fit. It is optimized for AM5, with the center of the cold plate located above the Ryzen 7000 hotspot for better heat dissipation from the CPU.

  • Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB PRO

    Best custom water cooling kit

    Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB PRO Custom Cooling Kit

    $550 $600 Save $50

    Custom water cooling offers the best thermal performance, but figuring out which parts you need can be difficult. Corsair makes it easy: The XH305i kit includes everything you need to build a CPU-only loop, including tools.

What to consider when choosing a CPU cooler for the Ryzen 9 7950X

The Ryzen 9 7950X's 170W TDP isn't easy to cool. Our testing has shown that it likes to increase clock speed until it hits Tjmax, which is 95 degrees Celsius, and then throttles itself down to stay under that mark. This sustained thermal load can overwhelm smaller coolers, so I chose the DeepCool ASSASSIN IV as my first choice. Not everyone likes using AIO coolers, and this oversized air cooler easily and efficiently moves heat away from the CPU.

If cost is the main consideration, Thermalright's Peerless Assassin 120 SE is significantly cheaper than the competition and will keep the 7950X cool just fine, albeit with a little less thermal headroom. AIO liquid coolers offer better thermal performance, especially the 420mm of the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420. And if you want even more performance and plan on adding a liquid-cooled GPU at some point, Corsair's Hydro X Series Custom Cooling Kit makes it easy to get started with custom water cooling. For the final piece of the performance puzzle, check out our list of the best RAM for AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X.

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