Best CPU Cooler for i5 9600K
The overclocking support of i5 9600K is exceptional, and there are some of the best CPU coolers for i5 9600K that you can consider for your build.
Even though AMD has released two generations after the 2nd-generation Ryzen processors, Ryzen 2000-series processors are still going strong. For budget gamers, one of the most popular processors in the market are Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 2600X, thanks to their low price point and high gaming performance. These processors can provide more than 100 FPS in most modern AAA games, as long as you couple them with a good-quality graphics card.
To get the maximum out of these processors, you must overclock them, which often requires a high-end cooling solution. Ryzen 5 2600 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the TDP of Ryzen 2600X is 95 watts. When overclocked, these processors will utilize more than 100 watts, which is why using a good cooling solution is a no-brainer.
In this article, we will look at some of the best CPU coolers for Ryzen 5 2600 and 2600X (for the best CPU coolers for i5 9600K, check this article).
Award | Model | Price |
---|---|---|
Best Overall Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 | Cooler Master Hyper 212 BE | Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
Best Performing Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 | ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO | Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
Best Budget Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 | Scythe Mugen 5 Rev B | Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
Best Entry-Level Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 | DeepCool Gammaxx 400 | Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
Best Silent Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 | Be quiet! Pure Rock 2 | Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
The CPU coolers used to be pretty straightforward components. However, modern CPU coolers use many exclusive technologies to aid in cooling that purchasing a good CPU cooler becomes a headache. That is why we have created this buying guide for those who want to buy a suitable CPU cooler for AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X.
The Number of Heat Pipes: The first and foremost thing you should look for in a CPU cooler is its heat pipes. The more the heat pipes, the better the overall performance of the cooler. The high-end air coolers come with at least six heat pipes, while mid-range coolers come with four. The design of the coolers also plays a significant role in cooling the CPU, with the dual-tower CPU coolers being the most popular design for high-end coolers.
The Number of Fans: The number of fans in an air cooler is directly proportional to cooling. Most high-end coolers come with at least two fans, while some come with three fans. The slim air coolers come with one fan mostly, with some passive coolers not having a fan at all.
Compatibility: You must check the compatibility of a CPU cooler with your processor because if it does not support the socket that your processor uses, you won’t be able to use such a cooler. AMD Ryzen processors use the AM4 socket, and most modern coolers support this socket; however, older coolers might not be compatible with this socket.
Aesthetics: Air coolers are pretty large and are prominently visible in the case, which is why companies have improved their looks over the years. You will see the latest air coolers with extensive RGB lighting, which can be found in the fans or even within the heatsink.
In terms of price, Hyper 212 RGB Black might not be the cheapest cooler, but its performance makes it worth considering. In the past, users have had some issues regarding the looks of this cooler, as the old one comes in unfinished silver color. Recently Cooler Master came up with two variants, one with a full black color while the other with RGB light. A single tower heatsink with six heatsink pipes provides excellent heat dissipation. It also allows you to overclock your processor without even breaking the bank. An SF120H fan comes pre-installed with this cooler, while there is room for an additional fan too.
Thermal paste syringe, mounting brackets for Intel and AMD sockets, and all necessary screws come with this cooler, so you do not have to go to the market to get them. Overall it’s a significant consideration as it can easily overclock your Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600x. Still, we have found some other Cooler Master coolers that outperform it for the same price or even a few bucks less. The main competitor of this cooler is Gammaxx 400, but you will find that cooler only if you are living in the United States or Western side. However, Cooler Master Hyper 212 is available worldwide, and you can find it easily in any store.
The memory or graphics card clearance with this cooler is not a problem because it’s not a dual-tower cooler and takes a lot of space. You can easily install tall memory sticks or any large size graphics card along with this cooler. The installation process of this cooler is not a problem as you can easily get it installed using the bundled mounting brackets. However, you need to look up the manual guide if installing an air cooler for the first time. Overall this cooler is significant to consider and an option that you can use to overclock Zen+ processors without breaking the bank.
When we need both the performance and the value at the same place, the Arctic Freezer 34 Esports Duo comes in the game, which offers both a very budget-friendly price. One thing on which some of the users reading this review will get disappointed is the RGB lights, as the company skimped them and give this cooler slick looks in a very subtle way.
No RGB lights don’t mean that this cooler looks dull as it’s available in six different color schemes, and you can pick the one that matches exactly the colors of your build. That’s all about the looks, but this cooler’s performance is also appreciable as it comes with two pre-installed fans, which work in a push and pull mode and offers the best cooling airflow between the heatsink vents.
Along with two fans, four heatsink pipes connect the CPU block with the heatsink and dissipates much heat. With some budget and mid-range processors, this cooler is suitable for overclocking, but you should have to go with some better options for high-end CPUs.
These two fans’ noise isn’t much, but you may listen to it a bit if you play a little bit with the fan speed settings. Though we’ve overclocked this processor with this cooler and our experience was good in noise even at high clocks. The fans installed on this cooler are 120mm Arctic Bionix fans, which might be the most quitter we’re ever reviewed in budget range coolers.
Compatibility-wise it’s also great as there are mounting brackets for both Intel and AMD processors, and you can easily switch it on motherboards without having any problem. I don’t think so if there is some major flaw in this cooler, which needs to be mention there as it’s right in all terms, but as you know, it’s not that popular like Cooler Master Hyper 212, so people mostly consider that cooler for their builds. Overall it’s the best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 2600X, and you can consider it for your build in 2021.
This cooler’s price puts it in the middle range category, but the performance is much better than any cooler in its price range, and you can better overclock your processor with it. Another plus of this cooler is even if you pair it with some high-end processor like Ryzen 7 5800X etc., it will outperform the cheap coolers and works at a very silent noise level, which excites me to buy it.
Of course, it’s not going to perform like the premium coolers, which includes the Noctua NH-D15 or similar options, but we are much satisfied with the performance it’s offering for its price. There is another option from this company, Scythe Fuma 2, but that would be overkill for this processor, and we don’t need that even for serious overclocking.
I’ve researched a bit on this cooler, and it comes to know that it also supports an additional fan, which makes it better than before in cooling. Adding another fan makes its price the same as the Fuma 2, so be wise while considering this cooler for your build.
You are not going to see any RGB lights on this cooler. Instead, it comes in a black and grey color scheme, which looks good while the overall design is also appealing. There are six heatsink fans in this cooler, which joins the CPU block with the heatsink, while there are all inside the heatsink, and you might not see them.
Another great alternative to this cooler is the Noctua NH-U14S, which also offers the same performance at a price, but the brown color scheme disappoints users. Not even that specific model but most of the Noctua coolers.
Long story short, it’s an excellent CPU cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 for overclocking and non-RGB lovers; it looks beautiful and attractive in RGB builds, and you will most probably love its performance. Though if you don’t, we have more options for you below.
When it comes to the looks, this cooler is very straightforward as it doesn’t have a colored body as a simple aluminum heatsink with silver color on it and a single RGB fan. Though this cooler’s performance is notable, as with processors like Ryzen 5 3600, it manages to bring down the temperature to at least 20 degrees below, making it the best bang for buck cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 & 2600X.
With such straightforward looks, you are getting some advantage of saving money for other components with this cooler as it’s even cheaper than the Cooler Master Hyper 212. There are a couple of variants of this cooler that you can choose from, like the Red RGB or Red RGB V2 and Blue RGB one and some others.
They are only different in looks, and you are not going to see any performance difference with them even if you consider any version from the eleven Gammaxx series. There are four copper heatsink pipes on this cooler and a single LED lights fan available in two different colors (Red & Blue).
There is a universal socket bracket that comes with this cooler compatible with both Intel and AMD sockets. This cooler comes with all of the required stuff to install, including the thermal paste, and you don’t need to get any aftermarket equipment and is very easy to install.
While buying a cooler, one of the problems that confuse the users is the memory clearance while; the thickness of this cooler is moderate, and you will not see any clearance issue with it. It would be a significant improvement over the stock cooler of AMD Ryzen 5 2600, and you will be able to overclock the CPU like a boss.
The downside of this cooler is it comes with an unfinished appearance thus has no aesthetics. Also, the noise of this cooler is slightly high when the processor is running high on loads. Long story short it’s a great Ryzen 5 2600 CPU cooler because of the price and the performance.
Most of the users consider the AMD processors because they come factory unlocked and supports overclocking. Though you are doing some serious overclocking with your processor with some air cooler, you may feel fans’ noise goes a bit loud, disturbing the gaming experience. For this reason, we’ve picked one of the silent coolers as it suggests from its name, Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4.
This cooler might be a little expensive for AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and 2600X, but the noise level and its excellent performance justifies its price. It’s slightly cheaper than the Noctua NH D15, which you know a premium cooler can even overclock i9 9900K, but its performance is somewhere similar to it.
If you get this cooler in some deal for a low price, then, believe me, it’s going to be one of the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 5 2600 and 2600X. Its compatibility with other processors and sockets is also excellent, and you can pair it with any Intel and AMD processor of current generations. There is an exception of AMD Threadripper processors from this list, which supports a different socket, and most users suggest a custom water loop for them.
One problem that you might face with this cooler is the bulkier size, and you may have to see some memory clearance problems if using tall memory sticks. But for most cases, if you are using an ATX or m-ATX motherboard, you are good to go with this cooler.
There are seven copper heatsink pipes on this cooler, and the whole body is colored in black, which looks appealing in RGB builds. However, this cooler doesn’t have RGB lights or RGB fans, but the brushed black color body picks RGB lights and looks great.
There is a single 120mm fan at the front and one sandwiched between the heatsinks, which makes excellent airflow between the heatsink vents and cools it down. It comes with one of the quietest 120mm fans, and in the box, you will get everything to install it, including a screwdriver and a thermal paste.
When it comes to Ryzen processors, you will find the stock coolers to be more than enough for stock clock rates, but if you want to overclock the processor, that will usually require a third-party air cooler capable of handling all the excess heat. For Ryzen 5 2600 or 2600X, you don’t need to spend hundreds of bucks on high-end AIO coolers. You should be good to go with most air coolers having a price range of thirty to sixty bucks.
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 is one of the most classical air coolers that has been used for processors for over a decade. The Hyper 212 Black Edition is the successor of this cooler with slightly better performance and looks, while its RGB variant is also now available at a slightly higher price. The cheapest air cooler you can get for Ryzen 5 2600/X is DeepCool Gammaxx 400, while ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO and Scythe Mugen 5 are performance-oriented coolers targeted towards users who want to do some serious overclocking. Be quiet! Pure Rock 2 is a unique air cooler targeted toward users who wish for minimal noise coming from their systems.
Some of the coolers listed above either include thermal paste or require it. Just be sure you are aware of the lifespan of the thermal paste and when it needs to be replaced.
When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.