[Official] CPU Heatsink Recommendations

Resources Hardware
1

Air Cooling

Notes

  • Generally speaking, Arctic makes a product that works for every solution.
    They are affordable, high performance, quiet, and well built.
  • LGA115X = LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1200
  • LGA115X (hole/backplate)
    • Consumer motherboards usually have pass through holes.
    • Xeons often have permanently attached backplates, forcing you to use its mounting threads.
  • LGA1366/1356 = Xeon support with fixed backplate
  • All LGA2011 models include fixed backplate, regardless of consumer or Xeon
Brand (specs) Model (link) Fan Size (mm) Height (mm) TDP (W) LGA115X (hole/backplate) LGA 1366/1356 LGA 2011/2011-3 (Square/Narrow) AM4 Expected Price
Arctic Alpine 12 Passive N/A 75 47 YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $17.00
Arctic Alpine AM4 Passive N/A 82 35 NO / NO NO NO / NO YES $17.00
Arctic Alpine AM4 92 73 95 NO / NO NO NO / NO YES $8.00
Arctic Alpine AM4 CO 92 73 95 NO / NO NO NO / NO YES $13.00
Arctic Alpine 12 LP 92 48 75 YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $9.00
Arctic Alpine 12 92 71 95 YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $13.00
Arctic Alpine 12 CO 92 71 100 YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $12.00
Arctic Freezer 7 X 92 133 ??? YES / NO NO NO / NO YES $25.00
Arctic Freezer 7 X CO 92 133 ??? YES / NO NO NO / NO YES $25.00
Arctic Freezer 11 LP 92 53 95 YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $23.00
Arctic Freezer i11 92 130 130 YES / YES YES YES / NO NO not avail.
Arctic Freezer i11 CO 92 130 130 YES / YES YES YES / NO NO not avail.
Arctic Freezer 12 92 130 130 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $28.00
Arctic Freezer 12 CO 92 130 130 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $28.00
Arctic Freezer 33 120 150 150 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $30.00
Arctic Freezer 33 CO 120 150 150 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $37.00
Arctic Freezer 33 eSports ONE 120 150 200 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $40.00
Arctic Freezer 34 120 157 150 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $30.00
Arctic Freezer 34 CO 120 157 150 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $32.00
Arctic Freezer 34 eSports 120 157 200 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $39.00
Arctic Freezer 34 eSports DUO 2x120 157 210 YES / YES YES YES / NO YES $48.00
Thermaltake Gravity i2 92 63 95 YES / YES NO NO / NO NO not avail.
Cooler Master i71C RGB 120 60 95 YES / YES NO NO / NO NO $20.00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 120 159 150 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $35.00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 LED 120 159 150 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $40.00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black 120 159 150 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $40.00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black 120 159 150 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $44.00
Cooler Master MasterAir MA410P 120 159 150 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $27.00
Cooler Master MasterAir G100M 92 75 130 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $37.00
Noctua NH-L9i 92 23 ??? YES / NO NO NO / NO NO $40.00
Noctua NH-L9x65 92 65 140 YES / ??? NO YES / YES NO $50.00
Noctua NH-D9DX 92 23 175 YES / YES YES YES / YES NO $55.00
Intel BXSTS200C 2U 60 65 130 NO / NO NO YES / NO NO $35.00
DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX C40 92 137 130 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $35.00
DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 400 120 155 130 YES / NO NO YES / NO YES $27.00
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All-in-one Liquid Coolers

Brand (specs) Model (link) Fan Size (mm) Rad Size Notes LGA115X (hole/backplate) LGA 1366/1356 LGA 2011/2011-3 (Square/Narrow) Expected Price
Alienware/Dell Aurora R4 120mm Thin Short tubing YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $28.00
Alienware/Dell Area 51 R1/R2 120mm Thick Short tubing YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $32.00
Antec Kuhler H20 620 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $30.00
Antec Kuhler H20 920 120mm Thick YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00
Asetek 550 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $23.00
Asetek 570LC OEM Gen4 120mm Thick YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $40.00
Asetek 550LC 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00
Asetek 570LC 120mm Thick YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00
Corsair H50 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00
Corsair H55 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00
Corsair H80i v2 120mm Thick YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $70.00
EVGA CL11-V1 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $54.00
HP 855712-001 120mm Thin Red YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $70.00
Intel BTXS13X 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $83.00
Thermaltake Water 3.0 Performer 120mm Thin YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $66.00
Zalman LQ-320 120mm Extra Thick YES / YES NO YES / YES (1) $50.00

Asetek Mounting Brackets

  1. Intel LGA 1156,1155,1150,1151,1200 - link
  2. Intel LGA 2011,2011-3 Square ILM - link
  3. Intel LGA 2011,2011-3 Narrow ILM - link
  4. AMD AM4 - link
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4

Are backplates recommended whenever possible, or only when the motherboard will be vertical?

5

It generally does not matter at all. The coolers that use push pins are light enough where they do not put strain on the board.

Most Xeon motherboards have fixed backplates, so that is what the guide is referencing when it comes to backplates.

1 Like
7

So the EVGA CL11-V1 DOES support Narrow ILM… I thought it was Sqaure only a few days on the chart…

8

The EVGA CL11 does not come with the necessary brackets for narrow ILM. Initially the compatibility was not known. Several members reported success so the info was updated.

9

Has anyone been able to provide info that the brackets fit the CL11?

10

I’ll be able to confirm in a couple days if the CL11 works with the Asetek narrow ILM Brackets… I ordered some just waiting for delivery… I picked up a couple use Asetek 550LC’s from Ebay and both of the pumps are so loud that I’m ready to toss in the trash. Read that there can be air bubbles but can’t figure out how to quiet them down.

11

Run them and raise, tilt, and turn the pumps while they are running, it should be fairly easy to get air bubbles out of it.

12

I spent a bunch of time trying just that, sounded more grinding than bubbly.

13

Confirmed bracket fit for the Asetek Narrow ILM 20xx bracket from Amazon on new EVGA CL11

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2 Likes
14

Any suggestions for an AM3+ low profile air-cooled CPU cooler? I’m wanting something that would fit inside a 1U chassis.

15

Thank very much for having this resource available.

It is saving me a lot of time comparing specs as I pick out a new CPU heat sink that will do the job without overshadowing a PCIe slot on my Supermicro X9SCL-F mobo.

I am leaning towards the Noctua coolers as they are only a few $$ more (today) than the Alpine coolers here in Canada.

1 Like
16

Dynatron makes 1U coolers for pretty much everything, AM3+ 1U is model A48G.
Other than it should fit by spec, I can’t say much else about it.

17

i can vouch for the dynatron 1u coolers, have used a few and they are rather quiet as well.