A good CPU cooler keeps your processor running at full speed, quietly. The good news is that it doesn't need to be expensive: some of the best-regarded air coolers cost less than a game.
Forge PC hasn't tested these coolers. Our picks draw on independent testing by Tom's Hardware (credited below) and on manufacturers' specifications. Prices are the lowest UK prices on SpecPrice on 12 November 2026 and are approximate.
Quick picks
Pick | Cooler | Type | Approx. UK price |
|---|
Best budget | Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE | 120mm air tower | £18 |
Best value tower | Arctic Freezer 36 | 120mm air tower | £19–£21 |
Best air cooler (if you can find it) | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | Dual-tower air | Limited UK stock |
Best AIO | Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 | 360mm liquid | £70–£80 |
Best smaller AIO | Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 240 | 240mm liquid | £60 |
How much cooling do you need?
It depends on your processor:
Gaming-focused AMD chips such as the Ryzen 7 9850X3D are rated by AMD at a 120W default TDP. A good single-tower air cooler is usually enough.
High-end Intel chips can draw far more under all-core loads. Intel lists the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus at 125W base and 250W maximum turbo power, and the Core Ultra 9 285K at 125W base and 250W maximum turbo. Tom's Hardware notes that Arrow Lake chips generally need less cooling than the hottest previous-generation Intel processors, but a stronger cooler still helps.
Ryzen 9 16-core chips run demanding workloads hard, and a large dual-tower cooler or a 360mm AIO makes sense.
Check your processor's box, too. Some AMD processors include a basic cooler, but the X3D chips and Intel's K-series do not.
Best budget cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE
Approx. £18 (AWD-IT, 12 November 2026)
Tom's Hardware names this its best entry-level air cooler. It's a straightforward single-tower cooler with one 120mm fan, and it's one of the cheapest coolers with an aftermarket reputation for good performance.
Bear in mind: Tom's Hardware notes a one-year warranty, which is short. Check the height against your case.
Best value tower: Arctic Freezer 36
Approx. £19–£21 (AWD-IT, 12 November 2026)
Arctic's Freezer 36 is a single-tower cooler with two 120mm fans in a push-pull layout, supports AM5 and LGA 1851, and is one of the cheapest coolers from a well-established brand. It's a sensible default for gaming builds with a 65W to 120W processor, and it's the cooler we specify in several of our gaming PC builds.
Bear in mind: Forge PC hasn't tested it, and we haven't found independent results we can cite here; our recommendation is based on its specification, price and brand. If you have a very power-hungry processor, step up to a bigger cooler.
Best air cooler (if you can find it): Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
UK availability is limited
Tom's Hardware rates the Peerless Assassin 120 SE as the best air cooler for most people. In its testing, the dual-tower cooler handled an Intel Core i9-12900K drawing over 200W better than competing coolers it tested, with a maximum noise level of 34.5dB.
Bear in mind: we couldn't find the SE model in stock at a major UK retailer on SpecPrice on 12 November 2026. A non-SE Peerless Assassin 120 was listed at about £44 (GamingKit). Check the exact model, warranty and seller before buying. Dual-tower coolers are tall and wide, so check case clearance and RAM height.
Best AIO: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360
Approx. £70 (AWD-IT) to £80 (Scan), 12 November 2026
Tom's Hardware names this the best AIO liquid cooler, calling it the strongest cooler it has tested, and says it can handle a Ryzen 9 9950X3D with Precision Boost Overdrive enabled. It also highlights a six-year warranty.
Bear in mind:
Your case needs room for a 360mm radiator. Tom's Hardware says the radiator and fans together are 63mm thick.
Tom's Hardware notes that on Intel it needs a contact frame, and it isn't especially quiet with its default settings.
Best smaller AIO: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 240
Approx. £60 (Scan, 12 November 2026)
If your case can't fit a 360mm radiator, the 240mm version of the same design is a sensible alternative. Forge PC hasn't seen independent tests of the 240mm model we can cite, and a 240mm radiator generally has less cooling capacity than a 360mm version of the same design.
Also worth considering
Cooler | Approx. UK price | Note |
|---|
DeepCool AK620 Zero Dark | £39 (AWD-IT) | Dual-tower air cooler at a mid-range price |
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 | £75 (Box) | Premium dual-tower cooler focused on low noise |
Noctua NH-D15 G2 | £130 (Scan) | Premium dual-tower cooler; expensive |
Air or liquid?
Air coolers are cheaper, have no pump to fail and suit most gaming builds. AIO liquid coolers move heat to a radiator, which helps with high-power processors and keeps the area around the socket clear. They cost more, need radiator space and add a pump.
For a gaming PC with a mid-range processor, a good air cooler is usually the better value.
Fitting checklist
Socket support: check AM5 or LGA 1851 support on the manufacturer's page.
Case clearance: check the case's maximum cooler height or radiator support.
RAM clearance: big tower coolers can overhang tall memory.
Thermal paste: most coolers include it or come pre-applied.
Fan headers: connect fans to the CPU_FAN header, and AIO pumps to the AIO_PUMP header if your motherboard has one.
For more help, see our build guide and our best AM5 motherboard guide.
Our verdict
For most gaming PCs, a cheap single-tower cooler such as the Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE (about £18) or Arctic Freezer 36 (about £20) is enough. If you can find the Peerless Assassin 120 SE from a reputable seller, Tom's Hardware's testing makes it the best air cooler for most people. For high-power processors, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 is Tom's Hardware's top AIO and costs about £70–£80 in the UK, as long as your case has room for it.
