Elevate Your PC Performance: The Best CPU Coolers of 2024
From fishnet dresses to boyfriend blush, the top summer trends are reviving our wardrobes and vanities this season. So why would we neglect our PC builds? Like the standout runway fashion that is now touching down on the streets, the 2024 CPU cooler trends will imbue your gaming rigs and workstation setups with a fresh reset.
From New York to Paris, cooling solutions have played a key role in themes of countless recent tech showcases. Case in point: In February in Manhattan, Cooler Master's latest dual-tower design was a “nod to the concept of making the everyday sublime—even a routine gaming session,” the show notes said. The momentum of high-performance cooling remained strong through CES. With their Fall/Winter 2024 collections, both emerging brands such as DeepCool and heritage houses like Noctua gave us archetypes of enthusiasts who embraced cooling with abandon, asking: Why not? Why not clip a premium air cooler to your high-end CPU, à la Noctua? Or wrap a sleek liquid cooler around your overclocked processor, as displayed by NZXT?
The teeming supply of air coolers, liquid coolers, and hybrid solutions has magnified the transformative power of cooling in a PC build and made the case for enjoying it every day. From high-performance air coolers primed for overclocking to innovative liquid coolers that embrace a minimalist aesthetic, here are the seven top CPU cooler trends to enjoy this year.
1. Dual-Tower Dominance
From Cooler Master to Noctua, designers fostered their own crops of dual-tower coolers for 2024. Cooler Master's MasterAir MA824 Stealth features a redesigned dual tower with optimized fin density and thickness for maximum performance and surface area. This cooler is a testament to the power of dual-tower designs, offering better memory compatibility and quieter operation compared to its competitors. The dual Mobius fans, including a pre-installed 140mm fan and a 120mm fan, are designed for strong airflow at low noise levels, making it a top choice for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Whether you’re enchanted by the sleek all-black design or charmed by the ease of installation, plenty of dual-tower coolers are primed for picking this month. Poised for a Rolodex of high-performance CPUs and overclocked builds, the dual-tower designs can add a tinge of sophistication to your PC setup.
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2. Liquid Cooling Luxury
If the tech showcases are any indication, liquid cooling will take on new meaning come winter. After all, why search for a new cooling solution when you can wear all the luxury you need on your CPU? Until then, this year’s high-performance builds leave plenty of real estate to install liquid coolers as you please. Take a cue from NZXT and complement a high-end gaming rig with the Kraken Elite 360 RGB, or embrace MSI's sleek design with the MEG CoreLiquid S360, featuring a customizable LCD display and quiet operation.
The NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB is a premium liquid cooler that offers exceptional cooling performance, customizable aesthetics, and low noise levels. It features a 360mm radiator, RGB lighting, and a customizable LCD display, making it a top choice for enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to your build or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these liquid coolers demonstrate that some treats are meant to be enjoyed, not just admired.
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3. Budget-Friendly Beasts
Arctic wasn’t the only brand to bring budget-friendly cooling to the forefront this season. At CES, DeepCool's cast of models showcased the Assassin IV, featuring high cooling performance at a slightly more affordable price compared to premium models like the Noctua NH-D15. From demure air coolers to high-performance liquid solutions, these budget-friendly options prove that you don’t have to break the bank to achieve excellent cooling performance.
The Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo is one of the best performing mid-sized air coolers, offering impressive cooling performance and a handsome price, making it an excellent bargain. Whether you’re looking to add a slice of something new to your build or want to ensure your overclocked CPU stays cool, these budget-friendly coolers demonstrate that some treats are meant to be enjoyed, not just admired.
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4. High-Performance Hybrids
While traditional air coolers reached new heights this season, in another camp, a standout class of hybrid coolers reflected a lexicon of high-performance computing. At DeepCool, the LT720 liquid cooler bore resemblance to those used by professional gamers and overclockers. In homage to another icon, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB seemed to have been rekindled in the latest collections, featuring innovative designs and exceptional cooling performance.
The DeepCool Liquid Cooler LT720 is a high-performance AIO cooler that offers exceptional cooling performance at a reasonable price. It operates quietly and is built with quality in mind. Whether you’re looking to embrace the latest in cooling technology or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these hybrid coolers offer a refreshing way to update your build.
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5. Sleek and Silent
A cooling solution is an enthusiast’s play chest—especially if it includes sleek designs and silent operation. This fall, yours could too, if you manage to snag a pair of the MSI Meg Core Liquid S360. And even as we wait for those to hit the market, the cooling world has plenty to offer. Just last month, MSI released an exciting new line of liquid coolers featuring customizable LCD displays and quiet operation.
The MSI Meg Core Liquid S360 is a premium AIO cooler that excels in performance, aesthetics, and quiet operation. It features a powerful pump, quiet fans, and a VRM fan for additional cooling. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to your build or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these sleek and silent coolers offer a refreshing way to update your build.
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6. RGB Revolution
Plump RGB lights mirroring the latest in gaming aesthetics came to life in coolers across a variety of collections. At Thermalright, the Frozen Notte 360 ARGB resembled the works of high-end gaming rigs, featuring vibrant RGB lighting and exceptional cooling performance. Taking a detour in favor of brighter pops of color and cosmic proportions, the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB featured customizable multi-color lighting effects, primed for a gaming setup.
The Thermalright Frozen Notte 360 ARGB is a budget-friendly AIO cooler that offers excellent cooling performance for high-end CPUs like the Intel Core i9 14900K. Despite its low price, it delivers premium build quality and comes with a 5-year warranty. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of RGB to your build or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these RGB coolers offer a refreshing way to update your build.
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7. Compact Powerhouses
If one cooling trend stood out most this season, it was compact powerhouses, which rose to the forefront. Rekindling the sense of shameless exuberance that defined high-performance computing, compact coolers took on a life of their own, in powerful designs and efficient cooling capabilities. Taking cues from the era that hyperbolized performance, designers from DeepCool to Arctic showcased compact coolers en masse, leveraging a mix of innovative designs and high-performance components.
The DeepCool Assassin IV is a high-performance air cooler that offers the best memory compatibility among its competitors. It provides excellent cooling performance and is slightly more affordable than the Noctua NH-D15. Whether you’re looking to embrace the latest in cooling technology or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these compact powerhouses offer a refreshing way to update your build.
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Conclusion
The world of CPU coolers is brimming with innovation and style this year. From dual-tower designs to sleek liquid coolers, there’s something for every enthusiast and professional. Whether you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to your build or want to ensure your high-end CPU stays cool under pressure, these top trends offer a refreshing way to update your PC setup. So why not embrace the latest in cooling technology and elevate your PC performance this year?