7 Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 5 5600x: Reviewed

If you want a PC build that you can maximize in terms of overclocking performance, then the Ryzen 5 5600X is definitely a sensible choice, because it’s built on a 7nm process with an excellent price-to-performance ratio and multiple core count allow it to operate at ultra-fast speeds.

Along with this, AMD also has a revolutionized single CCX design in their Zen 3 line-up, which reduces latency issues and slow data transfers, making it ideal for gamers who are into live streaming and content creation. Additionally, its compatibility with an X570, B550, or B450 motherboard has greatly added to the hype, and gamers prefer this over the Intel i5 10600K because of the smooth transition that AMD has to offer. If you are on the hunt for a motherboard for Ryzen 5 5600X, you can read more in OvrClock’s article. Also, if you’re on the hunt for the best RAM for Ryzen 5 5600X, we also have an article to help you put together an entire build for your processor.

Even though Intel’s 11th Gen CPUs are just around the corner, bringing native PCIe 4.0 support, AMD is still far ahead in the competition both in terms of performance and chip process.

Coming back, when you have a swift system like this at work, it’s very easy to have throttling issues that can be detrimental to your PC’s performance and shelf life. While overclocking the CPU is an essential element in modern gaming for many people out there, it’s hard to maintain steady temperatures throughout your gaming experience.

To solve these problems, the Ryzen 5 5600X comes with a stock Wraith Stealth cooler included, which is enough to keep everything cool for gamers who overclock every now and then. However, if you are a hardcore gamer who needs to push their gaming PC to its limits, then integrating a dedicated CPU cooler is a necessity to protect your build from overheating damage.

And for this very reason, OvrClock decided to research the multitude of CPU coolers that the PC industry offers both in terms of AIO water coolers or air coolers to help you select the best CPU coolers for your Ryzen 5 5600X build.

Let’s get to showdown.

1. Best Air Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: Noctua NH-U12A
2. Best Entry-Level Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: Coolermaster Hyper 212
3. Best Budget CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX400
4. Best 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: NZXT Kraken X53
5. Best Silent AIO Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: Coolermaster ML240L V2
6. Best RGB CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: Corsair H150i RGB Pro XT
7. Best Low-Profile Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X: Noctua NH-L12S

Quick Summary:

Image	CPU Cooler	Features	Price
Best Air Cooler	Noctua NH-U12A High Performance Fans 7 Heatpipes SecuFirm2 Mounting System Compatibale with Intel/AMD systems High-end NT-H1 Thermal Paste Low Noise Adapter	9.5	Check Price
Entry-Level	Coolermaster Hyper 212 V3 4 x 6mm Copper Heat Pipes  Compatible with both Intel/AMD CPUs Tactile V-formation  Dual-Push Pull System  120MM POM Bearing Fan	9.3	Check Price
Budget Pick	DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX400 120 x 120 x 25mm PWM fan Controllable RGB Fan  RGB sync with ASUS Gigabyte and MSI Motherboards 0.5mm aluminium fans/4 direct heatpipes  Easy Installation	9.2	Check Price
Best AIO CPU Cooler	NZXT Kraken X53 Full CAM Integration  Rubber Tubing/ Nylon Mesh Sleeves  RGB Rotating Cap  Fluid Dynamic Bearing  Compatible with both Intel/AMD Builds	9.7	Check Price
Silent AIO Cooler	Coolermaster ML240L V2 Dual Chamber Pump  Customizable RGB Fans  High-grade seal  Dual Chamber Pump  Support for both Intel/AMD CPUs	9.4	Check Price
Best RGB CPU Cooler	Corsair H150i RGB Pro XT Triple PWM Corsair ML Fans Customizable RGB LEDs on Pump 400~2400 RPM  Zero RPM Cooling with iCUE Extended Cooling Plate	9.6	Check Price
Low-Profile CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-L12S 1x NF-A12x15 PWM premium fan High-grade thermal compound Aluminium Cooling Fins  Low-Noise Adaptor NT-H1 Thermal Paste	9.4	Check Price

While our first option in water cooling was the Kraken X53, with air cooling it’s NH-U12A all the way. This 5^th gen design has everything, from performance to a multi-socket mounting system that allows easy installment.

This cooler has two flagship 120mm fans, which are so powerful they can give 140mm fans a run for their money! The heatsink has been completely revamped and has an enlarged fin design for faster speed dissipation. The total heat pipe count has been raised to seven, which helps the fans push maximum performance.

To maintain low noise levels, the fans have PWM support which provides automatic speed control to control performance accordingly. Plus, you also get Low-Noise Adapters which can reduce speeds from 2000 RPM to 1700 RPM if you like things to be really low-key during your gaming sessions!

The tower size is a standard 120mm, and the 158 mm height means that this cooler is compatible with standard ATX or Micro-ATX motherboards without hanging over the DIMM slots or interfering with your PCIe compatibility.

Lastly, the fan comes along with the NT-H1 thermal compound, which is excellent when it comes to the viability of keeping the CPU thermal temps low. Furthermore, the 6-year-warranty provided by the manufacturer takes your mind off everything else.

If your budget is a little overstretched after the processor and everything else, then the Coolermaster Hype 212 is a good shot for your gaming build because it gets the job done without emptying out your pockets.

It features the new SickleFlow 120 mm fan, which has results up to 2000 RPM at an astonishingly low volume. Not just that, this fan is also really aesthetically pleasing, with its sleek design and holographic theme. The lack of RGB lighting may be off-putting for some but if you are going for a minimalist vibe then this definitely checks all the boxes.

There are also 4 copper heat pipes for heat distribution, and the sophisticated design coupled with the aluminum mounting plate and base shows that all measures for cooling have been taken care of. There is also space to install an additional 120mm fan, and the mounting hardware for that is included, a great plus point budget-wise. And with the 6.25″ height, it won’t really take away from the rest of your build but will continue to be a great asset in extending a computer’s life.

We managed to find GAMMAXX400 as the best price-to-performance ratio air cooler and reading on further will tell you why.

It features a single 120 x 120 x 25mm PWM fan, but it generates enough airflow to get the job done. If you are on a budget then you will probably be hesitant to install a second fan but nevertheless, DeepCool provides both space and installation material for that extra fan if needed. The fan itself is semi-transparent and has blue LED lights, and customers love how it provides a little color with the LEDs while still being a budget pick.

The base has an extremely smooth finish, with 4 heat pipes and a heatsink providing brilliant cooling solutions. All 4 heat pipes are pushed together very closely, and many users have reported that this positively affects the heat dissipation time. 

The cooler can be easily installed thanks to the push-pull configuration, and the mounting screws that come along also aid in the installation. So, if you feel like there isn’t a lot of room in your budget for a cooler, then the GAMMAXX400 is the best choice because you get the features of the cooler without having to overspend or have a build without a cooler.

When it comes to liquid coolers, NZXT definitely knows what it’s doing. And the Kraken X53 is no exception, with its 7th gen Asetek pump that pushes up to 280 RPM.

Ideal for your 5 5600x, the Kraken X53 is made up of high-quality copper, an excellent choice for a liquid cooler. The Aer P radiator fans have an innovative design, making them ideal for silent performance and long-lasting durability. The mesh sleeves provide extra protection for smooth operation, while the 240mm radiator connected via a nylon braided sleeve works fast to dissipate heat around the system. The water block has 80 x 80 x 55 mm dimensions, and it’s definitely small enough to fit in with most builds.

We’ve even noticed the improvements in the software side of things, with the new CAM software welcoming a more user-friendly interface and allowing fans more sophisticated control over their device. The LED ring size is up by 10% in this new model, which helps bring out vivid RGB colors as well as enhancing the NZXT logo.

Overall, NZXT’s biggest goal with this launch was to make something user-friendly within a more pocket-friendly budget, and reviewing the Kraken X53 shows us they got it right on the mark!

To make this one of the quietest coolers on the market, Coolermaster has installed a lot of specs, so get ready to be blown away.

Instead of the usual fans that most coolers offer, this has a 240mm radiator with two 120mm fans inside that have award-worthy aerodynamic in place, with every alternate fin slightly curved to provide faster heat dissipation without the extra noise. There’s also a 3rd gen dual-chamber water pump, which is just as fancy as it sounds. 

The radiator fins have increased the surface area of these fins by almost 25%, which means that there is more area to speed up heat dissipation. You may think this contributes to the noise, but the pump actually has a lot of features that keep noise levels to a minimum.

The cooling system is pretty straight-forward, although the tubing that this cooler uses has a good finish, giving off a polished appearance while maintaining prime functionality. For mounting, a lot of people have commended the screws that come along with the cooler, since they can be tightened with just your hands, so all the messing around with a screwdriver is eliminated. All in all, this seems to be a pretty simple yet enthusiastic design, and we’re here for it.

If you’re here because you’re all about the bling, then the flashy yet classy Corsair H150i RGB Pro XT is here to fulfill all your wishes. As a 360 mm AIO liquid cooler, we have to say its performance is beyond impressive.

First off, customers will be pleased to know that the Pro XT is compatible with every mainstream socket, although pairing it with the Ryzen 5 5600X is a match made in heaven because the Pro XT’s three 120mm fans each give a maximum performance so even the strongest overclockers can avoid overheating and throttling issues. Each fan has potential for 400 to 2,400 RPM while working, although the new Zero RPM Mode software completely stops fans when they aren’t needed, which greatly contributes to a quieter PC overall.

We all know the specs will be good since it’s Corsair, so let’s jump straight into why this fan is actually popular: the lights. With Pro XT, you get 16 Individually addressable RGB LEDs on the pump head, allowing you to illuminate your build in an array of lights that show off your creativity, and the iCUE software means you can synchronize your lights with all the other iCUE friendly components in your build. 

It’s safe to say that if you’re an RGB light fan, then we won’t need to sell you on this any further!

Succeeding the NHL-12, Noctua’s NH-L12S is here to prove yet again how Noctua doesn’t play around in the computer world when it comes to making CPU coolers.

This cooler comes with a slim 120mm fan, and the design really cuts back on unnecessary noise. The smart thing is that the fan is installed above the fins, allowing users to install this with RAM heights up to 48mm, a rarity in the cooler business.

Although the fan has promising results, you can still install a 25mm thick 120mm fan in the case if you wish, and even then the case will only be 96mm tall, making it perfect for small form factor builds and cases.

You may not be getting lights with this one, but customers have raved about the low profile mode that this fan has to offer with many impressed over the low noise levels the case protrudes, even when working at maximum capacity. 

The cherry on top is the mounting sockets and Noctua’s famous NT-H1 thermal compound, making it one of the easiest installations of your life. If you’re still unsure, then it’s worth noting that this fan comes with a six-year warranty, so quality probably isn’t going to be an issue.

Here at OvrClock, we are committed to keeping our editorial and product recommendation processes completely independent from our monetization — so, you can always be sure we are recommending the best PC Parts for you without any partiality.

The OvrClock team has been reviewing all parts of a PC build for years now, and we use our expert opinion and experiences when making recommendations. We try to get our hands on and actually test all of the products we recommend, in addition to the dozens of alternatives that are not on the final list. This allows us to provide insights beyond what you can find from reading other online reviews, and get a true and more clear understanding of the best options. Our diverse team and vast experience also allow us to highlight each product’s ideal use cases, as well as the perfect customer profile for any given product.

For CPU coolers, we test things including but not limited to: build quality, fan speed, CPU temperature, noise level, and form factor, among many other factors. Our experience allows us to translate these insights into actionable conclusions and purchase recommendations for you, without you having to test all the products, or having to sift through piles and piles of data from our testing. All of the recommended CPU Coolers and dozens of others not in this roundup have been tested with a Ryzen 5 5600X processor, and the aforementioned CPU Coolers have been shortlisted based on their stellar performance with the Ryzen 5 5600X processor.

For any questions about our product selection and recommendation process, feel free to contact us.

When people spend their money on expensive components like processors and graphic cards, a lot of them shy away from buying a CPU cooler, which sounds like an insignificant part of the whole ensemble. However, if you are an overclocker or a gaming enthusiast, then overlooking the CPU cooler is an unwise decision because it will harm your system in the long run.

Heat not only damages your system, but it does so very quickly. So, continuous exposure to overheating will raise latency issues, as well as causing your computer to crash often. It will also start to create problems for people who use their computers for editing and streaming, which can ruin a videographer’s hours of hard work. Not to mention, having a computer where problems start cropping up every few weeks is a major turn-off for gamers!

Even though Zen 3 architecture has really improved on cutting the fire, however, for those serious gamers who love to go the highest FPS and to get the best performance out of their CPU, the cooler is imminent.

This is why we at OvrClock carefully review all the products on the market, and then make a list of the best ones, categorizing them for your ease. So whatever your build is, we’re sure you will be able to find the product you want!