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Buying a decent air cooler can be quite difficult, as the market is saturated with multiple models. Let us help you choose the right one.
Many users get confused by the sheer number of CPU air coolers available on the market. Whether to buy a single-tower cooler, a dual-tower cooler, a single-tower cooler with dual fans, or something else. Besides, not all coolers are made equally. Sometimes, even a single-tower cooler with a single fan can beat a single-tower cooler with dual fans. A few factors, such as the copper thermal base, the number and thickness of heat pipes, and the fin stack materials, matter more than the number of fans or towers.
That’s why we compiled a list of some of the best budget air coolers to help you make the right choice. The coolers we present to you are industry-tested to deliver better performance per dollar. With that said, all the best budget CPU air coolers are showcased below.
Note: The article is subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion. The prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
What Are the Best Budget Air Coolers for Gaming?
1) be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 Black CPU Air Cooler
The be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 is one of the best CPU air coolers at this price point. It can easily handle power-hungry CPUs, such as the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. Even when you fully stress a CPU like the Intel Core i9-14900K, which can consume up to 253W, the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3 will still keep the temps under 90°C. This cooler achieves this level of performance without becoming annoyingly loud, unlike other models.
2) Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler
The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE can keep Intel CPUs, such as the Intel Core i9-14900K, even cooler at around 85-87°C compared to the be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3. It is also cheaper, but this level of performance comes at the cost of noise, which will sound substantially louder. However, if you play with headphones on and don’t care about noise, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE is the better option. Else, you should get the be quiet! model.
3) ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE Dual-Tower Air CPU Cooler
The ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE delivers the best of both worlds: The higher performance of the Thermalright PA 120 SE and the low noise of be quiet! Pure Rock Pro 3. It gets strikingly close to the performance and noise of the two coolers above while costing under $30. This is why many users prefer it at this price.
There aren’t many coolers that can deliver the same price-to-performance ratio as the ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE. You can use it to cool Intel Core i9-14900K, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, or any other CPUs with up to 300W of TDP (PL2).
4) Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black CPU Air Cooler
The Cooler Master Hyper 212 is a great air cooler for mid-range and high-end CPUs up to Intel Core i7-14700K and AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D. It is a single-tower cooler with a single fan, so it can only cool up to 250W. Due to its all-black design, this cooler won’t ruin the aesthetics of your new PC. Even the fin stack is all black. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 is also cheaper, so budget users shouldn’t have any issues buying it.
5) ID-COOLING SE-214-XT ARGB CPU Cooler
The ID-COOLING SE-214-XT costs only $15.29, making it the cheapest air cooler on this list. Due to its cheaper price tag, there are some compromises. The most obvious one is the fin stack, which is not painted black to match the rest of the black design. What is not compromised is its performance.
It can keep the Intel Core i7-14700K, AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D, and any other 250W TDP or lower CPU’s temperature in check. The ID-COOLING SE-214-XT is also outfitted with an ARGB fan, which some gamers might like. However, the RGB is a personal preference. Some love it, and others may want to get rid of it. However, at this price, the ID-COOLING SE-214-XT is a gem, thanks to its solid performance.
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