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Intel’s 9th generation of processors is a further refinement of their 14nm technology, and i7 9700K remains one the most powerful processors on the market in 2021 and a favorite of millions of gamers and content creators.
Unfortunately, the i7 9700K comes with the highest thermals of any Core i7 processors we have tested in the past.To keep those thermals in check without compromising the performance, a robust cooling solution is a must. We tested dozens of air and liquid cooling solutions from reputable manufacturers and narrowed our list down to eight best CPU coolers for i7-9700k that deliver reliable performance with unique features.
If you were actually looking for the best CPU cooler for i7-8700k, we got you covered. Check them out!
Cooling: Air Coolers vs. Liquid AIO Coolers for i7-7900k
Before we jump into cooler reviews, it is essential to differentiate between the two major cooling technologies on the market. Air coolers display a more traditional design featuring a heatsink and a fan or fans attached to it for cooling.
Liquid AIO CPU coolers are much more complex, using a radiator with fans, piping, a water pump, and a water block to keep the i7-9700k cool. They are more expensive but also deliver low-noise levels and better cooling performance than air coolers in general.
Best Coolers for i7 9700K in 2021
It is time to get down to business. This is our list of eight best coolers for i7 9700k. It was a challenge to cut this list down to eight entries, and we had to leave some fantastic products off of it. Yet, we are confident that our choices go that extra mile and satisfy even the pickiest PC enthusiasts.
| Image | Product | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
TOP OVERALL CHOICE  | Noctua NH-D15 Cooler Type: Air | 9.9 | Check On Amazon |
OVERCLOCKERS’ CHOICE  | Cooler Master V8 GTS Cooler Type: Air | 9.6 | Check On Amazon |
GAMERS’ COOLER  | MSI Cooling Core Frozr XL Cooler Type: Air | 9.4 | Check On Amazon |
BUDGET AIR COOLER  | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Cooler Type: Air | 9.2 | Check On Amazon |
MID-RANGE & SILENT  | Cryorig H5 Ultimate CR-H5B Cooler Type: Air | 8.8 | Check On Amazon |
BEST AIO FOR i7 9700k  | Corsair Hydro H150i PRO Cooler Type: Liquid | 8.8 | Check On Amazon |
BEST RGB AIO COOLER  | Thermaltake Floe Triple RGB 360 Cooler Type: Liquid | 8.7 | Check On Amazon |
BUDGET AIO COOLER  | Alphacool Eisbaer 240 CPU Cooler Type: Liquid | 8.6 | Check On Amazon |
1. Noctua NH-D15 – Top CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Noctua NH-D15
Noctua has been on the top of the air cooler game for years now, and their NH-D15 flagship cooler is a force to be reckoned with.
This unit just blew through all of our tests and made quite an impression. Top-notch performance is what we expect from Noctua, but we were impressed with low noise levels as well.
Equipped with iconic brown NF-A15 PWM 140mm fans, the NH-D15 moves a lot of air, enough to cool a furnace of a processor that is i7 9700K when overclocked. It manages to do that while maxing out at just 24.3 dB under load.
The cooler’s aesthetics are not for everyone, and RGB enthusiasts will feel disappointed with the lack of RGB integration. Still, there is no denying the performance and value of this cooler and an easy choice for Top Overall Choice for best CPU air cooler for i7-9700k.
- Unmatched cooling performance
- Low noise
- Excellent build quality
- Compatibility with numerous sockets
- The color scheme might be off-putting to some
- No RGB support
2. Cooler Master V8 GTS – Best i7 9700k Cooler for Overclockers
Cooler Master V8 GTS
Competitive gamers and high-end content creators, and professionals need the absolute best performance from their PC, which means unleashing the full power of a CPU like i7 9700k.
Overclocking is standard in this group, squeezing every ounce of performance that the CPU can offer.
This poses a massive challenge to keep the CPU cool enough to avoid thermal throttling and damage.
Cooler Master V8 GTS is the air cooler to rise to that task. Its horizontal vapor chamber design combined with a triple heatsink construction delivers outstanding cooling performance under heavy loads.
Related: Best Motherboards for i7 9700k
While Noctua NH-D15 is our top overall choice, it failed to keep up with V8 GTS when overclocking past the 5.1 GHz mark.
V8 GTS hit as much as 36 dB in our testing. Additionally, demanding users like gamers need RGB integration and support at this price level, and the V8 GTS only has a single-color LED light, red.
- Top-of-the-line cooling performance
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent socket compatibility
- Vapor chamber design
- Noisy under heavy load
- Quite pricey
3. MSI Cooling Core Frozr XL – Best i7 9700k CPU Cooler for Gamers
MSI Cooling Core Frozr XL
Like the previous entry on our list, MSI’s Cooling Core Frozr XL targets the hardcore gamers and professionals that need to unleash the power of i7 9700K through overclocking.
Unlike V8 GTS, MSI’s Cooling Core Frozr XL did make sure that the aesthetics and other gaming features do not suffer because of that performance.
Besides the full RGB integration, Cooling Core Frozr XL offers adjustable fan height levels to allow higher profile RAM with RGB to be installed on the motherboard.
Unfortunately, the noise levels are once again high, although slightly lower than V8 GTS, at 33.6 dB.- Excellent cooling performance for overclockers
- Appealing design
- RGB integration
- Adjustable height fans
- Noisy under heavy load
- Mounting instructions were unclear
4. Cooler Master Hyper 212 – Top Budget RGB Air CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Air Cooler
Not everyone can afford to have a high-end PC with the most expensive components and peripherals. Those who want that high-end performance on a budget and manage to save for an i7 9700K need a cooling solution that is easy on their wallet.
There is no doubt that Cooler Master Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition shines in this segment.
It is obvious that it’s a smaller unit than premium models, but it still packs a punch. It kept the i7 9700k cool on out-of-the-box clock speeds and even managed to stay quiet under low to moderate loads.
It does not support heavy overclocking, and it tends to get loud under heavy load. Yet this is expected at this price point.
Hyper 212 offers additional value with excellent RGB integration and a separate RGB controller for synchronization with other RGB components in the system. Overall, none of the air coolers managed to offer so much at this price point, making the Hyper 212 our best budget CPU cooler for an i7 9700K pick.
- Excellent cooling performance
- Support for RGB integration
- Excellent build quality
- Fantastic value
- The noise levels are relatively high under full load
- Smaller heatsink requires the fan to work at high RPM often
5. Cryorig H5 Ultimate CR-H5B – Silent CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Cryorig H5 Ultimate with XF140 Fan
Air coolers tend to be noisy, especially when under heavy load. Some premium models that will cost you well over $100 can deliver low-noise with excellent thermals.
Yet, those who value silent performance on a budget do not have a lot of options. That is until now.
Cryorig H5 Ultimate CR-H5B is an excellent mid-range air cooler with outstanding acoustic levels.
The heart of the cooler is its unique heatsink design coupled with a quality 140mm fan that maxes out at just 1,300 RPM. This is more than enough to keep the i7 9700K cool at out of the box temperatures.
The smaller heatsink and low-speed fan on this cooler do not leave a lot of headroom for overclocking, and there are no fancy features like RGB. Yet, for those that put a premium on silence when working, Cryorig H5 Ultimate is a great value.
- Nearly silent operation
- Unique heatsink design
- Low-RPM fan
- Excellent build quality
- Little room for overclocking
- No RGB and other fancy features
6. Corsair Hydro H150i PRO RGB – Best AIO CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Corsair Hydro Series H150i PRO
Corsair’s Hydro Series of AIO liquid coolers has been a step ahead of the competition, and their flagship model, H150i PRO RGB AIO Liquid CPU cooler, is a fantastic unit that sets the bar for high-end liquid coolers.
It ran away from the competition as our best liquid CPU cooler for i7 9700k.
It features the triple-fan design with three 120mm Corsair ML Fans moving enough air to keep the i7 9700K cool even when overclocked heavily. We are talking about the best-in-class cooling while keeping the noise incredibly low at just 20.0 dB.
If it were not for our GPU’s noise, we would have trouble hearing the unit at all!All the advanced features, like RGB integration and premium build quality, are standard at this price. Besides the price, the only real downside we found with this unit was the radiator’s size and how it limits the PC build options only to large ATX cases.
- Fantastic performance
- Nearly Silent
- RGB synchronization on the water block
- Premium build quality
- Quite expensive
- Size limits it to larger factor PC builds
7. Thermaltake RGB 360 TT Premium – Top RGB AIO CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Thermaltake Floe Triple Riing RGB
Let’s face it. Aesthetics matter and most of us love to show off our PC build. Finding an AIO cooler that delivers superior aesthetics and does not compromise on performance is a challenge.
A challenge we believe that Thermaltake has aced with their Floe Riing RGB 360 TT Premium Edition liquid AIO cooler.
RGB lovers will rejoice at the RGB integration on both the fans and the water block. Thermaltake’s Ring Plus ecosystem offers endless customization and synchronization, although we experienced some bugs with the software.
This stunner also delivers excellent cooling performance while staying quite silent at 24.7 dB under load.- Excellent cooling performance
- Low noise levels
- Thermaltake’s Riing Plus RGB ecosystem
- Amazing aesthetics
- The size limits this AIO cooler to larger format PC builds
- Buggy software for RGB controls
8. Alphacool 11285 Eisbaer 240 – Best Budget AIO CPU Cooler for i7 9700k
Alphacool 11285 Eisbaer CPU Cooler
Looking for a high-quality budget AIO solution is a daunting task. To lower the AIO cost, manufacturers often cut too many corners and compromise the cooling performance.
German Alphacool has been in the cooling game since 2003, and they delivered an excellent budget AIO. 11285 Eisbaer 240, for just a fraction of the price of the premium models.
There is no way around it. This is a barebone AIO, as there is no RGB support, and the aesthetics are too put it mildly passable. Yet, the cooling performance of the 11285 Eisbaer 240 is on par with the more expensive models.
- Fantastic value
- Solid cooling performance
- Modular design
- Easy installation
- Bland aesthetics
- No RGB
CPU coolers for i7 9700k FAQs:
Do I need a CPU cooler for my i7 9700k?
Yes. Intel’s i7 9700K is a high-performance desktop CPU that gets very hot under load. To prevent damage to the CPU, a robust cooling solution is an absolute must.
Is a liquid cooler better than an air cooler for an i7 9700k CPU?
It all depends on the cooler. In general, liquid coolers offer better temperatures and lower noise but at a higher price. Still, high-end air coolers are on par with the best liquid cooling solutions on the market.
What to look for in a CPU cooler for i7 9700k?
With the amount of heat that i7 9700K produces, a cooler must keep the temperatures low enough to avoid thermal-throttling, decreased performance, and damage to the chip. Low noise, build quality, and socket compatibility are other factors you must consider when buying a cooler.
How to install a CPU cooler on i7 9700k?
Installing a CPU cooler on i7 9700K is straightforward. For air coolers, make sure to first install the CPU mounting bracket on the motherboard’s back. Apply a thin layer of thermal paste over the CPU and clean off any residue on the cooling block that will make contact with the processor. Place the cooling block over the CPU, press it down and screw it in.
The procedure is identical for liquid AIO coolers except for the radiator. Your PC case must have support for radiator mounting of that size.
To conclude – What’s the best CPU cooler for i7 9700k?
It was a tough road narrowing down our choice to these eight coolers for i7 9700k. There are plenty of solid products on the market, but we believe our choices stand out in the crowd.
Noctua’s NH-D15 is a reference high-end air cooler and our top overall pick, while coolers like Cooler Master Hyper 212 offer tremendous value at budget prices.
Liquid AIOs in our list did not lag, with Corsair’s H150i PRO RGB that shined as our pick for the best overall AIO cooler, while gamers should get excited for Thermaltake’s Floe Riing RGB 360 TT.
