Summary

• Liquid AIO coolers are the best for high-end processors, gaming, and overclocking but may not fit everyone's budget.
• Affordable budget liquid coolers like the Arctic Liquid Freezer III can handle most workloads without sacrificing performance.
• The ID-Cooling Zoomflow 240 XT offers impressive cooling performance at a great price, ideal for those on a budget seeking value.

When it comes to cooling today's power-hungry CPUs, the best air coolers can get you far, but not all the way. If you're someone who likes to extract every ounce of performance from your high-end processor, a liquid AIO cooler is the way to go. The best liquid CPU coolers are equipped to handle the demands of high-end gaming, productivity workloads, and overclocked CPUs. However, not all of them might fit everyone's budget.

Hence, I've tried to find affordable options that don't compromise on performance or looks. These budget liquid coolers are some of the best-reviewed units on the market, and will be able to handle most workloads with ease. The 240mm models might not allow you to push your Core i9 or Ryzen 9 CPU to the absolute limit, but for everything else, they're top-notch picks.

1 Editor's pick: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB

Excellent performance, longevity, and a VRM fan

When choosing the best overall liquid cooler, my focus was on an ideal combination of top-notch performance and affordable price. Since the ban on DeepCool products in the US, my previous favorite DeepCool cooler isn't an option anymore. However, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB can do everything most other coolers can do, and maybe more.

Besides packing a large and thick radiator that provides excellent cooling performance, it also has reasonable noise levels and extra cooling for your motherboard VRMs. Unlike many other AIOs, the Liquid Freezer comes with a VRM fan installed on the CPU block that can bring down your VRM temps by up to 5℃. That's a healthy reduction by any standards. Plus, it's easy to install, except for needing additional pressure during installation on AM5 motherboards.

For most users, this is the best affordable AIO on the market, unless you're running a Core i9 14900K or Core i9-14900KS for demanding workloads.

Arctic is known for offering powerful coolers at affordable prices, and this one is no different. It looks great, has bright ARGB lighting, and comes in a white variant as well. For most users, this is the best affordable AIO on the market, unless you're running a Core i9 14900K or Core i9-14900KS for demanding workloads. For all other CPUs and workloads like gaming, it's more than capable of keeping your CPU temps under control.

2 Best value: ID-Cooling Zoomflow 240 XT

Incredible performance at a fantastic price

The real value in AIO liquid coolers lies in the 240mm category, and the ID-Cooling Zoomflow 240 XT punches far above its weight. Don't go by its 240mm radiator — it can easily cool up to a 240W CPU load and stay silent when doing so. The 120mm PWM fans are capable of high airflow, and also come with gorgeous ARGB lighting. You can also get the white variant if you're building an all-white PC.

Overall, the Zoomflow 240 XT is one of the most value-packed liquid coolers, and it costs just under $70.

It supports both LGA1700, AM4, and AM5 sockets (among others), and is easy to install. You can also control the RGB lighting using a bundled controller, in case your motherboard doesn't have RGB headers. Overall, the Zoomflow 240 XT is one of the most value-packed liquid coolers, and it costs just under $70.

3 Best premium: Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos

Premium build quality and a 5-year warranty

We are talking about budget liquid coolers, but for a slight premium, you can get much more for your money with the Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos. Performance is something that's a given with this massive 360mm cooler, thanks to its noise-efficient SickleFlow fans and premium build quality. Both the pump and the fans come with beautiful ARGB lighting, and you can even download custom pump covers which you can 3D-print and install on the waterblock

The 360 Atmos can keep your high-performance machine running cooler than many expensive coolers while costing significantly less than them. You're paying a small premium over the other options on this list for better build quality, a fancier pump design, and extra cooling performance.

4 Best white: Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB

Powerful and stunning for a premium

White CPU coolers are quite common, with almost every model featuring a white variant these days. Still, the Thermaltake TH280 V2 ARGB is one of the most visually arresting white coolers you'll come across. The 240mm cooler opts for a minimalist, industrial look, for both the fans and the pump. The soft RGB lighting adds to the understated aesthetic, and the infinity mirror effect of the pump gives a premium feel to the package.

In terms of performance, the TH280 V2 ARGB can easily keep up with almost all 240mm coolers on the market, packing enough performance to keep up with most modern CPUs in a variety of workloads. It does come with a premium for a 280mm cooler, but if you're after one of the best white CPU coolers available, it might be worth it.

5 Best compact: Enermax LIQMAXFLO SR 120

Solid performance for SFF builds

120mm AIOs don't have the same muscle as 240mm or 360mm coolers, but they can be ideal for compact builds where you don't want to install a small 240mm cooler. The Enermax LIQMAXFLO SR 120 is one of the best 120mm coolers you can find, thanks to its cooling performance, VRM fan on the CPU block, and a 5-year warranty.

The pump cover can be rotated to suit your style, and the RGB lighting on the pump keeps things visually interesting without overwhelming everything else.

You might find other 120mm AIOs with stronger cooling, but the SR 120 remains noise-efficient while providing great cooling performance at the same time. This makes it highly ideal for builds with space constraints. The pump cover can be rotated to suit your style, and the RGB lighting on the pump keeps things visually interesting without overwhelming everything else. You also get a premium pre-applied thermal paste on the CPU block.

How much should you spend on a liquid cooler?

CPU cooling is one area where you shouldn't go with bargain components. Adequate cooling is essential to keeping your CPU running near its maximum potential. Still, that doesn't mean you should splurge on $200+ coolers for every build. The $70-$110 price segment is ideal when shopping for a reliable and powerful liquid cooler for less power-hungry 6-core and 8-core chips.

For your Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processors, you can consider spending over $150 or even $200 if you want to avoid performance drops due to thermal throttling.