AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X is one of the best processors you can buy, with tons of performance from its 170W TDP. You’ll want to start with one of the best AM5 motherboards to take advantage of every ounce of power. Then, you’ll want the best cooling solutions to tame those thermals. Whether you prefer air cooling for simplicity or AIO or custom water cooling for the best performance, we’ve got you covered with the best CPU coolers for the Ryzen 9 7950X.

• Best overall

  be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5

  $90 $100 Save $10

  Brand

  be quiet!

  Cooling Method

  Air

  Noise Level

  ~24 dB(A)

  Fan Speed

  ~2,000 RPM

  This sleek air cooler hides dual-tower heat sinks with seven copper heat pipes, translating into high-performance cooling for the Ryzen 9 7950X. And even though it's large, it stays away from the RAM slots on AM5 so it's compatible with high-profile modules.

  $88 at Amazon $90 at Newegg
• Best low-end air cooler

  Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler

  The Peerless Assassin 120 SE slashes thermals on any CPU it's attached to, with a dual-tower, dual-fan design that looks much more premium than its price-tag would suggest. It's the new bang for buck air cooler, and can handle up to 265W, more than enough for any Ryzen 7000 series.

  $40 at Amazon $35 at Newegg
• Best premium air cooler

  Noctua NH-D15

  Noctua's NH-D15 has been king of the air coolers since it was first released, so it's perfect to pair with the most powerful Ryzen 7000 processor. With two oversize fans to push air past the dual tower coolers, thermal issues are a thing of the past.

  $120 at Amazon $110 at Newegg
• Best white AIO liquid cooler

  Corsair iCUE Link H150i RGB

  If you're trying to put together an all-white build, Corsair has you covered with the iCUE Link H150i RGB. It'll keep your CPU cool, while clearing the usual AIO cable mess by moving all of the connectors to the end of the radiator, instead of the CPU block.

  $215 at Amazon $215 at Best Buy
• Best 240mm liquid cooler

  be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 240

  be quiet! makes some of our favorite coolers on the market, both air and liquid coolers. So, if you're looking for a silent liquid cooling system, check out the be quiet! Pure Loop 2 FX 240. This 240mm liquid cooler keeps your system running cool and silent and features synchronized aRGB profiles.

  $155 at Newegg $155 at Amazon
• Best 360mm AiO

  Lian Li Galahad II Trinity 360mm

  We prefer a 360mm AiO for the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and the Lian Li Galahad II Trinity fits the bill. This AiO features aRGB lighting, and three incredibly high-powered fans to keep the most powerful AMD CPU cool.

  $150 at B&H $182 at Amazon
• Best 420mm liquid cooler

  Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 A-RGB

  High-performance CPUs need a high-performance cooler, and this 420mm AIO from Arctic is a perfect match. It's optimized for AM5 wtih the center of the cold plate over the Ryzen 7000 hotspot, for better heat transfer away from the CPU.

  $116 at Amazon $150 at Newegg
• Best custom watercooling kit

  Corsair Hydro X Series iCUE XH305i RGB PRO Custom Cooling Kit

  $550 $600 Save $50

  Custom watercooling gives you the best thermal performance but can be complex to figure out what parts you need. Corsair makes it simple, with the XH305i kit that comes with everything you need to build a CPU-only loop, including tools.

  $550 at Amazon $550 at Newegg

What you need to know about choosing a CPU cooler for the Ryzen 9 7950X

The 170W TDP of the Ryzen 9 7950X isn’t easy to cool. Our testing showed that it likes to boost clocks until it hits Tjmax, which is 95 degrees Celsius, and then it self-throttles to stay under that mark. This sustained thermal load can overpower smaller coolers, so I picked the DeepCool ASSASSIN IV as my top choice. Not everyone likes to use AIO coolers, and this oversized air cooler is simple and efficient at moving heat away from the CPU.

If cost is the primary consideration, Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin 120 SE undercuts the competition by a wide margin and will do a fine job of keeping the 7950X cool, if with a little less thermal headroom. AIO liquid coolers will offer better thermal performance, especially the 420mm on the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420. And if you want even more performance with the ability to add a liquid-cooled GPU at some point, Corsair’s Hydro X Series Custom Cooling Kit makes it easy to get started with custom water cooling. To get the final piece of the performance puzzle, you’ll want to check out our list of the best RAM for AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X.