Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best CPU Coolers (2026)
The cheapest cpu coolers is Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE at $35. Best by the numbers — Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE (lowest price), Noctua NH-D15 G2 (newest). This page compares 8 cpu coolers across 8 brands on price and key specs — every figure sourced, updated June 2026.
8 cpu coolers compared on the specs that matter and US price — ranked cheapest-first. Every spec and price links to its source and the date we captured it.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE at $35 (Typical US street price; reviewed September 2022 at ~$36).
- Typical price: from $35, median $135.00, up to $279.99 — across 8 priced.
- Tracked: 8 products across 8 brands, current through 2026-06-15.
- Compared on: type, radiator or height mm, fan count, socket support, tdp rating w, rgb.
Best by the numbers
Objective winners — each is the leader on one measured spec, with the figure. No subjective ranking.
- Lowest price: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ($35)
- Newest: Noctua NH-D15 G2 (2024-07)
- Lowest noise dba max: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 (23.3 noise dba max)
Comparison
| # | CPU Cooler | Price | type | radiator or height mm | fan count | socket support | tdp rating w | rgb | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE | $35 | air | 155 mm | 2 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156; AMD AM5, AM4 | — | false | thermalright.com |
| 2 | be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 | $99.9 | air | 168 mm | 2 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155; AMD AM5, AM4 | 270 | false | bequiet.com |
| 3 | Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT | $119.99 | aio_liquid | 360 mm | 3 | Intel LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x, LGA2011, LGA2066; AMD AM5, AM4, sTRX4/sTR4 | — | true | corsair.com |
| 4 | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 | $130 | aio_liquid | 360 mm | 3 | Intel LGA1700, LGA1851, AMD AM4, AM5 (LGA1200/115x via optional kit) | — | false | arctic.de |
| 5 | Deepcool LS720 | $139.99 | aio_liquid | 360 mm | 3 | Intel LGA2066, LGA2011-v3, LGA2011, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA1155; AMD sTRX4, sTR4, AM5, AM4 | — | true | deepcool.com |
| 6 | Noctua NH-D15 G2 | $149.95 | air | 168 mm | 2 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x; AMD AM5, AM4 | — | false | noctua.at |
| 7 | Lian Li Galahad II Trinity Performance 360 | $169.99 | aio_liquid | 360 mm | 3 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA115x; AMD AM5, AM4 | — | true | lian-li.com |
| 8 | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024) | $279.99 | aio_liquid | 360 mm | 3 | Intel LGA1851, LGA1700, LGA1200/115x; AMD AM5, AM4 | — | true | nzxt.com |
Specs are as published by the manufacturer (or a reputable spec source where the official page was unavailable); prices are US launch MSRP. Full per-product records and all spec columns are in our open dataset.
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest cpu coolers?
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is the cheapest at $35 (Typical US street price; reviewed September 2022 at ~$36), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does cpu coolers cost?
Across the 8 cpu coolers with a published price, the median is $135.00, ranging from $35 to $279.99, as of 2026-06-15.
Which cpu coolers is best by the numbers?
Lowest price: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ($35). Newest: Noctua NH-D15 G2 (2024-07). Lowest noise dba max: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5 (23.3 noise dba max).
How many cpu coolers are compared here?
8 cpu coolers across 8 brands, with US price and key specs, current through 2026-06-15.
More hardware comparisons
How we compiled this
Roster covers eight high-search CPU coolers spanning AIO liquid and air categories: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360, NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB (2024), Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT, Noctua NH-D15 G2, Deepcool LS720, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE, be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5, and Lian Li Galahad II Trinity Performance 360. Sources consulted include manufacturer product pages (arctic.de, noctua.at, bequiet.com, deepcool.com, lian-li.com, thermalright.com, corsair.com, nzxt.com), retailer listings (Newegg, Amazon, Micro Center, Best Buy), and independent reviews (GamersNexus, Tom's Hardware, TechPowerUp, KitGuru). Specs strings carry units where applicable (e.g. "360 mm", "168 mm"); booleans indicate yes/no features; noise_dba_max is the manufacturer-rated or reviewer-measured peak dB(A) at 100% fan speed; tdp_rating_w is the manufacturer-stated maximum dissipation where published, otherwise null. Adversarial re-verification 2026-06-15: corrected Corsair socket list (removed LGA1851, which the XT does not support per the official Corsair page and Amazon listing) and nulled Thermalright PA120 SE tdp_rating_w (Thermalright does not publish a hard numeric TDP ceiling; spec pages state only "TDP exceeding 200 W" — a null beats an unsourced 265 W). accessedAt 2026-06-15.
Last verified 2026-06-15. We re-check published specs and prices on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
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