4 Best Budget CPU Cooler Under $30/$50$100/$150 | Top Picks

To receive the most out of your processor, you need a cooler that is superior to the one that came with it. Your stock cooler is not going to be able to handle the heat that comes with overclocking.

When the processor gets the hottest, you will need an aftermarket CPU cooler that does not exceed your budget and stays quiet when the processor’s at its coolest.

However, a cooling solution for your processor can run you a lot of money. The best solution depends on your budget. However, many top-rated Best Budget CPU Coolers Under $30/$50/ $100/$150 include Cooler Master and ARCTIC brands.

A list of the best cheap CPU coolers has been compiled below to help you pick the best one. When building your next-generation gaming PC, selecting wallet-friendly heatsinks can help save you a significant amount of money. It would be best to avoid liquid CPU coolers or warm water heaters at all costs on a budget.

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4 Best Budget CPU Cooler Under $30/$50$100/$150 | Top Picks

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

2. Noctua NH-L9i CPU Cooler

3. ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO

4.Cooler Master MasterAir Maker $150

1. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

  • Unique 4-pipe cooling design
  • Outstanding airflow
  • Compatible with another 120 mm cooler
  • Produced by reliable manufacturer

 

 

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Provides Excellent Airflow

This Hyper LED Cooler Master measures 4.7 x 4.7 inches, which fits most PCs. The Cooler Master Hyper LED measures 4.7 x 4.7 inches, which is a perfect size for optimizing performance. The system exerts a busy cooling system with the cooling system.

There are only four designs with direct thermal contact intended to accelerate surface-to-surface heat transport. This ingenious solution does not expect some power source to be trendy.

This cooler is for people who need an amazing cooler but want exceptional services and products. Its fan is different from a typical product within the purchase price range. Its blades are wave-shaped and have been created to provide excellent airflow.

This outstanding fan design can lower the operating temperatures by 25 degrees lower than the ambient temperatures. These are outstanding concrete gains. Not only that, but it can accommodate another 120-mm cooler to run a lot more complex games or applications.

Thermal adhesive is not included in your purchase, so you will need to purchase it separately. Because of its advanced blade technology and cost considering pipe design, the Cooler Master Hyper LED CPU Cooler is considered the very best in the market.

Our Reviews:

  • The Hyper 212 EVO cooling performance is the result of combining a single tower heat-sink with four direct contact heat pipes, and two 120mm fan that provides great airflow. So you can game or compute for hours on end without fear of your PC overheating.
  • The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO has a universal mounting system for Intel and AMD processors and it includes a PWM fan that automatically adjusts its speed according to temperature so it’s always running as efficiently as possible.
  • You’ll never have to worry about your CPU overheating, even when you’re overclocking it. This CPU cooler has a black finish that will look great with any build, and it’s easy to install.

Product Reviews:

  • “The improved mounting system on the Hyper 212 RGB Black Edition is a welcomed sight. The aesthetics of this cooler are fantastic. The entire cooler is “blacked out” and looks much better than the Hyper 212s of the past. The RGB functionality is also there, for anyone looking for that kind of thing (which is everyone, right?). The value here is pretty high. It’s difficult to find a comparable cooler for the price, especially when this is on sale. I’m currently using this on a 2700X and it performed about 5-10 degrees cooler than the Wraith Prism while operating at a lower noise level. Color me impressed!” – Al D.
  • “I needed a cheap heat sink for temporary use while my Tt Floe Riing 360mm AIO was being replaced under warranty due to a leaking pump. I have to admit that this is way better than I expected it to be. My CPU temps at 5.0GHz in Cinebench are roughly the same as they were at 5.2GHz in Cinebench using water cooling. I added a second fan for push/pull. The temps are good enough that I don’t have to be bored or impatient running stock clocks or a mickey mouse overclock while waiting for the RMA. If you are on a tight budget and cannot afford liquid cooling, I highly recommend this cooler.” – Mr. Fo
  • “I wasn’t expecting it to stick out. But it worked still. The instructions are easy if you know if you have intel or AMD. Before putting on the paste, make sure the screws on the fan thing align with the back plate. The RGB controller confused me. The instructions show you plugging it into something, but IDK what that’s supposed to be. My old RGB stock fan just plugged into the CPU FAN peg things. So when this fan didn’t light up I thought the controller was broken. Turns out, that the controller connection part of the instructions can be left out. Just find those peg things that say LED CPU and plug the second cord from the fan in there. Lights work, fan works. So far so good. I can control the colors using the RGB 2.0 thing that came with the motherboard. Idk how to explain that.” – Mallory

 


2. Noctua NH-L9i CPU Cooler

Noctua NH-L9i CPU Cooler

  • Ultra-compact low-profile
  • 39mm total height
  • 100% compatibility RAM
  • Optimised NF-A9x14 slim 92mm fan
  • Low-Noise Adaptor for speed control

 

 

Noctua NH-L9i CPU Produces Best CPU Cooling Solutions

So, it is not a surprise that Noctua produces some of the best CPU cooling solutions. This new model has a thin profile design suitable for building a small form factor PC. This way, you can create a more miniature PC without sacrificing performance.

The cooling fan is just 9-2 mm in size, and it’s powerful enough to hold the 8600K on top even after a bit of overclocking. With this cooler, RAM clearance should not be an issue. An adapter that regulates the power of the fan and reduces sound also comes with the cooling system. This is the cooler you want if you’re looking for a silent processing system.

You get adequate cooling performance for your case, but there are better coolers if you use a larger PC. The SFX can make the most of the cooler’s ventilation and system cooling, and there shouldn’t be any significant issues.

This fan’s sheer size and static pressure are what impress me the most. I know most of you thought this would do nothing; it was too small. Well, Noctua decided to go beyond our expectations in the latest addition to its fan arsenal.

Certain things might be affecting the performance. However, even the blades, which have grooves cut into them, have their edges. Getting a 25mm thick fan into the system might serve you better than the supplied hardware.

The setup should be pretty straightforward if you design a new PC. But if you mount this on an existing device, the motherboard might have to be removed to mount this cooler. To mount this, you need access to the rear of this motherboard.

Our Reviews:

  • The NH-L9i is a premium quality quiet CPU cooler that is compatible with Intel LGA115x and LGA2011 processors. The cooler uses Noctua’s award-winning NF-A9x14 92mm fan for maximum performance and features PWM support and Low-Noise Adaptor (LNA) for automatic speed control.
  • The NH-L9i has a compact footprint and low profile, making it ideal for small form factor systems and HTPCs. The included SecuFirm2 mounting system provides easy, secure installation on Intel LGA115x and LGA2011 motherboards. The NH-L9i comes with a full 6-year warranty from Noctua.
  • The NH-L9i is Noctua’s award-winning low-profile CPU cooler that fits most Intel and AMD sockets. The NH-L9i has a total of six heat pipes that help to dissipate heat quickly and efficiently. It also features two 92mm NF-A9 PWM fans for excellent cooling performance.

Product Reviews:

  • “I have an old Windows 7 desktop with good added equipment, particularly a good sound card will full in- and output jacks. I really wanted to keep it for the purpose of digitizing old family memories on cassette tapes, among other projects that didn’t require the use of the internet (I wasn’t willing to spend the money for a Windows 10 upgrade on that computer). There were a few minor limits in the installation instructions, but once I got past them, I ended up with a highly efficient new fan for the CPU (as verified by the already-installed temperature monitoring software). It’s been in for the better part of a year now, used regularly, and has performed flawlessly. If I ever need to replace a CPU fan again, I would not hesitate to purchase this (or a similar model from the same company). This is truly a 5-star (i.e. top tier) piece of equipment that I’ve entrusted my computer too.” – Grits
  • “Fantastic, luxurious, silent, and icy cool. I test dozens of coolers under 40mm for my system integration gigs and custom SFF system, like the NFC-Systems S4 Mini. This is the best bi-directional cooler under 45mm that I have seen by a fair margin. It is expensive but worth it. The fan is very quiet and I am glad because many of my systems are built for small radio and television studios and are unisolated. This works beautifully in the NFC-Systems S4 Mini and I highly recommend it.” – NFC
    “Highly recommended. I bought this for the Intel Pentium G4600 which comes with a pretty loud and cheap fan. I should know better by now but first tried to buy a cheap (< $20 heatsink and fan). I had to send that back. The Noctua (low-profile) CPU cooler is a little pricey, but you get high quality extremely quiet cooling for your money. Installation is a tiny bit of hassle since it requires access to the back of the motherboard, but once installed and you turn on your PC and listen to the lack of sound, you will be happy you spent the time and money. Remember to go into the BIOS setting and manually set the fan speeds to very low, or choose a
  • “Silent” profile. Check the fan speed with something like HWInfo64. Then install the included adapter cable to make the fan run even slower. I have mine set to 400 RPM or so at 30C CPU temperature. No matter the fan speed though, it’s extremely quiet, but of course, at > 1500 RPM there will be a slight whisper from the fan blades.” – K L

 


3. ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO

ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO

  • 54 cooling fins lead to an ideal 
  • Freezer 34 eSports DUO
  • Fast and easy to install
  • Compatible with Intel and AMD sockets

 

 

Why Is ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO So Popular?

Despite being widely known for its powerful AIO liquid coolers like the 280mm AIO Liquid Freezer II, the Arctic offers a less expensive but still impressive cooler: the eSports Freezer 34 DUO.

They are available in a variety of colors, including yellow, white, green, and reddish. This kit is compatible with Intel and AMD sockets, including AMD TR4 sockets. This cooler is also equipped with PWM PST for synchronous fan control and has a long lifespan and lower energy consumption. The dimensions of this unit might not result from incompatibility issues with some RAM kits, which could be relatively large.

Here we find two Arctic BioniX P120 fans with improved static tension and improved thermal-coated heat sinks. These fans are also able to benefit from a new precise and lasting double ball bearing.

The meeting could be improved with the proper distinction between the fixing system’s spacers through separate bags or an inscription on the spacers themselves.

This cooler will soon be on your shopping list in terms of cooling performance and low noise level. We’re faced with a cooler with the best value for money and a very refined design for a relatively low price range.

Our Reviews:

  • The ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO is the perfect cooling solution for gaming enthusiasts and overclockers. It delivers optimal cooling performance to prevent your CPU from overheating and reaching dangerous temperatures.
  • The whisper-quiet 92mm PWM fan ensures that you can continue gaming without any distracting background noise. The ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO has a large heatsink surface area that helps dissipate heat quickly and efficiently.
  • The asymmetrical design allows for better heat circulation, even when installed in tight spaces. The ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO is easy to install and compatible with most desktop platforms.

Product Reviews:

  • “I have this installed in a Thermaltake Versa H17 case on a Ryzen 2600. My temps were over 70c while running prime95 with the stock cooler. With this, I can overclock all the cores to 4.0Ghz and the temperature stays below 64 the entire time I run prime95. It was easy to install and took me less than 5 minutes. I didn’t even remove my motherboard from the case. My computer is nearly silent all the time now. Worth the price for sure. The info I found online states that this cooler is 157mm tall. My case, the Versa H17, lists a maximum CPU cooler height of 155mm. I took a chance and tried this thing out anyway. It fits just fine. I had no problem at all getting the side of the case back on with this cooler installed. There is still some room between the cooler and the side of the case.” – Adam
    “This CPU cooler is a beast, a very quiet and effective beast. The thing is big, so make sure you have the clearance outward to the case side. If you can fit it, it will be worth it at this amazing price point. The thermal readings are incredible, and unexpectedly cool when looked at comparatively. The construction is great as well, I feel totally confident that it will last forever under constant load. I’m so satisfied with the quality in fact, that I changed out all my other case fans for Arctic brand Bionix series fans. Overall great purchase, good enough to completely overlook the minor difficulty of installing it on my r5 3600 without a second person there to hold the backplate flush while tightening it in place. I’m never going back to any brand other than the Arctic for my pc cooling needs, they are that good!” – Hamptons
    “I was using an SFF pancake cooler and during gaming, my temps would be anywhere from 67-72c. After applying the eSports Duo my temps during gaming dropped to 46-51c. Idle temps are a little lower but my fan curve doesn’t really kick in until the processor is in use so that isn’t an issue one bit. This cooler is making a huge difference with my PC and what is even better is that the noise level is hardly any different. In all honesty, I think it’s more silent than my case fans. Mounting was also easy and I even got away with using the stock backplate that shipped with my b450 Tomahawk Max motherboard. The internet told me I’d have difficulty but the stand-offs included worked just fine. The only downer is the thermal paste they sent with the cooler since it was a super tiny packet that was not easy to squeeze out. I had my own thermal paste so that was a non-issue. But that doesn’t warrant a loss in my rating.” – Casey

 


4.Cooler Master MasterAir Maker 

Cooler Master MasterAir Maker

  • Air flow 66 CFM
  • Noise level 24.0 decibels
  • 8 heat pipes
  • Offers 250W TDP
  • Silence FP fans with Cooler
  • Showcasing the LED lights

 

 

In the Market, How Competitive Is the Cooler Master?

It has now been launched, the MasterAir Maker 8, created for gamers and overclockers who need ultra-low temperatures, competitive LED lighting, and complete control over their hardware.

Our new 3DVCTM technology enhances your system with improved stability, performance, and durability, as well as significantly reducing power consumption. And yes, there are two bundled top cover layouts available, and customize the look by adjusting the fan size, position, or model to accommodate a graphics or memory card.

Cooler Master’s engineers have been hard at work using our patented Vapor Chamber technology for the past five years to find a better way to cool heat-intensive components.

In countless tests, we have seamlessly integrated Natural Heat-pipes with vapor chambers to provide superior air cooling that better protects your advanced components from damage.

Vapour Chamber and 3DVC cooling systems? Put, and they replace the copper base, which transfers heat away from the CPU with a coolant-filled V C. How? You’ll have to return to school (or the CM university) to find out to understand this.

The process quickly cools the hardware, and in 3DVCTM, the heat pipes and the horizontal base are interconnected, which helps increase performance concerning traditional aluminum foundation air coolers.

Do you prefer a tidy, professional-looking workstation or glowing LED lights that match your color scheme and highlight your gaming rig?

Our Reviews:

  • The Cooler Master MasterAir Maker is the first air cooler to feature 3D Vapor chambers. This unique design increases the surface area of the cooler by up to 100%. The four heat pipes on the cooler also have a special design that directs more airflow to the heat sink.
  • This allows for better cooling and improved performance. The MasterAir Maker comes with two 120mm PWM fans that can be controlled by the motherboard or software.
  • The fans also have a special air guide that helps to improve airflow and reduce noise levels. The cooler is compatible with most Intel and AMD processors and comes with a five-year warranty.

Product Reviews:

  • “Must have if you don’t want to use a type of water CPU cooler. Installed this heat sink and have NEVER reached temps over 50 C gaming maxed settings. It’s a little tricky to install but well worth the time. I suggest installing the bracket screws on the heat sink FIRST and then installing them to the bracket on the motherboard. Trust me when I say it will save you a headache doing this first!” – Rob
  • “No word to say it’s epic to having this CPU cooler, I have faced so much problem before purchase heatsink cooler my AMD fx 8350 gives heavy heat dispersion when playing heavy GB game graphics card also give me s problem all is because the high temperature of CPU 75′ celcius, I am also using corsair liquid cooling but after 6 months my mistaken it loose contacted then leaked its coolant and motherboard dead… However, I purchased a new pc and this no issue with the water cooler now u have Coolermaster MASTER AIR MAKER 8 high-end CPU cooler” – Saurav
  • “I’ve heard too many horror stories about water cooling systems leaking and I was afraid to go that way. This air cooler works really great! High quality and can’t even hear it running and it keeps my i9 9600K at 34° Centigrade. LED lighting effects are really cool! Totally recommend this cooler!” – Danoh50

 


How To Choose the Best Budget CPU Cooler

When on a budget, you need to be on the lookout for most things. A good plan is to go for an aftermarket cooler that’s cheap and compatible with your existing layout. Below are a few things to take into consideration when buying a cheap CPU cooler.

Processor

Since much of Intel and AMD’s low-end processors do not need overclocking or more than four cores, it is now possible to keep pace with entry-level CPU coolers with older design CPUs.

The heat generated by extreme processing or overclocking processors requires a high-performance CPU cooler.

PC Instance

It is important to make sure that any CPU coolers you buy for under 50 Dollars can be used with your current tower instance. Some CPU coolers have a wide heating sink which takes up a lot of space.

Processor Socket

CPU coolers are manufactured based on the CPU sockets from Intel and AMD. Most aftermarket air coolers can accommodate the AMD and Intel outlets, but some are specially made for AMD or Intel motherboards.

Type of Cooler

In general, there are two types of heating systems in PCs, namely the liquid and the air-cooled. Fans are used for traditional air cooling, which circulates air across the heatsink.

Liquid CPU coolers use related or water cooling to cool their CPUs. Liquid coolers are more reliable and efficient than air jets, but they are much more expensive than traditional CPU coolers.

Design

A well-designed CPU cooler usually makes installation on your current system simple and takes up less space. Many people prefer these coolers due to their RGB lights and design.

Speed Control

Occasionally, even though automatic buffs maximize performance, you may prefer to find a cooler with absolute rate controls to get more control over fan speed and for overclocking.