CPU Air Cooler Round Up – November 2025

1. CPU Air Cooler Multi Review2. Testing Methodology and Test Result3. Closing Thoughts4. View All Pages

Test System Specifications

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Motherboard: ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
• Memory: 32GB (2 x 16GB Modules) Kingston Fury DDR5-6000
• Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 4070 Gaming OC
• Storage: 1TB Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen4x4 NVME M.2 SSD
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime TX-1600
• Chassis: Open Test Bench
• Thermal Compound: Arctic MX-6
• O/S: Windows 11 Version 24H2

Testing Methodology:

We are primarily focusing on the performance of each cooler at 100% fan speed and also when locked to 40dBA noise output. We will focus on cooling performance using a manual overclock with all-core frequency and VCORE locked to 5.2GHz/1.3v (AMD) and 5.5GHz/1.3v (Intel) and Precision Boost Overdrive performance.

• The test data is logged using HWINFO and the final 10 minutes of the data is calculated to find the average CPU temperature and CPU clock multiplier (AMD PBO Test) and then plotted in the charts.
• For testing, we use a 30-minute looped run of Cinebench R23 and record the steady-state CPU temperature at the end of the test. This ensures that the CPU has had ample time to warm up and reach a steady state under all of the coolers.
• The ambient is maintained at 19-21 degrees Celsius. Where there is variation beyond this temperature range, we add extra repeated tests to ensure consistency. However, this is well controlled now with A/C.
• We also test each cooler with at least two fresh installs (typically three) to mitigate the likelihood of poor mounting spoiling results.
• Ambient temperature and humidity are controlled via a mini split air conditioning system inside the test room. Ambient temperature is maintained between 22-23°C, Temperature delta figures are shown in the charts (ambient temperature is deducted from the measured component temperature).

Test Results:

Acoustics

When it comes to noise output, there’s a clear divide in this group. At the quieter end, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 3DHP and V4 Alpha 3DHP perform excellently, sitting at around the 39 to 40 dBA, making both of these coolers suitable for quiet gaming rigs or general-purpose systems where you want the PC noise to fade into the background.

Stepping up in cooling capacity brings us to the DeepCool Assassin IV VC Elite WH, which measured 44 dBA. It’s definitely audible, you’ll hear it during sustained workloads and it doesn’t come across as harsh or distracting. For a large dual-tower cooler, this is a reasonable acoustic result, especially considering the potential thermal headroom on offer.

The story changes quite noticeably with the CPS PCCOOLER RZ820 and the Montech NX600. At 53 dBA for the RZ820 and 54 dBA for the NX600, both of these coolers are in clearly audible territory. You’ll be aware of the system under load, and in quieter environments, it can become quite distracting, very quickly. Let’s see how this noise translates into thermal performance.

Thermal Performance: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

When it comes to raw thermal performance, the DeepCool Assassin IV VC Elite WH leads this group with the lowest steady-state temperature of 55°C over ambient. Just below sits the CPS PCCOOLER RZ820 at 59°C, considering its more aggressive acoustic profile, it's clearly tuned to prioritise cooling performance over noise optimisation. The Montech NX600 follows further back at 61°C, matching the be quiet! Dark Rock 5 and Corsair A115, indicating competent raw thermal performance from a budget option.

At the opposite end of the chart, we see the Cooler Master V4 Alpha 3DHP and Hyper 212 3DHP at 69°C and 70°C, respectively. Both coolers fall into the lower thermal performance bracket, more suited to lower-power CPUs, less ideal for heavy workloads or thermally demanding CPUs. The results show the larger, heavier dual-tower coolers dominate thermals, while the compact or value-oriented designs hold their own but will show limitations under sustained load. The choice, as always, comes down to whether you prioritise cooling efficiency, noise levels, or a balance of the two.

With all coolers' fan speed configured to a 40 dBA noise target, the results change shape a little. The DeepCool Assassin IV VC Elite WH still leads the pack at 60°C, showing that its heatsink architecture, vapor chamber base and fin stack efficiency continue to perform even without aggressive fan speeds. The CPS PCCOOLER RZ820 lands at 62°C, which is a favourable position considering how much the fan speed had to be reduced to hit 40dBA, indicating that the RZ820 can deliver respectable thermal performance when tuned for lower noise.

The Montech NX600 is grouped with the DeepCool AK500, and Sudokoo SK700V 65°C, which is still solid performance for a 40 dBA limit, but indicates slightly diminishing returns when airflow is reduced. Finally, the Cooler Master V4 Alpha 3DHP and Hyper 212 3DHP reach 69°C and 70°C, respectively, no change in performance here as they are both still running max fan speed at 40dBA, or 39dBA in the case of the Hyper 212 3DHP.

The pattern seen in raw thermal data carries straight through into PBO performance. The Deepcool Assassin IV VC Elite WH leads the pack again, hitting around 51.6x on average while keeping temperatures in the high-50s °C range. This is important on Ryzen 7 9800X3D, because boost behaviour is tightly thermally constrained , a cooler CPU produces higher sustained clocks. This cooler gives the CPU more breathing room, to boosts higher, longer, and more consistently under heavy load.

Moving down the stack the CPS PCCOOLER RZ820 is in the high-tier cluster, maintaining 51.5x average clock multiplier, showing that not being whisper-quiet allows the CPU to stretch its legs under PBO. The Montech NX600 sits in the mid tier behind them at 51.3x, which is respectable given its low price — though clearly it has to lean harder on fan speed and noise to get there.

It’s the Cooler Master options where we see the CPU start to bump into thermal ceilings. The V4 Alpha 3DHP and Hyper 212 3DHP both hover around 50.9x, with temperatures pushing over the mid-60°C range. This doesn’t cripple performance, but it does mean the chip is being forced to back off clock speed more aggressively. For standard gaming with X3D’s chips, this won’t be noticeable — but for rendering, or workstation workloads, the difference between 50.9x and 51.6x adds up over time.

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