Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 5 5600x in 2023

First things first, the Ryzen 5 5600x isn’t as power-hungry as its other siblings, but you can find yourself in trouble if you push its limit with a specific build — ultimately making you search for an aftermarket cooler.  

Although, finding the best CPU cooler for the Ryzen 5 5600x is not as easy as it sounds. To cut it short, you must know what you’re aiming to do with your build — if you’re a hardcore gamer or an overclocking enthusiast then you definitely have to get a CPU cooler — for more questions, dive into the FAQ and Buyers’ section.

To ease your headache, we have compiled this comprehensive guide for you.

List of 10 Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 5 5600x

Each product is hand-picked after in-depth research to ensure you get the most out of it.

Coolermaster ML240L V2

Best Overall CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X

This spectacular piece of art comes with a dual-chamber pump design that solely focuses on reaching its maximum performance without causing any sort of instability in the system. With that, it features a larger surface area that effectively backs up the dual chamber in lowering the heat. 

What is a plus-point in this CPU cooler is its “New SickleFlow Fan” that doesn’t only have an aesthetic exterior design but also enhanced fan blades that ensure better airflow performance without a second thought. 

Since it’s an AIO cooler, it has prioritized the sealing and features an industrial-grade seal — ensures better sealing as compared to other products just to prevent leaks and increase its lifespan so your system can be secured from any interior damages. 

The good news for RGB-heads is that it has a fully customizable RGB lighting feature… and efficient cooling for their system.

NZXT Kraken X53

Best Premium CPU Cooler for Ryzen 5 5600X

It won’t be fair to start off this review without talking about its minimalistic design — this dual-fan AIO cooler simply amazes anyone with its finest material, build, and jaw-dropping looks. What’s more interesting is that it has a re-designed cap that lets you adjust the orientation without affecting the direction of the logo.

What comes after its minimal looks is the top-tier performance that is only possible with its Aer P radiator fans that are backed with a fluid dynamic bearing and chamfered intake — these features not only make it capable to jack up its cooling game but also lets its perform silently and increase its durability. 

The impressive part about this product is that, even with all these top-of-the-line combinations, it is not troublesome to install. Along with that, the high-quality nylon mesh sleeves significantly strengthen the rubber tubing to refrain from any exterior damage. 

To up its aesthetic game, the infinity mirror cap is now 10% bigger — allowing it to showcase some high-end RGB colors. This little dude adds a ton of aesthetics to the overall product and gives an eye-pleasing experience. 

The NZXT CAM lets you easily handle your Kraken’s performance with accuracy and make changes with just a click of a button — all that on a user-friendly and easy-to-use interface. 

Corsair H150i RGB Pro XT

The reason we added this CPU Cooler to our list is due to its thermally optimized cold plate and the top-of-the-line pump design that combined gives superior performance and allows the system to reach higher clock speeds without allowing the system to produce excessive heat.

If we dive more into the performance, its three 120mm “Magnetic Levitation Fans” perform extremely well to perfectly handle the airflow and keep the system under control. Moreover, to eliminate the fan noise, the iCUE software includes the Zero RPM mode — which works like a charm.

Satisfyingly, it has the “Dynamic Multi-zone RGB Pump Head” up its sleeves that elevates its aesthetic game. Furthermore, it consists of 16 individually addressable RGB LEDs that have been perfectly installed inside the pump head to give you stunning lighting effects that will further increase your build’s aesthetics. 

Another thing about the iCUE software is that it not only gives you access to adjust the pump and fan speeds but also lets you play with the RGBs — you can easily synchronize your CPU cooler’s RGB and play with it. 

The cherry on top is that the fans can go from 400rpm to 2400rpm, which is quite impressive and you get the option to manually adjust the fan speed as well. 

EVGA CLC 240 RGB

The EVGA CLC is backed with superior quality fans — having a unique blade design — that is solely built for amazing cooling and quiet performance. Moreover, it has curved housing that helps in reducing the noise level and the Teflon Nano bearings significantly help in increasing its lifespan.

If we dive into the features, it has a new and enhanced cooling block that provides a better heat transfer area and flow rate for more cooling. Not only is it better at cooling but it also allows you to have full access to the lighting — lets you select your favorite color or do the color cycling. 

Furthermore, it comes with fully sleeved tubes that extend all the way from the radiator to the CPU block — ultimately giving it an aesthetic look and prevents any damage. 

Apart from everything, the EVGA Flow Control Software lets you have full access to your EVGA CLC Cpu Cooler. All the way from adjusting fan speed, and RGB lighting to Pump Control, Profiles, you name it. Moreover, the lighting and fan settings are saved to the firmware which means you can set and forget about it. 

The best thing about this product is that there’s no need for custom tubing, maintenance, or filling — meaning that you just have to plug and play. And this CPU cooler is all saved from the messy wires, all thanks to its intelligent wiring system and sleeved tubing. 

Corsair Hydro Series H100i

This beast features two SP120L PWM fans that are highly optimized for better heat dissipation and are manufactured keeping in mind the highly overclocked CPUs. The Hydro H100i is aimed at cases that can house a 240mm radiator. 

What increases its functionality is that this CPU cooler has a double-wide radiator that offers twice the cooling area of what Hydro Series Coolers normally have (120mm or 140mm). And the size isn’t a problem if you have a case that is backed with dual 120mm fan mounts spaced for a 240mm radiator — if not, you’re going to face issues.

And the fans are custom-designed SP120PL that aren’t like your typical fans — they are aimed at providing high static pressure for mounting right against the radiators, and the fan blades are specially designed to deliver maximum air with less noise. A piece of good news is that you can customize the fan speed because they are PWM controlled.

To make things easier for you, the CORSAIR iCUE software allows you to have an eye on the CPU temperature, adjust the fan speed, change the RGB color or change colors based on the temperature reading or other inputs — basically, it gives you SUPERPOWERS. 

Furthermore, it comes pre-filled and doesn’t require any sort of additional work. The closed-loop design makes sure that your system is secured from any spills.

Be quiet! Dark Pro 4

The infamous Dark Pro 4 rocks the cooling game with complete silence — call it a “Silent Killer”. There’s no compromise when it comes to the performance — in a manner where you won’t be irritated at all.

What’s more interesting is that it comes with a highly advanced design including 7 top-of-the-line 6mm copper heat pipes for maximizing the heat conductivity, and specially designed cooling fins with tiny dots on them to further increase the air circulation. And the unique black coating along with the ceramic particles creates a better heat transfer. 

Good news for people who are tired of the noise created by their CPU coolers, this one significantly eliminates the noise even under load and works perfectly with systems that are aimed for overclocking.

Furthermore, it has a TDP rating of 250W that helps in achieving lower temperatures even while in the hours of peak performance. And its two PWM fans provide pure silent operations while featuring the latest fluid-dynamic bearings alongside six-pole motors and the enhanced airflow-optimized fan blades. 

If we talk about the design of this product, it comes with the Double-tower Layout that features two aluminum heat sinks. And the good thing about the design is that it gives you the option to add another 120mm fan if you want even better cooling performance. 

Noctua NH-D15 Black

Best air cooler for ryzen 5 5600x

The thing that makes it the best among the CPU cooler is its top-tier dual-tower heatsink design and the infamous NF-A15 PWM fans — its premium-class fans feature an aerodynamic design, which has been recognized as one of the best 140mm fans in the market. 

Unlike the other single-tower heatsink CPU coolers, the NH-D15 is backed with a 6 Heatpipe dual-tower design that gives more surface area, better airflow, and more heat distribution. The cherry on top is that its recessed lower fins make it completely compatible with the high-end RAM modules without any issues due to the 64mm clearance given by the NH-D15 for taller memory heatsinks.

You can now customize your CPU coolers just like you customize your pizza. The Noctua lets you fully customize your NH-D15 to match it up with your build’s color scheme. 

The fans are backed with the Low-Noise Adaptors that let the cooler be whisper quiet under load and the PWM increases the efficiency by automatically controlling the speed — providing powerful cooling performance without making any noise. 

Moreover, to make things easier for you, it comes with the high-end NT-H1 thermal paste and the SecuFirm2 mounting system so that you can easily install it on Intel and AMD — check their instruction manual or description of the product for detailed information. 

Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B

Best Budget CPU cooler for ryzen 5 5600x

Apart from being people’s favorite, the Mugen 5 Rev. B comes with the infamous PWM 120mm Kaze Flex fan that is backed with a fluid dynamic bearing that ensures better airflow and static pressure with whisper-quiet operation. 

The Mugen 5 Rev. B might seem a bit gigantic and make you think that it might create size issues in your PC case, but that’s not the scenario here — it has an asymmetric design that lets it get unrestricted access to the memory banks and the RAM modules with taller heatsinks are in the safe zone. 

If we dive more into the asymmetrical design, the heat pipes are basically sloped backward to prevent the radiator from being perfectly centered or right above the baseplate — making it to be slightly offset, hence, it gets unrestricted access to the memory banks. 

Furthermore, it is entirely compatible with the most popular cases in the market so you can be in the safe zone, too.

It comes with rubberized pads that ensure a decoupling effect, meaning that there will be no transmission of vibrations, and the Sealed Precision FDB bearing grants this CPU cooler with ultimate smoothness during tough operations.

ARCTIC Freezer 34 eSports DUO

The Arctic Freezer 34 gives tough competition to other CPU coolers in this price range as it is due to its two BioniX P-fans that work in the push-pull configuration/mode — resulting in increased airflow that is then transported into the heatsink and the heat from the CPU is dissipated at a faster pace, hence giving a better cooling performance. 

To back up the fans, it has offset direct-touch heat pipes that are coupled with Arctic’s enhanced heat sink design along with the 54 cooling fins that aim at better heat dissipation. Overall, all of these features make this CPU cooler a tough contender.

When it comes to the design, it is no less than a masterpiece. It won’t be unfair to say that we found some similarities in the design between the Arctic Freezer 34 and the Dark Pro 4, which is not bad. And the personal touch from the Arctic enhances the Freezer 34’s beauty. 

To give you a variety of choices, it comes in 6 different colors and we personally loved the Legendary black edition, which simply is aesthetically pleasing and brings us peace. 

And the installation process is simple as well. Furthermore, to let every PC enthusiast take advantage of the Freezer 34, its mounting system is compatible with AMD and Intel sockets so you won’t find any problems — all thanks to its featherweight and backplate. 

Be quiet! Pure Rock 2

The reason behind its fantastic cooling is the four 6mm heat pipes that are backed with aluminum caps which work really well by transporting the heat to its optimum locations on the cooling fins without causing any sort of issues. 

Although comparatively lower TDP rating than the infamous Dark Pro 4, it still works quite better if compared with other similar CPU coolers in this price range. Moreover, it is aimed at entry-level computers and provides better cooling for graphics and multimedia systems. 

If you’re concerned about the noise then don’t worry as this CPU cooler only has 26.8dBA of noise at 100% — it is all due to the two 120mm PWM fans that are backed with the top-level rifle bearing which perfectly balances them between silent operation and cooling performance. 

Furthermore, it has nine blades that have been efficiently airflow-optimized to significantly eliminate the noise. 

Apart from the fans, it has an asymmetrical construction that doesn’t let it block any memory slots — resulting in saving space and being highly compatible with a full set of RAM modules. And the eye-pleasing black surface coupled with aluminum caps builds up a nice appearance that looks perfect with any sort of case.

Buying guide for best CPU cooler for ryzen 5 5600x

What do you prefer? Air vs. Liquid Coolers

Selecting a CPU cooler always comes down to your preference only if you have a bit of know-how about them. And if you don’t, you will have the basics cleared after reading this comprehensive guide. 

Air and liquid coolers have the same end goal but the procedure of completing the task is different. 

Air coolers are quite good when it comes to relocating the heat away from the CPU, but the problem comes after this when the heat is dispersed into the case, which increases the case’s temperature. 

On the other hand, liquid coolers work really well because they relocate the heat outside of the system and all this happens via their fans on the radiator. 

The liquid coolers generally provide better performance as compared to the air ones because of their creative and improved approach to the problem. 

CPU Socket: Another thing about the CPU Cooler is that not every cooler will be compatible with your system. This is the most important step to consider before opting for any CPU cooler. 

If you’re unsure about how to know about compatibility, you can easily find out the information in their instructions manual. 

Check out the CPU socket information and do the same process for the cooler, and if the values match, you’re good to go. 

Although a lot of CPU coolers are now compatible with the popular socket types, it is still necessary to check to avoid any headaches. 

TDP Rating: In simple words, TDP (Thermal Design Power) is how much heat is generated by the hardware. And the higher the TDP rating, the higher will be the performance as a 65W TDP CPU cooler will be able to eliminate the heat generated by the 65W of electricity. 

And the TDP rating is one of the most crucial factors to consider when it comes to buying a CPU cooler because it determines if the cooler is suitable for your system or not. 

The best bet would be to buy a CPU cooler that has a TDP rating higher than your processor’s because if you buy one that has a lower TDP rating then you are about to face some real problems. 

Size: Always make sure to check and measure your case before opting for a CPU cooler as neglecting to check the size would give you a tough time. 

Furthermore, you can check the CPU cooler’s instructions to find the size. And the easiest way to find out if the cooler would fit in your PC case, you can check out the cooler’s and case’s instructions.

Size used to be a thing of the past but now, most of the coolers and cases come in a standardized size that almost eliminates this problem. 

Your requirements: To sum up everything in one section, it all comes down to what exactly you are going to do with your system… if you’re into gaming and build graphics stuff then you will be overclocking your processor and the wraith stealth cooler will be of no use.

For that, you will have to get an AIO cooler, which perfectly serves your needs. However, if you are going to stick with the CPU’s default clock speed then the Wraith Stealth would be enough. 

Also, you would need an air cooler if you wish to play around with the processor as the Wraith Stealth won’t work sufficiently. 

Final thoughts

Since you get a comprehensive section (Buyers’ Guide) where you have the detailed and most important features/options listed that opens doors for you to easily make your selection without having to fall into any trap. 

If you made your selection, do let us know what you considered before opting for a CPU cooler for Ryzen 5 5600x build. 

If not, what’s stopping you? Drop your confusion in the comment box and our experts will assist you no matter what. 

FAQs