CPU Cooler Tier List (2006–2026)

Air and AIO CPU coolers ranked by rated cooling capacity. Ranked by TweakGearPro's relative performance index (0–100).

Estimates only. These calculators use typical component specifications and rough rules of thumb. They are for planning and education, not purchase advice. Verify every number against your parts’ official datasheets before buying or building.
RankPartYearBrandArchitectureKey specTier
1Arctic Liquid Freezer II 3602020ArcticAIO
92
Enthusiast flagship
2NZXT Kraken 3602023NZXTAIO
91
Enthusiast flagship
3Corsair iCUE H150i Elite2021CorsairAIO
90
Enthusiast flagship
4Lian Li Galahad II 3602023Lian LiAIO
90
Enthusiast flagship
5EK-AIO 360 D-RGB2020EKAIO
89
High-end
6Arctic Liquid Freezer III 2402024ArcticAIO
82
High-end
7Noctua NH-D152014NoctuaAir
80
High-end
8Thermalright Frost Commander 1402022ThermalrightAir
79
High-end
9DeepCool AK6202021DeepCoolAir
78
High-end
10be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 42018be quiet!Air
76
High-end
11Thermalright Peerless Assassin 1202021ThermalrightAir
75
High-end
12Noctua NH-U12S2012NoctuaAir
60
Upper mainstream
13Cooler Master Hyper 2122020Cooler MasterAir
48
Mainstream
14be quiet! Pure Rock 22020be quiet!Air
46
Mainstream
15Noctua NH-L9i2012NoctuaAir
30
Entry

Methodology

  • Specs: vendor datasheets and the TechPowerUp database, retrieved 2026-08-21.
  • Tier = TweakGearPro relative performance index (0–100), an estimate from public benchmarks; real performance varies by workload, drivers and cooling.

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