CPU Cooler Compatibility Checker
Check a CPU cooler fits: socket support, whether it handles your processor TDP, and if it clears your case height and RAM heatspreaders.
Choosing a CPU cooler that actually fits
Three things have to be true: the cooler must mount on your socket, it must be able to move more heat than your processor produces, and it must physically fit inside the case. Any one of them can catch you out.
TDP is a floor, not a target
A processor rated at 120 W does not stop there. Sustained all-core loads and boost algorithms routinely push real output 10% above the rating, and overclocking takes it 35% or more above. Buying a cooler rated exactly at your chip's TDP means it will be working at its limit constantly — hot, loud, and likely to let the processor clock down.
Air or liquid?
A good dual-tower air cooler matches a 240 mm AIO in cooling capacity, costs less, makes no noise from a pump, and cannot leak. AIOs win on clearance around tall memory, on aesthetics, and on moving heat directly out of the case. Neither is universally better — a 360 mm AIO beats any air cooler, and a good air tower beats a cheap 240.
Height and radiator clearance
Air coolers are quoted by height, and cases by maximum cooler height. Leave a few millimetres of margin: side panels bow slightly, and tall memory heat spreaders can foul the fan. For AIOs the constraint is radiator size against the case's mounting position, and you need room for both the radiator and its fans.
Case airflow matters as much as the cooler
A strong cooler in a case with no intake recirculates its own hot air. If temperatures are high despite good hardware, check fan configuration with the Case Airflow Calculator before spending more on cooling.
Thermal paste
Almost every cooler ships with adequate paste pre-applied or in the box. Premium compounds typically buy one or two degrees — real, but far less than mounting pressure and case airflow. Fitting evenly matters much more than which paste you use.
Frequently asked questions
Is an AIO better than an air cooler?
Not automatically. A good dual-tower air cooler matches a 240 mm AIO, costs less and has no pump to fail. A 360 mm AIO does beat any air cooler, and AIOs help when tall memory or a small case blocks a large tower.
Do I need to replace the stock cooler?
Stock coolers keep a chip within specification, not quiet or at peak boost. On anything above about 65 W a tower cooler is a large improvement in both noise and sustained clocks, for very little money.
What happens if my cooler is too weak?
Nothing breaks. The processor throttles - lowering clocks to stay within its thermal limit - so you lose performance and gain fan noise. Modern chips protect themselves reliably.
Will a cooler fit my case?
Check the case's maximum CPU cooler height against the cooler's specification, and leave a few millimetres of margin. For AIOs, check the radiator size the case supports in each mounting position, not just the largest figure quoted.
How should I mount an AIO?
Put the radiator at the top or front with the tubes at the bottom of the pump. Air collects at the highest point of the loop, and you do not want that to be the pump - it causes rattling and shortens its life.