Cooling
22 articles in this category
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Will a 360mm AIO Fit in a Fractal Design North? (2026)
Aug 11, 2026
Will a 360mm AIO fit in a Fractal Design North? Yes, front only, and it costs you GPU length. The full clearance matrix plus the AIOs that actually fit.
Will a Noctua NH-D15 G2 Fit in a Corsair 4000D? (2026)
Aug 10, 2026
Yes, the Noctua NH-D15 G2 will fit a Corsair 4000D by 2mm. The real gate is RAM height: 32mm in dual-fan mode. Here are the kits and coolers that clear it.
240mm vs 360mm AIO (2026): Which Size Does Your CPU Need?
Aug 7, 2026
240mm vs 360mm AIO: a 240mm is enough for a 9800X3D, a 360mm earns its price on a 9950X3D. Real load temps, case clearance limits, and noise compared.
Is an Air Cooler Enough for a 9800X3D? (2026 Verdict)
Aug 2, 2026
Is an air cooler enough for a 9800X3D? Yes, for almost every build. Here is the dual-tower pick that clears it, and the three builds where an AIO wins.
How to Choose a CPU Cooler (2026): Air vs. AIO Guide
Jul 25, 2026
How to choose a CPU cooler: match it to your chip's actual TDP, when air is enough, when an AIO earns its cost, and the clearance traps that catch builders.
Best CPU Coolers for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (2026 Picks)
Jul 24, 2026
The best CPU coolers for the Ryzen 9 9950X3D: a 360mm AIO for sustained all-core work, plus a top-tier air cooler that keeps this 16-core chip cool and quiet.
Best CPU Coolers for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D (2026)
Jul 20, 2026
Best CPU cooler for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D: air and AIO picks sized to the chip's real draw, plus the AM5 offset-mount detail and the listing traps to dodge.
Best Thermal Paste for Gaming PCs (2026): 5 Honest Picks
Jul 12, 2026
The best thermal paste picks for 2026, plus the honest truth: the good ones sit within a degree of each other. Five picks, how to apply it, and what to skip.
Best CPU Coolers for the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (2026)
Jul 11, 2026
The best CPU cooler for the Core Ultra 9 285K depends on your workload. A 360mm AIO earns its keep under all-core load; here is where air still holds up.
Arctic Liquid Freezer III vs NZXT Kraken Elite (2026)
Jul 4, 2026
Arctic Liquid Freezer III vs NZXT Kraken Elite: the value 360 vs the premium LCD 360, what the Kraken premium actually buys, and which one you should buy.
How to Choose a PSU, Cooler, and Case
Jun 29, 2026
A builder's framework for the chassis side of a PC: size the PSU with sane headroom, match the cooler to the chip, and pick a case that fits and breathes.
Best PC Fans 2026: Airflow and Quiet Picks by Mount
Jun 8, 2026
The best PC fans for 2026, picked by mount position: airflow fans for intake and exhaust, static-pressure fans for radiators, plus budget and quiet options.
Best Air CPU Coolers 2026: 5 Picks for Every Budget
Jun 7, 2026
Best air CPU coolers in 2026: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB, DeepCool AK620, and Noctua. Honest picks with real trade-offs for every budget.
Best AIO Cooler: The Right Size for Every Build
Jun 7, 2026
Best AIO coolers in 2026 by size: 240mm, 280mm, and 360mm picks for every CPU TDP. Five picks with honest guidance on who actually needs liquid cooling.
Best Air CPU Coolers for Gaming in 2026: Top 5 Picks
Jun 6, 2026
The best air CPU coolers for gaming, from budget to premium. We tested the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE, Noctua NH-D15 G2, Arctic Freezer 36, and more.
Air Cooler vs AIO for Gaming: Which Should You Buy?
Jun 1, 2026
Air cooler or AIO for gaming? We break down the honest verdict by CPU TDP tier, with picks for both paths and a decision matrix for 2026 chips.
Best 280mm AIO Coolers (2026): Five Picks by Build Tier
May 27, 2026
Best 280mm AIO coolers for 2026: five liquid CPU cooler picks by build tier, with an honest take on whether 280mm is the right radiator for your chip.
Best PCIe 5.0 SSD Heatsinks (2026): Five Picks for Gen5 Thermal Reality
May 14, 2026
PCIe 5.0 SSDs throttle hard without proper cooling. Five heatsink picks across passive and active tiers, plus the honest answer to whether your motherboard's built-in is enough.
Best 240mm AIO CPU Coolers (2026): Five Picks by Build Tier
May 13, 2026
240mm AIOs are the mid-tier sweet spot for AM5 and LGA 1851. Five picks by build tier, plus the honest answer to whether 240 is enough for your chip.
Best ATX Mid-Tower Cases for Airflow (2026): Five Picks
May 13, 2026
RTX 5090 and 9950X3D builds need real airflow, not 2022 thinking. Five ATX mid-tower cases by build tier, from budget mesh to fan-forward thermal monster.
Best CPU Coolers for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D (2026)
May 13, 2026
Pick the right cooler for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Air, AIO, and SFF picks for the chip's actual gaming thermal envelope, not the SERP's biggest cooler defaults.
Best 360mm AIO Coolers 2026: Five Picks by Build Tier
May 12, 2026
Best 360mm AIO coolers for 2026 high-TDP gaming builds. Five picks segmented by chip pairing, case clearance, acoustic floor, LCD support, and budget tier.