CPU Cooler Recommendations for i5 14600K

DEEPCOOL AK500

To start our list, we have the DEEPCOOL AK500. As the name implies, DEEPCOOL specializes in cooler space. AK50 is gracefully designed with simplicity in mind. It is a budget cooler for those looking to save money on their ancillary PC parts. It has a minimalistic look with no RGB or other gamer shenanigans, but its performance is something else.

AK500 is an underdog as its sibling, the AK620, usually outshines it. Regardless, it has good performance and provides some serious thermal efficiency. It has a big, towering heat sink with only one pre-fitted 120mm fan, which might not be for some people. Moreover, its chunky heat sink guarantees better heat dissipation.

The single fan does provide good airflow, and it has been tested on many high-end setups, and despite its single fan, it provided good thermal performance and surprising heat dissipation. It is hushed under load and reaches a maximum of 31 decibels. Powerful processors generate a lot of heat during processing, which must be removed thoroughly. If it is not dissipated efficiently, your processor can automatically shut itself down, or worse, it can get damaged.

It is a remarkable air-cooled CPU cooler, and installation is straightforward. It has a maximum fan speed of 1850 RPM and contains five heat pipes in its radiator housing. Overall, it is an excellent budget-friendly CPU cooler.

Noctua NH-L9i Chromax Black

Noctua is a brand that has a lot of customer loyalty. They always deliver an exceptional design, and their thermal products have the best reputation. They excel in their Air-cooled CPU cooler products and guarantee a performative advantage compared to many other CPU coolers. The Noctua NH-L9i is an easy-to-install, efficient, compact CPU cooler best for mid-end to high-end budget PC builds. It occupies less area than other coolers and can fit in almost any PC case without a hassle. They are marginally better than stock CPU coolers.

It has a sleek design with a matte black finish and a single NF-A9x14 fan with SSO 2 bearings. The single fan configuration of this cooler is surprisingly efficient; it operates in a range of 650 – 2500 RPM. Thanks to the SSO2 bearings, this fan can reach an airflow speed of almost 58 m/hr while its operating noise level is at 27.5 dBA, making it exceptionally quiet.

Also, like other Noctua coolers, this one includes a noise-reduction adapter which can further reduce noise by decreasing the fan speed. But this noise minimization comes at the expense of a performance drop as the heat dissipation capability of the cooler also decreases with fan speed. Two heat pipes are fitted within the radiator with 55 aluminum alloy fins which is a good design choice considering the limited size of this product.

This cooler is not ideal for overclocking your processor, as it will not deliver satisfactory results. But its compact design, higher clearance for GPU and ram installation, and 6-year warranty make it a welcome addition to our list. It will be the best CPU cooler for i5 14600K in 2024.

Arctic Freezer i-35 A-RGB

Arctic is a well-known brand in the gaming community. It specializes in CPU coolers, thermal pastes, and PC cases and has been a pre-eminent seller of high-quality products.  Its products are known for their reasonable prices, and they deliver quality and a wide range of colors, variations, features, and sizes.

We are interested in the Arctic Freezer i35 A-RGB cooler, which falls in their series of freezer 35 CPU coolers. This series includes several variants with color schemes, RGB, A-RGB, sizes, and non-RGB CPU coolers. The freezer i35 is a single-fan cooler with A-RGB and, unlike many other coolers, its fins are laced with beautiful, pitch-black color.

The cooler contains 6mm, highly conductive heat pipes designed in a U-shape. These heat pipes make their way from the base to the top, providing more surface area for the heat sink. The fins are made of aluminum with a wider width. These features provide better airflow to the cooler’s interior and increase its heat transfer surface area.

The single fan is a 120mm A-RGB P-series fan. Arctic P-series fans are efficient in operation and provide a powerful airflow to the cooler with their fluid dynamic bearings. Fan’s shrouded design helps create a significant pressure draft and is powered by a 4-pin PWM header. It functions in a speed range of 200 – 1700 RPM. It is virtually quiet, with an operating noise level rating of 22.6 dBA. The A-RGB LEDs on the fan can be controlled with software, and their vivid glow around the translucent edges of the fan with a combination of color ranges notably adds to the aesthetic.

The cooler’s intentional asymmetrical design gives you enough clearance for RAM and GPU installation. Although compact, this cooler’s ingenious design, advantages, and significant thermal performance make it a desired pick for the soon-to-be-released i5 14600K.

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240-ARGB

We have added another Arctic product to this list but this time with an AIO cooler. The Arctic again excels with its distinctive design. This product is also decently priced, while its efficiency is comparable to expensive AIO coolers. Liquid Freezer II has a premium look, and its thermal performance is exceptionally better than many coolers of its class.

Arctic designs its pumps unlike many other AIO cooler manufacturers, which gives them an advantage in optimizing and customizing them for better compatibility and efficiency. The pump can run at an astonishing maximum speed of 2000 RPM while being incredibly silent and compact in size. Their fans are designed to tolerate high static pressures to ensure a smooth cooling profile for your CPU. The speed of the fans is adjustable to your liking, as it can be reduced to make it even quieter.

ARCTIC provides an exceptional cooler with a designed TDP of 250W. So, if you want to overclock your processor, the ARCTIC cooler can tackle the extra joules of heat it generates. Their comparatively thick radiator design provides even more surface area for heat transfer. At the same time, the pump can motivate an adequate amount of coolant to the entirety of the radiator. Additionally, the pump houses a 40mm VRM fan that can operate at speeds of 1000 – 3000 RPM.

 The 2x 120mm ARCTIC P12 PWM ARGB fan can run at a maximum 1800 RPM speed, and with the PWM control, you can adjust their speed to a merely silent, low speed of 200 RPM when not under a heavier workload. In tandem with decent pricing, these features will make it a best CPU cooler for i5 14600K in 2024.

CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT

CORSAIR is a well-known premium brand with a wide variety of computer products. If you are into building gaming PCs, you have heard of CORSAIR at some point. They provide high-quality peripherals and computer ancillaries and have a good reputation in the community. Their CPU coolers are tremendously efficient. CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD XT is an excellent CPU cooler with a display monitor. They push out great products compatible with both AMD and Intel.

For gamers who want their CPU cooler to look premium and colorful, this cooler comes with RGB ELITE fans. It is equipped with a display monitor located on the pump, and it has a display of 2.1 inches with 480×480 resolution and 600 nits ultra-bright display. This display is the epitome of aesthetics as it is customizable with animated GIFs and team logos, or you can use the pre-installed animations and screen profiles.

H150i ELITE’s pump is potent. It provides a homogenous flow of liquid coolant to the highly packed fin stack while looking stylish with its RGB ring lights. This pump works efficiently to remove hot spots and provides a more effective flow to the copper baseplate to remove any hot spots. It is suitable for both tempered glass and open-air cases.

This AIO cooler features 3x 120mm fans magnetic levitation fans. These fans are mighty and maximize airflow to the densely packed radiator to ensure that no hot spots have a chance of existing. Each fan features 8 LED lights for an aesthetic look. These fans are fully automated, they can run at a range of 450 – 2000 RPM depending on the heating load with a maximum noise level of around 30dB(A), and their best feature is the Zero RPM cooling profile that brings all fans to a stop at lower temperatures and lesser workloads.

CORSAIR offers premium products, and this AIO cooler is a change of pace with its heftier price tag. But their aesthetic, design, and performance are nearly unmatched by any other brand. They deliver not just a product but an experience, and if you are to own more than one product, they can be synced and made to work together to create a more immersive aura around you.

Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

As the name implies, Be Quiet! Have dedicated themselves to creating the best possible CPU coolers while maintaining low noise levels. They have remarkably designed products with premium build quality and even remarkable performance. Unlike many others, their ergonomically drafted air coolers have achieved efficient thermal performance. Their dark rock series offers various products, each aiming to cater to a different purpose. But we have chosen their Rock Pro 4, and you will know why in a bit.

Dark Pro 4 is a dual tower air cooler encapsulated in a full black finish except for its base plate. It is one of their most versatile products, with seven 6mm heat pipes that make their journey from the top to the bottom. Surprisingly, this cooler is very quiet, with a noise output of 22 dBA. Its heat sinks have removable tops, and its quietness doesn’t come at the expense of performance. The clever design of the dual tower radiator provides more than enough heat dissipation surface area for excellent thermal performance.

Its noise output maxes out at 24 dBA, adding truth to Be Quiet!’s claims. It also includes two fans, 120mm, and 150mm, both max out at 1200 and 1500 RPM, respectively. These fans are designed with “Silent wing PWM,” which helps them achieve “Virtually inaudible” lower noise levels. These fans deliver an adequate draft of airflow to and out of the radiator due to their different sizes and rotational speeds. Moreover, both fans are fitted with advanced fluid dynamic bearings and 6-pole motors for optimal performance and more than required airflow to ensure heat dissipation.

Dark Pro 4 is massive in size, and it is taller than usual air coolers. This size limits its use in many compact cases but should be fine for mid-tower cases. This CPU cooler will be the perfect pick for the i5 14600K.