Choosing a CPU cooler is best approached by starting with the essentials: your CPU model, socket and thermal requirements. Next comes a reality check — the space available in your case. Only then does it make sense to choose between air cooling and an AIO.
What you’ll learn in this article:
- How do you choose the right CPU cooler?
- How do you check your CPU model and socket?
- How does TDP influence cooler selection?
- What should you consider when choosing an air cooler?
- How do you choose an AIO liquid cooler?
- How can you check case and RAM compatibility?
- How do heatsink and fan design affect cooling?
- What is the difference between airflow and static pressure?
- Why does an FDB bearing matter?
- What should you check before buying a CPU cooler?
How do you choose a CPU cooler?
If you're wondering which CPU cooler is right for you, don't start with the biggest heatsink or the number of fans. Shopping with your eyes can be fun, but above all, a cooler needs to fit your PC and cope with your processor.
It's best to follow five steps:
- Check your processor model, socket and thermal requirements.
- Determine what you use your computer for.
- Choose air cooling or liquid cooling.
- Check whether your chosen cooler will fit inside the case.
- Compare the heatsink, fans and mounting method.
That's the theory covered. The rest is about matching the right solution to your particular build.
How can you check your processor model and socket type?
First, identify your exact processor model. This will let you check its requirements and the type of socket on your motherboard.
You can find your CPU model in the operating system, diagnostic tools, UEFI/BIOS, your PC's documentation or on the manufacturer's website. If you're building a new PC, the easiest option is to consult the CPU and motherboard specifications.
The socket determines how the processor is installed on the motherboard. Specifications may list names such as AM4, AM5 or LGA 1700. The cooler's mounting system needs to support that socket.
Once you know the socket, simply check the list of supported platforms and the box contents. One minute of checking can save you an evening with your PC in pieces and a cooler you can't mount.
What is TDP and how does it affect cooler selection?
TDP, or Thermal Design Power, is one of the parameters that help estimate a processor's thermal requirements and determine what class of cooler to look for.
When choosing a cooler, it's worth leaving some headroom beyond your CPU's requirements, especially if the processor regularly works hard. Cooling that doesn't have to run at its limit all the time will usually allow lower fan speeds — and that means less noise under your desk.
TDP is not a magic number that settles everything. Temperatures also depend on the workload, CPU settings, airflow inside the case and the design of the cooler itself.
What should you look for when choosing an air cooler?
An air cooler consists of a base that absorbs heat from the processor, heat pipes that carry it to the heatsink and a fan that pushes air through the fins.
The key factors are cooling performance, heatsink and fan design, and the cooler's overall dimensions. ENDORFY's Spartan, Fera and Fortis series are examples of this type of cooling.
If you're undecided between air cooling and an AIO, you'll find a more detailed comparison here: Liquid or air cooling — which is better for your PC?
Dimensions matter during installation, but we'll return to cooler height, RAM clearance and other potential clashes shortly. You can't cheat physics — if a heatsink is too large, it simply won't fit in the case. Leaving the side panel open will allow dust to accumulate quickly, directly raising temperatures and negatively affecting overall airflow.
What should you look for when choosing liquid cooling?
In an AIO liquid cooling system such as the ENDORFY Navis series, heat moves from the processor into the water block and then travels to a radiator installed in the case. Fans transfer that heat into the surrounding air.
When choosing an AIO, first check the radiator size and whether your case supports its installation. A label such as “240 mm” or “360 mm” doesn't tell the whole story — the space taken up by the complete assembly, including fans, matters too.
If you'd like to understand how such a system works in more detail:
So your first question when choosing an AIO shouldn't be “what's the biggest radiator I can squeeze in here?”. Start with the processor and its requirements, then look at what your case can accommodate.
How can you check cooler compatibility with your case and RAM?
One of the most common problems when choosing cooling isn't performance but simply a lack of space. Every centimetre counts here.
With air cooling, check the maximum cooler height supported by your PC case and the clearance above your RAM modules. A large heatsink or fan may extend over the memory.
With an AIO, the nominal radiator size is only half the equation. The full assembly, fans included, is what counts. Mounted at the front, it can take space away from the graphics card; at the top, it may interfere with RAM or motherboard heatsinks. In very large cases, there's also an obvious but potentially frustrating issue: will the tubes actually reach the intended radiator mounting position?
Before buying, check:
- air cooler height and RAM clearance,
- supported AIO radiator size,
- radiator thickness including fans,
- space for the graphics card,
- potential clashes with memory and motherboard components.
A compatible socket alone doesn't mean everything will fit inside. Your case specifications are more useful here than optimism.
The CPU cooler is only one part of the PC cooling system. Warm air also needs to be efficiently expelled from the case.
How do heatsink design and fan specifications affect cooling?
It's not just radiator size that matters, but also the number and arrangement of heat pipes (in air coolers), heatsink surface area and fin layout.
A larger surface area helps dissipate more heat into the surroundings, but a pile of aluminium alone has never cooled anything. You also need adequate airflow.
That's where the fan comes in.
The most important specifications to check are size, RPM range, airflow, static pressure, noise level and bearing type.
High RPM may look impressive on a specification sheet, but it doesn't tell the full story. Two fans spinning at similar speeds may be designed for very different purposes.
Airflow or static pressure?
A fan at the front of a case generally has a straightforward job: bring as much cool air inside as possible. Airflow, often expressed in CFM, is particularly important here.
On a dense heatsink, things get trickier. Air encounters more resistance, so static pressure — the fan's ability to push air through obstacles — becomes more important. A great example of a fan designed for this purpose is our Fluctus, developed for densely finned radiators and heatsinks in the Navis, Fera and Fortis series.
Why is an FDB bearing worth considering?
All ENDORFY fans use FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) bearings. The rotor runs on a thin layer of lubricant, which helps reduce friction and supports quiet, long-lasting operation. For a fan that may spin for thousands of hours, this is certainly not a detail to overlook.
Fans aren't a third type of CPU cooling alongside air coolers and AIOs. They form part of the overall airflow system — they can work on a CPU heatsink or AIO radiator, or bring air into and exhaust it from the case.
Even a very capable cooler will struggle if hot air keeps circulating inside the PC.
How to choose a CPU cooler: pre-purchase checklist
If you want to quickly check whether your chosen cooler makes sense for your PC:
- Check the processor model, socket and thermal requirements.
- Determine what you use your PC for and how intensively.
- Choose air cooling or an AIO.
- Check the dimensions of the cooler or radiator, including fans.
- Check clearance for RAM, the graphics card and motherboard components.
- Compare heatsink design and fan specifications.
- Only then choose a specific model.
A good CPU cooler doesn't have to be the biggest one that fits inside your PC. It needs to suit the processor, case and the way you actually use your computer.
