Best Coolers for Intel i5 12600k for Low Temps and Overclocking

Intel’s latest 12th gen processor line gave us a Budget Beast, i5-12600k. This processor not only beats the competition but also made Intel the King again. But, if you are planning to get this processor, you’d have to get a good cooler for it because it doesn’t come with one. So this article will tell you the Best Coolers for Intel i5 12600k both the Air and AIO versions.

I. How Can You Choose among the Best Coolers for the Intel i5-12600k?

You need to keep a few things in mind before purchasing a CPU cooler for i5 12600k or for any other CPU for that matter. First is definitely your budget because that determines your purchasing power and how many options remain for you.

Along with the budget you should think of the space available in your cabinet, as many premium high-end coolers either have huge heatsink towers or big radiators which might or might not fit into your system. Also, the 12th gen comes with a new socket(LGA 1700) which could be not supported by some coolers, so you will have to check if the cooler you choose supports LGA 1700 or not.

Furthermore, the factors like the TDP and noise come into play. If your use case involves heavy loads or even overclocking then you’d want coolers with higher TDP and lower noise. Lastly, if you worry about RGB lights on the cooler then some won’t be suitable for you although they are very good on the performance side.

So, in the end, it comes to what suits you, and your system would be the best CPU cooler for your Intel i5-12600k. But we are listing some here which are the Best Air and AIO coolers for the Intel i5-12600k according to us keeping the general budget or space or power needs in mind.

II. 5 Best Air Coolers for Intel i5-12600k

1. CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB

Price – $55

Specifications:

• Fans: 1 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1500 RPM
• TDP: 220 W
• Noise: 24.6 dB(A)
• Dimensions:  120 x 79.6 x 158.8 mm
• RGB: Yes

Best looking entry-level cooler on a budget, it can fulfill your needs on stock clock speeds. It has 4 copper heat pipes and an aluminum heatsink. The fans look beautiful with the RGB and paired with the black chrome finish to the heatsink this would go well in your build. It can’t be used for overclocking though.

2. ThermalTake Toughair 510

Price – $60

Specifications:

• Fans: 2 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  2000 RPM
• TDP: 180 W
• Noise: 23.6 dB(A)
• Dimensions:  123.6 x 98.8 x 159.5 mm
• RGB: No

ThermalTake Toughair 510 comes with a 2 fan design devoid of any RGB and can handle stock clock speeds with ease as the max TDP of i5-12600k is 125 Watt. It comes with copper heat pipes and aluminum fins. Fans are a highlight of this, offering so less noise with great airflow. This is a big one so if it is not suitable for your build, you can go for single fan variants.

3. Noctua NH U12S

Price – $69/$79(Chromax)

Specifications:

• Fans: 1 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1500 RPM
• TDP: 140 W
• Noise: 22.4 dB(A)
• Dimensions:  158 x 71 x 125 mm
• RGB: No

A CPU fan list can’t be completed without mentioning Noctua. Noctua coolers are the most silent best performing coolers in the market. They might not look very cool but you can go for chromax versions which look a little better. It also comes with copper heat pipes and an aluminum heatsink. This has the most silent performance among other under 60-dollar coolers. Noctua also offers a 6-year warranty on this.

4. Noctua NH D15S

Price – $89/$99(Chromax)

Specifications:

• Fans: 1 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1500 RPM
• TDP: 220 W
• Noise: 24.6 dB(A)
• Dimensions:  135 x 150 x 160 mm
• RGB: No

Noctua NH D15S also comes with the best most silent performance as other Noctua products do, but this is a more expensive and bulkier one in the Noctua lineup. This has a dual-tower heatsink design, thus you can add two more fans to it. The most attractive part of it is the TDP of 220 Watt which means it has very good headroom for overclocking i5-12600k as well while giving low temps for the stock clocks. This too comes with a 6-year warranty.

5. be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

Price – $90

Specifications:

• Fans: 1 x 120 mm, 1 x 135 mm
• Fan Speed:  1400 RPM
• TDP: 250 W
• Noise: 24.3 dB(A)
• Dimensions:  146 x 136 x 163mm
• RGB: No

This is the biggest Air Cooler on our list and can be used for overclocking easily thanks to its TDP of 250 Watts. It comes with seven copper heat pipes and an aluminum twin tower heatsink design. The fans offer excellent airflow working in a push-pull arrangement while being very silent. This is very heavy and expensive when compared to the AIO counterparts.

II. 5 Best AIO Coolers for Intel i5 12600k

1. CoolerMaster ML240L V2 RGB

Price – $78

Specifications:

• Fans: 2 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1800 RPM
• TDP: 200 W
• Noise: 27 dB(A)
• Dimensions(Radiator):  277 x 119 x 27 mm
• RGB: Yes

CoolerMaster ML240L offers Coolermaster’s classic design with beautiful ARGB components. This AIO cooler provides good thermal performance with great looks. The V2 version has had improvements done to it with the help of community feedback. At about 80 USD this AIO not only gives you good aesthetics for your Build but also has good overclocking headroom if you wish to do so.

2. ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 240

Price – $120

Specifications:

• Fans: 2 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1800 RPM
• TDP: N/A
• Noise: 27 dB(A)
• Dimensions(Radiator):  277 x 120 x 38 mm
• RGB: No

Arctic coolers come with thick radiators which enables them to have excellent thermal performance. Thick Radiators are much appreciated in the Enthusiast space who want to utilize every single bit of performance out of their CPU. On stock speeds, it can work without any hassle and can even handle the overclocked i5-12600k with ease

3. NZXT Kraken X53 240

Price – $135

Specifications:

• Fans: 2 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  2000 RPM
• TDP: N/A
• Noise: 36 dB(A)
• Dimensions(Radiator):  275 x 123 x 30 mm
• RGB: Yes

NZXT has earned a reputation for offering some of the best-looking computer components and this one is no exception. Kraken X53 offers decent performance but with an elegantly beautiful design, the CPU Block has a holo RGB circle on it and will make your PC look very cool while keeping your CPU cool. This also has decent OC capability but it is not very silent at maximum fan speeds

4. Enermax Liqmax III 360

Price – $89

Specifications:

• Fans: 3 x 120 mm
• Fan Speed:  1600 RPM
• TDP: 360 Watt
• Noise: 27 dB(A)
• Dimensions(Radiator):  394 x 120 x 27 mm
• RGB: Yes

Enermax Liqmax III 360 offers exceptional performance with a good price tag. The TDP of 360 watts makes it adequate for overclocking the CPU. This also is easy to install and offers beautiful ARGB lighting. The 2-year warranty is an issue though and you will have to make sure that you have the space in your cabinet for this.

5. EK AIO Elite 360 D-RGB

Price – $200

Specifications:

• Fans: 6 x 120 mm (for push pull)
• Fan Speed:  2200 RPM
• TDP: N/A
• Noise: 36 dB(A)
• Dimensions(Radiator):  394 x 120 x 27 mm
• RGB: Yes

EK is known for providing top-tier liquid cooling components such as pipes, CPU blocks, GPU blocks, radiators, and pumps for custom liquid cooling solutions. This is an AIO offering from the company and has the same premium quality components, with top-tier performance and beautiful ARGB components. This is an expensive one though, so if you have got the space and the budget for it, then you should go for it.

III. Which are the Best Coolers for i5-12600k for Overclocking?

When overclocked the i5-12600k has almost double power consumption than its max stock consumption of about 120-125 watts.

Enermax Liqmax III 360 looks like a perfect fit for overclocking as it has 360-watt TDP and can easily handle the overclocked i5-12600k, AIOs with similar specifications can be used for this application as well.

If that is not enough for you, then you can go for a Custom Water Cooling loop.

IV. Conclusion:

1. Air vs AIO cooler: What should you choose for the Intel i5 12600k?

Air and AIO coolers both have their own specific use cases. Air coolers offer a better price-to-performance ratio generally, but AIO coolers look better and are preferred for overclocking

So, in the end, you have to choose the best CPU cooler for your i5-12600k according to your use-case scenario.

Hope we could help you in choosing the Best Cooler for the Intel i5-12600k, with this list.