Best CPU Coolers for Ryzen 7 7700X

The Ryzen 7 7700X is the newest 8-core 16-thread gaming processor from AMD. By using the new Zen 4 5nm architecture, AMD was able to improve overall performance by 40%. They also managed to increase the base clock speed to 4.5GHz and the boost clock speed to 5.4GHz. This bump-up in clock speed was possible by increasing the TDP of the Ryzen 7 7700X to 105W.

With increased 105W TDP will now require better thermal management to avoid any throttling. In this article, we recommend the best CPU coolers under affordable/budget, 120mm AIO Liquid Cooler, 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler, and High-Performance Silent Air Cooler.

The Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core 16-thread processor with a boost clock speed of 5.4GHz. With support for overclocking, the Ryzen 7 7700X can easily reach the rated 5.4GHz. To remain at its max clock frequency without any throttling requires excellent cooling. Many wonders if an AIO liquid cooler performs better than an air cooler. 

Our Recommended CPU Cooler

Since the Ryzen 7 7700X is targeted for gaming and has a TDP of only 105W, from our comparison below a high-performance air cooler is a better investment since it performs on par with an AIO liquid cooler. We recommend the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler is the best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 7700X.

Hence in this article, we compare the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler against the Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler to find out if an AIO liquid cooler is a better investment for the Ryzen 7 7700X considering it is only a mid-range processor with 105W TDP unlike the 170W Ryzen 9 7950X. In our Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 7950X, we test and compare some of the best AIO liquid coolers.

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 is one of the bestselling high-performance air coolers. It is a dual 120mm fan design that is extremely silent at 24.7dB at maximum speed. We compare the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 and Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid Cooler for design and form-factor, RGB lighting, Performance, and Noise levels.

Form-factor and Design

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler is a traditional air cooler. This high-performance cooler comes with dual 120mm and an advanced heatsink design to optimally remove the most amount of heat possible. The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 comes in an all-black design and a premium aluminum finish on the top.

The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler on the other hand is a 240mm AIO liquid cooler. This also has dual 120mm fans, but instead of a heatsink, it is a radiator. A highly conductive liquid is used for cooling. In terms of design, the Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite is all black with the pump head mount having RGB lighting. 

RGB Lighting

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler is an all-black design without any RGB lighting. If you’re looking for a high-performance dual fan air cooler with RGB, read our Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 7900X article.

The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler comes with a feature called dynamic lighting. It consists of 16 RGB lights on the pump head which can be customized in the iCUE software. With the help of the iCUE software, the RGB light can be synced with other Corsair-manufactured PC components such as RAM. You can choose the right RAM for Ryzen 7 7700X by reading our Best RAM for Ryzen 7 7700X article.

Performance

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler has an advanced heatsink design paired with a dual 120mm Silent Wings 3 fan providing outstanding cooling performance. It can also fit in another 120mm fan for improved performance.

The heatsink is equipped with seven heat pipes made of copper having a thickness of 6mm. They have contoured fins for better cooling and small dots to increase surface area resulting in better heat dissipation.

The included Silent Wings 3 120mm fans are designed for optimal airflow. They have seven blades for optimal airflow with fluid-dynamic bearing for improved longevity. These are PWM fans with a max speed of 2200RPM.

The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler also delivers outstanding performance. With a thermally advanced copper base plate and a high-performance pump that can be controlled with the help of the iCUE software. The dual 120mm fans add up to dissipate heat resulting in excellent thermal management.

In real-world testing, both the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler and Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler showed great performance. Since the Ryzen 7 7700X is only an 8-core processor having a 105W TDP, both the coolers were able to keep temperatures below 70 degrees celsius throughout the test. 

To sum up we recommend the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler for the Ryzen 7 7700X offers more value for money.

While the Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler is a better choice for higher-end Ryzen 9 7900X processors having a 170W TDP rating. A detailed comparison of different AIO liquid coolers is on our Best RAM for Ryzen 9 7950X article.

Noise Levels

The be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 heatsink vibration isolation technology results in lower noise levels. This is paired with dual Silent Wing 3 120mm fans resulting in noise levels of around 24dB at maximum speed.

The Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Elite Liquid CPU Cooler can be controlled using the iCUE software. At idle they are almost silent. At a maximum speed of 1750RPM from dual 120mm fans, it maintains a noise level of around 31.5dB.

High-Performance Silent Air Cooler

Our recommended silent high-performance cooler for Ryzen 7 7700X is the Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler. It is a premium dual 140mm fan cooler. With 6 heat pipes and dual fans, it is one of the best air coolers for overclocking. Its cooling performance is perfect for gamers wanting to overclock their CPU and want a near-silent system.

The heatsink is made from aluminum and plated with nickel to offer better heat dissipation. The base and heat pipes are made of copper which is one of the best heat conductive materials. The heatsink is soldered together for better heat transfer.

The Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler comes with 2 NF-A15 140mm premium fans. These are popular for their silent nature. These fans are engineered to have an advanced aerodynamic design for better-streamlined flow, hence making them one of the best available in the market.

With a maximum height of 160mm, the Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler can fit into most ATX and micro-ATX cases. One negative is the lag of any RGB lighting. In terms of design, this brown color looks stellar in my opinion. The Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler checks all the boxes for a high-performance cooler and manages to stay super quiet at around 24dB.

Another great alternative is the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 Air Cooler. This is also a premium dual-fan air cooler.

240mm AIO Liquid Cooler

If you are on the hunt for an excellent AIO liquid cooler for Ryzen 7 7700X, a 240mm liquid cooler is more than adequate considering the Ryzen 7 7700X is only an 8-core chip with a 105W TDP. We recommend the NZXT Kraken X53 240mm AIO RGB Liquid Cooler for the Ryzen 7 7700X.

The NZXT Kraken X53 240mm AIO RGB Liquid Cooler has outstanding performance. With dual 120mm fans and a high-performance pump, it delivers excellent cooling. A detailed review of the NZXT Kraken X53 240mm AIO RGB Liquid Cooler is on our Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 7900X article,

Another great alternative to the NZXT Kraken X53 Liquid Cooler is the Corsair iCUE H100i RGB Pro XT AIO Liquid Cooler

Affordable CPU Cooler

With a tight budget, many gamers look for a cheaper air cooler. We believe there are many budget coolers available in the market. After going through a ton of them, our pick for the best budget CPU cooler for Ryzen 7 7700X is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition Air Cooler.

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition Air Cooler delivers excellent performance at an affordable price. With RGB lighting, low noise levels, and excellent cooling performance it ticks all the boxes for a high-performance air cooler. 

The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Air Cooler comes with 4 heat pipes. These heat pipes make use of an advanced direct contact technology that results in excellent heat dissipation. In addition to this, the heatsink fins are nickel plated which enhances radiation resulting in better cooling performance. The top of the heatsink features polished aluminum giving it a premium build and design.

120mm AIO Liquid Cooler

For many ITX and compact form factor builds, a bulky high-performance dual fan air cooler is not practical. A 120mm liquid cooler is essential to provide good cooling as it performs better in many low-profile air coolers. We recommend the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L liquid cooler. 

The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L packs high-performance dual chamber pumps for improved efficiency and better cooling. The pump uses an industrial-grade seal for an anti-leaking/no leak feature. It also comes with RGB lighting that can be controlled with the included controller.

Another great alternative is the NZXT Kraken 120 AIO Liquid Cooler. It is the smaller 120mm version of the NZXT Kraken we recommended above.