CPU Cooler Check

Methodology

How the verdicts are calculated

Every page is generated from the same small model. This page states the formula, the constants, where the inputs come from, and what the model cannot see. Written and maintained by Farrukh Sufyan Sarwar.

The thermal model

headroom      = cooler.sustainedWatts − cpu.boostWatts
fullLoad (°C) = 35 + (cpu.boostWatts  ÷ cooler.sustainedWatts) × 60   capped at TjMax
gaming   (°C) = 35 + (cpu.gamingWatts ÷ cooler.sustainedWatts) × 45   never above fullLoad

verdict = INCOMPATIBLE_SOCKET  if the cooler ships no bracket for the socket
        | THROTTLING_RISK      if headroom < -15 W or fullLoad hits TjMax
        | ACCEPTABLE           if headroom < 25 W
        | EXCELLENT            otherwise

The 35 °C ambient represents air inside a closed case in a warm room, not the room itself. The two scale factors were fitted so that a cooler running at 100 % of its sustained rating lands near the junction limit under all-core load and around 80 °C in games. The CPU's boost figure is Intel's PL2 / Maximum Turbo Power or AMD's PPT; the gaming figure is a typical GPU-bound package draw.

Physical rules

  • 42 mm — dual-tower coolers below this RAM clearance are flagged for tall RGB kits (44 mm typical).
  • 160 mm — air coolers at or above this height get a chassis alert for compact Micro-ATX cases.
  • 220 W — Intel parts above this PL2 on a 120/240 mm or single-tower cooler get a sustained-draw warning.
  • The interactive checker compares your RAM height and case clearance to the cooler and reports fits / tight (under 3 mm or 5 mm margin) / clash.

Data sources

  • CPU power limits and TjMax: Intel and AMD product specifications (Processor Base Power, Maximum Turbo Power, TDP, PPT).
  • Gaming draw: typical package power in GPU-bound titles from published reviews, rounded.
  • Cooler ratings, heights and RAM clearance: manufacturer specification sheets, with sustained wattage figures adjusted to realistic continuous loads rather than marketing peaks.
  • Prices, images and availability: Amazon Creators API, refreshed daily and shown with the time they were fetched.

Known limits

  • The model does not see your case airflow, paste application, fan curve or BIOS power limits. Treat estimates as ±8 °C.
  • Ratings for the same cooler vary by fan speed; we use one sustained figure at acceptable noise.
  • Socket support reflects kits in the box at the time of writing; manufacturers add brackets over time.
  • Verdicts are recomputed whenever the data changes; the pairing pages state their publication date.

Terms are defined in the glossary. Questions or corrections: see the about page.