Best All In One CPU Coolers in 2021 – Liquid Cooling Systems
Choosing a cooling solution can often be a headache, I mean, do you go for air or liquid? Does your case have enough room for the radiator? Is there enough clearance for the block? Luckily you have at least decided you want a liquid all in one cooling solution, so you are a bit closer. As far as the other questions; don’t worry, we will answer all in this article as we try and find out what is the best all in one CPU cooler.
Liquid coolers often come in handy to shave a few extra degrees of those temps or in times of overclocking needs. These days though the AIO cooling solution offers something a bit more to your build, yes you guessed it, RGB lighting.
So get out of the way air coolers it’s time to see what liquid AIO coolers have to offer!
Our Top Picks
How We Choose
In-depth Review
Corsair Hydro Series H150i Pro
Corsair Hydro Series H150i Pro
The Corsair H150i is probably the best cooling solution in this list, and it owes this accolade purely to how it performs. One of the most impressive things from this 360mm beast is the fact the fans remain quiet even when running at max speed.
Of course design-wise it loses to the Thermaltake Floe or the Kraken x72, with the H150i featuring a more conventional RGB block. The radiator fans are a little bit plain jane, but they are Corsairs Magnetic LEvitation fans, so you can count on the noise level being low (max is 25 dBa).
So quiet operation, a chilly CPU, and Corsairs fancy iCUE software to tie it all together. While this is one of the most effective AIO cooling solutions available I would be careful running it on quiet mode if you are running an overclocked beast.
Thermaltake Floe
Thermaltake Floe
Our alternative to Corsairs H150i is the massive Thermaltake Floe 360. This cooler features some of the best RGB lighting you can find on this list and comes with Thermaltake’s “Riing” fans as standard, which have three lighting loops.
This cooler is a 360mm rad size; so you will need a case big enough for that, but it’s worth noting that the extra cables for the lighting add clutter.
The CPU blocks lighting can sync up with your trio of fans, giving you quite an impressive display. The product comes with Thermaltake’s fan controller, allowing you to add extra Thermaltake Riing fans to your case.
The cooling performance may not be as good as some of the coolers on this list, but with the quality aesthetics, we can allow for a few degrees here or there. This AIO is surprisingly quiet though with the fans max RPM only going to 1400.
While this may not be ideal for a powerful overclocked CPU, it still offers good enough thermal performance to make it into this list!
NZXT Kraken Z63
NZXT Kraken Z63
Just like Corsair’s H-series, the NZXT Z-series is available in a 360mm and 240mm option too. This could be the perfect match up for your NZXT case or just simply because of that unique looking CPU block.
We have gone for the 280mm as the 360mm just wasn’t as good in terms of price to performance as our other picks. The AIO is a very effective cooler, and this is mostly down to the 1,800 RPM spinning fans, which happen to be air pressure fans with fluid dynamic bearings.
The design offers something a little different from the norm and, as expected, the splash of style is elegantly done from NZXT.
This cooler doesn’t throw out too much noise, and if you can get along with the hefty price tag, then it’s a great addition to anyone’s build.
Corsair Hydro Series H100i Pro RGB
Corsair Hydro Series H100i Pro RGB
The Corsair Hydro Series H100i Pro RGB is a relatively cheap liquid cooler that professionals highly recommend, and like the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360R, it also boasts RGB lighting.
Through their iCUE software, you can easily achieve a wide range of RGB lighting setups across a spectrum of colors. Plus, it comes with a predefined configuration setting that lets you control the fan speeds from 100%, 50% and even run them at 0%. This means you can leave the fans at 0% and have the pumps do all the work as long as the temperature is cool enough.
The pump also comes pre-applied with a thermal paste but you can always use an aftermarket paste if you have one. Nonetheless, the thermals that come with it are fine.
Mounting the pump onto the motherboard can be tricky because the default bracket is compatible with Intel processors. There is an included bracket for AMD processors as well, but you have to swap them out.
Just twist the bracket counterclockwise, remove it, and then replace it with the AMD bracket by twisting it clockwise to lock it in place. You might also need someone to hold the pump as you screw them in place to keep it from slipping and whatnot.
It’s also worth noting that the fans do not have RGB lights. But you can get 2 more fans that have RGB lights and install it on the other side of the radiator– a total of 4 fans in all (2 push in and 2 push out fans).
In some situations, consumers would replace the (2) included fans with 2x Magnetic Levitation 120mm RGB fans on top of another 2 fans on the opposite side of the radiator for a full RGB lighting setup. This makes it the best in the range as it opens up a lot of customization possibilities.
But if you don’t want to invest more, you can stick with the two included fans. In fact, I’d personally recommend you stick with it if you don’t want to spend more. These are already good enough to give you great cooling potential– unless you really want to go RGB or you want to maximize its cooling potential.
Overall, the build is made from premium materials, which guarantees durability, longevity, and a place on our list of the best AIO coolers currently available.
NZXT Kraken M22
NZXT Kraken M22
As a slightly alternative to the very loud and proud H100i Platinum SE, we have the Kraken M22. This cooling solution is the smallest on the list and perfect for a compact system build, where an air cooler just won’t cut it.
The one thing this simplistic AIO cooling solution has going for it straight away is the impressively designed CPU block. The holographic style block is one of the best on the market; however, sadly, this cooler lacks a bit in terms of performance.
While it doesn’t do too bad in thermal performance, it can make a lot of noise if running at max speeds. Despite being the loudest on the list, it cools extremely well, and the 360mm version is also exceptional.
For those looking at something a bit different than just “RGB,” the M22 gives you some serious style points while keeping things breezy with the Aer 120mm fan.
Final Word
There are a lot of extremely good cooling solutions out there, so it is hard to make the wrong choice. Hopefully, this article helps you find the perfect solution for you and your system!