ZisaLog: Beginner’s Guide to Building a Custom PC 
Have you ever wondered what kind of CPU coolers other people choose for their custom-built PCs, or which specifications are considered important?
To answer these questions, data was collected and analyzed from various perspectives based on the parts selected using the “Custom PC Parts Estimation and Compatibility Check Tool” that was developed and managed.
The results are summarized in graphs showing the popularity ranking, price range, manufacturers, and the selection rates by different specifications and features of CPU coolers. This information can help to get an overall picture of CPU coolers.
In addition to CPU coolers, analysis of other PC parts and custom PC builds is also available, so be sure to check it out for reference.
– The data is based on information from the Custom PC Tool.
– Data period: From 2024/5/9 to 2024/08/09 (about 3 months)
– Number of data entries: About 5,000
– The vertical axis of the graphs shows the selection rate by users
– For better readability, the graphs focus on the main volume zones, so the total may not add up to 100%.
Select PC parts and online stores to instantly generate an estimate, check compatibility, and calculate power requirements. You can save up to five different builds, making it easy to try out multiple configurations.
≫ Tool：PC Parts Estimation & Compatibility Check Tool
Table of Contents
Basic Data on CPU Coolers
First, the most important points such as popularity ranking, manufacturers, and price ranges will be introduced.
CPU Cooler Popularity Ranking
| 1 |  | DEEPCOOL AK400 R-AK400-BKNNMN-G-1 |
7.2% | ||
| 2 |  | サイズ 虎徹 MARK3 SCKTT-3000 |
4.6% | ||
| 3 |  | サイズ MUGEN6 BLACK EDITION SCMG-6000DBE |
3.1% | ||
| 4 |  | DEEPCOOL LS720S ZERO DARK R-LS720-BKNNMM-G-1 |
2.9% | ||
| 5 |  | DEEPCOOL AK400 DIGITAL WH R-AK400-WHADMN-G |
2.7% | ||
| 6 |  | DEEPCOOL AK400 DIGITAL R-AK400-BKADMN-G |
2.2% | ||
| 7 |  | DEEPCOOL LS520S ZERO DARK R-LS520-BKNNMM-G-1 |
2.1% | ||
| 8 |  | サイズ MUGEN6 SCMG-6000 |
2% | ||
| 9 |  | DEEPCOOL AK400 ZERO DARK R-AK400-BKNNMN-G-2 |
1.9% | ||
| 10 |  | NZXT Kraken 360 RGB RL-KR360-W1 |
1.6% | ||
| 11 |  | COOLER MASTER MasterLiquid 240 Atmos MLX-D24M-A25PZ-R1 |
1.6% | ||
| 12 |  | COOLER MASTER MasterLiquid 360 Atmos MLX-D36M-A25PZ-R1 |
1.5% | ||
| 13 |  | DEEPCOOL LE720 R-LE720-BKAMMN-G-1 |
1.4% | ||
| 14 |  | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB RL-KR36E-W1 |
1.4% | ||
| 15 |  | DEEPCOOL LE520 R-LE520-BKAMMN-G-1 |
1.3% | ||
| 16 |  | DEEPCOOL AK620 R-AK620-BKNNMT-G |
1.3% | ||
| 17 |  | DEEPCOOL AK620 ZERO DARK ZORIA R-AK620-BKNPMN-E |
1.2% | ||
| 18 |  | MSI MAG CORELIQUID M240 |
1.1% | ||
| 19 |  | DEEPCOOL LE720 WH R-LE720-WHAMMN-G-1 |
1.1% | ||
| 20 |  | DEEPCOOL ASSASSIN 4S R-ASN4S-BKGPMN-G |
1% | ||
| 21 |  | NZXT Kraken 360 RGB RL-KR360-B1 |
1% | ||
| 22 |  | DEEPCOOL LE520 WH R-LE520-WHAMMN-G-1 |
0.9% | ||
| 23 |  | DEEPCOOL AK620 DIGITAL R-AK620-BKADMN-G |
0.9% | ||
| 24 |  | DEEPCOOL ASSASSIN IV WH R-ASN4-WHNNMT-G |
0.9% | ||
| 25 |  | DEEPCOOL ASSASSIN IV R-ASN4-BKNNMT-G |
0.8% | ||
| 26 |  | PCCOOLER GAME ICE K4-BK |
0.8% | ||
| 27 |  | noctua NH-U12A |
0.8% | ||
| 28 |  | ASUS ROG RYUO III 240 ARGB WHITE EDITION |
0.8% | ||
| 29 |  | NZXT Kraken 240 RGB RL-KR240-W1 |
0.8% | ||
| 30 |  | DEEPCOOL AK620 ZERO DARK R-AK620-BKNNMT-G-1 |
0.7% | ||
| 31 |  | ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 ACFRE00136A |
0.7% | ||
| 32 |  | DEEPCOOL ASSASSIN 4S WH R-ASN4S-WHGPMN-G |
0.7% | ||
| 33 |  | ProArtist ECONOMIC-AIO5-SE |
0.7% | ||
| 34 |  | Corsair H150 RGB CW-9060054-WW |
0.6% | ||
| 35 |  | サイズ FUMA3 SCFM-3000 |
0.6% | ||
| 36 |  | Corsair iCUE LINK H150i LCD WHITE CW-9061010-WW |
0.6% | ||
| 37 |  | DEEPCOOL LS720 R-LS720-BKAMNT-G-1 |
0.6% | ||
| 38 |  | MSI MAG CORELIQUID E360 |
0.6% | ||
| 39 |  | Thermaltake TH120 ARGB Sync V2 CL-W360-PL12SW-A |
0.6% | ||
| 40 |  | NZXT Kraken 240 RL-KN240-B1 |
0.6% | ||
| 41 |  | NZXT Kraken 360 RL-KN360-B1 |
0.6% | ||
| 42 |  | NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB RL-KR36E-B1 |
0.6% | ||
| 43 |  | COOLER MASTER MasterLiquid 360L Core ARGB MLW-D36M-A18PZ-R1 |
0.6% | ||
| 44 |  | NZXT Kraken 240 RGB RL-KR240-B1 |
0.6% | ||
| 45 |  | ZALMAN Reserator5 Z36 ARGB |
0.5% | ||
| 46 |  | ZALMAN Reserator5 Z24 ARGB |
0.5% | ||
| 47 |  | ZALMAN CNPS4X BLACK |
0.5% | ||
| 48 |  | DEEPCOOL LS720 WH R-LS720-WHAMNT-G-1 |
0.5% | ||
| 49 |  | MSI MPG CORELIQUID D360 |
0.5% | ||
| 50 |  | ASUS ProArt LC 420 |
0.5% |
It was expected that custom-built PCs would tend to be high-performance, so many would choose high-cooling-performance liquid CPU coolers. However, surprisingly, air coolers occupy the top ranks.
Most of the products are from well-known series that many people have seen at least once, so if it is unclear which one to buy, this ranking can be helpful.
CPU Cooler Manufacturers
DEEP COOL is overwhelmingly popular, followed by Scythe, NZXT, Cooler Master, and Corsair.
Most of the manufacturers shown in the graph are famous brands that custom PC users have likely seen before.
There are many other manufacturers, but choosing from these brands is a safe bet.
CPU Cooler Price Range
The main price range is under 20,000 yen. Air coolers are common from 2,000–15,000 yen, while liquid coolers are mainly above 15,000 yen.
For air coolers, those in the 15,000–20,000 yen range are the most popular, and there are fewer options at higher prices.
CPU Cooler Cooling Method
Air and liquid cooling are about evenly split.
≫ Related article: How to Choose a CPU Cooler for Custom PCs [Performance / Features / Compatibility]
Data by CPU Cooler Specifications and Features
Next, the data is aggregated by specification and feature.
However, when choosing a CPU cooler, the main criteria are cooling type, performance, price range, and manufacturer. Therefore, it is likely that users selected parts based on performance and other main criteria, and the resulting product happened to have certain specifications or features.
In other words, it is difficult to distinguish whether a part was chosen for a specific feature, or if it was selected based on main criteria and just happened to have that feature. Please keep this in mind when reviewing the data.
Types of Air CPU Coolers
There are side-flow and top-flow types of air CPU coolers, but most users choose the side-flow type.
Top-flow types usually have one fan, with 92mm fans being the most common, though some use 120mm fans.
Smaller fan sizes tend to have lower cooling performance and less quiet operation, so if using a high-performance CPU, the side-flow type naturally becomes the main choice.
Also, this data does not include top-flow type retail coolers, so the actual percentage may be a bit higher.
Fan Size of Air CPU Coolers
120mm is the most common and overwhelmingly popular fan size.
While larger sizes are generally quieter, 140mm is not as popular as expected.
There are fewer 140mm products, about 1/5 to 1/6 the number of 120mm products, but the selection rate is even lower, indicating they are simply less popular.
92mm fans are often used in top-flow type CPU coolers.
Radiator Size of Liquid CPU Coolers
120mm radiators are popular, with 240mm (dual fan) and 360mm (triple fan) also being mainstream.
Maximum Fan Speed of CPU Coolers
Most CPU coolers have a maximum fan speed of 1,000–4,000 rpm. Higher speeds exist, but those are for servers and not for general use.
For air coolers only, the majority are in the 1,000–2,000 rpm range.
For liquid coolers only, most are in the 2,000–3,000 rpm range, so liquid coolers generally have higher maximum fan speeds than air coolers.
Higher fan speed means higher cooling performance.
Maximum Airflow of CPU Cooler Fans
Fan airflow is mostly in the 60–80 CFM range, with over 95% between 40–100 CFM.
For air coolers, the data is even more concentrated in the 60–80 CFM range.
For liquid coolers, many products have higher airflow, such as 80–100 CFM.
Therefore, if maximum cooling performance is desired, a liquid CPU cooler is recommended.
However, even high-end CPUs like Core i7, i9, Ryzen 7, and 9 can be handled by air coolers, so liquid cooling is not essential.
Maximum Noise Level of CPU Coolers
Most products have a maximum noise level of 25–35 dB, which is considered quiet to normal.
Guide to Noise Levels| Decibels (dBA) | Guide 1 | Guide 2 | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Loud | Very loud; conversation is not possible unless speaking very loudly | - Noisy street - Cicadas (2 m) |
| 60 | Sounds very loud; conversation is possible if voices are raised | - Normal conversation - Washing machine, vacuum cleaner, TV | |
| 50 | Normal | Sounds loud; normal conversation is possible | - Home air conditioner (outdoor unit) - Ventilation fan (1 m) |
| 40 | Clearly audible; conversation is not affected | - Quiet residential area ・Library | |
| 30 | Quiet | Heard very softly | ・Suburbs at midnight ・Whispering voice |
| 20 | Barely audible | ・Whisper ・Sound of rustling leaves |
After reviewing and measuring the noise of about 50 PCs, 35 dB is considered quiet.
The fan noise is audible but not unpleasant or distracting for work.
Noise becomes noticeable around 50 dB, and 60 dB is personally too loud.
For air coolers, most are in the 25–30 dB range.
Fan speeds are generally lower than liquid coolers, so noise is also lower.
For liquid coolers, most are in the 30–35 dB range, about 5 dB higher overall.
Higher fan speeds result in higher noise levels.
However, since this is the “maximum” noise level, it is unlikely to reach this unless the CPU is under heavy load.
If the noise was always +5 dB, it might be an issue, but since that’s not the case, it is not a major problem.
In fact, having more cooling capacity under high load helps maintain higher performance.
LED Lighting on CPU Coolers
About half of the products support LED lighting.
However, there are users who dislike LEDs but choose LED-equipped products for other reasons such as specifications, performance, or price, and then turn the LEDs off.
Therefore, while about half support LEDs, it is predicted that slightly more users do not actually use the lighting.
Low Profile CPU Coolers
Low profile refers to a compact design with reduced height.
Among top-flow types, those with even lower height are considered low profile.
They are mainly used in small PC cases with limited space, but as shown, they are rarely used.
Summary: CPU Cooler Statistics
The popularity ranking, price range, manufacturers, and selection rates by specification and feature for CPU coolers have been summarized in graphs.
Popular brands, prices, and cooling methods are likely the main points of interest, and this data provides useful insights.
It was also valuable to see the overall differences in fan speed, airflow, and noise level between air and liquid coolers.
In addition to CPU coolers, analysis of other PC parts and custom PC builds is also available, so be sure to check it out for reference.
Select PC parts and online stores to instantly generate an estimate, check compatibility, and calculate power requirements. You can save up to five different builds, making it easy to try out multiple configurations.
≫ Tool：PC Parts Estimation & Compatibility Check Tool
