1. Air cooler or liquid cooler (AIO)?

Tower air coolerReliable, quiet, no pump that can fail. Great up to processors of ~150 W.
240/280 mm liquid coolerGood for hotter CPUs and cases with little room around the processor.
360 mm liquid coolerFor top-end chips (Ryzen 9, Core i9/Ultra 9) under heavy load.
Stock coolerOnly for low-power processors and light use.

2. Look at the TDP

Choose a cooler with capacity above the processor's real consumption. A 65 W Ryzen 5 is fine with a simple tower; a Ryzen 9 or Core i7/i9 calls for a dual tower or a 280–360 mm AIO.

3. Does it fit in the case?

  • Air cooler: confirm the maximum height the case supports (e.g. 160 mm).
  • AIO: confirm where the radiator can go (top or front) and the supported size.
  • Check clearance for RAM with tall heatsinks.

4. Thermal paste

Most coolers come with paste pre-applied. When reapplying, use a pea-sized amount in the centre — pressure spreads it.

Summary: a good tower air cooler solves 80% of cases with less noise and less risk. Compare coolers →