Quiet CPU Cooler Comparison

There are a lot of choices in today's quiet CPU market. Many manufacturers are jumping on the quiet computer bandwagon. But just as is the case for "quiet" appliances - actual silence varies.

All of our silent CPU coolers are truly silent and cool effectively. You may choose one over the other because of brand name, reliability, style, dimensions that work with your computer, or the ability to get just a little bit quieter (the difference of less than a few decibels). All of our quiet coolers won't be heard unless you put your ear right up to your computer, but some of these coolers, because of their huge dimensions and ideal design, cool better than others.

The weight and size of the most powerful coolers might be a plus for you, due to increased cooling. Or, it may be a downside for you, especially if you move your computer around a lot because the large coolers are usually over the manufacturer's CPU weight limit. Here we give you dimensional and compatibility information about our coolers in a nutshell.

We hope this helps! Don't hesitate to contact us if you need more specific recommendations.
 

CPU Cooler Name	Picture	Price	Weight	Dimensions	Compatibility	dB Rating, Details
Scythe Mugen 3		$49.95	826g	130 x 108 x 158 mm	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	20 - 32 dB
Zalman CNPS5X		$29.95	320g	127(L) x 64(W) x 134(H)mm	Intel Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD FM1 Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2 Socket 940 Socket 939 Socket 754	20 - 32 dB
Zalman CNPS7X		$42.95	360g	90(L) x 127(W) x 135(H)mm	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	17 - 20 dB Quiet Mode
Nexus LOW-7000		$49.95	475g	138 x 123 x 70.3 mm 4.84 x 5.43 x 2.77 in Heatsink Only	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2	15 - 24 dB
Zalman CNPS10X Flex with Dual Fan Options		$44.95	700g	133(L) X 74(W) X 151(H) mm Heatsink Only	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Intel Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2 Socket 940 Socket 939 Socket 754	Uses all 120mm case fans.   Our top pick 120mm Nexus Silent Fan for true 22.8dB and great airflow.
Nexus AXP-3200 Quiet Athlon XP CPU Fan		$29.95	331g	Not Available	AMD Socket A/462, up to XP 3400+ Intel Socket 370, PIII 1.13GHz and up Socket 605, MP 2800+ or higher	19dB
Nexus P4 Quiet CPU Fan		$24.95	385g	Not Available	Intel Socket 478, up to P4 3.2 GHz	19dB
Nexus FLC-3000 Universal CPU Cooler		$54.95	450g	128(L) x 105(W) x 119(H)mm 5.04(L) x 4.13(W) x 4.69(H)inches	Intel Socket 775 (P4) Socket 1366 (Xeon, i7, i5) Socket 1156 (i5) AMD Socket AM2 AMD Socket K8	15-24 dB   Smoother Airflow
Noctua NH-U12DX 1366 Xeon		$67.95	770g (With Fan)	155(L) x 126(W) x 65(H)mm   6.10(L) x 4.96(W) x 2.56(H)inches   Heatsink Only	Intel Socket 1366	12.6dB - 19.8dB
Noctua NH-U12DX		$64.95	770g (With Fan)	155(L) x 126(W) x 65(H)mm   6.10(L) x 4.96(W) x 2.56(H)inches   Heatsink Only	Intel Xeon (Intel LGA 771 and mPGA 604 -10mm mounting-holes only)	12.6dB - 19.8dB
Noctua NH-U9DX 1366 Xeon		$64.95	500g (With Fan)	122(L) x 96(W) x 65(H) mm 4.80(L) x 3.78(W) x 2.56(H) inches Heatsink Only	Intel Socket 1366	12.6dB - 19.8dB
Noctua NH-D14		$74.95	900 g	160(L) x 140(W) x 158(H)mm Heatsink & Fan	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	12.6 - 19.8 dB
Noctua NH-U12P SE2		$64.95	600 g	158(L) x 126(W) x 120(H)mm Heatsink & Fan	Intel Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 1155 Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	16.9 dB (Low Noise Adapter)
Scythe Ninja 3 Rev. B		$54.95	1040g	120(L) x 120(W) x 160(H)mm 4.72 x 4.72 x .98 in Heatsink Only	Intel Socket 2011 Socket 1366 Socket 1156 Socket 775 AMD Socket FM1 Socket AM3+ Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	7.05 - 27.3 dB Min. Band
Thermalright Ultra120 eXtreme AM2 BP		$44.95	790g (Heatsink Only)	63.44(L) x 132(W) x 160.5(H)mm 2.50(L) x 5.20(W) x 6.32(H)inches	AMD Socket AM2+ Socket AM2	Uses all 120mm case fans.   Our top pick 120mm Nexus Silent Fan for true 22.8dB and great airflow.
Zalman CNPS7000C-ALCU		$24.95	430g	109(L) x 107(W) x 63(H)mm 4.30(L) x 4.21(W) x 2.50(H)inches	Intel Socket 775 - Most Speeds AMD Socket AM2 - Most Speeds Socket 754 - Most Speeds Socket 939 - Most Speeds Socket 940 - Most Speeds (See Product Page)	17.0dB ~ 24dB ±10%
Zalman CNPS10X		$57.95	750g	135(L) x 100(W) x 160(H)mm 5.31(L) x 3.94(W) x 6.30(H)inches	Intel Socket 1366 (i7, Xeon) Socket 1156 (i7, i5) Intel Socket 775 AMD Socket AM3 Socket AM2+ Socket AM2 Socket 754 Socket 939 Socket 940	~26dB ± 10%