Intel Mid-Range Gaming PC Build Guide: Summer 2020

The FPS Review may receive a commission if you purchase something after clicking a link in this article.

Intel Mid-Range Gaming Build: CPU Cooler

While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.

Enermax Logo
Noctua Logo

CPU Cooler

Enermax AQUAFUSION 240 AIO

Enermax AQUAFUSION 240 $99.99

60 FPS

  • Very Good Cooling
  • Overall Robust Design
  • Solid Price

30 FPS

  • Noisy To Some Users At Full Tilt
  • Large Cooler, Check Your Clearances!

CPU Cooler Alternate

Noctua NH-U12S

Noctua NH-U12S $61.99 (Currently $64.99)

60 FPS

  • Excellent Cooling Performance
  • Extremely Quiet
  • Solid Design That Has Great Compatibility With RAM And PCIe Slots

30 FPS

  • Not The Cheapest Option
  • No RGB Solution For Those That Want It

When it comes to cooling our Ryzen selections there are, of course, a million offerings on the market. However, one of the most popular designs over the last few years in the enthusiast space has been the All In One Liquid CPU Coolers (AIO). From this general concept, many different size coolers have sprung up that cover the entire gamut of possible CPU’s on the market.

Unlike our Enthusiast Build Guides, we are looking at needing some less beefy coolers to extract as much performance as we can from these chips. However, even these slightly smaller coolers can run into clearance issues. So, today, we are scaling back a bit and picking the Enermax AQUAFUSION 240 as it is beefy enough for the 10th Generation Core selections we have made when overclocked (with its huge radiator and double 120mm fan setup). As our own David Schroth said in his review; “the AQUAFUSION 240 was more competitive, when looking at its performance and sound levels, than one might expect from such a small fan/radiator setup. In fact, there were advantages to that as this was, overall, as this was the quietest unit we have tested to date; which matters to a lot of people.” A bonus for those users looking for a light show are the included RGB options.

That said, not everyone wants an AIO cooler or to deal with the issues that come about with one. So, for users looking for a more conventional option, we have the excellent Noctua NH-U12S. While it is not the highest performing air cooler on the market, it is very good and it is very quiet. Two things that many users will appreciate! In addition to doing a good enough job if you are keeping your clocks stock, the NH-U12S sees some decent overclocking possibilities as well. So, if you are looking for a more conventional cooler, or looking to save a few dollars, the NH-U12S makes for a great place to save a bit of cash on this particular build which is important since neither of our chips comes with stock coolers today.

Recent News