AMD Budget Gaming PC 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.
CPU Cooler
AMD Wraith Stealth and/or AMD Wraith Spire Free*
60 FPS
- Good Performance For Stock Cooler (Stealth)
- Solid Value As It Is Included (Stealth and Spire)
- No RGB Solution For Those That Want It (Stealth and Spire)
30 FPS
- Noisy To Some At Full Tilt (Stealth and Spire)
- Gives Up Some Performance Compared To Other Included Options (Spire)
- No RGB Solution For Those That Want It (Stealth and Spire)
When it comes to cooling our Ryzen selections there are, of course, a million offerings on the market. However, with a budget of just $500-600 using an All In One Liquid CPU Coolers (AIO), or high-end conventional HSF, is out of the question. However, the good news today is that our processor selections don’t leave us in a pickle of trying to shoehorn in something here as they both include an HSF in retail.
So, we have the option of using the included coolers with our processors today. The Ryzen 3 3300x ships with a Wraith Stealth while the Ryzen 5 3400G ships with a Wraith Spire. While these are not the highest performing air coolers on the market, they do a good enough job if you are keeping your clocks stock. Certainly, when going lean on a processor the temptation to overclock might be greater to eek out that last little bit of performance. Which is a bit of a pickle as included HSF has not traditionally been known for their usefulness in overclocking. That said, if you are pushing just a little bit, the included HSF should work well enough; particularly the Wraith Stealth (less so for the Spire). So, this makes for a great place to save a bit of cash on this particular build.