John Chad, Bachelor Degree in Computer Science & Computer Engineering.
Russel Collins
In order to maintain the stability of a CPU, it is important for them to stay cool. CPUs are designed in such a way that they have their own heat sinks and fans attached. However, not all processors come with a cooler, in this article, we will tell you exactly which ones will have coolers, which ones don’t, and what coolers you should get depending on your needs!
Why is cooling your CPU so important?
When a CPU is not cooled by any fan or heat sink, it will just overheat and eventually fry. This can lead to irreversible damage and even the death of your computer! To ensure that this doesn’t happen, we have some tips for you below!
Coolers are important because they keep your processor cool so it stays stable. Proper cooling ensures a longer life span for your processor which saves time in repairs later on down the line.
Cooling also lessens wear and tear as well since there isn’t an excess amount of energy being put out from the device during use. We would further recommend that you ALWAYS put some thermal paste on your CPU as it will help a lot keeping it cool.
Cooling is especially important when overclocking as it is a common practice to do. Overclocking can be risky because you are going against the manufacturer’s recommendations and generally don’t know what could happen with your CPU when overclocking, so make sure that you always have an extensive knowledge of how doing this will affect the lifespan of your device if you don’t do it properly or have the proper cooling. Having proper cooling helps keep the processor stable during & after overclocking, for this it’s recommended to get a good cooler or even water cooling.
With that said, let’s address the main question now.
Do CPUs Come With Coolers?
Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Most of the time, when you buy a new processor from your favorite brand or store it will have a stock cooler that is barely good enough to keep your CPU running at safe temperatures without any issues. This means that if you are looking for something more powerful, like an aftermarket cooling solution and/or overclocking capability then you may need to purchase this separately.
The common type of heatsink used by most processors can easily be found on Amazon as there’s no shortage in variety even though some brands might not sell them directly themselves (Ex: Intel doesn’t provide their own if your processor is unlocked). For those who want water cooling solutions these are available too but I would only recommend using these if you have the extra money to spend.
AMD Ryzen processors come with a pretty good stock fans which will keep your processor cool even with mild overclocking, if you go for more extreme overclockings you will need to upgrade the fans or even consider water cooling.
Intel processors come with a decent stock cooler IF they are not the unlocked versions. The unlocked CPU models (Named ‘K‘ at the end of the model such as I5 11600K) do not come with a stock cooler, this means that you have to purchase one if you want to use your processor, otherwise it will overheat in no time at all.
What’s water cooling?
Water cooling is an alternative to air cooling that has been around for decades. It replaces the regular heatsink and fan with a water block, radiator and pump. The main advantages of it are its silence (less noise) as well as more efficient heat transfer than traditional fans which means lower processor temps at any given clock speed/voltage level.
The disadvantages include higher cost (compared to stock coolers) in addition to the need for maintenance from time-to-time in order to avoid corrosion or other issues such as leaking radiators. Apart from those few drawbacks, most people find this type of cooling very effective – especially if you install additional case fans too!
Tip: I would only recommend using watercooling if you game a lot on high settings, if you live in a very hot place or if your CPU will be overclocked at very high settings.
Water-cooling is an effective method of cooling for high-end CPUs, especially if they are being overclocked or used in gaming scenarios where the processor can run at higher loads for longer periods of time. Water blocks, radiators and fans cool more efficiently than air coolers, which is why it’s not a good idea to use water-cooling for processors that will be running at lower loads.
Do you need a cooler for a CPU?
Yes, it’s mandatory. Without a cooler your processor will overheat in no time, most likely damaging it permanently.