AMD has been known for heat issues over the past. They have come a long way over the years and deserve the attention they have been getting lately. Their processors are way better now in terms of performance and are finally giving a challenge to their competitors Intel.
The AMD processor now are providing way safer temperatures even overclocked and come overclock ready on all models. This means that every AMD Ryzen user would want to naturally try or have the experience of overclock.
For overclocking, people need cooling products and that’s why it is necessary to have knowledge about which one is the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x.
Zen 2 technology uses a lot more voltage even on stock settings in idle. The firmware has been updated and now has higher clock speed and higher voltages. This means that it needs cooling solutions as well since higher anything means higher temperatures in CPU terms.
However the new Zen 2 technology is more efficient and generally these processors have better efficiency and lesser heat therefore. The stock cooler is also pretty good for what it offers however, for overclocking purposes and use of all the cores one should consider buying a cooler for safer temperatures.
For a normal avid user or a gamer, he or she can stick with the stock cooler as the temperatures were quite similar. This is due to games not being able to use all the cores but rather using up to 2 cores at max in most games including AAA titles. That said, for PC enthusiast or for serious overclock, the stock cooler doesn’t cut it.
The Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x are powerful processors with 12 cores packed into a tiny AM4 die area because of its 7nm manufacturing process, carrying heat is necessary.
Thankfully, some manufacturers have created impressive CPU air coolers and water coolers for the 105W TDP of the processors and we’ll be looking into them.
The mentioned coolers are amongst the best CPU coolers for Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x currently available. They’ll be compared based on price, performance, noise levels, and aesthetics!
Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x
1. Be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 – View On Amazon
Editor’s Choice
Be quiet! have always created top-notch air coolers. They have suddenly gained popularity among the PC community. The Dark Rock Pro 4 inherits the features of its successor Dark Rock Pro 3 which were silent and good performance. It is one of the most silent air coolers available up-to date.
The cooler comes with two radiators, two fans and takes up cooling performance to 200 Watts of cooling power. The cooler is powder coated in all black design and comes fitted with two PWM-controlled silent wing fans, in the middle of a 135mm and at the top a 120mm one.
Dark Rock Pro 4 has an improved mounting system which makes it easier to assemble and install. It has seven copper heat pipes and has better clearance for DDR3/DDR4 compatible motherboards compared to older gen. Quality is top-notch and is one of the best looking coolers.
Most motherboards nowadays are based on a black PCB, ergo this is a cooler that matches. From an aesthetic point of view, this just looks great in general. The power coated products are very sensitive, it damages quite easy and thus scratches therefore it is easier to spot.
Them metal clips have received a treatment to make them look darker which is a plus! The cooling performance of the Dark Rock Pro 4 was close to the Noctua NH-D15S, a few degrees off.
Even without the silent profile active, the cooler only reached around 20-25 dBA which is quite low when AMD Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x were overclocked.
One issue with this processor is that it does not offer a compatible mounting kit for AMD Ryzen ThreadRipper, for users who want to upgrade later on, this might put them off. However overall, the cooler performs well and keeps the noise level at acceptable levels for people who hate noise. The MSRP is $90 only!
2. Corsair H150i Pro – View On Amazon
Corsair is one of the oldest companies in the industry. They became known because of their memory related products however, due to the explosive growth of PCs, the company began diversifying into other segments.
One of the companies most successful products are their all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers. The H150i Pro is an AIO liquid cooler series that Corsair has made.
It has tiny bit of RGB for RGB lovers and promises ultra-silent performance with more than adequate cooling capacity. The ‘i’ in the name shows LINK software which allows to program, customize, and monitor the all-in-one liquid cooling solution for the processor.
It has two Magnetic Levitation PWM based fans and that radiator the cooling capacitor should be good. The software allows the user to customize LED lighting directly from the software. It has new cooling block and regulated control for pump and fans.
Also, it has a 360mm radiator which gives it quite a bit of cooling area. It has very subtle RGB lighting with control and comes with a relatively tool free installation. The fans do not spin as long as the processor is under 40 degrees C.
Noise produced is 25 dBA only and can be adjusted with the LINK software based on the users experience and requirements.
It is fairly easy to install and compatible with the Ryzen processors. The noise levels The radiator is made with aluminum and MSRP of H150i Pro is $169.99.
So it comes to more expensive coolers. The only better thing about it compared to the Dark Rock Pro 4 is that it’s aesthetically better but it has risks of leaking, and is louder during high load. But that is the risk of purchasing a AIO liquid cooler.
3. NZXT Kraken X62 – View On Amazon
The cooler is one of the most aesthetic coolers available while people would argue which one is the best looking because of differences in opinion but they won’t agree on the fact that if not best one it is one of the best cooler out there.
It is one of the most powerful cooler and it’s noise levels aren’t too bad at all (around 33 dBA). For comparison, bedroom at night is around 30 dBA and living room is 40 dBA.
The radiator is based on 280mm which gives it ample space for cooling. It is compatible with NZXT Cam software – have to hook up LCS unit towards a USB port and then the software allows you to program, customize, and monitor this easy to install liquid cooling solution.
It also has RGB lighting which is essential for PC enthusiast nowadays since it adds the aesthetic during the day and night as well! During testing, the stress temperatures generally stayed really good.
It’s on par with higher end cooling products and because of its price, can be said should be preferred over them.
At 1.45 Volts, the processor went to 80 degrees which is a lot considering 1.45 volts is absurd in the first place. This shows that the cooler can handle temperature even at high loads. NZXT older models had lots of noise complaints but this model surprised us even and is highly recommended if people have the buck for it.
The only problem here is that it doesn’t come with bracket for the Ryzen 9 3900X that is required for mounting the cooler to the processor. It’s MSRP is lower though which is around $159.99.
It is easy to install as well and has solid build quality. It works without any issues but then again the only issue for the Ryzen 9 CPUs is that it doesn’t come with bracket.
Check Out Video Review Of NZXT Kraken X62.
4. Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B – View On Amazon
With so many different options available in the market, people usually miss out on amazing products like the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev B. The cooler comes with one of the quietest stock fans.
It also is one of the most affordable coolers available in the market and in the comparison as well. It is however not so good for overclocking the Ryzen 9 series CPUs.
It is only recommended for those people who cannot afford more than the Scythe cooler. The cooler is not aesthetic as well it looks too simple – it has a large heatsink and a single 120mm low speed fan.
These improve cooling and noise over the previous models. The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B is a pretty standard cooler one could imagine and the fin stack is densely packed with 38 fins and one top plate.
The heat sinks are split into four vertical runs to maximize exposure to the air stream. The offset is most obvious in the side view.
The other issue is that the when unboxing and assembling the cooler, the clips are easy to bend so best be careful while using them. It’s MSRP is around $48 only.
We do not however recommend this cooler for people buying the Ryzen 3 products as compared to the Ryzen 3 stock coolers, it does not give a significant enough difference for an upgrade.
5. Noctua NH-D15S – View On Amazon
The Noctua NH-D15S is the S model which is a ‘silent’ version of the original D15. It maintains the power of the CPU while also being silent under normal processor conditions.
The end result is a CPU that can cope with any CPU released to date that includes the Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x.
It is a high-compatibility single fan version of the dual tower model NH-D15 and features an asymmetrical layout in order to avoid blocking the top PCIe slot.
Users who have sufficient space after placing the cooler can also opt to upgrade the cooler with either a 120mm or a round 140mm fan on the front fin stack for further improved performance in dual fan mode.
It is however not as aesthetic as other CPU coolers we have reviewed. Considering it’s older model the Noctua NH-D15, it showed better results in terms of noise.
Compared to NH-D15, it lacks one fan that’s why has lesser performance. It is 10 bucks cheaper than the dual fan NH-D15 but quieter so it’s a matter of preference and money.
However the one fan Noctua NH-D15S does not fall short in terms of performance coming only a few degrees behind. At 1.35 volts, the processor went up to 78-80 degrees but that was tested on a i7-4790K.
It was around 33-36 dBA on full stress mode which is similar to the NZXT Kraken X62 but price is significantly lower. The quality of fans of Noctua do not come short by any means.
They are one of the best available in the market and even companies like ASUS take from Noctua. However despite being the ‘silent’ version, the Dark Rock Pro 4 has lower dBA. It’s MSRP is around $89.99.
Conclusion:
So overall, the best CPU cooler for Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950x is definitely the be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 coming close to the Noctua NH-D15S.
However if the user doesn’t want to spend that much on a cooler and wants to get the job done the most value friendly cooler is Scythe Mugen 5 Rev B – but not for those who have purchased a Ryzen processor as the stock cooler does the same exact thing.
The best performance CPU cooler was the NZXT Kraken X62 however due to it being more expensive, the Dark Rock Pro 4 is the winner here. It is the most well rounded cooler after analyzing noise, aesthetics, and price.
The Noctua NH-D15S came close to being the winner but due to it being slightly more noisy under load, and unaesthetic we did not choose it. For a PC enthusiast or serious overclock person, the Kraken X62 is better as it provides lower temperatures overall with the processor overclocked at higher voltages.
However MSRP per performance is definitely favorable of the Dark Rock Pro 4 and it is the most silent cooler out of them all. That is why we chose the Dark Rock Pro 4 by Be Quiet! over the lower temperature beast cooler.
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