Highlights
- Intel i9-14900K doesn’t work as expected and heats up too much.
- Users have now switched to using coolers to keep the system at its optimum temperature.
- While choosing a cooler particularly optimized for this system is daunting, my experience has covered you with the suitable option.
I hope this article finds you in good health because as cool as having the 14900K sounds, it’s something opposite.
Since Intel’s 14th Gen lineup was dropped, the weather department has been confused about why global warming has sped up, and I guess we know why. So, if you got yourself an i9-14900K and are trying to find how to cool down this beast, we’ll get started.
Before I start with some Made on Earth products, our beloved sun is the simple natural solution to cool this beast. Because even the sun is cooler than this thing, okay, this was the last joke for today; let’s see some solutions!
Best Cooler For Intel i9-14900K
I’ve listed the best products available to cool this beast down so you can take full advantage of its potential. I’ve chosen them through deep research and testing so you can utilize their full potential.
Cooling this beast is no joke; some reputed testers have reported that this processor can reach temperatures from 100 to 115 degrees Celsius.
My main focus in listing the products is their efficiency, while the secondary focus is price. A note to be taken: I recommend putting your first bet on water-based coolers, as we can use water-based or air coolers.
100 degrees Celsius is not something you should be handling with an air-based cooler. So, let’s start with the products!
1. ASUS ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB All-in-one Liquid CPU Cooler
It’s not just its name, which is big. ROG Ryujin III 360 is one of the best AIO cooler systems for your i9-14900K.
It comes with a 3.5’’ LCD screen with real-time stats monitoring, which is also customizable to show your media on it—equipped with the latest 8th generation Asetek pump paired with a 3-phase motor. It cools up to a specific range; hence, it is not very efficient yet has a silent operation.
As for the wiring part, it comes with ROG ARGB magnetic daisy-chainable fans. This makes cable management easier and allows us to hook down Gen 2 LEDs.
Asus’s Armoury Crate allows you to control the pump, embedded fan, and radiator fan speeds and provides custom animations and system status to be displayed on the LCD screen. It also has a one-year AIDA 64 license, allowing advanced system monitoring.
Specs:
- Sizes available: 360mm, 240mm (360mm recommended)
- Dimensions: 16.7″L x 5.1″W x 8.3″H
- Voltage: 12V
- Noise Level: 31 dB
- Maximum Rotational Speed: 840 RPM
2. EK-Nucleus AIO CR360 Lux D-RGB
The Nucleus 360 is another AIO cooling system available in the market. This cooling system has outstanding features as the company kept the details in mind.
This cooling system provides one of the most efficient cooling for these processors. It lacks noise reduction as users have reported higher noise sounds than usual cooling systems.
Keeping small details in mind, logos on the fans are rotatable through 90 degrees, so you wouldn’t have to worry about your OCD about the aesthetics.
Another cool thing I found about it was its Dense Microfin Copper Coldplate. The latter is made up of thin copper micro fins for efficient cooling.
Specs:
- Radiator Dimensions: 400 x 124 x 27 mm
- Pump Unit Dimensions: 82.3 x 69.2 x 61.6 mm
- Pump Speed Range: 3100 RPM ± 10%
- Fan Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm
- Fan Speed Range: 550 – 2300 ± 10%
- Fan Noise Level: 36 dB (at maximum speed)
3. Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT Liquid CPU Cooler
H150i Elite Capellix XT is a high-performance liquid cooler from Corsair. This lies in a premium range as it is quite a decent setup both for your case and your wallet.
Equipped with a split-flow copper plate and a high-density stack of 128 micro-skived fins per inch, it provides efficient cooling no matter the task.
Unlike other cooling systems, the H150i has a low-noise centrifugal pump, which delivers a flow rate of 0.82L/min while keeping the noise as low as 20dB!
Coming to customization, the H150i comes with an alternate transparent pump camp other than its normal glossy pump cap. Thus, it gives your CAPELLIX LEDs a stage to shine. It comes with its customization software, which provides complete system control.
You can adjust fan and pump speeds, synchronize your cooler’s RGB lighting with all iCUE-compatible devices, and monitor CPU and coolant temperatures, all in a single place.
It also comes with a Zero RPM mode, which shuts down its fan at lower temperatures, eliminating its already low fan noise.
Specs:
- Radiator Dimensions: 397mm x 120mm x 27mm
- Fan Dimensions: 120mm x 25mm
- Fan Speed: 2400 RPM
- Noise Level: 16-25 dB
- Coldplate Dimensions: 56 x 56mm
4. be quiet! Dark Rock Elite
be quiеt! Dark Rock Elitе is an еxcеllеnt air coolеr that is idеal for usеrs who want to cool their CPU in a quiеt and еfficiеnt manner.
It is simple to sеt up, has еxcеllеnt RAM compatibility, and has RGB lighting (Elite only) that can be customizеd. The Dark Rock Elitе is a bit pricеy, but it is wеll worth it for its outstanding pеrformancе and fеaturеs.
Thе Dark Rock Elitе’s еxcеptional cooling abilitiеs arе rootеd in its array of hеat pipеs. Sеvеn high-pеrformancе coppеr hеat pipеs arе critical in transfеrring hеat from thе CPU to thе coolеr’s largе hеatsink.
This mеchanism еnsurеs rapid dissipation, kееping tеmpеraturеs at an optimal lеvеl, which is еspеcially important for dеmanding tasks such as gaming, rеndеring, or vidеo еditing.
Specs:
- Product Dimensions: 146×136×168mm
- Heatsink Dimensions: 120 x 136 x 168mm
- Fan Dimensions: 135×135×25 mm
- Fan Speed (Performance Mode): 500~2000 RPM±10%
- Fan Speed (Quiet Mode): 500~1000 RPM±10%
- Overall Noise (Performance Mode): ≤40 dB(A)
- Overall Noise (Quiet Mode): ≤25 dB(A)
5. DeepCool Assassin IV CPU Air Cooler
While I gave a disclaimer about air coolers at the start of this article, the Assassin IV is an exception. This thing is built like a brick. While it lacks the beauty of RGBs, it’s still made to look like one of the most aesthetically pleasing and elegant coolers out there.
While Air coolers don’t have the best reputation when it comes to noise, the Assassin IV competes with water-based coolers.
Its silent fans are powered by three-phase, six-pole motors with low voltage and power consumption. One of the best features of this product is its one-switch conversion from a cooling beast to a quiet performer.
While larger cooling systems are difficult to install, the Assassin IV has made it easier by providing extremely user-friendly guides to make the installations easier.
Specs:
- Product Dimensions: 144×147×164 mm
- Heatsink Dimensions: 140×110×160 mm
- Fan Dimensions: 140×140×25 mm
- Fan Speed (Performance Mode): 500~1700 RPM±10%
- Fan Speed (Quiet Mode): 500~1350 RPM±10%
- Overall Noise (Performance Mode): ≤29.3 dB(A)
- Overall Noise (Quiet Mode): ≤22.6 dB(A)
6. ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 A-RGB
The last spot on our list would be the Arctic Liquid Freezer II. This cooling system is known for its balance in performance and its value for money. It provides pretty good thermal performance with 1800 RPM Max fan speed.
While most companies power their cooling systems with a generic pump, Arctic has created its proprietary pump, achieving quieter and more efficient cooling. The Liquid Freezer II supports most RGB customizing software, so you can design how you like!
It’s the quietest one mentioned in today’s list, with 10.6 dB average noise. While it’s not filled with RGBs on every component, Arctic has excelled in cooling and its build quality, making it the preferred choice of many users.
But one downside of this product is its non-customizable fan speeds, which wouldn’t bother most people but is worth noting.
Specs:
- Dimensions: 398 × 38 × 120mm
- Fan Speed: 1,800RPM
- Fan Dimensions 120x120x25mm
- Radiator Dimensions 398x38x120mm
Frequently Asked Questions
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Does the Intel i9-14900K need cooling?
Yes, the i9-14900K needs high-performance cooling to operate efficiently. Not installing a cooling system will make your CPU throttle much faster and damage your CPU in the long run.
-
Water vs Air coolers, which ones are better?
Water-based coolers are proven to be more efficiently compact than air coolers. As water-based coolers can dissipate the heat much quicker on a deeper level than air coolers, they are also much faster than air coolers.
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Does a cooling system help improve CPU performance?
Yes, the cooler your CPU is, the better performance you’ll receive. Your CPU starts throttling and cutting down on performance as it heats up to avoid damage to itself. Without a cooling system, this process will happen way quicker, and you’ll see a significant drop in your performance.
Conclusion
Choosing a cooling system for your PC might sound like a simple task, but you must consider many things.
Using inefficient or underpowered fans can damage your CPU in the long run, especially when it’s an Intel i9-14900K, which doesn’t hesitate to reach 115 degrees Celsius like nothing.
This list has covered the best cooling systems available in the market. But remember to refer to Intel’s guide on fan sizes and required cooling temps as all the above fans are available in multiple sizes.
Further Reading:
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