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The i5 13600K is a mid-range CPU that delivers impressive performance at a highly competitive price. It is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, the i5 12600K. But, that means it’s even more power-hungry and can reach quite high temperatures under load.
For this reason, it’s crucial to choose a suitable CPU cooler that keeps the temperature under check, maximizing performance.
In this guide, I’ve hand-picked the best CPU coolers for the 13600K while prioritizing performance, value, and noise levels.
Our Top Picks
- Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE – Best Budget CPU Cooler
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos – Best Premium CPU Cooler
- Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black– Our Top Choice
Why Should You Trust Us?
When it comes to PC hardware and building, experience truly matters. Our advice stems from Konstantinos Chiotis, who began assembling his first computer at the age of 14—over 24 years ago. Since then, he’s immersed himself in motherboards, GPUs, CPU coolers, and everything else that goes into making a high-performance PC. His dedication and long-standing history in the tech world give him a unique perspective on how each component works together.
Because of this background, you can trust our recommendations to help you choose the ideal CPU cooler without the guesswork. Whether you’re looking for something on a budget or a high-end solution, Konstantinos’s deep-rooted knowledge in PC building and hardware ensures you’re getting sound, reliable guidance—making your next build all the more satisfying.
How We Chose the Best CPU Coolers For Intel Core i5 13600k
When selecting the top CPU coolers for the Intel Core i5 13600K, our main goal was to identify solutions that deliver reliable thermal performance without breaking the bank. Because the 13600K can get quite hot when pushed to its limits, we honed in on coolers that can effectively dissipate heat, maintain lower temperatures, and remain relatively quiet under load.
Below is a quick rundown of our selection process and the factors we considered:
- Cooling Performance
- Heat Dissipation: We looked at the advertised TDP ratings and verified whether the cooler could comfortably handle the power draw of a 13600K—even with minor overclocks.
- Thermal Tests: Stress tests in CPU-intensive workloads (like gaming and media rendering) gave us an accurate picture of real-world thermal performance.
- Noise Levels
- Fan Speeds: We checked each cooler’s maximum RPM and how that translates to loudness. A quiet system is essential for many builders, so anything above 50 dB at load was less desirable.
- Acoustics Under Load: We also measured noise levels during typical gaming scenarios to see if the fans remained quiet under moderate to heavy workloads.
- Compatibility
- Socket & Case Clearance: The Intel Core i5 13600K uses the LGA1700 socket, so ensuring the cooler supported LGA1700 was crucial. We also factored in dimensions—large towers can conflict with certain RAM modules or smaller cases.
- Ease of Installation: A cooler that’s challenging to install can deter even experienced PC builders, so models featuring user-friendly mounting systems scored higher.
- Value for Money
- Price-to-Performance Ratio: We considered whether the performance gains justified the cost. For example, a premium AIO should offer notably better cooling, quieter operation, or additional features to warrant its higher price tag.
- Build Quality & Aesthetics: Materials, brand reputation, and any extras (like RGB lighting) all factored into the overall value.
Here’s a quick overview of how we weighed each aspect:
| Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Cooling Performance | Ability to handle the i5 13600K’s TDP under heavy loads |
| Noise Levels | Fan speeds and decibels at typical and max speeds |
| Compatibility | Socket support, memory clearance, and case space requirements |
| Value for Money | Price-to-performance ratio |
| Build Quality & Design | Materials used, brand reliability, and aesthetics/preferences |
By carefully evaluating these factors, we narrowed down the choices to coolers that provide exceptional performance, stable temperatures, quiet operation, and a fair price. Whether you opt for a budget-friendly air cooler or a premium AIO, each recommendation above is backed by hours of hands-on testing and real-world usage, ensuring you’ll find the best option for your Intel Core i5 13600K build.
CPU Coolers Comparison Table
| Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE – Best Budget CPU Cooler | Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos – Best Premium CPU Cooler | Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black – Our Top Choice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooler Type | Air Cooler (Dual 120mm Fans) | 360mm All-in-One Liquid Cooler | Air Cooler (Dual 140mm Fans) |
| Max Heat Dissipation | Up to 250W | Easily handles 13600K & up (sufficient for i7/i9 as well) | Capable of cooling high-end CPUs (excellent thermal capacity) |
| Noise Levels (Approx.) | ~25 dB under load | 48–52 dB at max RPM (can be normalized to around 35–38 dB) | Nearly silent under heavy load (fans can be lowered for even less noise) |
| Dimensions & Clearance | Large size (155 mm height clearance needed) | Slim 27mm radiator thickness (fans come pre-installed) | Bulky dual-tower design (may conflict with tall RAM modules) |
| Design & Aesthetics | 5.5/10 | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Cooling Performance | 9/10 | 9/10 | 9.5/10 |
| Noise Rating | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Installation Difficulty | 8/10 | 9/10 | 9.5/10 |
| Value for Money | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Overall Rating | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | 9/10 |
| Price Range (Approx.) | Low | High | Moderate to High |
| Key Strengths | – Exceptional price-to-performance – Low noise even at full load | – Simple installation – Top-tier performance and vibrant ARGB lighting | – Outstanding performance – Top-tier reliability and upgradability |
| Potential Drawbacks | – Large size – Plain aesthetics | – Expensive – Noise can spike at 2500 RPM | – May block tall RAM sticks – No RGB (extra covers/accessories cost more) |
Best CPU Coolers For Intel Core i5 13600k Reviews
Number 3. Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE – Best Budget CPU Cooler For Intel Core i5 13600k
The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is an affordable air cooler that packs a lot of cooling prowess. For me, it has become the spiritual successor to the ever-popular CoolerMaster Hyper 212 as the new king of budget air coolers.
It has plenty of cooling room thanks to 6 copper heat pipes and 2 120 mm fans. At stock settings, it can dissipate 120 Watts of heat which means that a CPU like the i7 13600 will never heat to more than 40 to 50 degrees Celcius during gaming and other workloads. At its peak, it can dissipate 250 Watts of heat, which is significantly more than the i5 13600k all-core maximum load. It stays silent even at max load because the fans only spin at 1500 RPM which results in about 25 decibels.
The direct competition to the Peerless Assassin is the “be quiet! Pure Rock 2” which is overall a much better air cooler in terms of aesthetics. It is slightly narrower in size as well which gives it the advantage of fitting better with other cases. However, the Pure Rock 2 is rated at only 150 Watts of heat, unlike the 250 Watts of the Peerless Assassin which is also cheaper and this adds to its value even more.
The only other cooler I would consider is the CoolerMaster Hyper 212. However, this is designed to sustain a maximum heat output of 125 Watts which is half of what the Peerless Assassin can do. The Peerless Assassin is also compatible with many more CPU sockets.
The downside of the Peerless Assassin is its large size which is a blessing in terms of cooling performance and quietness but makes it hard to fit in smaller PC cases. So you should ensure that whatever case you choose has at least 155 mm height clearance.
Overall, the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE is one of the most affordable air coolers that offer a lot of cooling performance for an incredibly low price. It is hard to overlook it as an option even when looking for a low-cost cooler for far more power-hungry CPUs. All this make it and incredable budget option to pair with the Intel Core i5 13600k
To summarize What I like is that…
- Top-of-the-line cooling performance at a very low price
- Silent operation even under maximum load
On the downside
- Outdated aesthetic
- Massive size makes compatible only with large cases
Our RATINGS:
- Design and Aesthetics: 5.5/10
- Cooling Performance: 9/10
- Noise: 9.5/10
- Installation: 8/10
- Value for Money: 9.5/10
- For an Overall Rating of: 8/10
Number 2. Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Atmos – Best Premium CPU Cooler For Intel Core i5 13600k
If you want a ton of headroom for performance and potential future upgrades, MasterLiquid 360 Atmos is one of the best premium CPU coolers and it’s perfect for the 13600K. It offers exceptional performance, a dead simple installation process, and plenty of RGB.
While it is expensive, it’s on par in terms of performance with more expensive 360mm CPU coolers.
Before we get into the review, it’s important that you don’t confuse this cooler with the MasterLiquid Core line. The MasterLiquid 360L cooler is the predecessor to the Atmos, and the latter is better in almost every way. It’s easier to install, features a reworked dual chamber pump, better SickleFlow RGB fans, and more eco-friendly packaging.
Of course, that makes it a bit more expensive. To be exact the Atmos is about 35% more expensive than the Core version. However, considering all the improvements, it is well worth the cost.
Design-wise, nearly everything is new here. It features a new copper cold plate design, CoolerMaster’s own in-house dual chamber pump, and plenty of memory clearance. The radiator is 27mm thick, which means you won’t have trouble fitting it into your case. As for the fans, the RGB lighting on the SickleFlow 120mm version looks phenomenal, and they can ramp up to 2500 RPM.
Performance-wise, the new dual-chamber pump and the high quality fans do a lot of heavily lifting. While CoolerMaster has used Asetek pumps in the past, they recently transitioned to their own designs. This new pump offers enhanced flow rate, better durability, and quieter operation. It’s able to cool processors like the 13700K and 13900K with relative ease, so the Core i5 13600K won’t be an issue.
But what about noise? Well, if you decide to run it at full throttle, the fans and pump can get a bit loud. The noise levels vary at those maximum levels, but that’s a given considering the fans can reach speeds of up to 2500 RPM.
Exact noise levels range from 48 to 52 decibels. This might not sound great on paper, but these results fall in-line with other high-quality 360mm coolers.
Fortunately, in most cases, with the 13600K, you’ll never have to run this cooler at full throttle. Within the CoolerMaster software, you can normalize the audio from 35-38 decibels. This means that the fans and pump run considerably slower, but this still proves to be more than enough for a cpu like the i5 13600K. With these settings, temperatures never reach upwards of 60 to 65 degrees.
On top of that, the cooler is incredibly simple to install. One of the reasons behind that is the fact that the fans are installed to the radiator out of the box. This saves you a lot of time, and all you have to do is install the CPU block, the radiator, and plug in the fans. AIOs can be difficult to install, and it’s good to see that CoolerMaster worked their way around this.
Now, how does it stack up against its competitors? Performance-wise, the Corsair H150i Elite and the Lian Li Galahad II Trinity performance come close. However, both of those coolers are considerably more expensive. The Galahad has also had reliability issues, a problem you won’t find with the Atmos.
All in all, this is a no-nonsense cooler that offers a lot of value. If you feel a 360mm cooler is too much for the 13600K, there is a 240mm version of the Atmos as well. That will still give you plenty of performance, but without the added cost of a 360mm radiator. Either way, the Atmos line from CoolerMaster is very impressive.
To sum up, what I like is….
- Dead-simple installation process
- Superb performance
- Respectable noise levels
- Fantastic ARGB lighting
On the downside…
- A bit expensive
- Variable noise levels at full fan speed
Our Ratings:
- Design and Aesthetics: 9/10
- Cooling Performance: 9/10
- Noise: 8/10
- Installation: 9/10
- Value for Money: 8/10
- For an Overall Rating of 8.5/10
Number 1. Noctua NH-D15 chromax black – Our Top Choice
When it comes to air coolers, Noctua is as good as it gets. They have built a name for themselves by producing high-end air coolers with exceptional performance, and the NH-D15 chromax black is no exception. It offers superb performance and even better acoustics. Although a bit on the expensive side, the performance makes it worth the expense.
This isn’t a new cooler, in fact, it’s the full-blacked-out version of the award-winning NH-D15, popular for its impeccable performance. The main issue with the original was the unorthodox color choice, which made it hard to match it with builds. The chromax.black version solves this problem. Making it the perfect choice for an i5 13600K build.
As for the design, this is a dual-tower air cooler with two 140mm fans capable of operating at a maximum RPM of 1500. Because the fans are mounted on top of the CPU, they also provide airflow and cooling for other heatsinks and motherboard components. Suffice to say, when it comes to performance, this cooler does not disappoint.
One of the main issues that comes with using a cooler like NH-D15, is memory clearance. The NH-D15 is a beefy cooler, which does cause some serious clearance issues. While the fan clip does allow you to adjust the fan for more clearance, doing so might make it incompatible with certain cases.
Apart from the clearance issues, the aesthetics might also be a source of discourse. While the simplistic and single-color design is appealing, it can be a deal breaker for some people. The complete lack of RGB might push people away. To combat this, Noctua does offer customizable heatsink covers and anti-vibration pads sold separately, but does further inflate the cost.
However, where this cooler shines is the acoustics. Noctua NH-D15 is nearly silent, even under heavy loads. On top of that, the Low Noise Adaptors can reduce the noise further by decreasing the fan RPM from 1500 to 1200. While that may cause a decrease in performance, it’s nice to have the option to decrease noise even further.
To top it all off, Noctua promises to offer mounting hardware for future upgrades, making this cooler a good long-term investment. On top of that, it comes with a 6-year warranty, making it quite future-proof.
It is worth mentioning this cooler is a bit expensive. There are cheaper options on the market, like the DeepCool AK620 and the Thermalright Phantom Spirit. Both options are excellent, but the NH-D15 has proven to be the most reliable air cooler out there. Spending a bit more money for that peace of mind is a good idea.
To sum up, what I like is….
- Excellent Performance
- best-in-clash reliability
- Easy installation process
- Incredible Acoustics
On the downside…
- Limited memory clearance
- Expensive for an air cooler
Ratings:
- Design and Aesthetics: 8/10
- Cooling Performance: 9.5/10
- Noise: 8/10
- Installation: 9.5/10
- Value for Money: 9/10
- For an Overall Rating of 9/10
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