When you are in the market for the best CPU cooler for i7 8700k, you will get lost due to a myriad of options. But, don’t fret, in this article, we’ve done all the grunt work for you, and we’ve identified four CPU coolers for Intel Core i7-8700k.
Each cooler has a strong reputation in the market, still, they differ in their mode of operation. To help clear things up, we’ll help you understand how they work, so by the end of this article you’ll select the best one.
Contents
Comparison Table
| Product | Details |
| Corsair Hydro Series H100i PRO RGB Liquid CPU Cooler
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| EVGA CLC 280mm All-In-One RGB LED CPU Cooler
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| Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB
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| be quiet! Dark Rock 4, BK021, 200W TDP, CPU Cooler
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The 4 Best CPU Cooler for i7 8700k Reviews
The comparison table was an overview, now we’ll dive into more details. What you’ll learn will give you clarity about how these coolers operate in the real world.
1. Corsair Hydro Series h100i Pro RGB Liquid CPU Cooler
Pros:
- Among the best-performing liquid coolers
- Two 120mm PWM fans powered by Magnetic Levitation technology
- Software control for customizations and management
- Pre-applied thermal compound for easy installation
Cons:
- High noise when working at full speed
- Requires space for the 240 millimeters radiator
H100i PRO RGB is one of the best CPU water coolers in the market designed to cool a CPU like i7 8700k. It has a 240 millimeters radiator that has two advantages that contribute to the cooling effect. First, the radiator cools the liquid in the loop, by doing this, the liquid will not overheat. The second advantage is the surface area that allows more heat to leave your CPU, so it stays cool.
When the heat leaves your CPU, the two Magnetic Levitation fans push them out of the radiator as fast as possible. Besides, these fans can spin up to 2,400 RPM; with this, you’ll get better airflow. What’s more, the Magnetic Levitation technology increases their efficiency and usefulness. As a result, the more CPU usage; the faster the fans to ensure everything remains cool.
Fans can generate vibration, so H100i has mounting pads that prevent vibration. Besides, it has the iCUE software that lets you manage the fan and RGB lights. With this software, you can tune the fan and RGB lights to suit your working environment. If you want to overclock your CPU, this iCUE software has a feature you’ll not find in other CPU coolers.
It’s called the Zero RPM mode; it will stop the fans when your CPU is at a lower temperature after a CPU intensive task like overclocking. During this period, the CPU will heat up, and H100i does its best to keep your CPU cooled. For this reason and others detailed in previous paragraphs, H100i got 10 out of 10 for performance and cooling quality. For design and noise levels we rate it 9 out 10 because the fan will generate noise when working at full speed.
Overview: Corsair H100i PRO RGB is a liquid AIO cooler like NZXT Kraken Z73, and Corsair H115i PRO. It’s the best AIO CPU cooler for overclockers provided your PC has space for the 240 millimeters radiator. The performance is good, and it has a pre-applied thermal paste for easy installation.
2. Evga CLC 280MM All-in-One RGB Led CPU Cooler
Pros:
- Excellent CPU cooling
- Voltage-regulated cooling
- Onboard controller for the fans
- 280 millimeters radiator for large heat dissipation
Cons:
- Little fan noise when working at 100 percent
CLC 280 from EVGA is a CPU liquid cooler with excellent thermal performance that’ll cool i7 8700k. The dual fans can speed up to 2,400 RPM, causing them to push out hot air at a faster rate. This ensures your CPU gets more airflow before it heats up when working at higher speeds. Plus, the fans have an indent at the center of their frames that helps in noise reduction.
You can control the fans, the pump, and RGB using the accompanied Flow Control Software. But, the fan can generate faint noise when the cooler is working at 100 percent. This will be the case when you’re overclocking your CPU, and the cooler tries to keep temperatures down. The heat sink has Copper bases for good heat dissipation because Copper is a good conductor of heat.
As a result, CLC 280 will absorb heat very fast from your i7 8700k, so it’ll operate within temperature limits. The large cooling block has sleeved tubing that prevents damage and leaks of the coolant. This makes it useful and efficient over CPU coolers that don’t use sleeved tubing. On the pump, there is a Mini USB to 9-pin USB 2.0 header that provides connectivity to the motherboard.
CLC 280 has accessories for an easy installation, but ensure you have space for the radiator. What’s more, the efficiency of the radiator ensures you have headroom for overclocking. That’s because its large surface area ensures good heat distribution, and while in operation, RGB lights shine behind the company nameplate. With all these features, CLC 280 scored 8 out 10 rating for design; 9 out of 10 for performance, cooling quality and noise levels.
Overview: CLC 280 is an AIO liquid cooler that’ll keep the temperature of your i7 8700k in check. It’s ideal for high-end computer users, and it’ll compete with any cooler in the Cooler master MasterLiquid series. Also, the 280 millimeters radiator provides a large surface area for effective heat distribution.
3. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition RGB
Pros:
- Quiet operation
- Easy installation
- Excellent heat dissipation
Cons:
- You can’t overclock more than four cores of your CPU
- It does not perform like other Cooler Master products
Hyper 212 is a low-profile, budget CPU cooler that can work with i7 8700k. From the characteristics listed above, it looks like an upgrade to DeepCool GAMMAXX. Still, it has characteristics that make it stand out from others. These include the Contact Direct Technology and expansive heatsink with four direct-copper heat pipes.
The combination of these features allows faster heat transfer and high heat dissipation. The latter is so effective because copper is a good heat conductor. So, Hyper 212 will absorb the heat from your CPU, and retain it for longer periods; with this, your CPU remains cool. It has a single 4-pin Pulse Width Modulation fan designed for good airflow.
Also, it has a SF120R RGB fan that can spin up to 2,000 RPM; this gives your CPU the cooling it needs. Besides, you have more control over the fan using the RGB controller. This includes the fan speed, the cooling performance, and a silent operation. There are nor RAM clearance issues with Hyper 212; so you can use tall RAM sticks.
As a result, this gives it an edge over coolers that’ll obstruct your tall RAM sticks. So, you’ll have to make some changes or use another cooler to cool your i7 8700k. Still, this cooler is efficient, but it cannot handle too much overclocking. The design and the accessories make it easy to install on your i7-8700k socket, and it’s the reason why Hyper 212 scored 9 out of 10 from performance, cooling quality, design and noise levels.
Overview: Hyper 212 is a CPU air cooler for online streamers who want to enjoy HD content for longer periods. It’s a low-profile like Cooler master MasterAir G100m, and it has good heat dissipation. Also, you get RGB lighting via the new SF120R RGB fan that you can control using a controller.
4. Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4, BK021, 200W Tdp, CPU Cooler
Pros:
- Top-notch build quality
- Black painting provides good aesthetics
- Seven high-performance copper pipes
- Has a reputation as a quiet air cooler under heavy loads
Cons:
- Big size makes it heavy
- Premium CPU cooler like CRYORIG R1
Dark-rock Pro 4 has a reputation for being a quiet cooler even under heavy workloads. It has two towers and two Silent Wings PWM fans measured at 120 and 135 millimeters. They have six-pole motors and durable Fluid Dynamic Bearing that adds to their lifespan. Their funnel-shaped inlet can raise air pressure, as a result, the hot air leaves your CPU faster.
What’s more, each fan has a heat sink with cut-outs, giving room for more RAM clearance. The seven heat pipes ensure you’ll get the right heat dissipation for your i7 8700k. That’s because the build material of the heat pipes is Copper; a good conductor of heat. So, whatever you throw at your CPU, it will operate within temperature limits.
Short RAM slots will work well, but tall ones will not, still, the performance will compensate. Be quiet! painted this cooler with black paint, this adds pleasant aesthetics to your PC. You’ll find the same black paint on a Noctua CPU cooler, the Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler. Not only that, the painting has ceramic particles that prevent negative thermal performance.
This makes this cooler a must if you have a demanding workstation where high CPU speed is a must. In such a workstation, you’ll stress the CPU more than it’s required, as a result, it’ll heat up. This cooler from “be quiet!” helps keep the temperature within the limit set by the manufacturer. With all the features, it’s evident Dark Rock Pro 4 is top performing air cooler, and that’s why it has received an outstanding 9 out of 10 for performance, design, cooling quality and noise levels.
Overview: Dark-rock Pro 4 is one of the best-performing air coolers like Noctua NH-D15. It’s suitable for gamers and, irrespective of the workload, it’s a top performing air CPU cooler. The black coating has ceramic particles that contribute to the massive heat dissipation.
Buying Guide
With the necessary information out of the way, it’s time to make an informed decision. We’ve selected the best cooler for Intel processors, including the i7 8700k.
What Are the Benefits of Hydro Series h100i Pro RGB?
It saves you the time to build a custom loop because it has good thermal conductivity. With the increase of gaming PCs and applications, you’ll need a liquid cooler. That’s because these applications need top CPU speed and processing to get the best from them. So, H150i PRO RGB is what you’ll need if you have i7 8700k thanks to the following features:
- Magnetic Levitation and Pulse Width Modulation
- Aluminum radiator
- Powerful iCUE software
- Zero RPM mode
- Dynamic multicolor RGB lighting
Water is a good conductor of heat, that’s why liquid coolers use it as a coolant, and H100i PRO RGB is no different. With this, you’ll get effective cooling during intensive CPU workloads like overclocking. This does not mean it serves only overclockers, but it’s the best choice if that’s what you do. A quick internet search on how to cool an overclocked i7 8700k will lead to many “custom loops”.
These are large liquid cooling solutions, but you’ll get the same performance in H100i PRO RGB. Not only that, it’s small, and it has a compact size that won’t take space in your computer. Besides, you get software control for the pump, RGB lights, and other customizations. Also, there is an “operating mode” that’ll stop the fans when cooling is no longer required.
Still, there is more to this cooler, and you’ll find out in upcoming sections. From the fans that have a unique feature to the radiator and everything that makes it unique. While this cooler is in operation, the RGB lights can match your CPU temperature. This will let you know how much work your CPU is doing, and you can decide when to stop.
Key Features
Hydro series H100i PRO RGB is a top-performing AIO cooler from Corsair and we’ll detail why it’s that in this section. Here, you’ll learn some “behind the scenes” features of this cooler that shows why it’s worth having in your computer.
– Magnetic Levitation and Pulse Width Modulation (ML/Pwm)
The fans on Hydro H100i RGB operate on ML technology for a better user experience. This gives them an advantage over normal fans because they perform better. First, they have a quiet operation, and second, there is no friction, so they will last longer than a normal fan. Plus, they use Pulse Width Modulation, which can dictate the speed of the fan. This means the fan can rotate faster or slower to suit your needs.
– Aluminum Radiator
Aluminum is the material of the radiator on H100i PRO RGB, and it’s a good conductor of heat. This makes it better than other radiators that use different materials, but that is not all. It has a surface area of 240 millimeters, which is large enough for good heat dissipation. This gives your CPU a lower temperature, higher clock speeds, and long life. What’s more, the design of the radiator ensures you don’t hear any noise.
– Powerful Icue Software
Software management gives you flexibility and control over a piece of hardware. That’s the job of Corsair iCUE because it gives you more control over H100i PRO RGB. The advanced interface includes the CPU temperature graphs, cooling profiles, and notifications. Also, you can change the fan speed to suit your working environment, higher or lower, it’s up to you. Finally, you can let the RGB lights match your CPU temperature, so you’ll know about the load on your CPU.
– Zero RPM Mode
When your CPU speed increases, it heats up, and the H100i PRO RGB does its best to keep it cool. As a result, it will absorb the heat, and the fans will blow it out of your system through the radiator. The more this process goes on, the more the fan speeds up to cool your CPU. After this process, the CPU will cool down, that’s when the Zero RPM mode sets in. It’s a cooling profile in iCUE Software that’ll stop the fan at lower CPU temperature.
– Dynamic Multicolor RGB Lighting
RGB lighting is a common theme of modern AIO coolers, and you’ll find it on this cooler. But it comes with a twist, you can customize the RGB lights from the iCUE software. This allows you to change the color to create dynamic RGB lighting to match your PC build. So, the lights will change at regular intervals to create a pleasing effect. This gives your computer a professional look, and it’ll amaze anyone that sees it.
Conclusion
The coolers in this article will give your Intel Core i7 8700k the best cooling performance. It’s a must that you give your CPU the right cooling to get the best performance and prevent damage. If you like air coolers with top-class performance, select Dark-Rock Pro 4. But if you want a low-profile cooler, choose Hyper 212 black edition. Still, if you want an all-in-one cooler with exceptional performance, it’s H100i PRO RGB.