7 Best Air CPU Coolers For i5-8600k in 2024

There’s a lot to think about when you’re building your own PC, especially when it comes to compatibility between hardware components. You need to especially make sure that your processor and motherboard combination work together — if you don’t, you’re breaking pins, and that CPU just isn’t going to work. But, once you get that figured out, you also need to figure out how to reduce heat from your processor. The way we do that in PCs is through CPU coolers. Mount one on top of your CPU, and it’ll keep your processor cool, even under heavy loads, such as overclocking or video editing.

Not sure what the best air CPU coolers for i5-8600k are? We’re showing you seven of our top picks below. Let’s dive right in!

Noctua 14cm U-Series Single Tower CPU Cooler

We’re looking at an excellent solution from Noctua — the 14cm U-Series Single Tower CPU Cooler. This is a premium fan cooler that will keep your Intel Core i5-8600k at ordinary temperatures, even when you’re running some of the heavier processes. What we particularly like about the Noctua cooler is that it comes with easy to install instructions — even the person new to PC building could do it. It even has the heat sink you need, as well as everything you need to get your Intel Core i5 up and running quickly. This one is one of the larger fans on the market, coming in at a whole 150mm for the fan. That increases your cooling capabilities, but it also means that it won’t work in many of the smaller PC builds — you really do need a tower and a big motherboard for this one.

Buy it now: Amazon

darkFlash Shadow PWM

You can’t go wrong with the darkFlash Shadow PWM air cooler. It’s able to keep your processor cool, even under an overclocking load. Some of that cooling performance is really beefed up with the integrated PWM function.

The PWM function in this cooler is essentially a way to automatically adjusts fan speeds according to the CPU temperature. That means that, if you’re overclocking, the fan will automatically adjust to meet the demands of that extra heat. This way, you never overheat.

Ironically, this also makes the darkFlash Shadow an excellent choice for those trying to create noiseless systems. darkFlash has worked to make sure fan noise is minimal, and it usually is but depends on your PWM settings. Additionally, it has some cool RGB lighting features that allow you to monitor CPU temperates via light codes.

Cooler Master RR12S

Cooler Master’s RR12S is an excellent choice for any LGA 1151 socket type. So, it will work to keep essentially any processor cool, even under heavy operating loads, such as when overclocking.

It’s fairly average at 120mm in size, but can be bought in larger or smaller variants, too. One of the unique aspects about it is a technology that Cooler Master is calling Direct Contact Technology (DCT). It’s actually able to keep heat away from your CPU with four direct heat pipes.

In summary, they make contact with your processor to provide excellent heat dissipation effectively. So you shouldn’t experience any overheating problems with this fan.

Cooler Master Hyper 212

Next, we’re looking at the Cooler Master Hyper 212. This is an excellent cooler available for a wide variety of processors, and it does an excellent job. The Cool Master Hyper 212 can keep that i5 running at normal temperatures, whether you’re idling or pushing things to the limit. Several heat pipes make direct contact with the CPU, dissipating heat at a quick pace. Not only that, but this is a consumer favorite because of how cheap it is. Now, it is made out of cheaper material — and definitely doesn’t feel premium — however, don’t let that fool you — the Hyper 212 is an excellent choice.

Buy it now: Amazon

Cooler Master MasterAir Maker 8

Now we have the Cooler Master MasterAir Maker 8. This is one of the few coolers on the market that feature unique 3D Vapor technology — this puts your cooling prowess ahead of your average cooler, making this one optimal for things like overclocking, video editing, and even high-end games. There’s actually a whole eight heat pipes on this cooler, so you’ll get incredible cooling performance.

Buy it now: Amazon

Cryorig H7 Tower Cooler

Up next, we have the Cryorig H7 Tower Cooler — a massive cooler that’s able to keep your Intel Core i5 running at optimal levels easily. Whether you’re playing games, doing video editing, or browsing the Web, the H7 Tower Cool will have no issue keeping your i5 cool as a cucumber. Depending on your setup, it may be a little more difficult to install, but this one is billed as a universal fit.

Buy it now: Amazon

DeepCool Gammaxx 400

And finally, but certainly not least, we’re looking at the DeepCool Gammaxx 400. This is an excellent CPU cooler, and is one of our favorites because it’s a universal fit — you should be able to use this one with almost any personal computer setup. Not only that, but it’s cooling capabilities are excellent. With four copper pipes making direct contact with the CPU, this one performs excellently and is offered at an affordable price.

Buy it now: Amazon

Verdict

As you can see, there are a lot of excellent air CPU coolers for the i5-8600k. Anyone of these will do the primary means that you’re trying to achieve — keeping your processor cool; however, if you plan on doing some overclocking and seeing how far you can push your computer, then we recommend getting one of the higher quality coolers that you can be certain you can rely on. Those are the DeepCool Gammaxx 400 and the Cryorig H7 Tower Cooler. That said, not everyone has the money to drop on a high-end cooler, so if you just need something to get by, any of the budget options will do fine.

Do you have a favorite air CPU cooler for the i5-8600k? Let us know what it is in the comments section below!