9 Best Liquid CPU Cooler For i7 8700k in 2024

You might think that water and electronics would go together as smoothly as a cat in water, but with new technology, water is one of the best ways that we can keep our computer components cooled and running at normal operating temperatures. Of course, you can’t just dump a bucket of water on your components to cool them off — you need a system that’s designed for keeping your PC cool with water. There’s actually a lot of components that you need to take full advantage of liquid cooling, but if you want to get started by liquid cooling your processor, you can!

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At A Glance: 9 Best Liquid CPU Cooler For i7 8700k In 2020

• CORSAIR HYDRO Series H115i PRO RGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
  Our Top Pick
• NZXT Kraken M22 120mm - All-In-One RGB CPU Liquid Cooler
• Alphacool Eisbaer 280 CPU Water Cooler
• Thermaltake WATER 3.0 Dual Riing RGB High Static Pressure Fans

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Follow along below, and we’ll show you the best liquid CPU cooler for i7 8700K processor. Let’s dive right in.

Best Liquid CPU Cooler For i7 8700k

1. Alphacool Eisbaer 280

Alphacool has outdone themselves with the Eisbaer 280. This liquid cooling unit for the i7-8700k is at the top of the charts in liquid cooling performance. Not only that, but Alphacool has been able to achieve some of the cheapest prices on the market at this performance level. The CPU cooler will only cost you around $130 or so, which is cheap for something this high-end. A nice thing about the Eisbaer 280 is that all of the functions can be customized straight from the BIOS so that you can adjust cooling performance to your liking. This one is available in a variety of different sizes — 120mm, 140mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm, 420mm — but no matter what size you get, it all comes with the Solo pump so that you have the right combination for your cooling setup. This one is a little more difficult to setup, but with a little know-how and ability to follow directions, the Eisbaer 280 will be up and running in under an hour.

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2. Corsair H100I V2

Coming up next, we’re looking at a brand that you’ve likely already heard of — Corsair. They make an excellent liquid CPU cooler for the i7-8700k, and that is the H100I V2 liquid cooler. If you do some pretty hefty PC gaming, then the H100I V2 is a cooler that you can rely on to keep your processor at the operating temps they need to be at. It has some excellent cooling performance inside, but unlike the Eisbaer, you cannot adjust performance from the BIOS — instead, you must download the Corsair iCUE software. This allows you to make a number of adjustments, including control over the RGB colors.

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3. Corsair H100I PRO RGB

Next we have the Corsair H100I Pro RGB cooler. This one is similar to the H100I V2 in a lot of ways, but has a couple of extra customization options. The H100I PRO RGB, as you might imagine, has plenty of LEDs on it. And with the iCUE software, you can control the color that you want emitting from this cooler setup. Not only that, but it has a Zero RPM mode where you can stop fans entirely when your processor is at a low temperature, eliminating noise from your PC entirely. The nice thing about the iCUE software is that you can adjust individual fan speeds, watch coolant temperatures, and adjust pump speeds.

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4. Thermaltake 240 Water 3.0

Up next, we have the Thermaltake 240 Water 3.0 liquid CPU cooler for the i7-8700k. This is a budget-friendly version of its Floe Riing cooler, which dropped app support and pump RGB lighting to make it more affordable for the average everyday user. Even though those aesthetics have been ditched, it’s still a high-performance liquid cooler with low-noise pollution. The built-in governor does an excellent job limiting fan RPMs, even under load, though you can tune it yourself a little bit. It still has some RGB lighting around the fans themselves to give your Thermaltake a wicked look.

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5. Corsair H115I Pro

Last up on our countdown, but certainly not least, we have the H115I Pro. It’s available in a variety of radiator sizes, but no matter what you choose, it will do an excellent job at keeping your CPU extremely cool. Corsair has been able to achieve some amazing low-noise performance fans while maximizing their performance. Even at 280mm, these H115I Pro is able to stay quiet, even under heavy loads. As you might imagine, Corsair has equipped this setup with some RGB lighting, but that lighting stays away from the fan rings, which keeps the price a little more achievable.

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6. CoolerMaster MasterLiquid LC120E

We’re looking at the MasterLiquid LC120E liquid cooler — it actually delivers efficient cooling with a dual pump 120mm fan system. It keeps your system running effectively, even in the high load times when your processor is working its hardest. It has no problem keeping your CPU cool during overclocking times as well.
This one from CoolerMaster has a low-profile dual chamber pump that, as we mentioned, delivers sizable performance leaps over many of the previous models that CoolerMaster has launched, as well as many current models that are on the market right now. And with that low profile design, you can easily fit all of your favorite high-end components in your system without the radiator taking upp too much room.

One of the other nice highlights to the CoolerMaster MasterLiquid is the reinforced FEP tubing, which keeps the tube kink-free and the liquid flowing to your CPU. It actually has a RGB controller, which allows you to adjust lighting effects, too.

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7. NZXT Kraken M22

Now, we’re looking at the NZXT Kraken M22. Designed for the LGA 1151 socket, you shouldn’t have trouble using this one with just about any 8th or 9th Generation Intel Core processor. Even if you’re overclocking, you should have no trouble keeping your processor cool. And once you hook up the liquid setup, you shouldn’t have a problem keeping the cooling fully automated.

One part that gamers are going to love about this liquid cooler is that it comes with RGB lighting. You can use NZXT software to customize those lights, match them up with other LEDs in your PC, and more.

This one is really excellent for all of your cooling needs. If you have a lot of heat that you need to deal with, you can get it all the way up to 360mm.

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8. upHere Liquid Cooler

upHere has an amazing Liquid Cooler, and will have no problem keeping most LGA 1151 processors cool. It’s pretty close in function to the NZXT, but it comes with the water cooler block, as well as the cooling pipes that you need.

It’s argued that this one is able to deliver much better cooling capability to your PC, and that performance is largely attributed to the copper microfin waterblock. The cooling fan is actually made with “smart” technology, so it’s able to automatically adjust based on your cooling needs.

You don’t have to be an expert to install this either — upHere includes easy to read and follow instructions for the layman!

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9. Thermaltake Water 3.0

If you’re looking for a cross between excellent affordability and performance, the Water 3.0 from Thermaltake is an excellent choice for your i7-8700k processor. It has a high performance copper base plate and water block, and with a 120mm radiator, your processor will stay extremely cool, even under heavy load times. The 120mm radiator is actually most ideal for those that are doing general and basic computer tasks, with larger options more optimal for demanding tasks.

Thermaltake designed this one to have a maintenance-free style, which means you shouldn’t ever have to keep this one clean. Similar to the CoolerMaster, this one has a low profile design, so it won’t take up too much space in the PC as well.

Thermaltake actually offers its Water 3.0 cooler in a variety of different sizes — the smallest you can get sits at 120mm, but you have options for 240mm and 360mm as well.

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Best Liquid CPU Coolers for i7-8700k Verdict

As you can see, there are a lot of excellent options for liquid CPU coolers for i7-8700k. No matter which one you choose, you’ll get the performance and airflow that you need to keep your processor running at good temperatures. Do you have a favorite liquid CPU cooler for the i7-8700k? What is it? Let us know in the comments section below.