Are CPU coolers mandatory?
Posted by WinInternational1503@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 129 comments
I'm new to building PCs so I'm sorry if this is a bad question but how mandatory are they? If your CPU has a cooler do you need one or not? And do you still need one if your CPU has heatsink?
free224@reddit
Macbook air run passively. Some type of cooling is necessary based on TDP
nvidiot@reddit
If you don't have any CPU cooler, modern PCs will not boot up at all lol
You need some kind of a cooler, be it air cooler or AIO. Generally, a dual-tower air cooler is sufficient for most CPUs.
selectsyntax@reddit
To expand on this for OP; if a modern motherboard does not detect anything connected to the CPU fan/pump power it assumes there is not CPU cooler and will not power on to avoid thermal damage to the CPU. Even if this wasn't the case, if there is inadequate cooling for the CPU the processor will thermal throttle (processing speed slows waaaayyyyy down). In severe cases (like no cooler) safeguards will shut down the system to prevent thermal damage. Even then it is possible to thermally damage a chip if you intentionally abuse it.
It used to be that most CPUs shipped with an OEM air cooler included, but these days most CPUs no longer include a cooler. Air cooling is the most common, most cost effective, and lowest maintenance option. Custom liquid cooling loops are the most expensive and require the most maintenance but have the best cooling performance (excessive for most PCs). AIOs (All-in-One) liquid coolers are popular alternatives that provides most of the benefit of liquid cooling with an installation and maintenance experience closer to air coolers: they generally fall at an intermediate price point.
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
There are air coolers with heat pipes which cool every bit as efficiently as any AOI (for example Noctua NH-D15S - which is overkill and over price for the majority of systems). These days, the advantage of AIO’s is in the aesthetics, not so much the performance. There is some advantage to being able to mount the AIO’s radiator in such a way that the CPU heat is expelled outside of the case rather than inside of it, but that also means the radiator is taking up space where more air could be circulated through the case, so that really ends up being a wash. AIOs have more points of failure, and some of those possible points of failure (namely seals, elbows, tubing connectors risk showering your internals with coolant (water or mostly water usually) which is a very bad thing.
The only way I’d consider using liquid cooling is if I designed a system where both the CPU and the GPU were connected to the same loop, and the radiator was HUGE, passive, and completely external to the case I don’t care about aesthetics at all, I just want something that I doesn’t get clogged with dust and I’m noise sensitive, so pulling all the heat from the 2 major generators of heat out of the box would allow me to run large fans very slowly to vent the remaining heat inside that box. It would be enormous, unwieldy, ugly, but, for me, it’s an ideal build.
Kasoivc@reddit
Usually people install AiOs as a top mount as cpus can run warmer than a GPU typically before thermal throttle. I have seen plenty of front case mounted AiOs and usually this is the wrong installation in regards to min max temp, however I find most cases are a real PITA to mount. They’re doable, just not very easily serviceable as you occasionally need to dust the radiator to maximize heat transfer, but I guess that depends on dusty your environment is, theoretically if your intakes are capturing most of the dust, it will take a very long time to accumulate inside the radiator fins.
Imrahil6@reddit
Or just get a corsair Air5400. Does exactly what you are talking about. But still looks nice.
pythonic_dude@reddit
And is twice the volume of cases that achieve temps within a degree or two. 5400 is an obese bastard looking for an overclocked 15900KS to cool, but there isn't one.
Imrahil6@reddit
I dont disagree that it is overkill. It just sounded a lot like what the person i replied to was wanting to do.
MistSecurity@reddit
Don’t let your dreams be dreams.
Most of what you say can be done fairly cheaply. Only super pricey part would be the waterblocks. The rest you could totally do on the cheap.
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
For sure - it’s obtainable - even the water blocks aren’t that expensive, but I’ve yet to come across a large enough passive heat sink that isn’t built with very fine fins and one of the reasons I’d like passive is I want something dust doesn’t get caught in - and in my house, with my wife’s cooking, that can mean greasy dust which kills anything with fine fins. I’m picturing a huge, heavy block with fingers rising up out of it - something solid where every part is sturdy enough and has enough clearance that the exterior can be wiped down with a soapy cloth. Something like that likely has to be custom machined, and that comes with a lot of construction and concern over how well the plumbing connects to it.
I’ve thought that one day, when I have the time, I might try repurposing one of those cast iron radiators that you see in apartments built between the 1910’s and the 1950’s or so. I really don’t know if it would work or not, but intuitively, it seems like it would have plenty of surface area to shed heat. One issue with that is that the water circulating in them has to have additives to stop them oxidizing from the inside out. Also, I don’t know if it’s possible to get them clean enough inside that the junk in them wouldn’t choke flow in the water blocks. Alternatively, there are modern electric heaters that have a sort of similar radiator, but MUCH lighter and made of stainless steel, where oil is heated with a resistive element and circulated through the radiator. These are much lighter - take up more space, yet have more surface area (at least for the space they take up, and I assume they’re pretty clean on the inside and not subject to the rot that cast iron is.
It’s a silly idea, but if I have the time, one of these days I WILL give it a try.
Covid_Cash@reddit
There are builds out there utilizing those types of cast iron radiators. They work well in passive systems due to their mass even though ideally cast iron isn't as effective a medium for heat transfer. You are correct about using a low flow pump to give the coolant more exposure or time in the radiator to transfer it's heat but it's definitely an excellent idea and would be a fun project.....
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
Cool - good to know. Always more comfortable trying something when one knows it’s been done successfully before. However - now that I’m thinking about it, one of those electric heaters w the oil radiators would be more practical. I wonder if the oil recirc pump on the heater itself could be used without corroding…. Ot would be so much less cleaning and doesn’t weigh a metric shit-tonne.
Thanks for the info, when I get some free time I’m going to give it some serious thought.
Live-Juggernaut-221@reddit
That's not what was asked. If a cpu comes with a cooler that cooler is generally at least adequate to run at advertised speeds and within max thermal parameters.
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
The way the question was asked, I’m not sure it’s clear that’s what they meant. I’d guess that’s most likely, but if you take the question at face value it is “Are CPU coolers mandatory”, which suggests they’re asking if it is at all necessary to have one, and the further explanation only muddies the water, it doesn’t clarify: “if your CPU has a cooler do you need one or not”. Taken at face value, that could mean “if the CPU comes with a cooler do you need to install it or can I leave it out of the build entirely”.
Your read of the question is likely the one he was trying to ask, but by what they’ve typed, one can’t assume that. You’re coming from a place where you know that obviously the CPU needs some sort of cooling, but that’s not what his words are saying, and he should clarify before getting an answer - or the answer should clarify the issue with the question.
Adkeith47@reddit
Post literally says "if your CPU has a cooler" why'd you type all that
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
Yes, but that’s out of context. The entire sentence reads “If your CPU has a cooler do you need one or not?” which could just as easily mean “do all CPU’s that come with a cooler need to use that (or any) cooler or can I not install it?” In addition, the title of the post is “Are CPU coolers mandatory?” Which is a very straightforward question - just not the one he means to ask.
The wording of the rest of the post is vague-ish, and I agree that your interpretation of what they were trying to ask is the most likely one - but taken literally and at face value, what he is actually asking is if CPUs need some sort of cooler installed. He also goes on to ask ““do you still need oneIf you’re CPU has a heatsink (SIC)” showing that he really doesn’t know what he’s asking.
I really don’t see how you don’t get that - it’s simple English, and if you look at the rest of the comments, the vast majority of commenters took the question at face value, and didn’t assume that he meant “if your CPU comes with a cooler, is it OK to use that one or do I need something better”.
Adkeith47@reddit
Never in my life am I reading that
Witch_King_@reddit
Hell, a SINGLE-tower air cooler is enough for many CPUs these days!
podun@reddit
Simply wrong
SupposablyAtTheZoo@reddit
That's not really true. I know from experience you can easily run a few minutes without a cooler.
looopious@reddit
It will post but quickly followed by an error on screen saying the cpu is too hot. Happened to me when my aio died.
SirCheese69@reddit
It WILL boot, just won't run very long.
SurpriseExtension929@reddit
It will boot up but just shutoff very quickly
Ill-Leadership-863@reddit
Yessssss. We no want boom boom sad sad
Thefirespirit15@reddit
I think what you're asking is, if your CPU comes with a cooler, do you have to buy one.
No,.you don't, usually they're more than good enough
altoid-tin@reddit
When I first got into pcs I setup a i5 6500 with no thermal paste at all and at some points also no cooler at all. Yes it will run but thermal throttle almost instantly, depending on how efficient your cpu is you can expect anywhere between 2-5% of the preformance you could get with even a basic cooler with thermal paste
Unipiggy@reddit
O _ O
AcanthaceaeFlimsy952@reddit
If you're CPU came with a cooler or heat sink, that is usually adequate. Anything else would just be an upgrade for better cooling
Pure_Design_4906@reddit
You could tecnically boot a pc without a cooler but meta pcs tested It and It lasted less than 2 minutes
tamarockstar@reddit
If the CPU doesn't have something to sink heat into, it will hit its thermal limit and shutdown the PC before it goes to POST. A literal block of aluminum would do enough to get it into Windows, but yes you need some sort of CPU cooler for the PC to function.
Nauty_YT@reddit
If you get a cpu that came with a fan. that fan is probably bad.
HotPersonality8126@reddit
I think people aren’t getting that you’re asking if you need an aftermarket CPU cooler that replaces the stock cooler that came with your CPU.
You do not. The stock cooler is fully effective at cooling your CPU; it’s just likely to be louder than the coolers you can buy.
Some higher-end CPU’s don’t come with a stock cooler at all. For these, you’re required to supply one, and these chips run hot so it needs to be quite capable.
This-Law-5433@reddit
Amd spire put on a lower end chip was really nice tbh but I would never use it on the chips it came with
Coolers are really cheap nowadays so why not when I started building in 2006 I spent 80$ on basically a block of copper with nails in it we have come a long ways from that
Witch_King_@reddit
Yeah you can get a really really good air cooler for like $35. But you can also get an adequate one for $15
figmentPez@reddit
There's no way to know what OP is asking about without clarification. They could just as easily be asking about water cooling vs air cooling.
Cold-Sandwich-34@reddit
Whatever could OP have meant by "if your CPU has a cooler". Maybe read the post?
figmentPez@reddit
I don't know that OP is an English speaker, so something could have been lost in translation.
There are a lot of possibilities. One possibility: they could live in a country where new PC parts are really expensive, and have been looking at used parts, including PCs with broken parts. They could be asking if a CPU that has a broken water cooler actually needs a working water cooler; with the next question asking if a CPU with a fan and heatsink actually needs a water cooling solution.
OP could be high as a kite and suffering from aphasia; using the wrong words and not even realizing they're speaking nonsense.
OP could just be an AI bot posting barely legible nonsense to try to garner training data.
Who knows? Unless OP knows, every single person replying could have gotten the wrong idea.
SirComesAl0t@reddit
Without OP clarifying, the safest assumption is the general option.
Also four paragraphs isn’t a lot but it’s superfluous. Higher education requires people to convey a concise message, not yap when it’s unnecessary just to try to prove a point.
Cold-Sandwich-34@reddit
Fucking hell, a 4 point paragraph? 😂
Puzzleheaded_Scale31@reddit
Idk man it’s pretty clear to me
IrrelevantAfIm@reddit
He has to read up and learn the definition of things to be able to ask his question. For example, he talks about a “heat sink” as if a heat sink is not a cooler.
MistSecurity@reddit
Nah, his meaning is pretty clear. You don’t need to know the technical terms to get your point across. Just treat the post like an IT ticket, it becomes more clear that way.
Cold-Sandwich-34@reddit
If OP is used to ARM chips they are easy to confuse as they accomplish the same goal for different types of chips.
DoughnutWeary7417@reddit
“If your cpu has a cooler” as in if it comes with one
actionerror@reddit
Can you spare $30 to take better care of your $300 CPU?
karmapopsicle@reddit
Even $15 these days will buy you a very basic but perfectly serviceable 120mm tower.
Exciting_Depression@reddit
For my HTPC I have the heatsink but no fan. It's passively cooled using a single case fan. Keeps noise to a minimum
BigFatCoder@reddit
CPU coolers are mandatory for all modern CPUs. In the old days, 386 and early 486 do not have cooler/heat sink. 486 DX2 - 66 MHz is the first one with heat sink (still no fan) And 486 DX4 100 MHz is the one with active cooling (Heatsink with fan). When pentium come out, CPU coolers are norm. They are small and insignificant until Pentium II or III.
Custom/Aftermarket coolers are starting to get into market but not widely used until in 2010 by that time, Intel stock coolers are not providing adequate cooling and Intel even stopped providing stock cookers for certain models. Most of the people building custom PC after 2020 do not install stock cooler and buy powerful and/or quieter aftermarket coolers.
There are 2 types of coolers, air cooler and liquid cooler. Air cooler is the one with heat sink. Right now twin tower heatsink with 6-7 heat-pipes, with 1 or 2 fans are the best air cooler. Still have non-tower type heatsink coolers that we called low profile cooler for older/thinning chassis. Liquid coolers design are not much changed since beginning, it has pump with 2 lines (in/out) and radiator for cooling.
A lot of people prefer air-cooler because liquid cooler are generally more expensive, has multiple point of failure and once pump stopped working, the whole system stopped working. Air cooler heatsink still draw heat passively even the fan stopped working. And it is always quicker and easier to change new fan of the heat sink.
kokosgt@reddit
Yet somehow my Intel N150 miniPC is working great without a cooler.
resetallthethings@reddit
oh good grief
that's a 6w mobile chip
you might as well say "My phone doesn't need a cooler"
yes you are technically correct, but it doesn't have anything to do with what the thread is discussing
kokosgt@reddit
This CPU is perfectly fine for web browsing, office works etc. Where does it say what kind of CPUs are we discussing?
resetallthethings@reddit
of course it is
the entire context of the OP and the comments discussing below it?
n150 isn't a chip that anyone who didn't know whether or not it needs a non-bundled cooler would be building with in the first place.
BigFatCoder@reddit
Don't they get hot if you work on large excel sheets with a lot of formula ? (not extreme, reasonable large amount of data). I have no experience with miniPC, do they perform well for such kind of Word/excel and internet browsing ?
kokosgt@reddit
40*C in idle, 60*C under load. The aluminum case has fins and works like a huge radiator.
https://www.toptonpc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/kf-S079ed2b280a54ee8916c5f4761198bf23.webp
BigFatCoder@reddit
So the whole chassis is working like a heatsink, nice design. I always build custom PC with full ATX board only, I haven't pick any smaller board so far.
kokosgt@reddit
I got 2 of those plus a bunch of Raspberry Pi 5, without a single fan. They won't run Crysis, but work well enough doing what I want them to do, using 10-20W.
simagus@reddit
You don't need to buy a third-party cooler for either companies CPU's if they come with a stock cooler.
The stock AMD coolers are good and the stock Intel coolers are "good enough" but you'll more likely get more of an improvement with a third-party cooler than if you replace the AMD stock cooler.
resetallthethings@reddit
You don't "need" but given what you can get anymore for even under $20, I would suggest getting one in all but the most extreme budget challenge type of things.
BigFatCoder@reddit
I don't know about AMD but stock cooler for Intel are only good enough i3 or i5 lower end. Even $25 Cooler Master low profile cooler is better than Intel stock cooler.
Narissis@reddit
They need to go back to their roots... I had a QX9650 back in the day and its stock cooler was one of these giant things.
iceseayoupee@reddit
Definitely, the worst gen for their coolers was in the 6th to 11th gen
BigFatCoder@reddit
I think they ride the custom cooler wave and no longer spend money for that. Current i7 coolers are pathetic.
PontiacCollector@reddit
In the 90s, I was building and selling PCs. I had a new one built and running, for some stupid reason I left it running while I put in the expansion slot covers in the back. I bumped the CPU cooler off and before I could hit the power button the magic smoke was already released... That old AMD 4x86 probably used 5w of power, a modern CPU is likely multiples of that even at idle.
Don't be like me, use a cooler and for the love of God, shut down the machine before you do anything to it .
Ok_Coat4171@reddit
I am unsure what you mean, so here are several responses depending on that.
If by "your cpu has a heat sink" you mean the little square of copper on top, that is called the IHS or integrated heat spreader. It is there to protect the super expensive and fragile CPU underneath. It is not sufficient and you need a cooler. I will put a link below to a good entry level one
If by "your cpu has a heat sink" you mean the small external heat sink that comes with many CPUS, (if ur not sure Google "included heat sink" followed by your CPU and go to images) it will be sufficient but you can do better.
If you are asking about water vs air, just play it safe on air until you have more experience. Water can be a nightmare and kill components for a marginal performance bump and a major asthetic one.
Here's a link to a great budget cooler to go on top of the IHS, REMEMBER TO ADD THERMAL PASTE AND REMOVE THE PLASTIC ON THE BOTTOM OF THE COOLER
voodoochild461@reddit
100% yes.
BatushkaTabushka@reddit
If your cpu included a cooler then you don’t need to buy another separately, you can use that one. You do need some sort of cooling, otherwise it might not even boot up or if it does it will reach like 100 degrees instantly and turn off.
People do buy coolers for better temperatures, even if the cpu came with one but it’s not a necessity. The stock cooler is designed to handle the heat the cpu outputs. If you overclock the cpu though, then that’s a different story because the manufacturer didn’t account for that.
But the 7000 series ryzens for example are designed to shoot up to 95 degrees and then hold whatever clock speed it can maintain at that temperature, so you might end up with better performance with a better cooler. A dual tower heatsink or a water cooler (280mm and up) will generally offer better cooling than stock coolers. Dual tower coolers are not that expensive so if you want better performance then you can go for that. But you can also change your cooler anytime in the future, so trying the stock one out and maybe changing in the future is also an option.
mgp901@reddit
The one that comes with your cpu is generally sufficient.
skyfishgoo@reddit
you need to have something, yes.
does it need to be a liquid cooled system with 3 fans and a TV screen on it... no.
but at the very least you need a passive radiator with a fan on it or the PC will not even boot.
SolaireFlair117@reddit
Yes. Two major problems will occur without a cooler: Firstly, the computer will give you a BIOS error on startup claiming that there isn't a cooler installed. You CAN go into the BIOS to disable this message (I have to do this any time I do custom water cooling), but then you run into problem number two: You boot the PC, your CPU starts working hard and generating heat, and without a cooler your CPU rapidly exceeds 100 degrees Celsius and shuts itself down to stop itself from being damaged by the heat.
So the short answer is yes, you MUST have a cooling solution for the CPU.
groveborn@reddit
Pretty much every bit of electricity that goes into the PC comes back out as heat. The CPU draws upwards of 400 watts depending on some stuff, usually quite a bit less.
It has to go somewhere. Chips can't get much hotter than boiling before they fail completely, often being damaged. A heatsink will shunt it off elsewhere to prevent this.
An insufficient heatsink will still do something, but cpus are designed to protect themselves by showing down to reduce the heat. A really great cooler will effectively eliminate the slowdown, allowing peak performance no matter what.
The included heatsink is usually sufficient under the common work load, but it's about $25 to make it so it never slows due to heat. There are other concerns, such as chassis air temp, GPU, PSU, dust, and noise, as well as many other particularized use cases to consider - but for the average user the included heatsink is sufficient.
Gamers who want all the power should upgrade it. So should anyone who buys a top tier CPU - they pull more power.
Buttafeel@reddit
No. You can just blow on it every now and then. Like soup!
iceseayoupee@reddit
Stock coolers from both AMD and Intel have gotten better the past few years, so if you prioritize budget over aesthetics I'd stick with stock
Wakaastrophic@reddit
They are necessary and i'll give you a small example of my recent interaction with a "meh cooler" compared to a better suited cooler. For context i got a small upgrade for my "i5-8600k" to an "i7-9700". Tried to use the same air cooler but you'll see the temps in the image and it even reached 97c not more than 30mins after. Compared to the 2nd picture, where now it's stable even after a very long 6 hours gaming/working session with multiple tabs opened. https://imgbox.com/gallery/edit/96bSKLQdpz/WPnQQ7BClUtJ8ct1
s0ciety_a5under@reddit
Aftermarket coolers are not necessary if your cpu comes with one. Unless you are doing something like overclocking the cpu you will not ever need to do that. It's like a car, does it really need a performance parts or will the one that Ford/BMW/Toyota installed going to work? Of course you don't need that stuff, but can they improve the performance of the car? Sure! If you know what you're doing and tune the rest of the car to go with it.
Basically, if you aren't tuning your PC to match the performance parts you add to it, they don't do much to improve performance. Especially with a cooler.
darkvaderthesecond@reddit
I love this kind of question because there's a bit of history with it. Modern cpus absolutely do need a cooler and they need one built for the chip type/thermal load.
early processors where very low powered, think something like a calculator, because the applications for them just weren't developed yet.
as things matured, cpus ran hotter and hotter, eventually leading to modern chips needing a lot of cooling to be able to run.
if you compare the 386, to the pentium, and then the pentium 4, you can see the general trend towards needing beefier and beefier cooling, hell, even a pentium 4 pressing got the nickname of 'PressHOT' because they were hard to cool and the included coolers were terrible. in fact, that's why we have things like coretemp today, it was a problem even at the stock level.
that being said, modern processors have better techniques to keep cool, either they throttle or they undervolt so only really the huge enthusiasts (such as me) would care and the stock coolers are much better than the p4s were.
There are ways to completely substrate cool (that is, just to use the package of the cpu as a heatsink) a modern cpu like the older processors, it just isn't worth doing when it would have such a significant impact (say 90-95% reduction) on it's performance compared to spending 2% extra on a cooler; Plus you'd need a chip that's designed for that low of a thermal load. While ARM phone cpus are, intel and amd x86 chips are too complex to safely do it and keep up.
SoundSwitch@reddit
It'll thermal out in well under a minute
slyspree@reddit
I believe it depends on your case and ambient temps as well, I have a closed unventilated case and the stock cooler was not enough for my ryzen 5600 and temps would reach upto 90c
Ended up getting a cheap deepcool cooler for like 20$ and it doesnt cross 70c now even at full load
Vahuo89@reddit
Yes it's mandatory
Charon711@reddit
If you're cpu comes with one (some newer models don't) then the one that came will suffice but you may get better temps with a aftermarket. If it doesn't come with one then you absolutely need to buy a aftermarket.
Unicorn187@reddit
All CPUs need cooling of some type.
All use a heating to absorb the heat from the CPU itself. The they use wither air or liquid to vent that heat to the air.
Air coolers have a fan mounted to a large aluminum or copper block that has a lot kf fins. The air from the fan(s) blows the heat away.
Or the heatsink and the finned portion are slightly separated and there are heat pipes that brink the heat to the dinner block for the fan to blow cool air over.
Liquid (or water) cooling pumps liquid through the heat sink (usually called a water block) and cools it. The hot liquid goes to a radiator where a fan or three blows air through to cool the liquid back down to around ambient temperature. This is almost exactly how a car cooling system works too.
If your CPU came with a cooler then you have one and don't need tk get an aftermarket one unless you want one that cools better or is quieter, or is a different size to better fit your system. Or that you think just looks better.
A heating just absorbed the heat from the CPU. but it doesnt get rid if the heat on its own. It's part of the cooling system. Heatsink and fan, or waterblock,, hoses, radiator, and fan.
You'll see mention of AIO watercooling. All In One. It's just a watercooler that is pre-built instead of something custo. You or someone put together.
Healthy_Jellyfish292@reddit
The cooler that comes with the CPU is fine if you're not overclocking
Tentacalifornia@reddit
If you're asking if you can use the cooler that came with your cpu the answer is yes. But if you mean to ask can a cpu run with no cooler? The answer would be no
johnwalkr@reddit
This is the best answer to a simple yet imprecise question. Most other comments add way too much unnecessary detail.
AlgoDip@reddit
Live a little: Test it and report back on the results, i.e. FAFO
vlhube71@reddit
Well, I supposed the best way to build a silent system is skipping the cooler… and by silent I mean it won’t boot at all.
The_Real_NkB@reddit
For low end cpu with low power usage the default cooler that it comes with the cpu is mostly enough
korg64@reddit
No, good luck with your build 👍
Designer-Bad-4854@reddit
First of all: you need one. Second of all: what kind of CPU do you have? Maybe I or someone else here can give you a recommendation
carmardoll@reddit
Let me put it this way the one time when I was newbie building my own PC, I figure I can check if things are alright before I put in the cooler right? I can boot to bios and stuff... Nope, ok it will boot to bios and I can see the CPU go 75, 80, 85... Off.
looopious@reddit
Heatsinks don’t cool anything. They conduct heat to distribute it and same for cooling. Their purpose is to remove hotspots
Any electrical device will benefit from being cooled unless it’s a heating device.
So basically most coolers that come with the cpu aren’t very efficient. Always use an aftermarket cooler because you want the cpu as cool as possible.
If it was possible for every component to have a cooler then people would do that because cooling helps with the longevity of the components.
Cyber_Akuma@reddit
Yes, very VERY yes. Back in the 80s and early 90s you might have gotten away with just a heatsink, or even nothing at all, but for the last 30 years or so CPU coolers, as in both a heatsink and a fan, have been 100% mandatory.
If your CPU came with a cooler it will be adequate as long as you aren't REALLY pushing it hard, but if you are going to be doing things that will be very CPU intensive for extended periods of time or if your CPU didn't come with one, then you need to get a good cooler. CPUs have a TDP rating which basically is a measure of how much power they consume, and coolers also usually have a rating as well as how high a TDP they can handle, so you will need a cooler that can at least handle your CPU's TDP rating.
wolfiasty@reddit
For everything longer than 1 minute of running your PC, yes it is mandatory.
If you're getting fan with your CPU that fan will be enough (for you at least, as it seems you're freshman to PC masterrace ;) and won't be doing any sort of experimenting with overclocking and rest of things that can go south very fast).
neoalfa@reddit
If your CPU already has a cooler you don't need another one. But you better check out of you configure the airflow inside your case. Fans have directions, so you need to orient them in such a way that it pulls air from one direction and expel it in another.
Upstairs_Marzipan48@reddit
If youre just testing for boot, it'll be fine but you really should have a cooler
JustRange5582@reddit
If your CPU comes with a stock cooler, you don't need to buy one separately. It's enough for normal use. Only upgrade if you overclock or run demanding tasks for long periods."
Impossible-Move-2096@reddit
You definitely need some cooler CPUs don’t survive bare metal. Even if the chip comes with a stock cooler/heatsink, that’s the minimum baseline. Without it, modern boards won’t even boot because they detect no fan/pump and shut down to prevent thermal damage. Aftermarket air coolers or AIOs just give you better temps, quieter operation, and headroom for heavier loads or overclocking.
BepHbin@reddit
If you games a lot and your cpu is i5 or lower, the stock fan that come with the cpu is enought. If its i5 or higher, its best you grab a 3rd party cpu cooler, even cheap $20-30 can make massive difference.
Active_Literature539@reddit
I mean, only if you want your computer to not shut itself down within 5 seconds due to overheating…
jellycatto@reddit
No, it's not mandatory. Just consider how long you want to use your computer.
In case you use a CPU cooler, there is no time limit using the computer.
In case you don't, bios is as far as you can get, interestingly, you will save your time and do other things, since a computer-using session now last a few seconds and require long cooldown time.
typographie@reddit
Yep. Basically any modern desktop CPU can't run properly without active cooling. They need big heatsinks, and one or more fans.
I once reassembled my PC without plugging my liquid cooling pump back in. Everything else was installed correctly, but the pump wasn't powered. That was enough that my CPU was idling close to 100 C, and crashed immediately upon opened a web browser.
heroicxidiot@reddit
Yes
A-Lewd-Khajiit@reddit
TF do you mean? All CPUs need cooling. You mean aftermarket or stock coolers?
SombraMonkey@reddit
It’s like running in the street without shoes.
unevoljitelj@reddit
Heatsink and a fan. If you allready have these you dont need another. But the one that came with pc could be small, weak and noisy. So posibly high temps and annoying fan.
HardLithobrake@reddit
You have about 40 seconds of run time without one.
za72@reddit
yes
SirCheese69@reddit
Yes, you need a cooler be it air or water cooling.
cewillir@reddit
Yeah - I just built a new machine. Honking huge cpu cool
dudeAwEsome101@reddit
Most CPUs come with a cooler. Read the product description. Some higher end CPUs don't come with the cheap factory cooler as the manufacturer knows customers will get a better aftermarket cooler.
Should you get a third-party cooler even for a mid tier CPU? I would say, yes. You can get very good coolers in the $25-$50 range. Those will run quieter compared to the cheap factory Intel or AMD cooler. Tower cooler could also improve airflow in the case. You will be able to reuse the cooler in the future when you upgrade your CPU.
PapaAquchala@reddit
If your CPU comes with a cooler, it's likely sufficient for your CPU. You can still get an aftermarket cooler if you want one, but by no means is it necessary
AngryTank@reddit
It’s about as good as running a car without oil
skylinestar1986@reddit
If your cpu comes with stock cooler, it's perfectly fine for general usage (surf internet, watch medias, light gaming).
MississippiBulldawg@reddit
You need a cooler but you don't need the $70, $120 aio coolers that people show off. A peerless assassin is ~$35 and is the best thing you can get. There are cheaper ones that will work as well though.
CustardCivil@reddit
yes its definitely need its like your running a mini nuclear without it your going to cook it you
You absolutely need a cpu cooler or else your going to kill your processor in the long run and the processor will throttle earlier or your pc won't boot at all without it
ArtesianShiny@reddit
I thermal throttled my i7 4790k with no heatsink as an experiment lol. So to answer your question no its not mandatory but without one, thermal throttling is mandatory.
espewe@reddit
I'm gonna frank and say it's a bad question. But yeah you definitely need a CPU cooler. Without it would be like running engine without radiator or any kind of heat dissipation.
ParanoidFactoid@reddit
Only if you want a working computer. For stove top heating elements, a CPU without cooling can suffice. Will fry eggs!
teink0@reddit
CPUs will keep increasing in temperature until they melt. Though I think they have safety mechanisms to try to shut down at, for example, 100 C.
IWillAssFuckYou@reddit
If you have a CPU with draws very little power, you can absolutely get away with just a heatsink. I wouldn't try it on any machine that is intended for gaming or other demanding tasks.
dungorthb@reddit
Thermalright coolers have been incredibly good value from experience. Used them in my last 3 builds.
Monotask_Servitor@reddit
You always need a cooler, however if your CPU comes with a bundled cooler then that’s likely all you will need. If it doesn’t, then you need a cooler matched to your CPU’s thermal output, which can vary very widely.
Arcangelo_Frostwolf@reddit
It all depends on what specific CPU you are installing, as they come with a very large variation in number of cores (the more they have typically the hotter it'll get) anywhere from a 2 core Pentium Gold processor up to a 16 core 32 thread Ryzen 9950X or 24 core Intel Core Ultra 9.CPUs that are unlocked for overclocking typically have higher clock speeds, so can generate more heat. Low core-count CPUs with locked multipliers that come with their own cooling solution typically don't require you to purchase an aftermarket cooler. Usually a good rule of thumb is if the CPU has an advertised TDP of 65W or less and comes packaged with a cooler, it will be sufficient.
YoSpiff@reddit
Back in the days of wooden ships and iron men, a CPU just needed a heat sink, but a cooler has been a necessity for a long time now.
draven33l@reddit
If it comes with one, you absolutely need to use it. It's not optional. It's not going to do the best job though, but it will work unless you are gaming.
anikom15@reddit
They all do, but stock coolers are sufficient for the CPUs they are sold with. However, the stock cooler may be too loud and/or require throttling to maintain acceptable temperature.
CPUs that don’t come with a stock cooler assume you know what you’re doing.
Perfect_Memory9876@reddit
If you plan to do nothing more than put the CPU in and leave it alone, then yes the stock cooler is fine. If you plan to get more performance out of the CPU then you will need a better CPU Cooler and either a dual tower that has 6 or 7 heat pipes or a 240mm or 360mm AIO
Xcissors280@reddit
look up the difference between an IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) and a real heatsink with find
aragorn18@reddit
CPUs absolutely require a cooler of some sort. Some CPUs come with a simple cooler and that's usually sufficient, if not amazing.
Protonion@reddit
You absolutely need to have some CPU cooler, otherwise the CPU will overheat pretty much instantly.
An air cooler is a heatsink with a fan on it, this is the most common type and it's what's included with many CPUs.