Tall fin arrays with heat pipes. Most common for desktop CPU cooling. High surface area enables excellent passive and active cooling. Single or dual-tower configurations.
Flat fin arrays for space-constrained builds (SFF cases, HTPCs). Lower thermal capacity than towers but sufficient for lower-TDP CPUs.
Flat metal plates spread heat across a large surface without fins. Suited to slim form factors. Often paired with heat pipes routed to a small fan and vent.
Sealed copper tubes containing a working fluid. Liquid evaporates at the hot end, condenses at the cool end, and wicks back — transferring heat passively with high efficiency.
Fans stacked in line, blowing in the same direction. Increases static pressure — better for pushing air through dense fin arrays and restricted airflow paths.
Fans side-by-side covering a larger area. Increases airflow volume (CFM) — better for moving large volumes of air through open spaces with low resistance.
| Factor | Impact |
|---|---|
| Air Velocity (CFM) | Higher airflow removes heat faster — directly proportional to cooling performance |
| Fin Material | Copper conducts heat ~2× better than aluminum but is heavier and more expensive |
| Fin Density | More fins = more surface area, but too dense restricts airflow — balance required |
| Thermal Paste | Fills microscopic gaps between IHS and cooler base; poor application raises temps significantly |
| Ambient Temperature | All cooling is relative to room temperature — hot rooms raise CPU temps proportionally |