When planning to push the best CPU beyond its factory-set limits, you're going to require some serious cooling. Air coolers that consist of a heatsink and fan are generally good enough for standard use, but when you're looking to up clock speeds and power draw, a closed-loop all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler is the preferred option. In this guide, we'll be taking a look at some of the best AIO liquid coolers you can buy to help take the heat away from the CPU.
Our top recommendations for AIO liquid CPU coolers
Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion
The best AIO liquid cooler.
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is one of the best AIO coolers you can buy and looks the part, too, with its colorful RGB fans.
- Great thermal performance
- 360mm radiator
- Supports latest Intel and AMD CPUs
- Proprietary connectors
- Cable colors
It's no secret that Cooler Master makes some of the finest CPU coolers. We crowned the MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion as our best overall liquid cooler in the best CPU cooler collection. It's a closed-loop AIO liquid cooler with a 360mm radiator. The kit, as you can see, is fully decked out with RGB lights. Cooler Master is using ARGB Gen 2 RGB LEDs for this kit which means they can be controlled individually to create a mini light show in the PC case. Cooler Master includes the necessary splitters, but they're not sleeved or colored, so they don't look the best.
They work with Cooler Master's Master+ software that lets you customize each individual LED in color, effect, brightness, and more. The MasterLiquid ML360 uses 120mm Master Halo MF120 fans that are fairly decent at high static pressure applications. The ML360 Illusion features the 3rd generation Dual Chamber Pump for excellent cooling performance. The pump also features RGB lights. In fact, the ML360 Illusion has 12 addressable RGB LEDs, and it's been integrated into a new translucent pump. There's full support for the latest AMD and Intel processors.
Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO Liquid Cooler
A solid second place recommendation.
The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO is also a solid 360mm AIO for high-end builds. It's also available in two other radiator sizes for PCs with smaller form-factor.
- Brilliant thermal performance
- 360mm radiator
- Connected RGB lighting
- Expensive
- Required iCUE software
The Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix XT is on-par, or sometimes, even better than some of the top 360mm coolers around. Also, the Capellix in the name means it's fully kitted with Corsair's Capellix RGB LEDs, which it has now started using in almost all components. Unlike the ML360 Illusion AIO from Cooler Master, the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix cooler has a rather simple water block pump combo. It only features the Corsair logo as a clear part with opaque backing. You can change this by switching it with the included translucent faceplate.
You also get a trio of 120mm ML120 RGB fans for the 360mm aluminum radiator and everything can be managed through the Core Hub. The H150i Elite Capellix XT is also a solid cooler when it comes to performance. It's capable of handling everything from a low-powered Celeron processor to a fully unlocked Core i9-13900K CPU. Additionally, Corsair launched a new variant of this particular unit with an LCD screen for the pump. That variant obviously costs more than the regular one, but it adds to the overall user experience. Existing Corsair H150i Elite users can also buy the LCD screen pump as an upgrade.
NZXT Kraken 240
The best-looking 240mm AIO cooler.
The NZXT Kraken 240 is a budget-friendly AIO liquid cooler with a small LCD panel and two capable 120mm fans for impressive results. The latest generation Asetek pump makes it possible to cool even a more power-hungry chip.
- Great thermal performance
- 240mm radiator
- Gorgeous functional LCD
- Required CAM software
NZXT is one of the few manufacturers that makes a lot of AIO liquid coolers. Many of them have LCDs that you can use to show memes or GIFs. Out of the available NZXT coolers, we think the 240mm NZXT Kraken Elite 240 is a fantastic option that's worth considering. As such it's our pick for the best 240mm AIO liquid cooler you can buy right now. The Kraken Elite 240 is a part of NZXT's premium range, which means you get NZXT's F140P fans and an LCD included in the kit too. The cooler features the latest Asetek pump along with an LCD display.
The thermal performance and LCD are the stars of the show here, really. You can control the panel through the CAM software and make it display a bunch of different data including the CPU and the GPU temperature. You can also use it to display media, which opens up a new world of customization for a lot of people. The addition of F140P fans makes it an excellent option. These are some well-built fans that'll last you for quite some time.
EK Nucleus AIO CR240 Lux D-RGB
Excellent performance at a reasonable price.
The EK Nucleus AIO CR240 Lux D-RGB is a fantastic 240mm AIO liquid cooler for an Intel or AMD CPU. It has RGB lighting, two high-static optimized fans, and some premium pre-installed fittings for one of the best mid-sized closed-loop coolers.
- Great thermal performance
- 240mm radiator
- No software required
- Can get loud
- Block lighting is a little dim
EK is a brand that needs no introduction if you've done a little research on water-cooling a PC. It's renowned for sophisticated open-loop liquid cooling kits and parts, but the company also produces some closed-loop AIO solutions like the EK Nucleus AIO CR240 Lux D-RGB. It's our alternate pick for the best 240mm AIO cooler and supports the latest AM5 and LGA 1700 sockets. This AIO has a striking design with plenty of RGB lighting on the block and inside the fans. If you require something that will bring down your CPU temperature and add some light to your chassis, this is it.
Full-frame FPT series fans are included and replace older EK-Vader blowers. They're an excellent step forward and two 120mm fans will be more than capable of forcing air through the radiator. You can expect to see similar results with this setup compared to other 240mm AIO solutions. Having the ability to control all the RGB lighting across the AIO makes it an even better proposition for those who want a light show.
DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS520
Save money without compromising style.
Using DeepCool's in-house pump design, the DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS520 is a solid powerhouse of a 240mm AIO liquid cooler. You'll be shocked by just how effective this thing is at cooling a processor.
- Great value
- 240mm radiator
- No software required
- Not the cheapest 240mm AIO
There's no shortage of closed-loop AIO liquid coolers on the market, but a lot of them tend to be on the expensive side. The DeepCool LS520 is a 240mm AIO liquid cooler, and it's one of the best-value AIO coolers in this collection. The DeepCool LS520 covers most of the popular sockets on the market which includes both Intel and AMD options. The AIO uses an aluminum radiator with braided tubes, and you get two 120mm PWM fans capable of reaching speeds up to 1,800 RPM. This particular AIO, as you can see, also supports RGB lighting.
The DeepCool LS520 is an entry-level AIO closed-loop liquid cooler that's suitable for a lot of low to mid-ranged builds. The DeepCool LS520 may not be a match for more premium AIO kits, but it'll help shave off a few degrees compared to even the more advanced CPU air coolers. The best part about this AIO liquid cooler is the price, allowing almost anyone to upgrade their cooling solution to something with far more capacity. We think this is a good place to start as an entry-level user before investing in more expensive coolers for your rig.
NZXT Kraken 120
The most compact AIO we'd recommend.
If you're building a compact PC or server that doesn't pump out much heat, an AIO liquid cooler like the NZXT Kraken 120 would be a decent solution. It's small, affordable, and is capable of handling some loads.
- Compact design
- Decent performance for its size
- Thermal performance
Compact PC builds have limited options when it comes to CPU cooling solutions. You can either pick up a low-profile CPU air cooler or go with a compact AIO. The problem is, there aren't too many compact AIOs in the market. And the available ones are either too expensive or don't offer the best cooling performance to maintain the thermal output. We think the NZXT Kraken 120 is a reliable 120mm cooler you can grab for your small form factor builds. The NZXT Kraken 120 comes with a single 120mm radiator along with a 120mm Aer fan that's bundled with other Kraken coolers.
The only RGB light you get as a part of NZXT Kraken 120 is built into the CPU block. You can use the same software to monitor your PCs performance too, but it sadly doesn't allow you to control the pump speed of the cooler. The overall footprint of the NZXT Kraken 120 is small, and it should have no issues fitting into most PCs. The cooling performance of this small-sized cooler is on par with a lot of air coolers on the market, if not better. It's proven to be as powerful as some of the big-sized air coolers. This means the NZXT Kraken 120 should have absolutely no issues cooling even the most demanding SFF builds out there.
Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 AIO Liquid Cooler
Service your AIO liquid cooler to keep it running for years.
The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 AIO is a modular AIO cooler that lets you add a better radiator or even a GPU block to the existing loop without replacing the entire unit.
- Good serviceability
- Great thermal performance
- 240mm radiator
- Pricey
- Seemingly dated design
The only disadvantage of having a closed-loop AIO liquid cooler is that it doesn't leave any room for serviceability. All you get is a radiator with fans, connected to a CPU block that cools the CPU itself. You can't disconnect the fittings or add cooling blocks, to upgrade the setup. You'll be forced to go for a more sophisticated open-cooling cooling solution to achieve any degree of customization. But the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU cooler wants to change that. This is essentially a modular AIO cooler which means it's expandable and can be used with other Alphacool components that utilize its quick-disconnect system.
This is one of the few AIO coolers in the market that allows you to swap out an existing component for a new or a different one, which is fantastic and unique. While this forces you to stay within the Alphacool ecosystem, it's pretty neat nonetheless and allows one to upgrade to larger radiators down the line. The cooling performance of the base Eisbaer Aurora 240 is on par with many other 240mm AIO coolers out there. It's plenty for those who're getting started with a closed-loop cooler for the first time. The Eisbaer Aurora works well with the majority of CPUs on the market, and it's also compatible with a lot of sockets.
Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 kit
Create your own open loop water cooling solution.
The Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 is a complete kit for enthusiasts who likes to get their hands dirty. This type of cooling is perfect for high-performance overclocked machines.
- Excellent thermal performance
- 420mm radiator
- All the required open-loop parts
- Requires careful installation
- User maintanence required
Closed-loop AIO liquid coolers have their own advantages, but there's nothing more satisfying than building your custom loop from scratch for the ultimate custom-cooling PC build of your dreams. We're adding the Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 custom cooling kit to this collection. The Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 is essentially a custom cooling loop kit that'll give you all the tools you possibly need to build a new open-loop cooling solution for your PC. Buying a bundled kit like the Hurricane Copper 45 makes it easier to have everything in place as opposed to combing through multiple pages on the internet to find compatible fittings for your loop.
The kit comes with enough mounting hardware for complete installation on nearly every existing AMD and Intel CPU sockets, except for Threadripper. As a part of the kit, you get coolant for the loop, a 3-way fan splitter, thermal compound, a handy funnel to pour the coolant, and an ATX 24-pin jumper module for priming and filling the cooling loop. Not to mention, you also get the core components of the loop like a radiator, tubes, a reservoir, CPU water block, and more. This is one of the biggest radiators you can buy right now, and it is more than enough to cool even the most demanding rigs.
As an open-loop cooling system, the installation demands a lot of effort. As such you'll have to channel the coolant through each part that you're trying to cool and put everything in place by finding space for the components in the chassis. It's safe to say this kind of sophisticated system is not for beginners. It's better to start with a closed-loop AIO before making your way to an open loop if you need one. Also, a cooling solution like this isn't necessarily for entry-level to mid-range builds anyway.
Choosing the best AIO liquid cooler
Choosing the best CPU cooler comes down to how much you wish to spend, the size of your case, what radiators it supports, and what processor you plan on cooling. The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is a fantastic cooler for most high-end builds and is capable of cooling even an overclocked Intel Core i9-13900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It's expensive but well worth it if you're building a serious PC.
Whereas a 240mm AIO like the Kraken Z53 RGB is enough to cool a mid-range build. NZXT makes some of the best AIO coolers on the market and this Z53 is no exception. You will also be exposed to the company's feature-rich CAM software. We've also added some other affordable options like the DeepCool LS520 cooler that's worth considering if you're too strapped for cash. There are plenty of AIO coolers out there to choose from, and we rounded up the best to help you make the right decision.
Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion
The Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML360 Illusion is one of the best AIO coolers you can buy and looks the part, too, with its colorful RGB fans.